Title:
Open Road Summer
Author:
Emery Lord (
@emerylord)
Published: April 2014
Genre: YA Contemporary
Pages: 352
POV: 1st person
Publisher: Walker
Format: Hardcover
Source:
Anna & Bloomsbury
Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf
After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.
Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.
Highlight: Reagan and Dee. Reagan's a tell-it-like-it-is kind of girl with a messy past and an uncertain future. This summer, she's trying out a less destructive version of herself - one that doesn't touch alcohol and tries to stay out of trouble. I adored her from the start, with her sharp attitude and the way she views little moments of life that other people might otherwise easily ignore. Dee, meanwhile, is sugary sweet, regardless of whether she's just being a normal teenage girl or musician Lilah Montgomery. She's very Taylor Swift-like, bubbly, and easy to adore. But Dee's also brokenhearted, and her life is anything but easy.
Highlight: Matt Finch. Not only is Matt Finch an incredibly endearing guy, he's genuine and sweet. The best thing about Matt Finch isn't his love for Twizzlers or his heartfelt lyrics, but his acceptance of people for who they really are, flaws included. The only time he ever discourages Reagan is when it comes to unhealthy habits, but otherwise, he appreciates her for who she is.
Highlight: Music and other hobbies. Whether's it's Dee's career as songstress Lilah Montgomery or Reagan's passion for photography, Lord ensures her characters have interests and brings them to life. Lyrics from Matth and Dee's songs appear every now and then, and Lord provides detailed descriptions of Reagan's photographs.
Highlight: Friendship, family, and the people who really matter. The relationship between Reagan and Dee is what sells this story. Lord's characterization is top notch, to the point where Reagan and Dee seem like two real-life best friends. And even though they're on a road trip, family is still a priority, and not something that disappears in the pages.
Highlight: Road trips, coming of age, and new beginnings. Open Road Summer is at it's core a book about friendship and realizing what (and who) really matters in life. It's a hell of a road trip for these girls, full of entertaining moments that will leave you giggly madly. But for all the highs, there are lows, and Lord balances these realistically.
Highlight: Candy, silliness, and shenanigans. You can't go wrong with candy and silly moments.
Lowlight: Not enough lyrics. Okay, I'm actually just being really greedy, because there are quite a lot of lyrics. It would have been cool to see more, though. Reagan's photos would have been awesome, too!
Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf. Open Road Summer is the perfect mix between serious and sweet, along with heartfelt and hilarious. The characters are distinctive, the romance is adorable, and the friendship portrayed between Reagan and Dee is what makes this story shine. If you're looking for a great story about friendship,
Open Road Summer is the perfect book to check out.
* Banner image by YA Book Queen. Only the fun books inspire me to draw silly / bad cartoons.
