Monday, May 4, 2015

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Source: Library
Pages: 352
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: April 15th 2014
Series: Standalone
Verdict: Buy

SummaryAfter 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. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

Review: Open Road Summer is everything a contemporary young adult book should be. It's got lightheartedness, depth, conflict, romance, and beautiful characters galore. There were no dull moments, and every word had me itching for the page turns that'd give me more. Needless to say, I read this quickly over the course of two sittings, but only because I had to get some work done. Otherwise it'd have been sit, read, finish, and sit in complete awe. Which I definitely did, just with a small break in between, where I kept getting distracted because I couldn't stop thinking about Reagan, Dee (a.k.a. Lilah), and Matt. 

I'm a huge fan of books revolving around music. There's something so exciting and beautiful when you combine music and the literary word. I absolutely love it. This book, however, takes the cake. Wowzers, it's a good read. A great read. A fabtastic read that makes me wish I was a character in the book because that's how good this book is. I literally could not stop smiling and laughing and making all kinds of faces. It's a good thing I read this at home. That way, I only looked like a fool in private. Seriously, this book had me feeling everything they were feeling, and it was amazing and beautiful and all kinds of wonderful.

What truly made the difference were the relationships. The friendship between Reagan and Dee is one that lasts through all of infinity (book reference; so sweet). The fact that they are complete opposites creates another interesting, entertaining, and lovable component to the friendship. They're so honest with each other, loyal to the end, and they truly care for one another. They're not just friends; they're family. Then, there's the relationship of Reagan and Matt. Holy smokes, talk about swoon-worthy. Their lively banter and obvious attraction is one that will make you giggle, laugh, sigh, and all things in between. And of course, it'll make you swoon. What makes Matt so amazing is that he's not a jerk. He's sweet and honest and real. And he sees Reagan for who she really is, and that's the best thing ever.

Reagan has had her ups and downs, and she's on the road to a new her. Her inner conflict, past choices, current situation, and honesty twist together to form a totally relatable character. I loved her character so much. She showed everything, yet she showed nothing. Her bluntness and actions could be shocking, albeit hilarious, but her love, loyalty, and passion were forces to be reckoned with. Those are her defining qualities, qualities that shouldn't be met with surprise, but with expectance. 

The only words that can truly give you the experience to remember are the words that lie in the pages of Open Road Summer. Fall in love, find yourself, reach your goals, and live your life; that's what this book is all about... but even so, it's still more than that. Emery Lord has crafted a novel that's breathtaking and beautiful, and it is undeniably a showstopper. Read, read some more, read even more, read again, and repeat.

Pure perfection

2 comments:

  1. Ooo! I have not read this one but I did read The Star of Me and You. I really liked that one - the positive relationships in the book were really unique and memorable! You don't see much of those in YA these days. I might go back and read this one! Excellent review, Grace :)

    Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!

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    1. Hi Alyssa, thanks so much! Open Road Summer was definitely memorable for me, so perhaps Emery Lord just has a knack for all things unique and memorable? And I actually just got The Start of Me and You, so I'll be reading it soon. I'm glad to hear it was a good one; it makes me more excited to read it!

      -Grace :)

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