This was a really charming novel. I was drawn to it after reading about the pictures, receipts, and travel journal memorabilia strewn throughout the novel. I thought this was a really interesting touch and was even more excited when I saw that they were pictures that had been taken by the author during her own cross country road trip! (And can I just say that I really, really, really want to try Nu-Way Cafe now??) 
 Amy's father has recently passed away in a car accident. Her brother has been shipped out to a rehab facility in North Carolina, and her mother has found a new home in Connecticut, leaving Amy to finish out her last month of school in California by herself. At the end of the school year, her mother informs her that the cost of transporting the family car to the East Coast is going to be too expensive. She also tells her that she has contacted an old family friend, and their son Roger is going to accompany Amy for the trip. Roger has agreed to take the trip for reasons of his own. 
 I found both of the characters to be very believable, especially Amy. The difficulty she is having coping with her father's death, (view spoiler)[and with her guilt concerning the nature of the accident, (hide spoiler)] seemed very real. I was also particularly moved by her relationship with her twin brother, especially towards the end of the book. I liked Roger a lot, he seemed like a totally normal guy, but really sweet and very kind to Amy. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop quite a lot. (view spoiler)[Hope they're able to make something come out of this relationship, because the ending was left so ... ?!?!?! What happens ?!?!? (hide spoiler)] 
 The two relationships I found to be lacking were that of Amy and her mother, and Amy and her best friend Julia. Amy had been having a lot of issues with her mother, feeling withdrawn and emotionally detached from her. We begin to address these issues towards the end of the book, but right as we start to get somewhere, the book sort of ends. I think we are left with hope for the future, but it's a bit vague for my taste. As for Julia, I know nothing of her other than flashbacks. She has been emailing Amy for months with no response, and unless I just totally missed it (&I sure hope I didn't), there is no response by the end. She does say that she wants to email her or call her to catch up, but nothing ever comes of it. I wanted a bit more resolution than was given in some of the relationships. It seemed like the most powerful relationships, other than that of Amy & Roger, were those that were formed by Amy and the people she met along the way. 
 And my official favorite part of the book?? THE PLAYLISTS! I recognized enough songs to know that I will probably love pretty much every song listed in this book. (Not sure about the musicals, but I'll give it a shot!)