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katiemichellereads's review
4.0
I received a free review copy of this book from the author.
This is the story of a road trip the author took. I love the way it was written, very detailed and honest. It was easy to feel like I was right there, sharing the experience. The characters all felt real, and the writing was well thought out. I could also easily relate to the main character, since I also worry a lot, and love writing.
Overall I really enjoyed reading. I'm hoping to do a reread sometime, too.
This is the story of a road trip the author took. I love the way it was written, very detailed and honest. It was easy to feel like I was right there, sharing the experience. The characters all felt real, and the writing was well thought out. I could also easily relate to the main character, since I also worry a lot, and love writing.
Overall I really enjoyed reading. I'm hoping to do a reread sometime, too.
perilous1's review against another edition
Yes, I am the author. :) And no, I'm not about to rate/review my own book. ;)
I did, however, want to clear up a spot of confusion a few people have expressed (which I suspect is in large part due to the point of view used, and/or perhaps a result of how eReaders sometimes open straight to the first chapter, thus skipping the disclaimer.)
This book is a memoir. It is an accurate-as-possible record of an eight week period in my (the author's) life. I chose to write a majority of it in third-person limited because it allowed me the most honesty and objectivity about various events and situations...and because writing "I...I...I" throughout an entire book didn't really appeal to me. ;) While the style is a bit unusual, it's not unprecedented. I hope this information might help people in the consideration and/or reading of this story.
I did, however, want to clear up a spot of confusion a few people have expressed (which I suspect is in large part due to the point of view used, and/or perhaps a result of how eReaders sometimes open straight to the first chapter, thus skipping the disclaimer.)
This book is a memoir. It is an accurate-as-possible record of an eight week period in my (the author's) life. I chose to write a majority of it in third-person limited because it allowed me the most honesty and objectivity about various events and situations...and because writing "I...I...I" throughout an entire book didn't really appeal to me. ;) While the style is a bit unusual, it's not unprecedented. I hope this information might help people in the consideration and/or reading of this story.
sofiasierra's review against another edition
2.0
2.5/5 stars
Thank you to my We LOVE YA Books group and the author Angela N. Blount for so kindly sending me a copy of the book in exchange of a honest review.
I'm so happy that I finished it. It was nice, yeah, but not the kind of book I like. I prefer when books are written in first person POV, and even though sometimes Angie seemed super mature, sometimes I wondered if she was 18 or 8.
The book content was nice, but I couldn't get myself to enjoy reading it until 40% into it, when a new character appeared and I enjoyed it much. He was nice, sweet and funny. Then Angie went to another city, so the character didn't appear for most of the next half of the book. Again, a new character appeared and I liked him a lot, too. The book got better there and I found myself reading that part quite quickly.
I am sad to say that the part where I enjoyed the book the most was the last 6% of it.
I don't know if I'll read the second one-maybe when I am less busy and I don't know what to read.
After all, nice book, but just not the kind of reading and genre I like.
Thank you to my We LOVE YA Books group and the author Angela N. Blount for so kindly sending me a copy of the book in exchange of a honest review.
I'm so happy that I finished it. It was nice, yeah, but not the kind of book I like. I prefer when books are written in first person POV, and even though sometimes Angie seemed super mature, sometimes I wondered if she was 18 or 8.
The book content was nice, but I couldn't get myself to enjoy reading it until 40% into it, when a new character appeared and I enjoyed it much. He was nice, sweet and funny. Then Angie went to another city, so the character didn't appear for most of the next half of the book. Again, a new character appeared and I liked him a lot, too. The book got better there and I found myself reading that part quite quickly.
I am sad to say that the part where I enjoyed the book the most was the last 6% of it.
I don't know if I'll read the second one-maybe when I am less busy and I don't know what to read.
After all, nice book, but just not the kind of reading and genre I like.
karins28's review
3.0
* I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Angeli never seems to fit in, so after finishing high school she decides to go to a road trip,meet her online friends,and make up her mind.
Although this book is a coming out of age book,and the character definitely found herself at the end,this book had too many details that just didn't fit to me- in the description it says she has mono,but then in the book its only vaguely showed in the beginning.
It was also unbelieveable parents agreed that she would stay at their house without knowing their children outside the internet(really?)
overall this book was nice, but not a great book, read it if you love road trip books and you are looking for a book to pass your time.
3 stars
Angeli never seems to fit in, so after finishing high school she decides to go to a road trip,meet her online friends,and make up her mind.
Although this book is a coming out of age book,and the character definitely found herself at the end,this book had too many details that just didn't fit to me- in the description it says she has mono,but then in the book its only vaguely showed in the beginning.
It was also unbelieveable parents agreed that she would stay at their house without knowing their children outside the internet(really?)
overall this book was nice, but not a great book, read it if you love road trip books and you are looking for a book to pass your time.
3 stars
jennoux's review against another edition
2.0
I received a free copy of this book from the We ♥ YA Books!
I was so excited to read this book. When I see the words road trip in a title I'm sold!
But unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted.
I'll start with what I've like about it.
I like the fact that it was a memoir. I love to see real road trip stories.
I like the journal's entry in the end of the chapters.
Here's what I didn't like...
The journal's entry in the end of the chapters. I know it's in the things I liked but I didn't like the fact that the information was repeating itself in it.
The religion was too present in the book. I just don't enjoy very religious people.
I would like to have more road... When I see the word road trip in a title I want to see the road! Also the visits she made were too rushed and the meets with her friends too long.
Speaking of her friends, I didn't care for most of them.
The writing style. I felt cold about it, I think it's because of the way it use the she instead of I.
I was so excited to read this book. When I see the words road trip in a title I'm sold!
But unfortunately I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted.
I'll start with what I've like about it.
I like the fact that it was a memoir. I love to see real road trip stories.
I like the journal's entry in the end of the chapters.
Here's what I didn't like...
The journal's entry in the end of the chapters. I know it's in the things I liked but I didn't like the fact that the information was repeating itself in it.
The religion was too present in the book. I just don't enjoy very religious people.
I would like to have more road... When I see the word road trip in a title I want to see the road! Also the visits she made were too rushed and the meets with her friends too long.
Speaking of her friends, I didn't care for most of them.
The writing style. I felt cold about it, I think it's because of the way it use the she instead of I.
bumblebeekip23's review against another edition
4.0
**The author provided me with a copy of this book for an honest review, and I thank her for this opportunity.**
In this memoir Angie is traveling on a two month trip through the USA, and even into Canada, right after graduation. She visits her online friends at various locations and has a very organized schedule of each stop, and important sights she would like to see. She keeps a journal throughout her trip that she shares with the reader.
This is a well written memoir that read very quickly. I read this book thinking she was both brave and very trusting of these people she had never met in person before, so also naive at times. I would think she sounded mature but then all of a sudden think she was acting her age a few pages later. The one thing that makes me have to put this book at 4 stars instead of 5 is the fact that I feel she made so little contact with her parents throughout the book. Yes she does check in with various people along the way but as a parent now I have to say I wish the author had some real discussions with her mother, who was wary of the trip, along the way.
Could I have done what Angie did at that age? Absolutely not! I was so nervous for her at times! I wanted her to move quickly through certain stops because her description of her host would concern me with his intentions, since they were all young men/boys! I enjoyed the romance(s) along the way, and also that she grew as a person even though she obviously could not have all the answers at the end of her trip about life. Her religion and her thoughts on life also had an effect on those she met along the way.
This is definitely a worthwhile read and I recommend it for the YA readers!
In this memoir Angie is traveling on a two month trip through the USA, and even into Canada, right after graduation. She visits her online friends at various locations and has a very organized schedule of each stop, and important sights she would like to see. She keeps a journal throughout her trip that she shares with the reader.
This is a well written memoir that read very quickly. I read this book thinking she was both brave and very trusting of these people she had never met in person before, so also naive at times. I would think she sounded mature but then all of a sudden think she was acting her age a few pages later. The one thing that makes me have to put this book at 4 stars instead of 5 is the fact that I feel she made so little contact with her parents throughout the book. Yes she does check in with various people along the way but as a parent now I have to say I wish the author had some real discussions with her mother, who was wary of the trip, along the way.
Could I have done what Angie did at that age? Absolutely not! I was so nervous for her at times! I wanted her to move quickly through certain stops because her description of her host would concern me with his intentions, since they were all young men/boys! I enjoyed the romance(s) along the way, and also that she grew as a person even though she obviously could not have all the answers at the end of her trip about life. Her religion and her thoughts on life also had an effect on those she met along the way.
This is definitely a worthwhile read and I recommend it for the YA readers!
kvenner's review
4.0
This story really captured my attention for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the story line is just so different than the routine plot line of seemingly every other book out there. This book was an adventure. The way that the book was set up with so that the reader does not know what will happen. They must just go with the flow. Although it was a little boring at times, it still interested me so that wanting to know what happens kept me reading. Secondly, there was more to this book than just the what happens in the book. The fact that the author actually based this book off of an adventure she had in real life is almost mind-blowing. It was such a courageous thing to do. This book has more meaning because of this. It shows this girl who set of to learn more about herself and what she wants to do with her life. The love story is also a great part of this book because sometimes it is hard to believe that good men are really out there who will fight for their lady. It's a true love story and is so romantic that it means more than some love stories in books because it actually happened.
As for the characters in the book, I liked how each characters house Angeli stopped by had a different situation as in terms of family, and the boys' personality. At sometimes I found Angeli's character to be a bit repetitive on a few opinions or thoughts mentioned throughout the book. Other than that I has no complaints with the characters. The author focused on mainly their actions and personalities rather than their looks which left a little more room for imagination. Overall I really liked this book and will be looking for more books by this author.
As for the characters in the book, I liked how each characters house Angeli stopped by had a different situation as in terms of family, and the boys' personality. At sometimes I found Angeli's character to be a bit repetitive on a few opinions or thoughts mentioned throughout the book. Other than that I has no complaints with the characters. The author focused on mainly their actions and personalities rather than their looks which left a little more room for imagination. Overall I really liked this book and will be looking for more books by this author.
georgiagirl1315's review against another edition
4.0
I received a free copy of this book from the We ♥ YA Books! group/the author in exchange for an honest review. Let me start by saying - this isn't the typical genre for me. I like memoirs, but I don't read them very often. This one seemed especially interesting, based on the premise that a girl similar to who I was all the way through high school goes on a road trip to find herself and figure out who she wants to be in life. Wow - that was what I always wanted to do as a high school/college student - leave it all behind for a while and just experience the world.
I liked Angeli because she so reminded me of myself at that age - very smart, not sure what she wants from life, lots of friends but few that are very close, sarcastic and sometimes a little (read: a lot) lonely. I wanted to know how someone else navigated this crazy thing called "life after high school". It was intriguing; especially since most of the people she was going to meet/stay with during her journey are people she's never met before except through a computer screen.
I liked hearing it all in a story-telling type of way, rather than a first person account. And the journal entries were definitely enlightening. Being able to really understand what she was thinking and feeling throughout the course of the trip really hit home for me. It was like a peek into someone else's world - someone with a far more interesting story to tell than me. ;) I also really liked the amount of detail that went into describing each destination - I've been to several of the places mentioned and I have lived in the South my whole life, so it was interesting to experience these destinations through someone else's eyes.
As for the journey itself - I can't imagine how hard it must have been for this young girl to go through so much in just one summer. It almost seems unbelievable - but then again, the trip itself is a once-in-a-lifetime experience - so I can see how it could come across that way. It did get a little bogged down in some places, but other places it kept a great pace. There were some friends I couldn't wait to hear more about and others I wanted a little less detail.
Overall - an interesting and intriguing read because of how different and special this book and its whole journey was both for the author and the reader. Highly recommend this to those who enjoy memoirs or just want to read something a little out of their comfort zone that's still YA. This is a special read that definitely will have me thinking and wondering what I would have done with this opportunity, if I could have had this journey, long after I put the book down. I also really appreciate the raw honesty and emotion that comes through in the book. There isn't enough of that anymore... Great read! Thanks for the opportunity and the adventure!
I liked Angeli because she so reminded me of myself at that age - very smart, not sure what she wants from life, lots of friends but few that are very close, sarcastic and sometimes a little (read: a lot) lonely. I wanted to know how someone else navigated this crazy thing called "life after high school". It was intriguing; especially since most of the people she was going to meet/stay with during her journey are people she's never met before except through a computer screen.
I liked hearing it all in a story-telling type of way, rather than a first person account. And the journal entries were definitely enlightening. Being able to really understand what she was thinking and feeling throughout the course of the trip really hit home for me. It was like a peek into someone else's world - someone with a far more interesting story to tell than me. ;) I also really liked the amount of detail that went into describing each destination - I've been to several of the places mentioned and I have lived in the South my whole life, so it was interesting to experience these destinations through someone else's eyes.
As for the journey itself - I can't imagine how hard it must have been for this young girl to go through so much in just one summer. It almost seems unbelievable - but then again, the trip itself is a once-in-a-lifetime experience - so I can see how it could come across that way. It did get a little bogged down in some places, but other places it kept a great pace. There were some friends I couldn't wait to hear more about and others I wanted a little less detail.
Overall - an interesting and intriguing read because of how different and special this book and its whole journey was both for the author and the reader. Highly recommend this to those who enjoy memoirs or just want to read something a little out of their comfort zone that's still YA. This is a special read that definitely will have me thinking and wondering what I would have done with this opportunity, if I could have had this journey, long after I put the book down. I also really appreciate the raw honesty and emotion that comes through in the book. There isn't enough of that anymore... Great read! Thanks for the opportunity and the adventure!
abookishaffair's review
3.0
3.5 stars. "Once Upon a Road Trip" is a non-fictional story of Angeli (told in third person point of view interestingly enough), who goes on a road trip to meet her internet friends. The fact that it was based on the author's own experiences added an extra layer of interest for me.
I really thought this book was interesting. I've always dreamed of going on a cross country road trip (even though I really don't care for driving) so I liked living vicariously through Angeli's trip in this book. I did like the story but it seemed like it took awhile to get to the real arc of the story. The arc of the story involved Angeli and two of her internet friends that she meets both falling for Angeli. There was a lot about Angeli's road trip prior to these two guys fighting over her. While I enjoyed "meeting" the people that she met through her road trip but in the end, it sort of distracted from the overall point.
I did like the writing in this book. The author definitely has a way of making conversations seem really real. Because the conversations felt so real, it pulled me into the book. I think that conversations can be one of the most difficult things to capture in the book. There were a lot of characters in this book but I thought the author did a pretty good job of giving them each a separate "voice."
Overall, I liked this story.
I really thought this book was interesting. I've always dreamed of going on a cross country road trip (even though I really don't care for driving) so I liked living vicariously through Angeli's trip in this book. I did like the story but it seemed like it took awhile to get to the real arc of the story. The arc of the story involved Angeli and two of her internet friends that she meets both falling for Angeli. There was a lot about Angeli's road trip prior to these two guys fighting over her. While I enjoyed "meeting" the people that she met through her road trip but in the end, it sort of distracted from the overall point.
I did like the writing in this book. The author definitely has a way of making conversations seem really real. Because the conversations felt so real, it pulled me into the book. I think that conversations can be one of the most difficult things to capture in the book. There were a lot of characters in this book but I thought the author did a pretty good job of giving them each a separate "voice."
Overall, I liked this story.