Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

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4.08 of 5 stars 4.08  ·  rating details  ·  17,425 ratings  ·  2,000 reviews
Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's o...more
Paperback, 343 pages
Published 2010 by Simon and Schuster

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(showing 1-30 of 3,000)
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Sita Sargeant
Sep 26, 2011 Sita Sargeant rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone
4.49 stars...

I loved this book it was really good, the characters were good, the writing was good, the plot was good. So why can’t I bring myself to give it five stars. I really don’t know. It is probably because there were a few small things that irked me, okay, this is going to sound really bad, but I think it dropped a star because of the romance. Actually, that doesn't sound so bad. Sure, the characters were good and they all had problems they were recovering from, but when I picked up this...more
Nic
But since I've been out here, on this trip...it is like I've started to remember what it is like. To feel alive. To feel anything. And all I'm saying it that you never know how much time you have."

I have being sitting here trying to think of what to say about this gorgeous book. I’m not sure why I am finding it so difficult because I LOVED EVERYTHING about it. The amazing characters, the travel journal entries, the play lists, the quotes at beginning of each chapter, the menus, photos and all th...more
Tatiana
Oct 29, 2010 Tatiana rated it 3 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of YA summer romances and playlists
Recommended to Tatiana by: Crystal
I am not a big fan of formulaic, Sarah Dessen-type summer YA romances, but the reviews of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour were so glowing, I wanted to give it a try. I did enjoy it, as much as I can enjoy a story that employs such genre cliches as makeovers and two teens sleeping in the same bed because, oh my!, there are no other options available.

The book is cute and sweet, engaging and a very quick read. The main characters, albeit fairly superficially drawn, are nice, likable people. Although...more
Lisa O.
So Amy and Roger's Epic Detour wasn't all that epic after all.

It starts off with Amy, living in a house alone in California. Her mother has already moved to Connecticut, her twin brother is in rehab and her father recently died in a car crash. She is the last one left behind, the house is about to be sold and she has to get the family car, a Liberty, from California to Connecticut, where her mother has decided to move after her husband's death. That's when Roger enters the scene. Amy doesn't wa...more
Arlene
Undeniably 5 Stars!!

I know what I want to do… I want to go on an Epic Detour… my final destination isn't clear but I have a pretty good idea of the places I want to see.

I want to travel to Yosemite and buy a Bear Essentials t-shirt, drive on the Loneliest Road in America and hike a pair of my sneakers on the tree along the way, go to Kentucky and eat a Hot Brown and derby pie, visit Graceland and graffiti the wall and get a pair of Elvis-style sunglasses gold-trim and all, I'll even eat a messy...more
Janina
I absolutely loved Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. It was one of those books I wished would never end but finished in a few hours.

Despite the serious issues it addresses, it is never downbeat, but bittersweet and also funny in exactly the right places.
Amy and Roger are authentic and likeable. I loved the people they met on their trip (especially Bronwyn, Drew and Lucien), the games they played in the car and how they slowly and almost without consciously noticing it began to get to know and trus...more
Eunice
4.5 of 5 stars

Wow! I feel like I just had an epic road trip all over America and witnessed a very cute and sweet love story! Amy and Roger's Epic Detour was a very fun, sweet and easy read that offered me not just a heartwarming story but also an unforgettable trip which - from where I am now - is quite impossible to have (I'm technically on the other end of the earth from America. XD) but nevertheless I absolutely enjoyed it, like I was really seeing and discovering things too. And you see, I'm...more
♥Rachel♥
This book is about finding the best thing when you least expect it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I mean, who doesn’t want to go on a road trip? More than ever, and especially after reading this book, I want to go on a road trip!

Amy Curry has to get her Mom’s car to Connecticut from California. Her Mom sold the family house and has already moved there. Amy stayed to finish out her school year but that’s over and it’s time to move. Trouble is Amy can’t drive since she was in a car accident with her fa...more
Jennifer Wardrip
Reviewed by John Jacobson aka "R.J. Jacobs" for TeensReadToo.com

I am proud to say this book is going on my keeper shelf. Road trip novels always held a special appeal to me, so this book was always going in my TBR. It was one of my most anticipated books of 2010. From the cover, to the first sentence, all the way to the ending - it held me in a way few books do. I am proud to say it both met and surpassed all expectations I had.

Amy is home alone in California, packing up to drive across the coun...more
Brooke
Love. Love. Lovelovelove.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was one of those books I started and had crazy high expectations for. I was not disappointed.

There's nothing better than a love story that leaves you feeling as though you could quite comfortably lie there in your bed and hug the book and feel complete. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face when I finished reading. I wanted more!

Both Amy and Roger were characters that had so many layers, and it was truly my pleasure to read page after page a...more
Jillian -always aspiring-
(Actual rating: 3.5 stars)

This preview review has been approved for all audiences readers by The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. me and me alone

[Fade in on sunny California scenery with a catchy tune kicking up in the background. Camera pans in on the Golden Gate Bridge and other sights and sounds of California.]

[voiceover from the heroine's mother, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, as these sights are rolling on camera] "Hello, Amy. This is your mother. I'll be needing the car at the hou
...more
Jessica
Awwww, what a cute story!

You know how sometimes you meet new people and you feel connected to them right away? You don’t really know why but somehow you just click? From time to time, I feel like this about books and that’s exactly what’s happened with Roger’s and Amy’s Epic Detour. We just clicked.

I liked Amy instantly and could easily relate to her. And after she had made me laugh out loud on the first few pages already, I knew that I would be enjoying this book.
It's a beautifully told and he...more
Kristy
If you read this, be prepared... You are not going to want to put it down. I just spent 2.5 wasted, yet wonderful hours devouring this. What a fun book (although it does have some deeper, sad moments). Road trip books are not usually something I would imagine myself enjoying; Wrong. I loved this book. I enjoyed the playlists almost as much as the book. All of the little drawings and reciepts, like a scrapbook threw me off at first but I ended up eating it up!! I had no idea what this book was, I...more
oliviasbooks
I am really, really enchanted, but I am still contemplating if I would not have rated the book four stars only, if all my friends here hadn't wished to distribute six or more. I am looking forward to Morgan Matson's future writing.
Andrea
I could have gone on a MUCH longer road trip with Amy & Roger. I tried so hard not to finish this one as fast as I did, but it obviously didn't work. *here is where the IDEA of gushing goes so no one actually has to read it; about: visual extras! the trip! amy! roger!* Definitely in my top five of 2010. Morgan Matson, write more books soon, please?
Alexa
A cute and enjoyable book! I liked Amy & Roger's journey, and they were great characters. (I loved Roger! He was sweet, nice, and just adorable.) It really made me smile. :)

I love it when things I like or know about are mentioned in a book. With this book it will have to be the music, the diners/restaurants, and postcards (even though it was minor compared to the other two I mentioned). With the diner/restaurants, I recognized Waffle House, Sonic Drive-In, Krystal, and Chick-fil-A. I love Ch...more
Good Golly Miss Holly
I'm sure a lot of people have dreamt of going on a road-trip and maybe even enjoyed it a little but for the most part you'll have to agree, road-trips aren't always as exciting to experience as they seem from the outside and that's how I feel about Amy & Roger's Epic Detour.

Amy's life has been going downhill lately... her brother is in rehab, her father died in a car crash and now her mum has decided to uproot what's left of the family to Connecticut. The only problem is Amy refuses to drive...more
April
You know you love a book when you find yourself google mapping a trip to Graceland in the middle of reading it. YOU GUYS! The open road is SO transformative and I know I will forever love road trip book. Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson definitely holds a special place in my heart. Yes, I know I just read it, but it’s totally earned that spot.

Read the rest of my review here
Morgan F
Even though I have A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF HOMEWORK to get done, I knew I wasn't going to be able to focus on anything until I finished this book.

This book is about Amy Curry, who's life has recently went very much downhill. Her father died in a car accident, her mother packed up everything to go to Connecticut, and her twin brother is in rehab. Amy, who was left behind in California to finish her junior year, isn't too happy about having to go cross country in the family car, driven by a boy she's...more
Yasmine
Ok, so wow, I was not expecting this.

I think I need to expand on Goodreads' Blurb a little, it's really not informative enough about this book:

Amy's Dad has passed away, her twin brother is in rehab, her Mom has decided to move across country. Her Mom needs her to transport the car from their old home to their new one, but Amy doesn't drive since her Dad was killed in a car crash.
Amy's Mom asks Roger (her old friend's son) to drive with Amy on his way to his Dad's house (which is 3hrs away from...more
Reynje
3.5 stars

Okay, first things first:

I don’t mean to get all “that’s not a knife, this is a knife!”* on you, dear friends, but can I just say this? California is not a big state. Colorado is not a big state. Western Australia is a big state. Heck, even Queensland is a big state.

Seriously though (view spoiler)[and before I get things chucked at me (hide spoiler)], I liked this book. I admit that when I picked it up, I had a moment of trepidation. It seems I’ve been reading a lot of slight (size-w...more
Aly (Fantasy4eva)
AMY & ROGERS EPIC DETOUR is far from the book I expected. I gotta admit. For some reason I assumed I was in for a bit of a tear - jerker/ on the thought provoking side. Alas this was not that book.

Don't look too much into the romance. I didn't think there was much to it. I do think there were a few WTF - ery moments between the two. A certain moment comes to mind, is one that came from nowhere and made no sense.

I don't think the romance matters much anyway. This book is pretty much about t...more
Brittany
Amy's father died. Those words are too hard for her to think, let alone speak aloud. Her mother decides the family needs a new start. With her brother in rehab, and her mother make their new home ready in Connecticut, Amy is left alone in her Californian home. That is until school is over and her mom informs her there is not enough money for her to fly to Connecticut and ship the car too. Amy hasn't driven since the accident, and she doesn't even really like being in cars anymore. It comes as qu...more
Noelle
3.5 stars

I've read enough YA road trip themed books lately to consider myself a bit of an expert on the subject. In fact I've noticed that there are a set of rules for the Road Trip Novel--rules that if followed can overcome the cliches to make something truly special. Rules that if ignored can bring down the whole book.

First things first, a Road Trip Novel needs a believable reason for a teenager to drive across the country with a complete (but extremely hot, natch) stranger. The catalyst for t...more
Rachel (The Rest Is Still Unwritten)
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Misfit Mellow ~
Nov 16, 2011 Misfit Mellow ~ rated it 5 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: YA Lovers
Recommended to Misfit Mellow ~ by: Sita Sargeant
Shelves: funny, romance
This book was good.

SPOILERS AHEAD
Funny when it came to there 20 questions cream soda and root beer but i turned out to be a good book kinda got annoyed at the end when i they just ended it without them figuring out how to stay together. But atleast they got together somehow but yea i also wished that her borther got to go home but hey you can't have everything
Estelle
Mar 22, 2013 Estelle rated it 4 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition
Recommended to Estelle by: Anna (AnnaReads.com)
Shelves: re-reads
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading Blog

Just like The Gap Year, I can’t stop yakking my head off about how amazingly wonderful this book is. What is there not to love about a book featuring two people road tripping across the country with some awesome tunes on the radio. The book could have easily fallen into the realm of cliché, but Roger and Amy’s characters are both so well-developed and with every passing day in that car, the change in each of them is evident.

First of all, as a hug...more
E
Also Found On: A Book and A Record

I adored this book. I loved Amy, I loved Roger, I loved the layout. I felt like this book was written by my best friend. Honestly, I adored all of the pictures, I loved that Matson gives us an ending in the form of receipt, I loved that these character's weren't perfect. This book made me want to get in a Cherokee and drive across the country, I wanted to see The Loneliest Highway in America and Graceland. The perfect summer read. Honest and alive. To say that I...more
Elena
I really enjoyed this book! I'm glad I read it in a physical form because the e-book I had didn't quite capture all the little details, such as the receipts or playlists. I really appreciated the details because it really draws you into the store and makes you feel like you're there. I think the details are really crucial to the book because for me, it felt really real. I am literally obsessed with In-N-Out (many have tried to convince me so-and-so burger is better but IT NEVER IS!) so I knew I...more
Nick
4.5 Stars :)


This one took a while getting in (ended up just leaving it for a couple of days), but once it go going I really wanted to know what happened. I really liked Amy and Roger and pretty much all the other characters which NEVER happens to me. This combined with the easy-flowing writing style made most of this book sort of glide of over me like a gliding...like a...LIKE A WAVE! Yes, a wave.

I really liked Roger. I don't like most guys in YA books because they are all pretty much the same g...more
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Amy and Roger's Epic Detour (Hardcover)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (Kindle Edition)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (ebook)
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (Paperback)
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Morgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway though a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.

Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New Schoo...more
More about Morgan Matson...
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