Ah, the open road. The fresh air. The wind in your face. The warm sunshine and long drives. The pit stops and convenience stores. Camping under the stars. Running out of gas. Acting like tourists. Trying to read maps.
What do they all have in common? They’re components of road trips!
And we all know the best time to hit the road is summertime – no school, no work, no regrets. Just spontaneity. But that’s not really how road trips happen, is it? Most likely, you’re traveling with parents or siblings or other family members. You may even be with friends. But you’re probably not with strangers. (Or are you?)
So what is it about stories of YA road trips that’s so compelling and fun-loving? Because, more often than not, our beloved protagonists are traveling with (relative) strangers. Take Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, for example. Family friend or not, Amy knows very little of Roger. Yet, she preps to travel across the country with him. And she does so with ease (and a bit of a crush!). I don’t think I could be as cool as Amy in that type of situation. Thrown into a car, for days, with a random guy? I’ll pass, unless he’s Orlando Bloom.
But, as readers, that’s what hooks us, right? The immediate tension and conflict of knowing that our narrator will be thrown into the unknown.
But unplanned trips with friends can be just as compelling. 
In Saving June, Harper hits the road with her friend and a mysterious bad boy she knows little about. The trip sounds crazy, but knowing her friend is with her helps ease Harper’s nerves. This situation is a bit reminiscent of that cheesy Britney Spears movie (Crossroads). What begins as a fun, thoughtful trip between two friends quickly becomes an electric tango between Harper and Mystery Boy, brimming with the possibilities of love.
It’s the mere possibility of love that keeps us going and rooting for the pair, despite how horribly the trip may be going . So what if you’ve run out of money, gas and food? All you need is love!
Of course, things could be worse. You could be traveling cross-country with your ex, which seems almost as terrible as traveling with a stranger. But that’s exactly what happens in Two-Way Street.
Courtney’s boyfriend breaks up with her before their big road trip to college orientation. Talk about awkward. Could you sit in a car for that long with any of your exes? It sounds like intentional torture. But, again, because they were previously together, there’s plenty of tension – good and bad – between Courtney and Jordan. And that possibility of getting back together keeps us in for the long haul, at their expense.
But the one thing we tend to forget in any road trip story is age. More often than not, the characters are no more than nineteen years old, and as young as sixteen. And it makes me think, Isn’t this a little far-fetched? How can a sixteen year old just up and leave? Road trips differ from running away. They’re not permanent. At the end of the day, there’s always that cloud of uncertainty hanging around. Angry parents are right around the corner, waiting for your return. But why is it so easy to leave in the first place? Is it really that easy to sneak out at night? And if the trip is planned, is it really that easy to let your teenager go off on a cross-country tour (with or without strangers)? How would the story change if the parents forbid the trip, the companions? 
But sometimes the characters are too far away to be controlled, like in 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Ginny gets to go overseas without parental supervision. The only present authority figure is her uncle, and even then, he can barely keep her under his control. From London to Scotland and anywhere in between, Ginny embarks on some crazy adventures… with a stranger! (I’m seeing a theme here.) But we all know how it goes, as far as foreign love interests are concerned: they get a big fat YES. (Etienne St. Claire, anyone?) They represent the one major thing consistent with nearly every YA road trip: summer flings.
Girl/Boy friends by their sides or not, the protagonists usually unintentionally fall for someone that’s also along for the ride, or that they’ve met on the way. And that’s what does it for us readers. Not the relationships themselves, but the hope and fun that comes from them. Who hasn’t wanted to just pack up their bags, hit the road with some friends, and meet a hottie during the journey? It’s wild and crazy, yes, but just as thrilling and eye-opening. It’s about getting to see the sights and maybe also getting to be an entirely new you. It’s about discovery – physical and metaphorical.
Of course, not everything is about love. Road trip stories in the YA genre also serve to transport readers to new places with new perspectives. A tiny, tumbleweed town may not be a total drag. Acres of farmland or camping grounds can be beautiful things. Trinkets from roadside stands may be the best gifts of all. The very act of traveling provides readers another level of excitement. You don’t know what the characters are going to have to deal with, but you travel with them anyway. You learn from their mistakes.
Ultimately, it’s the freedom that a road trip brings that is the most appealing. The freedom to just go and be. But, if it’s YA, you might want to pack that extra mascara and tissues in your luggage. Because it’s going to be an emotional ride!
And, if you haven’t done so already, you might want to check out these and other YA road trip novels. They’re perfect for summertime and make you feel all good inside. Who’s in a road trip mood now?!
What do you like/dislike about YA road trips?
(Also: if you know of any other good road trip books, please comment and let me know! I’m totally in the mood for some fun and sun, rather than doom and gloom.)
Follow Friday is now acknowledging and promoting the following of blogs through their RSS feeds! Because this site is proudly powered by WordPress, there’s no GFC (Google Friend Connect) option. BUT, you can follow TGR through my feed by clicking HERE or over to the right, in my sidebar. You can also subscribe through email!
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Somewhere cold, honestly. I’d love to be in New England. So calm and cool.
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A Book Blogger is Born: What made you decide to start your very own book blog?
About two summers ago I became really bored. I’d had no job at the time, and so ended up spending a majority of all that free time reading and scouring the internet. I’d somehow come across a book blog. I don’t remember which it was, but I clicked from link to link, to other book blogs. I was instantly enamored with the idea of people having book discussions online. And the sense of community was so strong. I wanted that. At the same time I’d also heard about a classmate starting their own book blog. Needless to say, I went to their site and took it all in. I knew I could do the same. And part of me wanted the challenge of creating a more successful blog. From there, the ideas flooded. It was all I could think about. I’d sit with pads of paper and write whatever blog names came to mind. I’d ask my family and friends if any stood out, if any reflected me. I’d make them vote. And then the planning ensued.
Outside of the internet, I don’t have very many friends who read as much as I do, or at all. And my friends who do read consistently read other genres, so we never have common ground for discussion. But I craved it so badly. So, without knowing what to do or how to even run a blog, I dove in and created TGR.
I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t been so bored and found the book blog, or heard about my classmate’s blog. It was just one little moment that kick started all of this. And I couldn’t be happier with the outcome!
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This week at The Grammarian’s Reviews
Review! One Moment by Kristina McBride
Review! What I Didn’t Say by Keary Taylor
Review! The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
One Moment by Kristina McBride
Maggie Reynolds is eagerly planning the summer before her senior year, which will include hanging out with her best friends Shannon, Tanna, and Adam, and losing her virginity to Joey, her boyfriend of two years. But when daredevil Joey dies cliff-diving with Maggie and she can’t remember the moment before his fall, an investigation ensues. Initially Maggie blames herself for the accident (“What if one small thing changed? Would we all be hanging out right now, listening to music while Joey laughed at something stupid”), but when Adam refuses to answer questions about the last 24 hours of Joey’s life it becomes clear that both Adam and Joey were hiding something from her. As Maggie’s memories gradually return, she collects clues to uncover the truth.
MY THOUGHTS:
A contemp I just wanted to hug over and over.
One Moment is sad, but not overtly so. Joey’s death is obviously a constant rain cloud hanging over the heads of the other characters, especially Maggie’s, but it isn’t overwhelmingly depressing. Each character handles Joey’s death in their own ways, but realistically. McBride’s writing then gives these realistic feelings and thoughts added beauty through imagery.
What I love most about this book is that, while it could have just focused on Maggie overcoming her boyfriend’s death, McBride actually takes it one step further. Rather than make Joey’s death a mystery, she makes Joey’s life a mystery. I enjoyed putting the pieces together, even though some were fairly predictable. There isn’t much of Joey prior to his early death, so by having to discover his secrets, it’s a way to uncover him as a character – through past and present, and from a couple perspectives. You get Maggie’s memories, but also her friends’ recollections as well, which help to piece together the puzzle.
It’s not the plot that sets this book apart from others, though. It’s the writing, and the feelings and images evoked from it. Stylistically it’s simple, but oh so comforting and subtly dazzling in its descriptions. The writing itself is what gives this story that extra oopmh. At times it reminded me of old school Sarah Dessen novels – the ones that leave you with those pensive thoughts and warm feelings.
Go read, hug and experience One Moment‘s quiet magic.
Every Day by David Levithan
Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.
I love David Levithan. And probably always will. Every Day seems a bit out of his usual realm of contemps, though, so I’m interested to see how it’ll work out.
What I Didn’t Say by Keary Taylor
Getting drunk homecoming night your senior year is never a good idea, but Jake Hayes never expected it all to end with a car crash and a t-post embedded in his throat.
His biggest regret about it all? What he never said to Samantha Shay. He’s been in love with her for years and never had the guts to tell her. Now it’s too late. Because after that night, Jake will never be able to talk again.
When Jake returns to his small island home, population 5,000, he’ll have to learn how to deal with being mute. He also finds that his family isn’t limited to his six brothers and sisters, that sometimes an entire island is watching out for you. And when he gets the chance to spend more time with Samantha, she’ll help him learn that not being able to talk isn’t the worst thing that could ever happen to you. Maybe, if she’ll let him, Jake will finally tell her what he didn’t say before, even if he can’t actually say it.
MY THOUGHTS:
Oh, how I wanted to like this. But I just couldn’t. It’s not so much the writing itself as it is the story. I was hoping the story would focus and hone in on Jake losing his ability to speak. And, while it is a constant presence in the book, it takes a back seat to his relationship with Sam. This entire story is about them coming together, finding safety within one another, and establishing a relationship despite their hardships.
Unfortunately, I just didn’t buy it.
I hate to say it, but almost everything about What I Didn’t Say is, well, hokey. From the dialogue, to how Jake and Sam treat one another, to how Jake’s mom continually refers to the brothers and sisters as “siblings,” rather than by name… I understand that part of this hokey-ness is from what’s supposed to be the charm of the close-knit community, but it all becomes too much to handle; it’s all too black and white, like this is what’s good, and now this is what’s bad. Jake and Sam don’t really learn from anything. They just simply … come together and get through everything.
I expected more from this story and not to have everything taken to the extreme, only to simplistically resolve itself.
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die? or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.
MY THOUGHTS:
The Immortal Rules is a jam-packed, adventure thriller. With vampires. Just when you think your beloved characters are safe, you better start thinking otherwise. The grit and reality of Allie’s life is harsh and unforgiving; she hardly gets her way. It’s because of this that Allie is a great character. You can’t fully relate to her, but she makes you want to keep reading. The trials and tribulations she goes through shape her very being, and as the reader, you get to watch her literally and metaphorically transform as a person. I wanted to know more about Allie – about her past, about her new life, about how she’d deal with anything.
This book is split into parts, focusing on the before, during and after of her Turning. But while the before and during parts captivated me and held my interest, the after section had me caring less. I liked seeing Allie struggling and coming to terms with her new vampirism. I liked when she had Kanin by her side. Kanin made the story for me; he is the one character that kept me going – aside from Allie. I wanted more of him. Unfortunately, he weaves in and out of the story. Allie is primarily with Zeke and his gang, all of whom I dislike. While I understand their purpose, Zeke and his comrades seem more of a side story than anything, and I quickly became frustrated with having to spend so much time with them. And yet, Allie wouldn’t leave and I prepared myself for the long haul.
The Immortal Rules begins with heavy, extensive descriptions of Allie’s world and what’s become of it. The story then rushes into her time and training with Kanin and just as quickly transpires into her traveling with Zeke’s group. It’s here that the story loses momentum. The pacing doesn’t match the first half of the book. Neither does the action – the action is still prevalent, but much more repetitive. I began to feel as hopeless and annoyed as Allie. And maybe that’s what was meant for me, as the reader, but I didn’t buy or enjoy it. I kept wanting more from the plot and characters. Zeke’s group is very one dimensional. The romance that pokes its way through seems forced and mismatched. While I craved romance earlier on in the read, when it finally appeared I was left unsatisfied.
Ultimately the story was nothing like I expected or anticipated. It’s so good and so detailed, but I can’t help but feel that something’s lacking. And I think that “something” is focus.
photo credit: slightly everything via photopin cc
When I’m not reading, blogging or doing homework, I’m cooking. Cooking is a lot like reading and writing: it brings ingredients together to create a single dish that tells a story of flavors, family, friends and experiences. And just like with books, you don’t have to be the creator. Sometimes we’re all just looking for a little eye candy. So here’s a little food for thought!
I don’t know if you all know this, but I’m a total foodie. A foodie is “someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food.” Cooking is all about discovery for me – seeing which ingredients work well together, what flavors can be created, and what new foods can be tried. So now I’m bringing this discovery to TGR!
Every Monday I’ll be sharing a new food find, recipe, and of course, some eye candy.
This week: Bang Bang Shrimp
Fake Ginger’s finished Bang Bang Shrimp dish.
Who loves seafood? I know I do. But who loves shrimp with a spicy sweet crunch? Again – me!
This is just one of the many recipes I’ve found on Pinterest and gotten around to making. In fact, I made this tonight. And it was an instant hit. I mean instant. This recipe is beyond a keeper. Crispy, crunchy shrimp is already enough to win me over. But then throw a creamy, spicy chile sauce on top? I have to drool.
Mind you, this is ideal for heat seekers. Or, at the very least, people who like a punch from their food! You could always tone down or eliminate the heat, but then it just wouldn’t have that same bang bang effect or live up to its name, now would it?
The great thing about this recipe, aside from its taste, is that it’s a mimicked recipe from the Bonefish Grill restaurants. Perhaps you’ve seen or been to them:
They offer a starter/appetizer of Bang Bang Shrimp that’s apparently pretty good (or so I’ve heard – I’ve never actually been). After eating and liking the appetizer so much, the blogger over at Fake Ginger whipped up this copy-cat recipe to share. And that’s when I saw it and fell in love with it.
The spice lover in me just couldn’t resist a creamy sriracha sauce.
And so now I must pass along this recipe to you all as well. Plus, there were no leftovers to be had, so I needed a convenient way to reminisce and long for this dish all over again – and what better way to do that than blog about it?
My finished Bang Bang Shrimp dish. (It’s difficult to convey its yumminess with a camera phone!)
INGREDIENTS
bang bang shrimp
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4-5 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, such as Sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
For the egg mixture:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup milk [note: this was waaaaaay too much milk. I'd start with 2/3 cup and add more if needed.]
For the breading mixture:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
[note: I ended up having to whip up a little extra coating, so I'd start with 1 + 2/3 cups of flour & panko.]
For frying:
- 8 to 12 cups vegetable oil [note: this is if you're using a deep fryer. I simply pan fried the shrimp in vegetable/canola oil.]
DIRECTIONS
- Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl; cover and set aside.
- Combine beaten egg with milk in shallow bowl; set aside.
- Combine flour, panko, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and basil in another shallow bowl; set aside.
- Bread the shrimp by first coating each with the breading mixture. Dip breaded shrimp into the egg and milk mixture, and then back into the breading. Arrange the coated shrimp on a plate and pop them into the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This step will help the breading to stick on the shrimp when they are frying.
- Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Use amount of oil required by your fryer.
- When oil is hot, fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on rack or paper towels.
- When all shrimp has been fried, drop the shrimp into a large bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup of sauce over shrimp and stir gently to coat.
Why are you still here? Get cooking this fabulous dish!
Summer is here! That means I have time to read for fun again! I’m already in the process of reading The Immortal Rules, and hope to finish it in the next day or two. Really need to clear out my NetGalley inventory so I don’t get too backed up.
MY GOALS:
- Finish all outstanding books from NetGalley. (I tend to request a bunch at once and then take forever to get to them!)
BOOKS TO READ:
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa.
The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland.
One Moment by Kristina McBride.
What I Didn’t Say by Keary Taylor.
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter.
Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser.
Six books seems a little ideal, but I’m going to give it my all!
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen
Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that’s just fine by her. She’s got her friends – the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She’s got her art – and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it’s hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they’re dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?
MY THOUGHTS:
It took me a while to get into this one. And no, I’m not kidding when I say “a while.” I’d been reading TFAoToD for more than a month now. But it’s not that I disliked what was happening, or even disliked the characters. Honestly, I just got so bogged down in Jensen’s writing, which is very …. heavy; time doesn’t progress as quickly because she spends a good amount of time going over details. This most likely won’t make sense until you’ve actually cracked open the book for yourself. It’s just that between Jensen’s writing style and Ella’s own speech characteristics, it’s difficult to plow through the story.
But it’s just. so. good. So, I had to keep reading.
Mind you, I have a very strong connection to this book. From the Italian family antics to the Philly area – it’s all familiar territory to me. These aspects made the book comforting. Plus, it was fun recognizing the places Ella traveled/visited.
But aside from my personal attachments to the book, a great aspect of TFAoToD is that it presents some of the most fleshed out characters in a contemporary read I’ve ever come across. Ella, Frankie, and even Edward Willing are given such distinct, hilarious personalities that never waver; they’re consistent characters. They’re all greatly personable.
What gives each character an extra dimension is the explorations and observations of their respective families – Frankie’s brother, Sadie’s mom, Alex’s parents, and Ella’s large Italian family. They’re all incorporated, and they all have important roles in the story, no matter how little they appear. This, to me, was great. You don’t typically get so much background info or history with all characters in a contemporary read, let alone with the side characters. And I feel that, in this case, it was really helpful and a nice addition, although it did slow the pacing, which was occasionally bothersome.
But other than those very few minor issues, TFAoToD is a good read that I’d recommend picking up ASAP.
Truth be told, I’m not sold on most YA dystopian novels. But I couldn’t help but notice that, as of late, I’ve been slowly but surely hopping aboard the Dystopian bandwagon.
While I may not have actually read very many, I’m much more open to reading them now. I think it’s because of the diversity within the dystopian genre. Before, it all seemed the same to me. But now there are little twists – many thanks to sequels. In fact, many of th YA dystopian novels out there are parts of trilogies or series. This is the one downfall, for me, personally.
It’s already challenging enough for me to become interested in a dystopian novel, being an almost strictly contemporary YA reader, especially when I begin reading one already knowing it won’t have an ending. That’s the thing about dystopians. No matter how nicely they tie together in the end, it’s never really the end. There’s always a book or two or three after. This makes it difficult for me to become attached to any one story.
Did I enjoy The Giver, The Pledge, and Bumped? Yes. But did I read the sequel to The Giver? No. Will I read the sequels to The Pledge and Bumped? Maybe. I like them all as they are. They’re solid stories. When dystopians, in particular, stretch out over a series of installments, I tend to grow more and more impatient with the stories. The Hunger Games is a perfect example of such annoyance; I grew tired of the repetition, of the lack of resolve.
Of course, I think being primarily a contemporary reader has shaped my reading habits and preferences, and I realize that’s a factor in my disliking of many dystopian novels. Most contemporary novels that I read are stand-alones; they are not part of series. Plus, there’s typically less world building and more character growth (the lack of which is usually my biggest complaint with dystopians – that the characters change, but not necessarily so deeply). Contemporary novels also usually have more elements that I can relate to, naturally. These elements keep me sucked in, or are the things interesting me from the beginning. Getting bogged down in political/government agendas, regulations, parties, etc. in dystopian novels is a big turn off.
If there were a way to mash the two – contemporary and dystopia – I’d probably be more of a dystopian reader. But, as it stands, while their little twists and clever ideas are pulling me in, it’s still difficult to keep me 100% tuned in and interested.
