“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?
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.
