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How My Summer Went Up in Flames

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 6,285 ratings · 608 reviews

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cro ...more

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Hardcover, 307 pages

Published May 7th 2013 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers (first published May 3rd 2013)

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Nov 23, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: road-trip

How My Summer Went Up in Flames is a perfect summer read: light, funny and with a touch of romance.

After finding out that her boyfriend, Joey cheated on her, Rosie does what most of us only fantasize about doing, she sets his car on fire. She didn’t mean to do it, she was only burning her mementos from their relationship in his driveway when things somehow got out of control and his car became causality. But this doesn’t matter because that “minor” incident results in a Temporary Restraining Ord How My Summer Went Up in Flames is a perfect summer read: light, funny and with a touch of romance.

After finding out that her boyfriend, Joey cheated on her, Rosie does what most of us only fantasize about doing, she sets his car on fire. She didn’t mean to do it, she was only burning her mementos from their relationship in his driveway when things somehow got out of control and his car became causality. But this doesn’t matter because that “minor” incident results in a Temporary Restraining Order. Unfortunately, Rosie doesn’t grasp the importance of staying away and is caught by her parents not once, but twice violating the TRO! They decide to send her on a nine-day road trip with her best friend, Matty, and his friends, Spencer and Logan, to keep her out of trouble. The boys, especially Logan, are not too happy that Rosie is crashing their party. Rosie lays eyes on Logan, and thinks the trip may not be so bad after all, but then he opens his mouth!

This story had me cracking up throughout. Matty and Spencer are both longtime members of the geek-squad. They have a to-the-hour-itinerary and ridiculous conversations on things like dissecting the Star Wars movies (okay, I admit, I’ve done this too, but still, they are way geekier!). Rosie’s reactions and inner commentary was hilarious too:

My parents thought it was best for me to attend an all-girls Catholic high school because it’s every teenage girl’s dream to dress like a Scottish bagpipe player. All because I got busted at an eighth-grade graduation party playing seven minutes with Armand DelVecchio, who, by the way, kisses like a seal. It wasn’t’ even worth it.*

I was worried Rosie’s obsession and actions would bother me, but she was a perfect example of a character in progress. In the beginning she’s only thinking about herself without considering the impact of her decisions on others, and I wanted to shake her a few times. Being a passionate person, Rosie’s actions are sometimes misguided and immature. Rosie finally gets the gravity of her actions and starts to feel sorry for how she acted. The road trip was a perfect way to chase away her heartbreak induced fog, and wake up and smell the coffee. She really grew on me, because underneath it all she did have a big heart.

Logan was a little prickly and sarcastic at first, but I love how his honest comments get Rosie thinking about her life, direction and choices.

I loved the gradual attraction and romance built in this story. It felt realistic in the face of Rosie’s situation. I will say that a romance with any one of these boys would’ve worked for me for different reasons; all three were special and adorable in their own right.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was an enjoyable journey of heartbreak, self-discovery, friendships, and romance. I can’t believe this was Jennifer Salvato Doktorski’s debut, and I expect great things to come from her in the future!

A copy was provided by Simon Pulse through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

*Quote taken from an uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

You can read this review and at The Readers Den. ...more

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Jun 24, 2013 Deena Beena rated it did not like it

Wow. Am I really the only one who hated this? I mean, I can't say that my opinion of this book is entirely its own fault, after reading 'Amy & Roger's Epic Detour' I guess my standards were set pretty high, I love that book, and therefore was fairly excited when I picked up 'How My Summer Went Up in Flames', expecting great things.

I was heavily disappointed. First of all, Rosie annoyed me so much. Half of the duration of the plot she was mooning over Joey, then Logan, then taking Matty for grant Wow. Am I really the only one who hated this? I mean, I can't say that my opinion of this book is entirely its own fault, after reading 'Amy & Roger's Epic Detour' I guess my standards were set pretty high, I love that book, and therefore was fairly excited when I picked up 'How My Summer Went Up in Flames', expecting great things.

I was heavily disappointed. First of all, Rosie annoyed me so much. Half of the duration of the plot she was mooning over Joey, then Logan, then taking Matty for granted and decided (spoiler, don't read ahead) that she was, in fact, the one who decided when Spencer got his first kiss and who he was going to get it from; half of the time I actually had no clue who she was going to end up with because she was, in a sense, at least slightly romantically entangled with every teenaged male character in the book. It also annoyed me how self-centred she was, I mean I get it, she's a teenager, but so am I, I'm only 16 where she's a year older than I am, and yet, I couldn't relate to her at all, because every damn thing she did was so rash and impulsive, and although she is intentionally characterised that way, I felt that it didn't really serve the plot and just aided in fueling my dislike towards her. So many times I wanted this book to spontaneously burst into flames as I'd watch the fire ignite, rising higher and higher until the flames would die down, and with them, the book, and I would maniacally laugh at the irony of it all, given the name of it.

I know it may seem like I'm being harsh, cruel and a little melodramatic, but I honestly don't understand how this book is getting such high ratings or even mediocre ratings. The tone and writing style was borderline primitive, that even I could've written it! It felt like I was reading a last minute, Sunday night, 8th grade English assignment. The content was lacking and most of the characters were dull and 2 dimensional, I only took interest in two characters, Matty first, and Spencer second. I'm not saying that I hate Rosie (more like strongly dislike throughout most of the novel), in fact, I liked her sometimes, like when she stood up for Spencer, it's just that I felt like she could've made the book so much better, I felt that she lacked depth, a big portion of why I didn't enjoy this book.
Rant over. ...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Allie rated it really liked it

Reading How My Summer Went Up in Flames was so much fun. I am pretty sure the author was giggling as she came up with some of the parts that made me laugh out loud. Highly recommend. More in a few days... 4.5 stars.

Full Review:

This so does not read like a first novel. I predict that Jennifer Salvato Doktorski has a long and successful career ahead of her, much like Lauren Barnholdt or Jennifer Echols. The writing is literally laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I am much more a smiler than a laugher w ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Ruby Rose rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: 13 and up!

Recommended to Ruby Rose by: Becca da Romance Queen

Shelves: favorite-books, my-books, favorites, sweet-romance, buddy-reads-2020

Hey everyone! This book is a must read for everyone... but I am here to pick the spots in this book you should know that this book has in it... I hate it when I run into things in books. I read this as a Buddy Read with the wonderful Becca da Romance Queen ! Check her out with the link below. You also can read our discussion with the link below that!

PARENT NOTE: The whole point of this book is how Rosie blows up her ex-boyfriend's car because he cheated on her and then she gets charged with bl ...more

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Apr 16, 2017 Alaina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, favorites, january-challenge-2018, humor, free-ebook, chick-lit, fiction, young-adult, romance

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was a really cute ya romance novel. I ate this book up and read it within an hour?

WARNING: spoilers below. be careful.

(view spoiler) How My Summer Went Up in Flames was a really cute ya romance novel. I ate this book up and read it within an hour?

WARNING: spoilers below. be careful.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Tabatha marked it as to-read

I seem to have developed a somewhat crazy/irrational love of road trips.. If I'm completely honest, I think I'm addicted..

Over & Out, T xx ...more

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Oct 25, 2014 Julia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Hin. Und. Weg. *-*

---------------

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious. To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget Hin. Und. Weg. *-*

---------------

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious. To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new.

Okay, das ist erst mein dritter (glaube ich zumindest) Roadtrip und ich habe das bisher bei jedem gesagt, aber dieses Mal ist es mein voller Ernst: Das ist der beste Roadtriproman, den ich kenne!
Ich liebe HMSWUIF (keine Lust, den Titel jetzt jedes Mal auszuschreiben). Punkt. Es ist perfekt. Punkt. Zumindest für mich.
Die Protagonistin Rosie hat mich mit ihrem Charme schnell um den Finger gewickelt. Im Klappentext steht zwar schon, dass sie spontan und impulsiv ist, aber trotzdem war ich nicht darauf vorbereitet, wie temperamentvoll sie wirklich ist – und das ist sie, aber hallo. Rosie besteht aus etwa 80 % Spontanität und 20 % Humor. Das mag jetzt vielleicht so klingen, als wäre sie total oberflächlich und es würden die ganze Zeit nur spontan irgendwelche Sprüche aus ihrem Mund fließen, aber so ist sie nicht. Ich finde, der Autorin ist es gelungen, dass die locker-leichte Sommergeschichte und die etwas ernsteren Aspekte sich die Waage halten.
Im Klappentext wird schon angedeutet, dass Rosie sich während des Trips verliebt, aber in wen bloß? Logan? Spencer? Matty? Ehrlich gesagt war ich mir bis fast zum Schluss nicht ganz sicher, wer denn jetzt eigentlich der Love interest ist. Ich hatte einen Topkandidaten, aber ich schwankte immer mal wieder. Und das fand ich nicht komisch oder so, auch wenn sich das so anhören mag, aber das hat eine Portion Extra-Spannung rein gebracht. In dem Auto herrschte nämlich eine freundschaftliche Atmosphäre, die das irgendwie so REALISTISCH und echt machte, dass man es als natürlich wahrnimmt. Es passt, in die Geschichte und zu Rosie. Besser kann ich das nicht beschreiben.
Okay, aber was ich an dem Buch am meisten geliebt habe? Den Humor! HMSWUIF trifft genau meinen Humor, wie es in letzter Zeit nur die Sachen von Tanja Voosen geschafft haben. Ich denke, damit ist schon genug gesagt.

Über die Autorin:
Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is the author of the YA novels, How My Summer Went Up in Flames, Famous Last Words, which was a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, and the forthcoming The Summer After You and Me. Her first paid writing gig was as an editorial assistant for the North Jersey Herald & News, where, in addition to developing a life-long passion for coffee and news, she wrote obituaries for eight months. She also worked as a speech writer, bank teller, ghostwriter, bookkeeper in a lampshade factory, pet shop clerk, and music zine editor. She lives with her family in New Jersey and spends her summers “down the shore,” where she dreams of taking surfing lessons and observes sea life while keeping her toes in the sand.

Fazit
Noch vor einer Woche konnte ich relativ sicher sagen, was mein liebstes Sommerbuch ist. Tja, es hat Konkurrenz bekommen. Meinetwegen könnt ihr auf die Übersetzung nächstes Jahr warten, aber LEST DIESES BUCH! Es ist einfach fantastisch. ...more

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Nov 15, 2014 Bookaholic (reads every mortal thing) rated it did not like it

Shelves: 2015-read, bland-romance, dissapointment-2, plain-boring, crappy-excuses-for-books, ya-contemporary

Bleh. What was I thinking? I dont even like road trip stories.

I really think I was under the impression that this'll be different. I don't like road trips in book because there is always an unnecessary amount of drama added to it, along with the typical amount of 'oh-my-God-I-am-a-teenager-and-I-have-problemz' drama.

Rosie is one of the most ungrateful, bitchy and unlikable heroines I have ever read about. She stalks her ex after he cheats on her. Not cool. Then, she gets a restraining order sl ...more

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May 11, 2013 Heidi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Source: Publisher/ Edelweiss: In exchange for an honest review

Three and a half stars: A light, fun summer road trip book.

Being slapped with a Restraining Order and a court date for supposedly torching your cheating ex-boyfriend's car was not how Rosie planned on starting on her summer. She had big plans to work at a bridal store, walk dogs and spend ample time with her boyfriend Joey. When Rosie caught Joey cheating with a freshman, she couldn't contain her rage. In anger, she placed all her kee ...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Emily Anne rated it really liked it

How my Summer Went Up in Flames was such a fun read! (Although I can't stand the way the girl is standing on the cover. Can I say Ow?) At first, I thought it sounded cute but thought the main character would be kind of pathetic. Luckily, she was real, and fun, and not too pathetic.

Can I just start by saying I have a rocky relationship with road trip books? I tend to love em' or hate em'. In this one I thought the road trip aspect was handled superbly though. The characters go to cool destination How my Summer Went Up in Flames was such a fun read! (Although I can't stand the way the girl is standing on the cover. Can I say Ow?) At first, I thought it sounded cute but thought the main character would be kind of pathetic. Luckily, she was real, and fun, and not too pathetic.

Can I just start by saying I have a rocky relationship with road trip books? I tend to love em' or hate em'. In this one I thought the road trip aspect was handled superbly though. The characters go to cool destinations in the USA, plus the ratio of boys to girls is 3:1. So, we get a lot of fun comments from Rosie about the car ride with the boys. One of my favorite scenes is when Rosie tries to play a road trip game. (To the question "What kind of fruit are you?" Rosie get back an answer something like, "I am not sure about me, but you are definitely bananas!")

Rosie is, as already stated, an awesome narrator. She is spunky and you can clearly see the character growth by the end of the book. Also, her voice is easy to read and I was laughing, like, the whole time! This was a such a good book to read right after Prophecy which had nothing remotely laugh inducing within the pages. The other girl we get to know well is a character met half way(ish) through the book. I really liked her though. Just let me search through the book for her name... Avery! Yes, I remember!

Anyways, she is lots of fun and also induced some laughs from me. And, finally, we have the three boys, Matty, Spencer, and Logan. They were all great. Matty is the younger best friend that helps keep Rosie from getting into trouble. Spencer and Logan are brother who are both very, um, neurotic about the schedule and rules. I think I rolled my eyes at there freakish obsession with how they planned everything!!! Rosie feels the same way.

Also, I love how the dialogue feels real, and not at all forced, as that is one of my biggest pet peeves in a book. I read the book so fast, it was addicting. I love addicting books! And this book had everything else too: humor, awesome romance, a good message, cool premise, and a great pacing that had me zipping through the pages.

Overall, this was a great read! I would reccomend this to anyone looking for a light, fun contemporary full (and I mean full) of laughs. I cannot wait to read more by this author, Jennifer Salvato Doktorski!

4/5 bookcases (This was won in a giveaway, thank you Emily Crammed Bookshelf and Jennifer!)
...more

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Jun 13, 2014 ☣Lynn☣ rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, holy-crap-it-was-good, hot-male-lead, chic-lit, its-so-fluffy, summer-nights

3.5 stars

That was too cute!

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Nov 01, 2012 Tiff at Mostly YA Lit rated it liked it

How My Summer Went Up in Flames is one of those on the fence novels for me. It's good, but not great, and it's fun, but not hilariously funny. It's right in the middle.

I think the most interesting thing about this novel was how the author wasn't afraid to make Rosie unlikeable. I really disliked Rosie at the beginning of the novel. She was shallow, selfish, and really materialistic. She refused to own up to her mistakes, and instead of being grateful for the road trip that Matty was taking her o ...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Donna {Book Passion For Life} rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary-romance, for-review

“I know women are supposed to stand on their own and all. I get that. But every once in a while it doesn't hurt to wish for a fairy godmother, a little magic, and a happy ending.”

I had been eager to read How My Summer Went Up in Flames since I first received it for review, mainly because I’m yet to find that road trip book that I could totally fall in love with. I was hoping that Jennifer Salvato Doktorski debut novel would be it, and while it wasn't, I certainly enjoyed reading it.

How My Summer “I know women are supposed to stand on their own and all. I get that. But every once in a while it doesn't hurt to wish for a fairy godmother, a little magic, and a happy ending.”

I had been eager to read How My Summer Went Up in Flames since I first received it for review, mainly because I’m yet to find that road trip book that I could totally fall in love with. I was hoping that Jennifer Salvato Doktorski debut novel would be it, and while it wasn't, I certainly enjoyed reading it.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames starts with Rosie, a teenage girl who recently had a temporary restraining order put against her after she torched her ex-boyfriend; Joey’s car, when she discovered he was cheating on her. Rosie can’t quite get her head around all the trouble she is in, and still doesn’t abide by the law when she’s caught kind of stalking Joey. So, the only way her parents know how to deal with her is to send her on a road trip with her next door neighbour Matt and his friends, hoping she will discover herself along the way.

As I said before, I definitely enjoyed reading this story, it's an ideal read if you've just broke up from school for the summer and you're looking for that read that can take you the places you've always wanted to see. How My Summer Went Up in Flames certainly delivered with that aspect, with my favourite part being where the characters where visiting the Grand Canyon. I'd love to go there one day!

Rosie was a fun character - one who has her issues, but hey, what seventeen-year-old girl doesn't? I felt some of her reactions were way over the top but that's Rosie. I enjoyed how she started finding herself along the way of the trip, I didn't like how much she kept pining over Joey, but him cheating on her was the plot of the story. Now I loved Avery! I wouldn't mind reading a book all about her. And then we have the guys; Matty, Logan and Spencer. I really liked them all. Rosie didn't end up with the guy I thought she would but still, it was still interesting to see her figure things out.

The story itself was enjoyable at a good pace, there was enough entertainment through-out and enough laughs to keep the humour going. What I felt lacked and really did affect my overall rating of this book, was the romance. It definitely fell short and there just wasn't as much as I would have liked. At one stage you have no idea who the main character Rosie's love interest really is, because she has moments with all the three guys she's on the trip with. To me, that's too much, especially since the romance isn't the key factor of the story - it's all about the road trip and Rosie finding herself. I sometimes felt that Rosie was put into these moments with the guys just to fill the story....and the guy she kind of ends up with, she doesn't really get a lot of swoon-worthy moments with him, and I need that swoon in the story.

In all, even despite the minor issues I had with this story, I still enjoyed it. It's one I'd recommend to any road trip fan because they may enjoy it even more than me. ...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Juhina rated it it was amazing

4.5/5 stars

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was a bundle of joy. I had SO much fun reading this book, laughing with the characters, yelling at the main protagonist (more about that later), witnessing all the sight seeing they got to see, and basically solidifying my love for road trip books. Why aren't authors writing more road trip books? Don't they know the book would become an instant success among contemporary lovers? Like many readers, I have yet to read a road trip novel that I didn't enjoy 4.5/5 stars

How My Summer Went Up in Flames was a bundle of joy. I had SO much fun reading this book, laughing with the characters, yelling at the main protagonist (more about that later), witnessing all the sight seeing they got to see, and basically solidifying my love for road trip books. Why aren't authors writing more road trip books? Don't they know the book would become an instant success among contemporary lovers? Like many readers, I have yet to read a road trip novel that I didn't enjoy. Of course How My Summer Went Up in Flames might have won itself merit points at the beginning for being a road trip novel, but the characters and the plot (at least second half of it) are what made me love this book and devour it in a single day.

Rosie, a couple of weeks after breaking up with her cheating ex-boyfriend, finds herself the culprit of a burnt car belonging to said ex-boyfriend and the holder of a temporary Restraining Order (TRO) her ex-boyfriend took against her. Her parents decide for her to go on the road trip her neighbor, Matty, who she has known all her life and is a year younger, and his friend Spencer and Spencer's older brother Logan were taking to Logan's university, cross country. At the beginning, I was SO annoyed with Rosie and her desperation. It really left a sour taste in my mouth. She broke her TRO several times and couldn't stop thinking about that douche. Where is your self respect girl?! I was so happy when she finally went on the road trip and the whole obsession over her ex-boyfriend started to diminish.

The dialogue in this novel was stolen by Matty and Spencer, mostly Spencer and all his adorableness. That guy is a nerd to the max but oh so sweet, caring, and funny. As for Logan, he is the hot guy who is also a nerd; basically every girl's dream guy, looks AND brains? who can say no? However his moodiness and sneering and dislike for Rosie crashing his road trip was obvious. Yup, you guessed it. He is the love interest. I loved Logan, when he learned to loosen up he was as cute as Spencer; These two brothers charmed me to the extreme! Doktorski's writing flowed easily, with a ton of dialogue and a ton of playfulness you expect from road trip books. This is a book to pick up when you want a smile on your face and a ton of free time for the day because once I started this book, I could barely put it down. I honestly would recommend all contemporary and road trip fans to read it because this road trip book is full of all the ingredients that make us readers love contemporary novels! ...more

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Apr 15, 2018 delaney rated it it was ok · review of another edition

HOW THIS BOOK WENT UP IN FLAMES:

1. ROSALITA ARIANA CATALANO
I've got 99 problems with this girl. Not only is she extremely unlikable, but she is extremely shallow. The matter of the fact is, you are stuck 320 pages with a girl who would rather oggle at guys, slut-shames, and care about how she looks than appreciate the fact that she is seeing the Hall of Fame much less on a road trip in general. She even knows she can be a pain in the rear but she doesn't care to change herself until probably the end bits where she does a complete 360. Wow, could it come any sooner?

2. ROMANCE
Out of all the possible candidates on the road trip, it's basically insta-love with who she will end up with. There is basically no romantic build-up, they barely interact even though there were numerous times they could have. It didn't even have to romantic per se, just more of confinement in each other. I mean, you're on a road trip, you're basically stuck together. To top it off, he honestly was bland. There was also this weird love triangle/square thing that happened and then didn't so it honestly was inserted for no particular reason except to annoy me.

3. CULTURES
We get Rosie who is a mix of Ecuadorian and Italian, but the only bit of culture we see present would be her mom occasionally speaking Spanish kinda just to remind us she is a color character. Love the mix race representation, but it did not FEEL like she was living in an Ecuadorian/Italian household. I don't know if you're understanding what I'm try to say, but parents from other cultures just have their little quirks and I felt Doktorski just made Rosie mix race for not the right reasons.

4. ROAD TRIP
COME ON, IT'S A ROAD TRIP BOOK. This, as well, fell flat. I was amazed by the places Rosie and the three guys were going to, but the way Rosie reacted to being there just dampened my awe of the place. The only time she was truly just loving the place was Grand Canyon....which, I guess?

5. JOEY
Yeah. At the beginning, Rosie is put on Temporary Restraining Order because she set her ex car on fire. This issue is definitely tackled throughout the novel as well Rosie trying to get over her ex. But, he is a douche! And there honestly could have been more WHAM to what he gets. Also, everything else about the issue just got swept, it fell flat as well. ...more

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May 16, 2013 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, kindle-read

An awesome, sweet, cute read that kept me entertained from start to finish. Rosie was a great character that I totally gelled with.

I loved getting to know the guys along with Rosie and I fell in love with all of them, Matty, Spencer and Logan. The romance wasn't really an integral part of this story as Rosie's feelings are kind of all over the place having only recently had a bad break up with her ex, Joey and then finding herself served with a Temporary Restraining Order after she blows up his ...more

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Jul 27, 2016 Nyah rated it did not like it

Shelves: never-read-again

It was like reading someones first book on wattpad

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Sep 12, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it liked it

Shelves: yabc-reviews, arc

Thanks to April of Good Books and Good Wine, I'd been warned not to have high expectations going into How My Summer Went Up in Flames. Doktorski's debut had been high on my must-have list ever since the cover reveal (will I ever learn), so this reality check was needed. Prepared to dislike the novel, I was actually pleasantly surprised. Though flawed, Doktorski's debut still kept me entertained and flipping pages.

Okay, guys, believe it or not, but I haven't actually read too many road trip novel Thanks to April of Good Books and Good Wine, I'd been warned not to have high expectations going into How My Summer Went Up in Flames. Doktorski's debut had been high on my must-have list ever since the cover reveal (will I ever learn), so this reality check was needed. Prepared to dislike the novel, I was actually pleasantly surprised. Though flawed, Doktorski's debut still kept me entertained and flipping pages.

Okay, guys, believe it or not, but I haven't actually read too many road trip novels. It's a super popular sub-genre of contemporary fiction, but I only really started reading contemporary novels this past year. How My Summer Went Up in Flames has convinced me that I need to read more of them, because this book totally simulated a vacation. It's like I got to visit a whole bunch of touristy places I wouldn't actually want to go, so I can cross them off. Success!

Driving across country with her best friend Matty and brothers Spencer and Logan, Rosie visits so many sights. They pack a lot into their trip. It's seriously impressive how much they get done. Also, I love how much focus Doktorski gives to the music playing as they drive. Music is essential to a road trip, so I loved knowing what they were listening to. Also, Spencer rules for playing Al Simon as they drove to Graceland. *sings "We're going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee"*

Doktorski also does a great job with the characters. All four of them felt like real people, though Rosie I didn't like, and I'll tackle that soon. However, I thought Matty and Spencer were utterly adorable and delightful. I only wish Rosie wouldn't roll her eyes and turn her music up over their dorky discussions of Star Trek, because I dig that. Logan, too, though not my favorite, has depths to him. Doktorski captures a lot of the awkwardness of time spent trapped together: the tiffs, the silences, the uncomfortable moments where personal space is invaded.

With novels in a first person perspective, one's enjoyment can be seriously impacted by the personality of the main character. In this case, the MC was the big negative to the book. Rosie, short for Rosalita, should be awesome. She's half-Ecuadorian and half-Italian, and she's very passionate. Plus, she has a distinct personality, so I do give Doktorski serious props for that. However, Rosie's also seriously obnoxious. She is seriously judgmental, selfish, and hypocritical. She slut-shames, even though she almost had sex with her boyfriend (she didn't because she wasn't ready which is great, but also means she's not opposed to sex before marriage), she judges girls who show too much skin, and she judges girls who drink, though she does a couple of times too. There's also a double standard to her mean thoughts; Rosie's predisposed to dislike females she comes in contact with, but sizes up every guy as a dating prospect, not judging them for drinking, bare skin, or sexual activity.

I'd been hoping that Rosie set his car on fire in a bit of overenthusiastic vengeance. Instead, it was an accident that happened while she was stalking him after the breakup. Rosie's crazy, completely obsessed with Joey. His birthday is even the password to her voice mail. All of this made her really difficult to relate to in any way. Also, I couldn't support the romance, because she's obviously not mentally stable enough to be in a relationship. I wish the ending had stayed more open-ended.

For those who can stomach Rosie, How My Summer Went Up in Flames will be a fun, summery read. Doktorski's well-drawn characters and humor show talent, and I still hold out hope for her sophomore novel, Famous Last Words, to be released later this year. ...more

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Apr 08, 2013 The Twins Read rated it really liked it

Shelves: nicole-s-shelf, michelle-s-shelf, earc, requested-from-publisher

This review can originally be found at The Twins Read.

First things first - Rosie set her ex-boyfriend's car on fire by accident, okay? But of course no one believes her, not especially when she frequently sends him text messages and stops by her ex's job to watch him. She just wants to know why he broke up with her. But when she's slapped with what could be a permanent restraining order, her best friend Matty decides to invite her along to a roadtrip with some of his other friends. Her parents This review can originally be found at The Twins Read.

First things first - Rosie set her ex-boyfriend's car on fire by accident, okay? But of course no one believes her, not especially when she frequently sends him text messages and stops by her ex's job to watch him. She just wants to know why he broke up with her. But when she's slapped with what could be a permanent restraining order, her best friend Matty decides to invite her along to a roadtrip with some of his other friends. Her parents agree that a change of scenery would be good for her. Plus, Rosie won't be able to see (Read: stalk) her jerk ex. Coming with them on the roadtrip is Matty's friend Spencer, and his brother, Logan. On this trip, Rosie discovers that aside from the fact that she's better off without Joey, change can be good - if she's willing to accept it.

Rosie is surprisingly lovable. All her insecurities and feelings of inadequacy just made us want to hug her and tell her that everything will sort itself out. Her banter with her new friends was also downright enjoyable.

Rosie's romance with Logan was not something that was forced, and we just had to give kudos to that. Both came into their own feelings in their own time, and because of that, there was none of that weird awkwardness typical YA protagonists face after having a romantic interlude. Spencer, Matty, Avery, and Lilliana (So that's basically everyone then, except the cheating fink, Joey.) were awesome, and almost made us wish that we could hang out with them as well. That road trip they took? We would definitely jump on the chance to have one just like that.

Oh, we've been on road trips before and have always enjoyed long drives. They provide chances to forget all your problems and just focus on yourself and having fun. Rosie's road trip was something of that sort. She got to visit different states - the scenes were very well described - and her foray into Dollywood was highly amusing. This road trip also served as an escape for Rosie, to keep her far away from her ex, but the trip was also a time for Rosie to think about everything she's done and the grief she must have put her parents' through thanks to her antics. Rosie's burgeoning acceptance of her identity without Joey made us feel like we were finally getting a long lost best friend back from her dark cave of despair.

What truly made her summer unforgettable was that she realized that the changes that were happening to her were for the better; life really doesn't end after a bad break-up and you can find love and friendship in the oddest of places.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames is basically one of the best light-hearted contemporary reads out there. While Rosie's impulsiveness and obsessiveness were quite annoying at the start, it was hard not to grow to love her and the rest of the gang. If you're thinking of picking up a light book to get away from it all, get this one and it'll be almost as if you went on a road trip as well.
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Apr 11, 2013 Alice in Readerland rated it really liked it

This review was originally posted on ALICE IN READERLAND:
Rosie isn’t normally the kind if girl who starts off her summer vacation being served a temporary restraining order, but that changed after she allegedly made her ex’s car catch fire.
description

Lighter fluid and stuffed animals aren’t a great combination.
She also tosses away a few assumptions made about her in the first chapter: The car didn’t “explode”, it just caught fire. She doesn’t have a “bad temper,” she’s just passionate. And she’s not “hostile,” just a bit high strung lately. But Rosie’s in for another ride: literally. Her parent’s are sending her off on a nine-day road trip with her long-time friend and his two friends AKA three nerds. After all, how much trouble could Rosie get into with a GPS in her phone, miles between her and her ex, and being babysat by three responsible nerds who insist on sticking to the schedule (when they’re not discussing superheroes or dissecting all six Star Wars episodes)? But after all, this is Rosie we’re talking about, and she seems to have a knack for making things interesting…

Since I read this book back in November, I couldn’t stop talking about it, this book is just so much fun! First of all, I adore road trip books and this book had so many interesting locations and conversations that took place while driving that it really felt like you were on a road trip when you read it. This book also has so much humor in it. Seriously, if I didn’t have the ARC, I would be posting a whole list of quotes from it! Rosie has such a fresh, funny, sarcastic, and opinionated voice that gave this book such a great narration. All the other characters add so much to the book with their personalities. There’s just so much fun dialogue as you watch Rosie try to get along (or not) with Matty, Spencer, and Logan; their personalities clashing with each other definitely made for some great scenes, and then it was cute to see them all finally get along. I also like how Avery’s character was portrayed. While Rosie initially couldn’t help but see the rich, adorable blonde as the “competition,” they became friends and Avery was shown to be really sweet and supportive. It was really refreshing not to see any pettiness between the two, as a lot of YA novels I’ve read lately will have the two girls in a group fight, not stick together.

Cynical Cindy Says

I rolled my eyes quite a few times because I couldn’t understand why Rosie did some of the things she did. But, overall, Rosie was still a great character who accepted the consequences of her actions and grew up over the course of the book.

With road trip fun, great characters, and lots of laughs, I highly recommend this book!

See more at aliceinreaderland.com ...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Stephanie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-fiction, 2013, contemporary, realistic, on-my-bookcase, young-adult

From debut author Ms. Doktroski, she is a fresh face in contemporary fiction. I really enjoyed How My Summer Went Up in Flames. Let’s face it—we all make some mistakes when we are teens. How many of us have not done something we felt foolish over or wish we hadn’t done? Ms. Doktroski’s book introduces us to Rosie just after her school year ended. She is devastated that her boyfriend cheater on her and goes a bit crazy. I mean, how many of us destroyed things that our ex-boyfriend gave us…maybe j From debut author Ms. Doktroski, she is a fresh face in contemporary fiction. I really enjoyed How My Summer Went Up in Flames. Let’s face it—we all make some mistakes when we are teens. How many of us have not done something we felt foolish over or wish we hadn’t done? Ms. Doktroski’s book introduces us to Rosie just after her school year ended. She is devastated that her boyfriend cheater on her and goes a bit crazy. I mean, how many of us destroyed things that our ex-boyfriend gave us…maybe just not to the extent Rosie did though.

Rosie is a great character that I think many teens can relate to in some way shape or form. She is self conscious about her curvy figure, her not feeling as smart as her companions on the road trip but she has a great heart and is protective of those she considers friends. There are moments in the book that Rosie made me laugh and of course smile through her antics.

Throughout the car trip as miles go by, Rosie begins to see through her actions that lead to her TRO (temporary restraining order) and she begins to grow. She does not have everything figured out when she gets home, nor should she but she is on a better path than she was heading down prior to the trip.

The rest of the cast of characters are intriguing in their own various ways. Logan is using the car trip to get Spencer away from their father and a real vacation for the first time in years. He is intensely smart and is gorgeous too boot. Matty is Rosie’s neighbor who is more like a brother and a boyfriend. Matty is such a great friend and we would all be better people if we had him for a friend. Spencer is one of the good guys—those that girls typically overlook. He is passionate about his music and is brainy, a planner and an organizer. Lastly, there is Avery—Logan’s friend that instantly bonds and connects with Rosie after stopping at her house along the way. It is through Avery’s interactions that we see Rosie begin to think beyond the past and now and to begin to think of her future.

What I truly appreciated about this book is the characters feel completely believable to me. The story is engaging with laugh out loud moments but some seriousness filtered in throughout it. Ms. Doktorski’s writing is fresh and attention grabbing—ll important things in writing young adult novels. I am hoping to see her stick around for a long, long time and she could easily become a household name in young adult contemporary fiction.

See more of my reviews at Love.Life.Read ...more

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Jan 03, 2013 heather - NightlyReading rated it really liked it

I must start off by saying that I am a sucker for any road trip book! I personally enjoy road trips myself and to read about one! Ugh, it is just pure awesomeness!!! This book did not disappoint!

“You flambe one car and now you think every song with fire is about you," Logan says. "Get over yourself, Catalano.”

Let's talk storyline....

The storyline is kind of humorous! Rosie and her boyfriend break up. She begins literally stalking him! Calling him and driving past his house. She never intended to ...more

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Sep 11, 2012 tarawrawr rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, 2013debut, challenge-dac2013

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2013/05/how-my-...

I really, really enjoyed How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski. I thought it was a fun story full of flawed and realistic characters and it was exactly what I was hoping for when I picked it up.

I've read that some people had trouble connecting with the protagonist, but I actually really liked Rosie. She was so freaking confused and made so many mistakes and that's what I liked about her. She never ...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Pixie rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, edelweiss, 2013-releases

Rosie is in a bit of a dilemma from the start. She’s found herself in trouble with the law, her ex, his family, and has been served a temporary restraining order after causing his car to set on fire. Well, isn’t that a rough patch?

To keep from any more harm, she then goes off on a road trip with her childhood best friend and his two buddies. The more distance between her and her ex, the better is what her and her family thinks. As I progressed into this story, I really enjoyed the witty humor a ...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Kacie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, sweetest-moments, heart-wrenching, oh-my-god-moments, ohhh-the-ending, hilarious, book-boyfriend

THOUGHTS:

5

This was a perfect summer read and surprised me on how much I loved it once I finished it. These type of books are exactly the type I like to read when I'm looking for a light, fluffy read. Plus the witty banter between all the characters was very funny. I would just start cracking up...it's hilarious, trust me.

I always love it when the protagonist has a guy best friend, it always bring a new element to the book that I love. Like its fun to joke around with a guy without it being roma ...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Lori rated it it was amazing

I love a good road trip book. I don’t know many YA fans that don’t. They speak to the need of adventure in all of us. How My Summer Went Up in Flames was everything that I love in a good road trip book and more!

Rosie is the type of character that you can’t help but love. She’s a lot of fun and maybe just a tiny crazy, but the good kind of crazy. Rosie’s personality was infectious and I really couldn’t wait to see what she’d do next. I loved that the TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) was handled ...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Emma rated it liked it

Loved the characters - could have done with more romance.

I adore the use of road-trips in young adult fiction, such a brilliant tool to mirror the character development as the journey progresses metaphorically and literally :)

How My Summer Went Up In Flames centers around Rosie, angry/betrayed/hurt from the break-up of her first love results in a irrevocable moment of anger resulting in a car blowing up :) The imaginative use of simile and metaphor add to the humor within the narrative. Rosie is ...more

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Jul 06, 2013 Eren rated it it was amazing

I loved, loved, loved, loved everything about this novel.
Funny, endearing, rateable, funny, frustrating, and funny.

The novel starts off with Rosie getting served a temporary restraining order put against her by her ex bf. He cheated on her with some blonde "slut" and she took a box of his things and set the box on fire, somehow causing the car to get caught on fire. She still tries to contact him and is finally whisked away by her neighbor (kinda sorta brother) on a read trip from Jersey to Ari ...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Lori rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, 2013-may, read-in-2013, debut-author-challenge-2013, standalone-challenge-2013, road-trip

*3.5 Stars*

This book was adorable and fun and fast and light. A perfect summer read about a girl sent on a road trip to get away from her cheating ex-boyfriend and the temporary restraining order he serves her with. The only problem is that she's going across country with 3 boys, one is her best friend and two are complete strangers. There is an itinerary, country music, motels, sightseeing, cute boys, an escape attempt, limited cell-phone service, a mysterious cowboy, lots of stars, and perhaps ...more

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Jan 13, 2013 April rated it liked it

Shelves: for-review, ya, ereader, contemporary, edelweiss

That awkward moment where you desperately want to love a book but end up feeling indifferent towards it. I was totally psyched for How My Summer Went Up In Flames by debut young adult author Jennifer Salvato Doktorski. Yet, I ended up feeling super irritated during the first half. I enjoyed the end. But, I never really cared too much for the main character, instead Rosalita just grated on my nerves the whole time. However, this book mostly keeps it light and does make for a fun summer read, over ...more

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Road Trippin' July: How My Summer Went Up in Flames	1	4	Apr 15, 2014 10:42AM
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About Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

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Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is the author of the YA novels, HOW MY SUMMER WENT UP IN FLAMES, FAMOUS LAST WORDS, a Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year, THE SUMMER AFTER YOU & ME, a YALSA Teens' Top 10, and AUGUST & EVERYTHING AFTER.

Her first paid writing gig was as an editorial assistant for the North Jersey Herald & News, where, in addition to developing a life-long passion for co ...more

Books by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Comment mon été est parti en fumée -extrait offert-

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