All Over the Map
By Lanie Jacobs
YA Contemporary
Paperback & eBook, 287 Pages
February 5, 2025
Summary
The off-limits best friend’s brother trope gets the road trip treatment in this funny and smart YA novel. In the deft style of Emma Lord and Julie Buxbaum, it’s also a deeper novel about the pieces we’re made from and what family really is.
High school junior Kendall Barrows is insanely together, smart, and laser-focused on attending NYU when she graduates. She's not one for spontaneous jaunts, and she hoards her savings for her future in New York. But when a DNA test reveals a genetic heritage her mother has kept from her, she feels a pull that's bigger than her goals, and quite possibly her budget.
Along with her best friend Mia and a "chaperone", Mia's college freshman brother—Kendall's nemesis—they’re off on an unsanctioned road trip to meet Kendall's newly discovered half-brother. Kendall soon learns that sudden siblinghood is not as easy as she had imagined, but when a clue leads to another half-sibling on Instagram, the bend in the road on Route 66 leads them to Bend, Oregon. Here Kendall finds a sister with whom she shares a smile and a sense of wit. And from her, Kendall learns the identity of her father—but she must drive a thousand miles in two days to confront him or miss her chance completely.
Full of cinematic moments and unexpected detours, fights with her best friend and sparks with her best friend’s brother, each stop brings new possibilities but also new pressures. And when Kendall unearths a family secret she never saw coming, she discovers that while map apps may work on terrain, they are far less reliable for the geography of the heart.
Uplifting and heartfelt, All Over the Map is the first YA novel from USA Today bestseller Melanie Jacobson under her pen name, Lanie Jacobs.
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My Review
ALL OVER THE MAP is one of those stories with a motley crew of characters as well as both found and blood family. It's a book that will resonate with readers, especially as most of us are still figuring out who we are and where different traits came from. Great characters, a fun road trip, some drama and a bit of romance make for an enjoyable YA contemporary.
Read this story if you like:
ðŸ§Road trip books
ðŸ§Sweet romance that isn't the focus of the story
ðŸ§Found family
ðŸ§Stories about adoption or children seeking their biological family
ðŸ§Best friends
ðŸ§Plenty of humor
ðŸ§Persian food (yum!)
ðŸ§Romance with a best friend's brother (there's history there)
I have always loved this author's ability to tackle some deep topics in a relatable and humorous way. She does it with this book as she balances the vulnerability, heartache, and frustration the main character feels with some steady friends, romance, connections and laughter. I also felt some admiration for Kendall planning everything out like she did and making happen what was so important to her. She didn't handle everything perfectly, which was realistic, but she did have a pretty good plan, considering. I liked that there was both blood family and found family. Kendall wants what her friend has and has questions about herself that she's hoping to find. She doesn't realize what she has and doesn't see the strong woman she is. Gabe added another complexity to the story along with some pretty bright sparks. I liked that the romance wasn't the center of the story and was a bit messy. Made it feel more authentic. I think my favorite part was some other "family" coming through for Kendall and it totally changed her perspective.
My only complaint is that some of the characters' reactions and drama were over the top and a bit unreasonable. Some of the things said were pretty hurtful and I felt like they were then ignored and avoided before being lightly worked out instead of having the weight they should have. Mia especially felt pretty selfish to me. Also one of my pet peeves is when adults or parents don't tell their kids things that realistically they should which happens a bit in this story.
In the end, was it what I wished for? This was such a fun read! Great characters, an entertaining plot with all the feels, found family and a sweet romance made for an enjoyable read!
Content: Some references to premarital affairs, but clean.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the author, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.
What appeals to you about this book? Are you adopted or were raised by a single mom or dad? Do you like road trip books?
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