My Rating: 5/5 Stars
When you have a lot of things on your mind and you are just looking for a sweet and good read, please choose this book. I’ve never read anything from Morgan Matson, but I totally loved the style and the good vibe that this book brought. The plot is not very complicated, but the focus is not here, it is on the journey our 2 characters have in order to discover themselves and start over.
Amy has suffered a great deal in the past months, her father died in a car accident and she believes it was her fault. She was behind the wheel and because of that she felt all the blame was on her. She changes very much throughout the course of this months, so her mother made the decision to move. Delaying the inevitable was a thought experience for her, eventually she has to move as well, leaving the house of her childhood behind. During the summer, her mother ask her to bring her car to where she was staying now, and Amy has no choice but to obey. This means a 3-4 days ride, for which she is more than excited. Not… But she is not alone in this trip, she would be accompanied by Roger, the boy of an old friend, who has to be in the same town as she has. So, they don’t have any choice but to ride together and make this trip as less awkward as they possibly can.
Although the trip was supposed to last 4 days max, there was a change of plans, and the kids wanted to discover some places by themselves, in this may seeking closure to some unfinished business. I really enjoyed their bonding, even though in the beginning they had nothing in common, they soon realized how good they are as a team. I will let you discover what will their status be at the end of the book:)
This is a typical YA book, with a focus not on the relationship of the heroes, but on the rediscovery and closing old wounds for both of them. Amy will figure out a way to leave her demons behind, leave the grief and guilt that she feels over her father’s death, and accept to move on. Roger will have to find closure and accept that his feelings for someone are not so strong as he though they were at the beginning. Someone, the person who you are destined to be is not very far, you just have to open your eyes to see. Their evolution was amazing and I really enjoyed reading about them in the first pages VS the last chapter of the books, where they had a complete transformation and realized so much.
Another reason why I enjoyed this book was because of the interactive way it was presented to the reader. I had the hard copy and it delighted me because it was like a scrap book. From each location they visited there were 2 or 3 pages with different receipts, postcards or pictures that were so pleasant to watch. You also have their road trip playlist and it truly felt authentic, as being part of their group and experiencing this trip together.
As a conclusion, I totally recommend this book, because it was a sweet and pleasant read, with a strong message of knowing yourself and embracing an experience that might change your life in a positive way.
Ramonisme 