May 13, 2013

Review: How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski



How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Edelweiss
ISBN: 9781442459397
Release Date: May 7, 2013

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First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance! 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…


This was truly a fun book to read. I absolutely loved it. This was the author's debut novel and it makes me want to read more from her in the future. I love road trips. There is something special about them. My most memorable vacations were all road trips. I loved how Spencer planned the trip with such detail (and multiple itinerary printouts).

Rosie Catalano is heartbroken. Her boyfriend cheats on her while she is away with her family and starts dating the other girl. I can't blame Rosie for losing her mind a little. Who hasn't had their heart broken and wanted to burn their exes stuff? While devastated she is forced to go on this road trip with her neighbour and his two geeky friends.

Rosie was a great character. She is someone you would actually want to be friends with. She is impulsive, passionate, and quirky. Being on a long road trip with three teenage guys cannot be easy, but Rosie bonds with each of them in different ways. I loved how she had her mother put the phone next to her dog so she could talk to him. I felt like each guy was in love with Rosie, even Spencer.

Logan was not easy to like when he was first introduced. He seemed bossy and egocentrically. But slowly he began to relax during the trip and became lovable. But, by far Spencer was my favourite. He was such an adorable friend to Rosie. He supported her when she and Matty fought and tried to be the peacekeeper between them at times.

Throughout the whole book I couldn't decide who she was going to end up with. Yes, I knew who I wanted her to, but couldn't figure out which way the author was going to end it.

My Rating: