Your Destination Is on the Left

by Lauren Spieller

“Emotional and sexy…I loved it!” —Miranda Kenneally, bestselling author of Catching Jordan
“Dessa is a winning and resilient heroine.” —Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Verity
“A journey I would happily take over and over again.” —Dahlia Adler, author of Just Visiting
“The fantastic, feminist novel I wish I’d had as a teen.” —Jessica Spotswood, author of the Cahill Witch Chronicles
“A heartfelt—and at times, heartbreaking—exploration of finding yourself.” —Stacey Kade, author of Finding Felicity
“An emotional, aesthetic, and hopeful journey to self-discovery.” —Kirkus Reviews
“[T]he message of maintaining persistence, courage, and creativity is a worthy and welcome one for teen readers.” —Booklist

Seventeen-year-old Dessa Rhodes is torn between leaving her modern nomadic life and pursuing her dreams of becoming an artist in this fun, contemporary debut novel that’s “perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson” (Ashley Poston, author of Geekarella).

Dessa Rhodes is a modern day nomad. Her family travels in an RV, their lives defined by state lines, exit signs, and the small communal caravan they call home. Among them is Cyrus, her best friend and long-time crush, whom she knows she can never be with. When your families are perpetually linked, it’s too dangerous to take a risk on romance.

Instead, Dessa looks to the future. She wants to be a real artist and going to art school is her ticket to success and a new life. There’s just one problem: she hasn’t been accepted…anywhere. Suddenly her future is wide open, and it looks like she’s going to be stuck traveling forever.

Then an unexpected opportunity presents itself: an internship working with a local artist in Santa Fe. Dessa struggles to prove to her boss—and herself—that she belongs there, but just as she finally hits her stride, her family suffers an unexpected blow. Faced with losing everything that she has worked for, Dessa has a difficult decision to make. Will she say goodbye to her nomadic lifestyle and the boy she loves? Or will she choose to never stop moving?

• ISBN10: 1481492136
• ISBN13: 9781481492133
• Publish Date: 25 July 2019 (first published 26 June 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 October 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

The family motto was "never stop moving". Though they meant it terms of physical location, it applied to Dessa with respect to her emotional and personal growth.

Dessa's family had been living a nomadic life for the past five years, but Dessa had plans of her own. She aspired and worked towards the goal of going to art school and becoming an artist. She yearned for some independence, and not having all her life choices decided by a group vote. However, after countless college rejections, she believed she would be "stuck" in this life of her parents' making.
It seemed the universe had different plans for her, and she was awarded an internship with an artist she admired.

To me, this was where the story really began. It was where Dessa had to make some really big decisions about her life and her future. She was in a constant battle with her head and her heart. She loved her family, and there were many aspects of the nomad life she enjoyed, but she could not attain her dreams if she continued moving from place to place. She grappled with being loyal to her family, making the decisions she knew they wanted her to make, or choosing herself for a change.

My heart really broke for Dessa as this battle waged in her heart, and then because things weren't complicated enough, her romantic life kind of took off. Yet another thing Dessa would need to consider in her decision making process.

Though the romance wasn't the main focus of this story, you know I loved it. I adored the pairing, the tension, the wonderful things he did for Dessa, and the added layer of conflict it added to the story. And, well, a good romance always makes me happy.

In Summary

• Dessa was a great main character, and her journey towards fulfilling her own dreams and her personal struggle felt really honest.

• Cyrus was all sorts of fabulous. I was a fan.

• The peek into the art world was very interesting, and I really enjoyed it.

• Lots of family focus, most of which really tugged at my heartstrings.

• I was hooked immediately by this nomadic lifestyle thing, and wanted to know more.

• The traveling was fun and I liked getting to visit different parts of the US.

• I felt like everyone grew over the course of this book.

Overall
A heartwarming and beautiful story of one girl's struggle to make her dreams comes true.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[shannonmiz]

Probably around 3.5*?

So this was quite cute! While I wasn't exactly blown away with novelty, it was certainly enjoyable enough. I am a sucker for a road trip, and I loved how much Dessa was able explore not only her relationships with others, but what she wanted out of life too.

There's a huge focus on family, which is nice, and it definitely is an interesting look into a more nomadic lifestyle than most of us are used to. Honestly, I cannot imagine living with my entire family in an RV now, certainly let alone as a teenager aching for privacy. It's a fun angle.

And sure, there's some romance (though I didn't totally love it? Nor did I hate it, so there's that), and a really unexpected friendship. And a nice mentor-mentee situation, which I think is a great thing to show to young people.

Overall, a pretty solid contemporary. Not mind-blowing, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Blog tour stuff can be found here!