How My Summer Went Up in Flames (Book Review)

How My Summer Went Up in Flames

Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Number of Pages: 320
Release Date: May 7,2013

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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…

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MY THOUGHTS:

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first started How My Summer. I'll be honest, sometimes when I'm on Edelweiss I won't even read the synopsis of a book if the cover seems like something I'll enjoy. I judge books by their covers. I do. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Sometimes I'm wrong and sometimes I'm right. If I hear enough good things about a book whose cover I don't like I'll go back and read it, but I'll almost always pick up a book if I like its cover. So I saw this one (cute shoes, polka-dot shirt, convertible, sunny skies, the word summer in the title) and went, yep, this is going to be one of my almost-summer reads.

How My Summer starts with our heroine, Rosie, being served with a temporary restraining order from her ex-boyfriend, Joey, after she accidentally set his car on fire. What happens was that Rosie saw Joey and his new girlfriend (a Freshman girl he had cheated on her with) at an end-of-school party. Rosie got seriously pissed so she took a box of Joey's things over to his house and set the box on fire in his driveway. She didn't mean for anything else to happen, she certainly didn't mean to blow up his car, but no she has been slapped with the TRO for her actions (and also for "stalking" since she can not stop herself from texting and calling him constantly, too). 

Her neighbor, Matty, is there when she receives the TRO and comes up with a solution. In a few days he has plans to drive across the country with his friend, Spenser, and Spenser's brother, Logan, who is going to the University of Arizona (or Arizona State--or some other university in Arizona--one of those) and has to go early to start his program. Matty and Spenser plan to make the drive with Logan and then fly back to New Jersey. Matty convinces Rosie's parents that Rosie should come with them to get herself out of dodge and away from Joey. After Rosie and her best friend are busted doing a drive-by of Joey's house minutes after she receives her TRO, her parents agree with Matty, much to Rosie's dismay. 

So she finds herself in the car with the 3 boys as they set out West. Spenser has their whole trip mapped out, down to the pit-stops, and Rosie finds she not going to have much say in the matter. So she finds herself in places she doesn't have much interest in (but that I think sounds awesome) like a cave in West Virginia, the Grand 'Ole Opery and Graceland (how could you not want to go to Graceland?). The road trip aspect was definitely one of my favorite things about the book. I've driven all over the United States and love stories that talk about places I've seen, and places I haven't yet. Along the way Rosie starts to contemplate her actions and what has landed her in this car to begin with. 

I thought How My Summer was ok. It certainly didn't blow me away, but it was entertaining enough for what it was. I struggled with liking Rosie's character. She makes some seriously stupid choices throughout the book and spends a good amount of time slut-shaming her replacement (calling her a slut and a whore, etc). There were hints of something more throughout the book with all 3 of the boys in the car, even though she is just getting over a serious relationship with somebody that hurt her badly. I liked Rosie's character arc and thought the writing was fast-paced, but ultimately didn't really connect with her which made me not really care what happened to her. 

In the end I would recommend How My Summer if you are looking for a quick summer book that highlights a road trip, hints of romance, and a real, if frustrating, heroine.

*I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*