Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Detour” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

The Detour

S.A. Bodeen (Goodreads Author)

3.55 · Rating details · 1,592 ratings · 310 reviews

Livvy Flynn is a seventeen-year-old bestselling author whose YA fiction has sold all over the world. People in the industry kiss up to her. She’s rich, she’s famous, and she’s full of herself.

When she’s invited to an A-list writers’ conference, she decides to accept so she can work on her next book and enjoy the admiration—and envy—of the writer wannabes. Plus, she has a n ...more

Get A Copy

Hardcover, 215 pages

Published October 6th 2015 by Feiwel & Friends

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Detour, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

YA HORROR

174 books — 82 voters

Young Adult New Releases October 2015

87 books — 118 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.55 ·

Rating details

· 1,592 ratings · 310 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Detour

Jul 15, 2021 Claude's Bookzone rated it did not like it

Well, I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would create such an unlikeable main character!

She was an absolute nightmare of a girl. There was only one point in a flashback that I felt anything other than utter disdain for this arrogant, unkind, entitled character. The only reason I finished was because I kept thinking surely she will have some kind of moment of personal growth but alas, it never happened. I won't be adding this to the library. ...more

flag 41 likes · Like · see review

Oct 12, 2016 sunny rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, endless-pain

Well well well, this was a fun surprise. I ended up liking this way more than I thought I would.

When Livvie has an accident, she's helpless and kidnapped by a crazy woman and her daughter.

What I liked:

-I liked Livvy's character. From the outside she's perfect. She's got all the money, she's famous, she gloats too much about herself, but as we read on she reveals her insecurities and how she was a broken loner. At first, I didn't like her, but towards the end, when the pieces fit together, I un ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

Sep 01, 2015 Munro's Kids rated it did not like it

Shelves: kelsey, type-young-adult

THIS BOOK WAS HORRIBLE. One star is too much, but it's the least I can give on this site. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. SO BAD. Let's break this down to the three reasons nobody should ever have to suffer through this book.

1. THE CHARACTERS.
There was not a single likeable or redeemable character in the novel. The protagonist, teen author Livvy Flynn, was horrendous. I'm okay with anti-heroes and unlikeable protagonists, but what really bothered me was the fact that readers are seemingly supposed to grow to THIS BOOK WAS HORRIBLE. One star is too much, but it's the least I can give on this site. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. SO BAD. Let's break this down to the three reasons nobody should ever have to suffer through this book.

1. THE CHARACTERS.
There was not a single likeable or redeemable character in the novel. The protagonist, teen author Livvy Flynn, was horrendous. I'm okay with anti-heroes and unlikeable protagonists, but what really bothered me was the fact that readers are seemingly supposed to grow to like this girl even though she remains a spoiled rotten brat from cover to cover. Even her one attempt at penance for being awful is poorly done: (view spoiler) Her parents are horrible people who want to control every aspect of her life and do things like (view spoiler)

2. THE WRITING.
If there is one thing I cannot abide in books, it's bad writing, and that's all you get in The Detour. It's poorly revised, poorly edited (I acknowledge that I did read an advanced copy, but come on!), and poorly executed in general. It's sloppy, lazy, and over-descriptive with no payoff (imagery is replaced with literal descriptions of everything happening in real time and inconsequential bemoanings about $300 *brand name here* shoes, etc.) Speaking of brand names, I almost wonder if the author got some sort of deal to name drop different brands in the book, because it reads like a freaking upscale department store flyer.

3. THE "PLOT TWISTS".
I could spot everything coming from more than a mile away. The author's attempts to drop red herrings or deliver alternate explanations to keep you from guessing all the twists were shoddy and ridiculous. Poor characters and poor writing (see points 1 and 2) combined to make me roll my eyes at every 'revelation' at the end of the book. Especially the whole Rory thing: (view spoiler) Instead of seeing plot twists, I read this book as more of a plot straight-highway-in-the-barren-desert.

No matter what book I read next, it will seem like freaking Shakespeare compared to The Detour. ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2015 Shay rated it liked it

Shelves: 2015, arcs

Hmm, so this book was...interesting. I have complicated feelings about it. On the one hand I couldn't put it down, it was super fast paced and well written. I flew through it and was never bored. It was definitely a little creepy and had a slight mystery but... I wanted more from it.

Olivia was a very interesting character. I hated her at first but I have to give the author props for creating such a unique and complex character. She's kind of a spoiled bitch at first and then you get all this his Hmm, so this book was...interesting. I have complicated feelings about it. On the one hand I couldn't put it down, it was super fast paced and well written. I flew through it and was never bored. It was definitely a little creepy and had a slight mystery but... I wanted more from it.

Olivia was a very interesting character. I hated her at first but I have to give the author props for creating such a unique and complex character. She's kind of a spoiled bitch at first and then you get all this history on her about why she is the way she is, and I didn't buy it at first but by the end of the book is just really understood this character. That, I loved.

While on the way to a writers retreat Olivia, a best-selling teen author, flips her car. She dislocates her shoulder and is stuck. Along comes Flute Girl, a girl playing a flute. That's the last thing she sees before she passes out. Waking up in a strange room Olivia doesn't know whats going on. There's a woman there telling her she called the 911 but it could be a while. As time slowly passes, Livvy begins to realize that no one is coming and she's been locked in a basement. Dun, dun, dun.

So we have this mystery, who is this woman and her daughter? Why did they take Livvy and what's the woman mean when she says that Olivia has to take responsibility for what she did? I loved the premise, I loved the mystery. I loved that at parts I was genuinely worried for Olivia's life and safety. Some of the backstory on Livvy seemed unnecessary but made sense further in and the author never wasted time. It was fast, fast, fast.

My problem? I wasn't satisfied with the ending and the explanations. I wanted the creep factor to be uped. I wanted to the ending to drag out a little more. It's just by the end of the book I wasn't really sure what was accomplished. There was a thing with this guy Livvy's been talking with on the Internet (Rory) and that felt very...unfinished. I loved the explanations but also, I just wanted a little more oomph from this one.

Overall: A good, solid read. I definitely recommend it if you want something a little bit creepy that's fast paced.

*I received an advanced review copy of this book ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Oct 05, 2015 Kozmomo rated it really liked it

Shelves: needs-a-sequel, teen-screams, thriller, mystery, cozy-read, creepy-good, young-adult, series, suspense

"I didn't even care anymore that I was hungry. My hunger fed me, fueled my rage. Because I was past being a victim. One way or the other, I was getting the hell out of here."

The reason I picked up The Detour was because I thought it would be a YA version of Stephen King's Misery, but it took on a completely different story line. The Detour took me on a ride filled with thrilling craziness, psychotic characters and lots of secrets. It had a touch of predictability to it, but it kept m ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2015 Stacee rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015, netgalley

I really liked this Misery-like premise and all of the twists.

Olivia was a really hard character to like. Her attitude is even worse than a normal teenager due to her success with writing. Even now that I'm done with the book, I'm not sure I like her. However, it's nearly impossible not to root for someone to get out of a kidnap situation.

The story starts with a crash {literally} and the pacing doesn't let up until the very end. I was able to figure a few things out, but there were a few surpr ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jul 27, 2017 Gerardo Delgadillo rated it it was amazing

Phew! If you're an author (like me), this novel will make you nervous. THE DETOUR feels like a YA version of MISERY by Stephen King, but with a main character who goes through horrible situations and rarely gets a break. Very suspenseful! ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Jun 22, 2019 Melissa Chung rated it liked it

Shelves: owned, ya-horror

I purchased this book because the cover looked creepy. If you want us superficial book readers to buy your books make sure you don't have any PEOPLE on the covers and match the cover to what is expected in the book. Now that I've gotten that off my chest. Let's get down to business. I'm rating this book 3.5 stars. I can tell you right away I absolutely detested this book at the beginning. I'm happy to say it made sense at the end. Also, I don't detest the book anymore.

When I first started this b I purchased this book because the cover looked creepy. If you want us superficial book readers to buy your books make sure you don't have any PEOPLE on the covers and match the cover to what is expected in the book. Now that I've gotten that off my chest. Let's get down to business. I'm rating this book 3.5 stars. I can tell you right away I absolutely detested this book at the beginning. I'm happy to say it made sense at the end. Also, I don't detest the book anymore.

When I first started this book off, because of society and the way I was raised, I assumed our narrator/main character was a boy. Isn't that sad. I assumed, that because the character said that they were a writer (not only boys can be writers) that they were a boy. This also made me think of Christopher Paolini, again thinking boy, although I haven't read the dragon series. So now that I messed up and made an ass out of you and me with my assumption, I can say that reading a teen girl kind of gets under my skin. I have mommy issues, sue me.

Our main character's name is Livvy and she is a writer. A very well known New York Times best seller of a fantasy trilogy. That is all good. I'm happy for her. I am not however, happy with her elitist mind set. The way she thinks she is better than everyone else. My first glimpse of this girl made me cringe. "My success only confirmed my feeling that if those so-called writers hadn't been able to do by thirty what I'd done by sixteen, then they didn't deserve to be published." I mean that is harsh and rude. She also goes on to say "the prepublished, the majority of whom are earnest, eager housewives well over thirty who firmly believe that they are meant to be the next Stephanie Meyer." Again super rude. I couldn't take her seriously for the majority of the book. She was so irritating, to say the least.

In around the second chapter, which is part of the inside flap, our main character Livvy finds herself kidnapped and held hostage in the basement of someone's house. She immediately ties this scenario to a real life Stephen King novel and says "My God, I was in a freaking Stephen King novel. Only in Misery, Annie Wilkes gave the dude painkillers". I'm glad that was mentioned because I really was thinking that. I thought the book had sounded kind of like Misery. Although, Annie is a crazed fan and the lady that kidnaps Livvy, actually hates her.

So the entire book is about Livvy being kidnapped. She is stuck in that basement and she is trying to get out. We don't know who the lady is or her daughter. We don't even know why Livvy is stuck down there. Livvy does try to think logically. What has she seen in books and movies. What did those kidnapped characters get wrong and right. What should Livvy do? Should she try to escape immediately or lay low and figure out a better plan.

At the end I kind of had a feeling of who the lady ends of being. I thought the story tied up pretty nicely. Was it scary? In a way, yes! I felt for Livvy even though I didn't really like her character. I thought the daughter "flute girl" was a lot scarier than the women (mom). I freaked out when a boy was added to the story because I'm a girl and boys/men can be scary. Another thing that is sad. I mean when the boy scenes came, I was really rooting for Livvy. It's hard to be a girl and fight against a boy.

Overall I thought the book was a good YA thriller. It's about books and writers which I love. I didn't really like the main character, but that is my point of view. I think if you are a teen or if you like fluff thrillers you'll like this book. If you like a character that learns from her mistakes, you'll also like this book. I have to hand it to Livvy she did end up being a pretty good person in the end. ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Nov 09, 2017 Chloe rated it really liked it

I loved this book. I thought it was very good. Some of the parts were a little confusing and just a bit boring at times. But other than that I really liked it. It was a bit odd how the book ended.

flag 5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 19, 2017 Crystal rated it really liked it

So this book makes itself pretty hard to review as it more or less gives itself both positive and negative reviews by the end of the story. It's a book similar to another book with the subplot being two authors, one who has taken inspiration. from the other.

While the kidnapping and suspenseful scenes were decent, what really stuck out to me was that right off the bat this book wasn't afraid to poke fun of itself and bring it's flaws straight to the surface while the author wove all the criticism ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 18, 2016 Jessika rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, young-adult, horror, suspense

Okay, so here's the deal on this one--I liked this book in that I was entertained & flew through the pages, but there was also a lot of this that I was not a fan of.

This was a really quick read, what with the fairly short length & the fast-paced story. I genuinely wanted to find out how this story would end. Once I started reading, there was no stopping. I HAD to know. So, in that, I'll definitely hand it to Bodeen...she knows how to hook her reader.

Other than that, though, I did have a lot of Okay, so here's the deal on this one--I liked this book in that I was entertained & flew through the pages, but there was also a lot of this that I was not a fan of.

This was a really quick read, what with the fairly short length & the fast-paced story. I genuinely wanted to find out how this story would end. Once I started reading, there was no stopping. I HAD to know. So, in that, I'll definitely hand it to Bodeen...she knows how to hook her reader.

Other than that, though, I did have a lot of problems with this. First of all, I know that I don't always have to like a narrator. I have loved plenty of novels with unlikeable/unreliable narrators (Gillian Flynn's works comes to mind.) But here's the thing, if you're going to write a blatantly unlikeable narrator (she was a snot-nosed brat) & try to redeem her by talking about how she used to be bullied & how she (view spoiler)...you HAVE to make it work. And frankly, I didn't buy it. No one who's been bullied turns around to become truly AWFUL themselves. Like I said, I didn't buy that for a second.

The other thing that really got me was for a book centering on plagiarism, this really felt like a total rip-off of Misery. Just because your narrator repeatedly talks about how she feels like she is living out the novel, doesn't mean I'm not going to notice the similarities. Now, I'm not accusing her of plagiarism by any means. It's just that the entire time, I felt like I had already read this. And to be completely honest, Stephen King did it better.

The final thing that bothered me was how predictable this story was. I may not have figured out who Peg really was, but I almost instantly figured out what her vendetta was. And I figured the boyfriend thing out, too. And that's saying something because when it comes to solving mysteries in books, I am usually VERY dense.

(view spoiler)

Overall, I truly can't say I hated this book. It is a heckuva page turner, and it did give me the creeps. It would be a good way to spend a Halloween reading this. But I had too many other issues with this to say that I really enjoyed it, and I can say for certain that I won't be revisiting this one. ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Oct 31, 2016 Josiah rated it it was ok

Stephen King for teenagers: I love it! S.A. Bodeen leads her protagonist, seventeen-year-old Livvy Flynn, into areas not explored by Stephen King's Misery, though the action isn't as graphic as that earlier novel. There are places a book for kids hesitates to go, and while The Detour briefly recognizes these horrors in its upfront acknowledgement of Stephen King's classic, there are lines it won't cross in introducing adolescents to macabre literature. Instead, the terror is shrouded in layers Stephen King for teenagers: I love it! S.A. Bodeen leads her protagonist, seventeen-year-old Livvy Flynn, into areas not explored by Stephen King's Misery, though the action isn't as graphic as that earlier novel. There are places a book for kids hesitates to go, and while The Detour briefly recognizes these horrors in its upfront acknowledgement of Stephen King's classic, there are lines it won't cross in introducing adolescents to macabre literature. Instead, the terror is shrouded in layers of enigma as the nightmare of any celebrity comes to life through Livvy, who is trying to gain traction in her situation by figuring out why she's there and what her tormentors plan on doing to her. The hours stretch on interminably when you have no idea when or if your suffering will end.

It's the sight of Flute Girl playing her instrument on the roadside that causes Livvy's car accident. She's on her way to an author retreat, ready to patiently listen to and critique the ideas of aspiring novelists if it means collecting her typical exorbitant fee. Livvy hit the jackpot with the first volume of her own trilogy at age fifteen, scoring a six-figure payday and ascending to a level of stardom not many YA authors experience. The second and third books also sold for princely sums, and now Livvy is biding time before her newest release and the start of college, raking in extra cash by attending writing retreats like the one she's on her way to now. Unfortunately, this time she never arrives. Swerving to avoid Flute Girl, Livvy's car capsizes, rolling over and dislocating her shoulder. The next thing she knows, she's lying down in a white-walled basement room, her injured shoulder a fiery mass of pain. A woman on the young side of middle age stands over her, with little compassion in her bedside manner. She and her daughter, Flute Girl, went to great effort yanking Livvy from her crashed vehicle and bringing her to their house, but Livvy is confused: why isn't she in a hospital? Why haven't her injuries been treated? When it dawns on her that emergency services haven't been notified of her accident, Livvy panics, but the woman isn't about to release her. Livvy is trapped here, almost incapacitated by the agony of her dislocated shoulder, and no one but her abductors knows she was even in an accident.

There's a reason she's detaining Livvy, the woman hints, but she isn't telling what it is. Livvy has to figure that out on her own. But as Livvy rigs a makeshift sling for her damaged shoulder and familiarizes herself with the basement's layout, she discovers that more serious threats lurk. Contemptuously as the woman treats her, Flute Girl's inexplicable hatred for Livvy is more raw and frightening. What will the weirdly maladjusted girl do if left alone with her? Livvy is desperate to escape, but that could be worse than staying put if she falls into Flute Girl's clutches in her injured and nearly helpless state. There are scarier dangers than even Flute Girl, however. A leering hulk of a man peers at Livvy through the high basement window now and then, startling her with his abrupt appearances. He tries to get at her in the basement to do who knows what, slamming his body into the padlocked door that Livvy now regards almost as a blessing, yelling crazily at her where she lies huddled in a cocoon of anxiety. If this guy gets inside, he'll damage Livvy beyond what any expensive therapy can do to heal her.

"What's the saying? You spend your entire adulthood trying to recover from your childhood?
I didn't know if that was true, but some days it seemed like it made sense."

—The Detour, P. 73

As the suspense rises and Livvy looks to spring herself from the basement dungeon without running into Flute Girl or the man from the window, she has time to reflect on her life. Her childhood was one long, drawn-out victimization, the other students falling into a pattern of bullying her in kindergarten which persisted through elementary and middle school. Livvy was smart, pretty enough, dressed fashionably, and her family had lots of money, but the other kids targeted her early and never stopped. Self-harm became her coping mechanism in fifth grade, and that's what eventually tipped her parents off that their daughter wasn't adapting in school. Livvy grew up damaged, senselessly marked a pariah by her peers, but she's come far the past several years, and her worldwide acclaim as an author has been as effective a confidence booster as anything could be. Now her dire circumstances threaten to undo Livvy's psychological improvement, and her window of escape is rapidly sliding shut. She has to get out of here soon, but what if her only option is to use lethal force against her captors? If spilled blood is the price of freedom, can she bring herself to maim or kill? Livvy's captivity isn't going to end happily for someone, that much is obvious. Who will turn out to be the most tragic victim of the scenario?

The flashback scenes of Livvy's childhood, which account for a significant portion of The Detour, are fast-paced and compelling. The unfairness feels authentic, raising the reader's hackles against Livvy's mean-spirited classmates, young as they are. Why would anyone treat a person the way they treat Livvy? Because they're bored and don't understand the harm they're inflicting? The bullying that Livvy endured was baseless, but that's how it usually is when a kid is singled out for harassment over a period of years. The Detour would not be effective without these flashbacks, which allow us to see Livvy as more than a smug teen looking down on those who haven't enjoyed immediate success as a writer. She was born into wealth, too, so her privilege extended from birth. The bullying gives us eyes to sympathize with Livvy, to see her as a harangued young girl who has shown courage in overcoming emotional obstacles. That's why when the situation reaches critical mass and we know something awful is about to happen that can never be taken back, we're desperate for Livvy to survive. She's withstood so much to not make it now.

Extreme coincidence is a heavy burden on this book, but it carries the weight gamely without drawing too much attention to it. The suspense builds well, and there's little to no objectionable language, so The Detour may even be appropriate for some younger kids. I like the reference to Goodreads.com on page one hundred ninety-eight; it's a meta moment for me, since I'm typing this review on Goodreads. I doubt The Detour will ever be as popular as Misery, but it's a competent YA thriller with a few chilling moments. It will make you question and think, and that's a good day for any book. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jul 18, 2021 Lisa RV rated it it was ok

Shelves: high-school, middle-grade, thriller

Didn't like any of the characters. Writing was subpar and the entire plot was unconvincing. 8th grade up. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Apr 02, 2017 Vanessa Colangelo rated it really liked it

"The Detour" by S.A. Bodeen was overall, a good book. It is a generally quick read, and it is interesting and entertaining. It was well written, and had an interesting subject.
It is about a seventeen year-old YA author named Olivia Flynn who became very successful. However, she becomes kidnapped by a manic mother and daughter duo. The book then follows Olivia and her time being kidnapped by these people. While this book is good, I feel as though the characters were a bit bland. I wasn't reall "The Detour" by S.A. Bodeen was overall, a good book. It is a generally quick read, and it is interesting and entertaining. It was well written, and had an interesting subject.
It is about a seventeen year-old YA author named Olivia Flynn who became very successful. However, she becomes kidnapped by a manic mother and daughter duo. The book then follows Olivia and her time being kidnapped by these people. While this book is good, I feel as though the characters were a bit bland. I wasn't really concerned about some of the characters, because I didn't feel a huge attachment to them. For example, Olivia, who was the main character of the book, starts out very conceited. It becomes hard to like her early on. However, she reveals some things about herself later in the novel that help to explain why she is the way she is, but it still becomes hard to like her because in some of the revelations about herself she still does some awful things. She is also very spoiled and overall I did not really like her as a character. Some of the information and backstory that was given to Olivia also seemed a bit unnecessary, but mostly it was for the development of her character. One thing I did enjoy about this book was the sense of being trapped along with the main character. The author did create a mood of danger and hopelessness, which I thought made the book more entertaining to read. One thing about the book I did not like was the way the author decided to end the book. There was a twist that seemed unnecessary and I was not shocked at all. Mainly, this book was good. It is not the best thing I've ever read, but it is certainly not the worst. I may recommend this book to people looking for a quick book to read if they are looking for something, but I may not go out of my way and try to get my peers to read this book.
Overall, I thought it was good, but it did feel as though it was a bit lacking. It is a quick read, however, and I think it is well-written. The premise is interesting, and I would have liked to see more or learn more about each of the characters. If this book sounds interesting to you, then you should check it out. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Jun 28, 2015 Melissa ♥ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed-pub-or-author, reviewed-net-galley, owned-arc

The Detour is a fast paced read that is just perfect for October. I was captivated and entertained throughout but I definitely was hoping for a bit more.

Livvy’s character is not at all likable.

Even after learning more about her history, I really had a hard time feeling sympathetic for her. You can’t not root for someone to escape when being held hostage in a basement by apparent lunatics…but still…it’s always hard for me to 100% connect with a book if i can’t connect to the main character.

For al ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 28, 2015 Liz Friend rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

The story: when teenage author Olivia Lynch goes off the road, more things are turned upside down than just her car. Instead of being rescued, she's kidnapped and held captive. It's clear the woman who grabbed her is looking for revenge--but Livvy has no idea what for. And when she realizes she could be held there forever, at the mercy of a creepy stalker outside her window, Livvy knows it's time to take matters into her own hands...because no matter how awful the outcome of an attempted escape, ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 07, 2015 Beth (YA Books Central) rated it really liked it

The Detour is about a young author, Livvy, who is headed to a writer's conference when she suddenly has a car accident and needs help. A woman and her young daughter show up at just the right time and Livvy thinks she has been rescued....little does she know..these so called "rescuers" have different intentions in mind....

"She picked up a stick about as thick as a good-sized snake and wielded it like a baseball bat, her fists tightened around it with none of the care she showered on her flute ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2018 Noel Maczko rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Livvy was unlikable, so I did not sympathize with her situation at all. Maybe if she hadn't been judgemental and entitled at the beginning of the book, I might have felt bad for her. But, I didn't.

The "twists" were completely predictable and I saw them coming a mile away.

Major spoilers ahead (don't continue reading if you don't want to know everything that happens...

Just from reading the summary I knew this was going to be some sort of revenge of one of them accusing her of stealing their idea. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 21, 2022 Shannon rated it it was ok

Pretty predictable through out. You knew what was coming so there wasn’t any real surprises.

“The writing retreat was remote, back in the woods somewhere on the highway between my home in the city of Eugene, but near the end of the trip I hit a detour.”

“Other than the starvation, pain, torment, and torture, this incarceration was turning out to be almost like summer camp.”🙄

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 12, 2018 Jack Boggs rated it really liked it

Don't read if you hate kidnapping. It is a really good book about how revenge is a horrible dish and it isn't best served cold. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 24, 2015 Brittany S. rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, read-as-arc, mystery-thriller-suspense

Initial Impressions 8/13/15: I thought this was a really great YA thriller! I've been a big fan of adult mystery/thrillers for a long time now and always advocate the YAs because I feel like I don't see them as often but this was really interesting.
I really enjoyed the overall plot -- it was relatively believable, kept me on the edge of my seat, and I actually love when thrillers are shorter (this book was just over 200 pages) because I feel compelled to finish within one or two sittings so the ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 11, 2017 Melanie (TBR and Beyond) rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2017, ya-thriller

Very cliche and predictable but still a fun little read.

I wasn't feeling well when I picked up this book. I thought it might be a fun, quick read and thankfully it was. It doesn't require much brain power to read this and you can read it in a couple hours easily and sometimes that is all the requirements I need in a book.

The Detour is a Misery inspired type of book. The book goes into the action from basically the first page which I appreciated. I felt like the author knew they weren't writing ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 28, 2016 Ruth rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya, psychological

Teenage Misery. No, not adolescent angst, but the visceral, kidnapping, possibly-crazed kind of Misery. I loved it. The narrator's voice was strong and I admit to going through several different stages of sympathy as her story is revealed.

Having said that, I felt like Very Bad Things happened to the narrator but I remained confused as to what she'd learned - if anything - afterwards. Not that it necessarily has to be a learning experience (and it was, essentially, horribly traumatic so I wouldn ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 17, 2015 Mark Gardner rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015

I disliked every single character in this book. That’s not a bad thing. I did find more than one character to be clichéd. It’s been said before: This is a YA version of Misery, and Misery was one of the few Stephen King books I enjoyed. Many of the plot points were very predictable, but that’s to be expected in YA fiction. There was a surprise or two though, and those surprises were greatly appreciated.

The book is almost non-stop action, and there were no glaring story flaws. Despite predicting ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 11, 2019 Rachel rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: single-books, books-ya, my-little-library, 3-stars, want-read-again, scary-adult-teen, format-paperback, bravery-courage, abuse, survival-rescue

3.5 stars.

This was quite good. I liked Olivia for the most part and forgot she was only a teenager but it was towards the end that made me stop and go, 'Yep, spoilt brat teen.' Which cost this book half a star. I had predicted the whole 'love story' part to this but it was still an enjoyable and at times, creepy read. Nothing major creepy but a little bit. Still, it's a story I'd like to re-read. It's short and can be read in one go. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

May 06, 2016 Sara rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult-books, horror, mystery, read-in-2016

All you really need to know about this book is that it's basically the Stephen King novel Misery re-written for teens. Not mind-blowing, but extremely recommendable and suspenseful and tense. I can think of like ten teens who like suspenseful violent-ish thrillers who would LOVE THIS. And then want to read Misery for the grown up version :) ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2017 ABookwormWithWine rated it liked it

I don't really know how to review this book. I did like it, but it wasn't amazing. Since it's such a quick read I think it's worth reading since it's well written. It was a very interesting little book. At times near the end it did have me yelling at the main character that she's an idiot, but overall it was good! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Oct 25, 2015 Anna rated it it was ok

2.5 Awful, but entertaining and entirely readable in its awfulness.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 04, 2016 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars. review to come

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2018 Victoria rated it liked it

The book, "The Detour" by S.A Bodeen was pretty suspeseful. It was overall a solid, fast paced read that had an interesting plot, and was very well written.
This book features a 17 year old bestselling author named Livvy Flynn, who is rich and successful. While on her way to a writer's conference that she's invited to, she gets into a car wreck. When she wakes up, she is not in a hospital or at home. Instead she is being held captive by a strange women and her daughter. This book was good, howeve The book, "The Detour" by S.A Bodeen was pretty suspeseful. It was overall a solid, fast paced read that had an interesting plot, and was very well written.
This book features a 17 year old bestselling author named Livvy Flynn, who is rich and successful. While on her way to a writer's conference that she's invited to, she gets into a car wreck. When she wakes up, she is not in a hospital or at home. Instead she is being held captive by a strange women and her daughter. This book was good, however there were a few things that could've been improved. Some events were too predictable, and I could see exactly what was going to happen in the next chapter, which made it hard at times to feel the sense of wonder. The characters were a bit dull and uninteresting, and it was hard to grow an attachment with any of them. Livvy is very spoiled and full of herself, which makes her a hard character to like right away. Although this feeling towards her becomes less critical later in the novel because of some things revealed about her history, it is still hard to like her because of the way she is and what she has done. Her history was explained in a rush, and I feel that the author could've slowed it down a bit, or even integrated it more in the end, so it wasn't such a rush in the middle of the book. Thus, I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending and wanted more explanations. Despite a few bad things about this book, there are also good things, like the way the author created a mood of danger, suspense, and desperation. Bodeen produced a sense of being trapped with the main character, and made me feel for her, despite her unlikeable personality.
Taking these things into account, I rated this book 3 stars because although I thought that this book was good, it felt like it was lacking a bit. It is well-written, but could use more explanation for the characters and events. Overall, "The Detour" by S.A Bodeen, is a good, quick read if you like books that are a little creepy and suspenseful. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Young Adult

55 users

Thriller

40 users

Mystery

34 users

Horror

22 users

Realistic Fiction

21 users

Fiction

16 users

Adventure > Survival

16 users

Suspense

15 users

Contemporary

13 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

9 users

See top shelves…

About S.A. Bodeen

S.A. Bodeen

675 followers

Also writes as Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen.

Stephanie is the award-winning author of the Elizabeti's Doll series of picture books, as well as several others. Her young adult novels include the award-winning The Compound and The Raft, and her next YA The Detour releases October 2015. The first two volumes of her middle grade series, Shipwreck Island and Lost, are available now. ...more