Friday, January 31, 2014

Review: Once Upon A Road Trip by Angela N. Blount


 Once Upon A Road Trip
Author: Angela N. Blount
Genre: Young Adult/New Adult
Publisher: Artifice Press
ASIN: B00E91R8NS
Softcover: 426 pages


Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old Angeli doesn’t “fit in.” She’s never been on a single date, and she lives vicariously through an online world of storytelling. With the pressures of choosing a practical future path bearing down, she needs a drastic change. Too old to run away from home, she opts instead to embark on a solo 2-month road trip. But her freedom is tempered by loneliness — and anxiety tests her resolve as she comes face-to-face with her quirky internet friends.

Aside from contracting mono and repeatedly getting herself lost, Angeli’s adventure is mired by more unforeseen glitches — like being detained by Canadian authorities, and a near-death experience at the hands of an overzealous amateur wrestler. Her odyssey is complicated further when she unwittingly earns the affections of two young men. One a privileged martial artist; the other a talented techie with a colorful past.

Bewildered by the emotions they stir, Angeli spurns the idea of a doomed long-distance relationship. But she is unprepared for the determination of her hopeful suitors. In the wake of her refusal, one man will betray her, and the other will prove himself worthy of a place in her future.

Angeli sets off in search of a better understanding of herself, the world, and her place in it. What she finds is an impractical love, with the potential to restore her faith in happy endings.

A true story with an unapologetically honest outlook on life, love, faith, and adventure — Once Upon A Road Trip is a coming-of-age memoir.



Review:

This author clearly comes from the same community of people online that I do because I understood everything that Angeli was going through and what drove her to go on the adventure written about in Once Upon a Road Trip. This is a memoir about a young girl who flourish in an online community of writers, but doesn't quite fit into the real world as much as she does online. Deciding to do something drastic, she goes on a 2 month road trip to discover what she wants to do with the rest of her life and meet some of the people she considers friends in this community that she loves so much.

This book has so many ups and downs that just make it seems like she is never going to complete her journey that it really tugs at your heart many times. Between a near-death experience and possibly falling in love, you can see the change in Angeli as every situation unfolds. Going on this experience with her, really gave me some perspective on things that I am doing, right now. Obviously I have a blog, and I am actively involved in the online world of books (hence writing this review to begin with) and I can understand what is going on her head because I live it. I have people that I interact with online that I would call friends that I have never met, and probably will never meet. The idea that I don't fit in, is very real. Angeli, however, doesn't take this lying down and goes out and does something about the feelings that she is struggling with, which is more than I can say I will ever do. I will live vicariously through her in this book though because she took life by the horns and really took control over her future.

The romance in the story felt real and natural, versus many manufactured or forced romance that you see in so many books. The flow of the book seemed natural as well, which really kept the whole story together and down the Earth, which I really enjoyed. I loved that this is a memoir because there is a real person behind a seemingly real story, which is not easily found. Taking into account that it was also beautifully written, I would recommend picking this book up for a refreshing read that will take you on an adventure but might just inspire your own along the way.- My Opinion- ****4 Stars!

Get it here: Amazon / Barnes and Noble /Kobo / Powell's




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