I tried to like this book since I really did like "Five Flavors of Dumb" but I just found it incredibly boring.

Luke was a bit of a "Go Ahead--tromp all over me" type character while Matt, well he should have been shoved in a back room and left there long before the books was over. The parts of the book that were supposedly a best seller were pretty pitiful. The stereotypical Christians were truly grating on the brain. ( )

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip is humorous, just like Luke’s Hallelujah, but it’s also incredibly poignant. Antony John addresses so many issues that teens face within the pages, all wrapped in a totally realatable story. John makes the reader think—about what they’d do in Luke’s situation, and about their own beliefs. I love when books have the power to inspire self-examination! And through it all, John keeps the story light for the most part: there’s drama, but there’s always laughter and hope at the end of it.

One aspect of Thou Shalt Not Road Trip that is humorous in its own way is its power to make you frustrated. Some of the things Matt does are just so ridiculous that you can’t help wanting to give Luke a good shake—why does he put up with Matt’s crap!? (Taking a four-hour hike before a signing? No way, Jose.) I just couldn’t get behind Matt, even though he’s ultimately portrayed as one of the good guys. Luke, on the other hand, was a much more likable guy. You get inside Luke’s head, and he’s this incredibly naïve, holier-than-thou kind of kid—but somehow you grow to like him and even root for him! The growth he goes through is incredible, and Antony John does it in such a great way: slowly and subtly.

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip revolves a little bit around Christianity, which might make some readers wary. Fear not: the subject is handled in a great way: it doesn’t make non-Christians uncomfortable, and it doesn’t offend Christians. Antony John does toe the line, which I personally think is great—he gets the readers to explore their faith, as well as the faith of others.

Thou Shalt Not Roadtrip is a great choice for any fan of contemporary YA fiction. It’s a quick read, but it is by no means trivial. Antony John isn’t afraid to ask questions or make you question yourself. The road trip is only one of the great aspects of this book. ( )

Because I loved his first book, Five Flavors of Dumb, I asked the author for an ARC of his new book, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip, and he graciously complied.

This book is about a boy named Luke who writes a best-seller Hallelujah at Bible camp, and because of his growing fame, goes on book tour. He's piloted by his older brother Matt, who just happens to bring his girlfriend, Alex, and her sister, Fran. Luke has a complicated history with Fran, and this trip just magnifies how far they've grown apart.

I'll admit I had a love and hate relationship with this book. Antony John's strength lies in developing characters who are real and very flawed. Because of this, they are allowed to grow and change throughout the book. To me, Luke is not a very likeable guy. He's holier-than-thou, whiny, and almost embarrassingly naive. But when I dug into my own soul, I have known teenagers like him. And part of the reason I felt such a strong dislike for him is because I used to be him, once. So I should allow him grow as I have grown. While Luke was not likeable at the beginning, at the end, I could see glimpses of the adult that he might be.

There were other wonderful aspects of this book. Fran was a beautiful character who we learn to love more and more as the story progresses. Another character that I was completely surprised by was Colin, his agent. To me, his conversation near the end with Luke was probably one of the most true and poignant passages in the whole book.

I did have one significant issue with this book. To me, the passages of Luke's book were not that compelling. I couldn't fathom how it became a bestseller. Part of the problem is that the rest of the book is so well written. I feel that dichotomy worked against the story.

Antony John takes a huge risk with this book, which I appreciate. I'm sure he will turn some people off with his host of characters-- a Bible toting teenager who is hailed as the next Messiah may not be everyone's cup of tea. But while I was not as captivated with Road Trip as I was his wonderful Dumb, Road Trip is well worth reading and I encourage everyone to look past its exterior-- after all, isn't that the ultimate message of this story? ( )

Review to come! ( )