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Monday, June 4, 2012

Review: Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John

Thou Shalt Not Road TripThou Shalt Not Road Trip
Antony John
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: April 12, 2012

When sixteen-year-old Luke's book, Hallelujah, becomes a national bestseller, his publishing house sends him on a cross-country book tour with his older brother, Matt, as chauffeur. But when irresponsible Matt offers to drive Luke's ex–soul mate, Fran, across the country too, things get a little crazy. On the trip, Luke must loosen up, discover what it truly means to have faith, and do what it takes to get the girl he loves.
Told with Antony John's signature wit and authenticity, and featuring smart, singular characters who jump off the page and into your heart, this story is a spiritual awakening and rockin' road trip in one.


This book reminded me why road trip books are so awesome. If you read my blog for any period of time, it will most likely come up that I love books about road trips; they're my favorite. Thou Shalt Not Road Trip was the epitome of a good road trip book. It was fun, it was genuine, it had its uplifting moments, and it made me feel like I was traveling right along side the characters. 
Because of his book, Luke is quickly obtaining fame, which is ironic because in reality Luke is a very quiet, passive boy. But along his tour which his brother put himself in charge of, Luke changes a lot. He grows and really finds himself. He was a super sweet guy. There were times when I just wanted him to step up and take control of the situation, but that just isn't his personality. 
There was an emphasis in this book on Luke's relationship with his brother, Matt. Matt was super selfish and not a very good brother to Luke. Matt did grow, too, over the book, but he still wasn't exactly a stand-up guy by the end, either.
This was a mostly serious book, but there were some lighter, funnier moments in there, too. I thought that Antony John created a perfect balance between the two.
I really did feel like I was right by these characters, seeing these sights. John did an amazing job with describing everything. Gorgeous. 
I've read Antony John's debut novel, Five Flavors of Dumb. It was good and fun but nothing amazing. Well Thou Shalt Not Road Trip is. It was such a good ride and I loved all of it, right down to the very end.

3 comments:

  1. Glad to hear that the serious parts are nicely balanced by some lighter aspects. Seems like a book worthy of checking out!

    Nice review :)

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  2. Thanks for taking the time to read and review my book, Kapri. So glad you enjoyed it!

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  3. OMG, I also love road trip books! My favorite is Take Me There by Carolee Dean and I am dying to read Thou Shalt Not Road Trip and even more so after reading your review!

    Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile

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