Review: How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

How My Summer Went Up In Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 320
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Purchased
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First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance! Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious. To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

ADD TO GOODREADS

Rosie's boyfriend and first love has done the unthinkable. Cheated on her and is now also dating her. Rosie is rightfully hurt. She drops off the box of their relationship keepsakes at his door and lights it on fire. She waits until he sees it and drives off. Turns out it somehow caught his car on fire and now she has a temporary restraining order filed against her. Her hearing is in two weeks but she just can't stay away. Hurt and confused she wants a chance to talk to him. Her best friend Matty is headed on a cross country trip with his two friends Logan and Spence. Matty is a lifelong friend and her parents love and trust him as their own so they send Rosie along with him to keep her out of trouble.

I was very excited to read this book because I can completely sympathize with Rosie. It all started in 6th grade when my best friend and I invited a cute boy to a pool party. He said yes but never showed and had even known he would be out of town that day. We shaving creamed his house. Probably more a punishment to his parents than him but it seriously felt great LOL So later in life when my boyfriends cheated, I took my revenge on their precious babies aka their douche mobiles and have egged a car or two and perhaps slashed a tire or two. Can't say for sure for obvious legal reasons...hehe...but it is seriously the best therapy. Call it immature but nothing helps me move on more.  No matter what age you are or if it is your first love or tenth love, breakups are hard, and I think it hurts the most when they cheat.

Time and distance is really the best cure for a broken heart and it helps Rosie. She gets away from Joey and makes three new great friends. Now having Rosie travel with three boys sounded like there would be lots of love triangles. I felt Rosie did have a romantic spark with all three guys at different times. Matty was so sweet and her life long best friend. I always root for the best friend but Rosie left things open like maybe one day in the distant future but for now she needs her rock and Matty is her everything and she can't risk losing that. Logan is the older brother of Spencer and they are driving his car to Arizona. He won't be coming back but Rosie still seemed to feel the biggest attraction to him. He was probably my least favorite of the three but I enjoyed the connection Rosie had with all of the boys and I loved each guy for different reasons. They were all sweet little dorks and I loved all the places they wanted to stop on their road trip. Rosie figured they'd want to see babes but they like to go to educational and interesting places. It was very cute and Rosie becomes very protective of them. Rosie especially grew protective of dorky Spence and wanted to fall for a guy like him. While nothing major happens with any boys there is some potential left open for the future. 

Besides the romance, Rosie also learns to focus on other things than just boys. She meets a new gal pal, Avery, and is inspired to start charity work. She also begins to think of college and a future that doesn't include just being Joey's girlfriends. I think we all get lost in a relationship at times and it is hard after thinking of that person everyday for many months or years to go back to other things. But with time we focus again on ourselves and that is what Rosie does and I was very proud of her. I definitely felt her pain as I have been there many times. I was right there with her when she explained that burning his stuff made her feel vulnerable like it showed how much she truly cared when obviously he didn't. Been there. Captured the real thoughts, emotions, pain, turmoil and hardships of moving on after having your heart broken. A great breakup book and summer read!



"My boyfriend and I were together for four years when he cheated on me."
"Four years!" I shout, louder than I intended. But I can't imagine what I would have done to Joey if he'd screwed around on me after we'd been together that long. It would have cost him a testicle, I think.

What's up with this guy? Egg whites. Salads. Hasn't he heard of the Baconator? I want to say, Get a penis. But I stick to the topic at hand.

Rating: 4/5