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togidemi's review against another edition
4.0
Cute! It's a road trip book so it's a lot of touristy things; less friendship trouble and more family stuff. I love how realistically and maturely it handles sticky family situations - Lydia's dad and Daddy Chang's cold Asian parents. There are adult books that handle these with less grace than this does. Huge props, I love this so much.
jwinchell's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I had started with #1 in this sweet and empowering series, but this road trip journal was outstanding. Lydia and Julie are so thoroughly themselves, and they learn to lean into their vulnerabilities through the outlet of their shared journal and their quirky friendship. I love the dads, the emotional struggles, the differences in personality, all of it. This is a solid option for middle grade readers!
inkstndfngrs's review against another edition
4.0
I think this is my favorite of the series, so far. Far less insipidness on the popularity front, and the characters are much more relatable and real.
ubalstecha's review against another edition
5.0
Julie and Lydia are back! In this volume Julie's dads take the girls on a cross country roadtrip as part of their summer vacation. Along the way, there are visits with both girls' families. Both girls learn that families can be complicated, with both finding members of their family who don't accept them for who they are. They also find that the family you choose and/or make is sometimes better than anything you could imagine.
Author Ignatow has produced her best work with this volume of Lydia and Julie's adventures. Lydia's distant and unaccepting father is contrasted with both of Julie's loving fathers. Julie's grandparents, who never accepted that their son is gay, married and adopted a daughter are compared to her other grandparents who embrace the life their son has made for themselves. The girls' relationship with each other is strengthened through the trip. We also see Lydia's relationship with her sister Melody strengthen through the emails the two girls exchange. And all of this is captured in the diary/notebook/graphic novel style that helps to make this series so endearing.
Go get this. Heck get the whole series.
Author Ignatow has produced her best work with this volume of Lydia and Julie's adventures. Lydia's distant and unaccepting father is contrasted with both of Julie's loving fathers. Julie's grandparents, who never accepted that their son is gay, married and adopted a daughter are compared to her other grandparents who embrace the life their son has made for themselves. The girls' relationship with each other is strengthened through the trip. We also see Lydia's relationship with her sister Melody strengthen through the emails the two girls exchange. And all of this is captured in the diary/notebook/graphic novel style that helps to make this series so endearing.
Go get this. Heck get the whole series.
maddy_16's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
msjenne's review against another edition
4.0
They go to Oberlin!! But there's not enough Roland.
MORE ROLAND PLEASE
MORE ROLAND PLEASE
anikalpaca's review against another edition
5.0
as usual a five star rating for the books, this book series can be finished very quickly, it took me about 3 days to finish a book or so but i could finish it in a day if i wanted to. Its a nice light read and funny.
mrskatiefitz's review against another edition
4.0
Though I have yet to get my hands on the third book in this series, I skipped ahead to Book Four anyway. It was just too irresistible! In this one, best friends Lydia and Julie set out on a road trip with Julie’s dads to visit various landmarks and family members, including Julie’s grandparents and Lydia’s father and his new family. Like the previous books, this one is presented in a notebook format, with the girls each scribbling messages, drawing pictures, and taping notes into the book for posterity. This format works exceptionally well with the road trip setting, and basically serves as a scrapbook of the trip. I love Julie’s illustrations of the scenery in different parts of the country, as well as the occasional postcards from Lydia’s sister Melody, who is spending the summer building houses in Guatemala, and Roland, the girls’ friend from school.
This book has the same light-hearted tone as the others in the series, but it also tackles some serious family conflicts. Julie’s conflict involves her grandparents’ refusal to allow Daddy and Papa Dad to stay in their home because of their sexual orientation. Lydia’s struggle comes from her father’s refusal to connect with her and his obvious preference for his new family. The girls see their families with new understanding and have to figure out how to relate to the people who disappoint and hurt them.
Rocky Road Trip truly is the perfect road trip book, with just the right mix of landmark visits, character conflicts, and scenes from the road. The bright and expressive illustrations will easily engage avid readers of graphic novels and other illustrated works, and the girls’ friendship and family dramas will keep tween girls turning the pages, anxious to find out how things turn out.
This book has the same light-hearted tone as the others in the series, but it also tackles some serious family conflicts. Julie’s conflict involves her grandparents’ refusal to allow Daddy and Papa Dad to stay in their home because of their sexual orientation. Lydia’s struggle comes from her father’s refusal to connect with her and his obvious preference for his new family. The girls see their families with new understanding and have to figure out how to relate to the people who disappoint and hurt them.
Rocky Road Trip truly is the perfect road trip book, with just the right mix of landmark visits, character conflicts, and scenes from the road. The bright and expressive illustrations will easily engage avid readers of graphic novels and other illustrated works, and the girls’ friendship and family dramas will keep tween girls turning the pages, anxious to find out how things turn out.
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