Road Trip Book Reviews

It wasn’t until I started writing this that I realized both of these books in my review technically take place on the road. Sure, one is about music stars on a summer tour and the other is about traveling around Texas and it’s borders for an abortion. But they have one more thing in common—five stars from me!

Title: You’d Be Mine
Author: Erin Hahn
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: April 2nd
Ratings: ♥♥♥♥♥

Review: 

I don’t like country music. There is nothing about it that I like. I don’t get the appeal of singing about your cowboy hat, or your truck. However, I do love music in books. I think tour life is so interesting and so specific to each person, kind of like in You’d Be Mine. In the same realm of Open Road Summer by Emery Lord and Fireworks by Katie Cotugno, we follow two young country stars at different stages of their careers as they embark on a summer tour. Both Clay and Annie have past tragedies that are threatening their chances of love and fame.

I was hooked right from the beginning, despite my feelings on country music. I think the dual perspectives was really great because our two main characters are coming in to this summer tour with different experiences and different backgrounds. I liked that the sections of the book were kind of separated out by which city they were performing in but I wanted them to spend more time in each city. The plot and the writing flowed really well and was extremely fast paced, sometimes too fast paced. I wish the author didn’t breeze through the scenes so quickly; I wanted to sit in the scenes a little longer. I loved the little time jump at the end. It was a great to give the readers a great sense of closure. While to story was a little predictable, I loved following along on this summer journey.

I was sent an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Girls on the Verge
Author: Sharon Biggs Waller
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: April 9th
Ratings: ♥♥♥♥♥

Review:

What an important and heart wrenching story. I had heard about this from a few different people who also had read an early copy of the book and they had nothing but incredible things to say about this story. All the hype is true. This book needs to be put into the hands of every teen and adult.

This very timely coming-of-age novel follows three Texas girls on a road trip to get an abortion. It sheds light on societal issues having to do with women’s rights and abortion, especially in the state of Texas. We see the protests that bombard women outside of clinics, the male government workers making decisions about a teenage girl’s body, and using faith and religion against young women when they’re already making one of the most important and agonizing decisions of their life.

After her best friend, Bea, doesn’t agree with her decision to end her pregnancy, Camille asks an acquaintance from theater to drive her to the Mexico border for the abortion. At the last minute, Bea decides that even if she is pro-life, she needs to support her best friend in her time of need. The relationship between these three girls was so special and such a journey. I loved the inserts of flashbacks throughout, it made the story flow in a really concise way.

I think this is such an important read and gives people a chance to see a young woman fighting for her rights.

I was sent an e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.