Amy, a seventeen year-old from California, believes that the car accident that killed her father is her fault. Months later, still emotionally paralyzed from the trauma, she is asked by her mother to meet in Connecticut. Roger, the son of a family friend, has been recruited to help get Amy to the east coast. An initially tentative friendship quickly deepens and eventually forms into romance between the two as they extend their cross-country adventure. While there are some pacing issues, and other minor quibbles (cream soda is much more available in the author's mind than in reality!), this is a sweet, contemporary, and quite relatable story of growth into young adulthood. Both main characters are largely likable, and a conclusion that neither ties up everything neatly, nor demands a sequel, is appreciated. --Todd Krueger
