How My Summer Went Up In Flames. by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Title: How My Summer Went Up In Flames

Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Format: Paperback Edition

Goodreads Average Rating: 3.76

Age Group: 12+





   Expecting better, How My Summer Went Up In Flames was an okay novel.

   “Sometimes when you don't know what to do, it's okay to do nothing.”

    Crazy Rosie now is on a restraining order away from her ex-boyfriend, Joey, after she supposedly "lit his car on fire." Not knowing what to do with her life, Rosie has no choice but to go on a road trip all the way to Arizona with her next door neighbour and his two friends, who are also brothers. Rosie seriously doesn't know that she's in for a wacky, fun summer.

    Maybe it was just me, I don't know, I really didn't feel for this novel in the start. The plotline seemed very mainstream, and I knew that it would obviously turn into one of those cheesy summer-road trip romances where the main character (girl) will fall in love with one of the guys who is also traveling with her to wherever they're going. And to tell you the truth, that's all that it was.

    Now, you're probably asking, why then do I give this a three-point five star rating? Well, let me tell you. The story picked up, and I ended up liking it by the end. I began to read it much quicker afterwards, and it didn't turn out so bad after all. That's good I took the chance.

    I found Rosie to be a little whiny. She kind of made a dumb decision to actually do what she did in the beginning of the book, I would never have done that, like it or not, and seriously? She got a restraining order for that and a little following around? If the ex actually stood up to her and told her that she's going mad, maybe she would've listened. Ugh, that's what bugs me the most, and that she also didn't know what she wanted.

   Logan wasn't the oh-my-gosh guy that I happen to fall for in many novels. He just seemed... okay. I didn't get butterflies listening to him speak, or think, I want him!

   Spencer and Matty were good characters, they sure were hilarious at times! I wish that those guys got their own point-of-views!

    So, overall, this novel was okay, a good read, not that I would pick it up again anytime soon.