[Books] Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour | Morgan Matson

Almost a year ago I posted a review about Morgan Matson’s book Since You’ve Been Gone. After reading it I bought another one of her books called Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, which sat in my library for months and months until recently, when I decided to sit down and read it.

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Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour

Author: Morgan Matson

Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it’s Amy’s responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn’t ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip – and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar – especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory – but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Tell Me About It

Here is the thing I’m beginning to realize and love about Morgan Matson’s writing: she has an amazing ability to build a well built romance in each of her books. However, to my surprise, these romances aren’t the main story, nor do they end up being my favorite part. Morgan does an amazing job at showcasing a characters growth in a the amount of time we spend with them. Yes, the romance between her characters is awesome, but I have found the character growth far more appealing.

A&RED is no different. Amy is a shy girl who keeps everything she’s feeling to herself. She is forced to travel across country with a guy she barely knows after living in her childhood home by herself for a month while her mother moves to across the country to their new house. She’s a bit sharp around the edges and very closed off in the beginning of the road trip, as she and Roger travel across the country she slowly loosens up and reverts back to her former “Amy!” self.

Their travel starts with Amy and Roger taking a short detour to Yosemite National Park and from there, they kind of just make up a route across the country. Both Amy and Roger have things on their minds through out this drive. Amy, overcome with sadness about her recent father’s death, and Roger wondering about why his relationship with his ex-girlfriend ended. Each stop means something to each of them, and with each stop their friendship grows closer. From stopping in Colorado and Roger’s friend doing an overhaul of Amy’s clothes, to having dinner on the 18th hole in Kansas, with every new chapter you feel like you’re in the car with Amy and Roger.

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Like SYBG, my favorite part about this book was surprisingly not the romance of it. It was the fact that Amy is truly trying to find herself again. She lost parts of herself when her dad died, her mom moved, and her brother gone. While going on this journey across the country, she finds those parts again. A little bit at a time. She finds herself in a new wardrobe, in remembering how to love driving again, in rebelling against her mom’s designated route to Connecticut, in visiting Graceland like she and her dad had always planned, and in laying all her feelings on the table with her brother.

It is after that, after she begins to see herself again, that she begins to understand her feelings for Roger. This progression is really awesome, because that’s how it should be in real relationships. You need to know yourself as much as possible, before getting to know someone else.

Bottomline

It’s great! Read it, love it, and then read more of her books.
rating-loved it

You can find Morgan Matson on Twitter and Goodreads. You can buy her books on IndieBound and Amazon (Affiliate Link).

What books have you been reading recently? I’m always looking for some new recs

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