Skip to main content

YA Road Trips

August 15, 2015

Summer is winding down, the days are getting shorter, and the first day of school is just around the corner. Shake off your back to school blues and go on an end-of-summer vacation with a hot YA Road Trip title. Before hitting the open road, don’t forget to fill up the gas tank, pack some snacks, and create the perfect summer playlist.

It's a road trip! It's about adventure! . . . It's not like we have somewhere to go. - John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

First comes love, and then comes... a temporary restraining order? Rosie didn’t mean to set her ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. She was just trying to burn everything he ever gave her after finding out he was “dating” i.e. cheating on her with a cute, blond freshman. The summer before senior year was not supposed to turn out like this. Between pending criminal court dates and stalking charges, Rosie’s parents decide it would be best to send her on a road trip to Arizona with neighbor, Matty, and two of his responsible (a.k.a “nerdy”) friends. Can Rosie’s summer be salvaged by finding real love in unfamiliar places?

Playlist: 1000 Forms of Fear by Sia

Senior Year. Zombie Virus. Two Undead Fugitives. One psychic zombie hunter. After Jake and Amanda devour half the senior class during lunch period, they realize something has gone terribly wrong. They’ve become zombies. As suspicious news reports are released calling the lunchtime massacre a run-of-the-mill “school shooting”, Jake and Amanda decide the open road is their only option for freedom and...Food. Meanwhile, Cass, a telepathic, zombie-hunting, government agent is tracking their cross-country movements, as she questions the ethics of her chosen profession. Tensions rise and attractions grow as the hunt for the undead duo continues across state lines and Jake, Amanda, and Cass find themselves in a strange zombie love triangle.

Playlist: Strange Desire by Bleachers

Bev and Colby are the only seniors at their high school who are not going to college next year. However, they’ve planned an epic travel adventure filled with music, friends, and fun. First, they’ll embark on a West Coast tour with Bev’s band, The Disenchantments, followed by a year dedicated to exploring Europe. The van is packed, the band hits the road, and everything is going well, until Bev reluctantly admits to applying for college in secret. Colby is finally forced to figure out what his future looks like without Bev, or a backup plan.

Playlist: Peace & Noise by Patti Smith

Ever since her father’s fatal accident, Amy Curry doesn’t drive. No one talks about what exactly happened or whether Amy is to blame. In the aftermath, solitude becomes Amy’s best friend after her twin brother, Charlie, is placed in a North Carolina rehab center and her mom lands a teaching job in Connecticut. Sad and alone on the West Coast, Amy has to face her biggest fears to get from California to Connecticut with Roger, an old family friend, who is incredibly cute. Can Amy confront the ghost of her past while road tripping with a seriously hot chauffeur?

Playlist: Coming Home by Leon Bridges

Road trip image courtesy of Flickr user meddygarnet.