Things to See in Arizona

by Mary Vensel White

Sometimes losing something can change the way you see everything.

From the author of The Qualities of Wood , Bellflower , and Starling comes Mary Vensel White's first novel for young adults, a journey of a lifetime where adventure meets self-discovery.

Tuesday Mayes has always felt like she was meant for more than the desert she's lived in her whole life. With the summer after high school graduation upon her, she is eager to start a new chapter despite a recent health diagnosis. But when her father goes missing, she must confront a reality she's not ready to face.

Enter Cristian Robles, childhood friend and long-time crush. When he offers to accompany her on a journey across Arizona to find her father—if they visit supernatural locations from his Weird Arizona guidebook along the way—Tuesday sees it as chance to finally have an adventure. As they embark on a road trip filled with discoveries and surprises, she begins to uncover the truth about family secrets and her special abilities. Along the way, she finds herself falling for Cristian and realizing that sometimes losing something can change the way you see everything.

With a mix of adventure, romance, and self-discovery, this is a story about growing up, facing fears, and discovering the strength within. On this journey of a lifetime, will Tuesday discover who she truly is and what she truly wants?

" Things to See in Arizona is a satisfying blend of travelogue, romance, mystery, and teen coming-of-age. Arizona, with its history of alien sightings and new age outlooks, and its landscape that seems wide open but conceals quite a lot, is an excellent backdrop for a story centered on redefinition. Tuesday and Cristian make an entertaining couple whom the reader can’t help but root for." —Indie Reader

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

Published July 28, 2023

About the author

Mary Vensel White is the author of Things to See in Arizona, Starling, Bellflower, and The Qualities of Wood.

She teaches writing and English and is the owner/editor at Type Eighteen Editing and publisher at Type Eighteen Books. She lives in southern California.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you TypeEighteenBooks for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review! 😊

This was such a unique storyline! I’ve never read a book that revolved around road tripping/ traveling. I liked all the adventure that was incorporated in this story and reading about the different places that the MCs visited. The writing was also descriptive when it came to describing the different sceneries in this “desert” atmosphere which I really enjoyed as well! The vibes were great! 🚙 🌵☀️

I really resonated with Tuesday when it came to all her self-doubts and worries about the future. Everything she experienced felt so real. I really liked the representation of the FMC’s RP as it provided me insight on how it is for her to live with this chronic condition and the impact it has had on her throughout her life. This was a very important element in this book and I found it inspiring that she was very adamant on not letting her conditioning define who she is and her abilities. Cris is the sweetest! I loved his energetic, optimistic, and enthusiastic nature. He was also so great at communicating and was always willingly to listen to all of Tuesday’s thoughts and concerns. I feel like Chris provided the kind of company and support that Tuesday needed in her life.

I will say that there didn’t seem to be much buildup to Tuesday’s and Chris’ romantic relationship. It kind of just happened. Also, I feel like the plot had a slow buildup since the first half was mostly providing background information about the FMC. I would probably say the last half of the book sustained my interest the most. Lastly, I would’ve liked to have more clarity on Tuesday’s ‘supernatural abilities’ as I’m still not sure how that aspect tied in with the overall plot. It was a really cool aspect to add in this book though and had me really intrigued!

Overall, this story was a sweet, easy going read!! It was also very thought-provoking and had a lot of elements and quotes that I found to be enlightening! ✨

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like the main character (who was kind of a brat) and the random magical realism elements didn’t really fit with the rest of the story. However, the Arizona setting was very vivid and it made me feel like I was there. It was very well done.

[flowergirl.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*no spoilers*

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I don’t normally read YA novels anymore because I find that many can be childish and hard to get through. However, Things To See In Arizona felt mature. If I read this as a teen I would probably enjoy it even more than I did now (especially before heading to college). It’s definitely targeted at the right audience!

I love how this book encompassed traveling, friendship, family, romance, and growing up all at once. I think each topic was covered and demonstrated very well. The first 50-70 pages were a little slow. There was a lot of information on Tuesday’s life and family. It did start to pick up around halfway through the book and that’s where I found myself more invested in the plot! The two main characters were fun to read about and I was often jealous of their road trip adventures :)

I would definitely recommend this novel to my younger self and most young adults out there! Looking forward to reading more of this author’s novels🤎

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you TypeEighteen Books for sending me this book in exchange for a review.

This story focuses on the life of Tuesday who goes on a road trip to find her father who went MIA. She goes on this road trip with her best friends older brother, Cris, who she happens to have a crush on. On this road trip to find her father they visit some tourist locations in Arizona.

This is a trip of self-discovery. Tuesday is unsure of what her future will look like. She wants to attend college in Flagstaff, but her mom has some reservations about it. As her and Cris go on this road trip they visit some scenic places in Arizona. Finding her father is relatively easy on their trip through Arizona. Once they find the dad, the story is pretty much over. For me the plot was slightly lacking.

Overall, Tuesday is a very relatable character who is trying to navigate her future and experience life outside of her hometown.

[Time4bookswithv · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’ll find that much of life is wasted in the space where we don’t say what we’re feeling”

"Things to see in Arizona" covers different topics such as medical, self-discovery, spiritual, religious and personal insecurities, which the author develops in a marvelous and vibrant way with a romantic and adventurous roadtrip. Mary Vensel White's narrative transported me to beautiful Arizona and awoke in me an incredible curiosity to visit this place.

Tuesday embarks on a road trip that ends up opening her mind to many aspects of her life, personally as a girl with physical limitations, seeing myself reflected in a character was captivating. I felt this book too comfortable and intimate. The author knows how to express very well the fears and indecision that as young people or adults we usually face throughout our lives. It has many thought provoking moments that really get you into an introspective of physical and spiritual topics. Honestly, I can classify this book as a journey and an a whole experience of exploration and self-realization.

5 stars very well deserved and highly recommended! 🛣️🌷

[S.P. O'Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun romp across Arizona with just the right amount of teen angst, discovery, and unwavering friendship. Things to See in Arizona follows Tuesday as she navigates the sudden disappearance of her father, committing to college, scarring family issues, and a recently diagnosed degenerative eye condition. Heavy issues for the young protagonist, but the author skillfully buoys these with a budding romance, rock-n-roll admiration, and a freestyle road trip, producing a balanced and optimistic narrative. I especially appreciated the descriptions of the settings and the authentic relationships with her Mother, and best friend Rosanna. I highly recommend this book for YA readers and those seeking a fun weekend read.

[Kayla Hoech · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s thought-provoking and well-written, which is refreshing for a cute YA novel. I’ll admit, the first half was a bit slow. The romance is a side story, and the main story took a while to develop. But most things come together in the end. Tuesday’s character growth and the themes/topics the book brings up were worthwhile.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kingdom for half stars, GR. This is a fairly solid 3.5.

Things To See In Arizona is a book in which nothing happens, so it's all hinging on characters. It sounds interesting enough- Tuesday's father goes MIA and she heads out on a road trip with her best friend's older brother (and Tuesday's old crush) to find him. Along the way they'll stop at the college Tuesday desperately wants to attend and hit some out of the way weird attractions.
And those things do happen, but they feel very much like we're just going through the motions and I'm not sure why. One of the only things that truly sparks in this book is Tuesday's relationship with Cris (and her friendship Rosanna) which seems a bit odd considering I thought I was signing up for finding MIA father with a relationship springing up along the way.

As it is, any problem that crops up is almost immediately handwaved away aside from the disease Tuesday is essentially running away from and snapping at people for when they dare to acknowledge that particular elephant in the room. I truly thought maybe instead of finding her father, we'd be dealing with that but...no? There's no urgency to find her father, as Tuesday and Cris make multiple stops along the way and before they even get to their destination, Tuesday's mother calls and says that Dad's checked in and is fine, no really, he's fine. And he is.

Tuesday spends pretty much the whole book disconnected from anything to do with her family and the moment someone shows any concern for her, she also seems to check out of conversations with them. Which is absolutely relatable behavior for a seventeen/eighteen year old, but since it's never really addressed or changed, it's not what I'd consider a major selling point.

All of which sounds bad or annoying, and it's not. I made it a good 3/4 of the way into the book before I realized the book I thought I was getting was definitely not the book I was reading. So if you want a small tour of random places in Arizona as told by someone (Tuesday) who desperately wants out of her hometown, you're in luck!

If you want more attention paid to Tuesday's unusual knack for seeing people as they were once upon a time or who they'll be in the future, oof. Better luck next time. Seriously though, the fact that nothing is really done with this and it was one of the more interesting things in the books, particularly paired with her failing sight and the thought that maybe she'd inherited the gift from her paternal grandmother? Is a crime. I didn't need the book to lean all the way into it, but I really wish more had been done with it.


I don't require big things to happen in stories to enjoy them, but I do need to feel like I'm following along when a character changes their mind about something instead of having it be presented as a twist. Why the change of heart? Was it just because the first choice didn't really speak to her beyond running away from home? Why? There are enough hints that she's going to change her mind but never any as to WHY it's a good idea. I have no horse in this race, so take the time to tell/show me why choosing one school she's not actually all that thrilled about attending is better than another school she's not all that thrilled about attending is better. There's a blink and you miss it explanation that the campus is a better fit because it's "light, bright, and a much better fit for a city girl." ... This is on the absolute bottom of page 238 of 240 pages. Again, I don't care where she goes to school but it's like someone just decided, "welp, we're stopping on page 240 and you'd better wrap it all up NOW."

I liked Tuesday well enough and I think a lot of her faults are fantastically realistic, so I'm only going to hold one against her a little bit: after she and Cris hook up (however you want to interpret that), and have the talk about exes and previous partners, she looks in his wallet and finds a picture of another girl and she flips out internally. We're never given any indication that Cris is the kind of guy who would cheat on a girlfriend and have actually been told and shown over and over that he's a standup guy. Not perfect, but not the kind of guy who'd cheat and cheat so blatantly. And yet Tuesday still eventually accuses him, in the most passive way possible, of having a girlfriend. I could understand this if we'd been given any indication that Tuesday had ever been cheated on and had it mess with her a little, but this just feels like manufactured drama.

I'm not gonna touch on the definite wish-fulfillment of Rosanna's surprise because of course that happened.
I'm also pretty sure we're not referring to things as spastic anymore, especially when there are better words to describe a song.

In general, I liked most of the characters we met and got to hang out with, and the road trip destinations are written so that you feel like you're right there with Cris and Tuesday. I know we're not supposed to judge books by their covers but the cover is also gorgeous and the blurb on the back definitely pushes the adventure narrative more than the giveaway blurb did, so I imagine expectations will be better managed by those who read that instead.

All in all, I'm glad to have won a copy for review.

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.3 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review

Growing up also means feeling a little reckless and ready to be seen.

Tuesday has graduated highschool and wants to leave Scottsdale for Flagstaff to go to college, but even that is too far for her nervous mother. She only has ten days before the deadline to commit to Northern Arizona University but with her dad suddenly leaving a, somewhat, cryptic letter saying he needs a break and time to himself in Albuquerque, she finds herself with a whole new set of worries. Tuesday's trying to find not only her dad on this last second road trip but explore a possible relationship with her bestfriend's brother, understand her family more, but also find herself as she encounters adulthood.

I need to find out where he is and get him back home as soon as possible.

Things to See in Arizona is tagged a young adult story and with an eighteen year old character telling the story all from her point-of-view, I can see the argument for it but the tone read more contemporary adult looking back/nostalgia fiction, with some literary vibes. The writing style had a tendency to meander off into overly descriptive literary fiction with Tuesday adding flowy and colorful adjectives to such things as relatives clothing as she reminisced in flashbacks. I thought the main plot was going to be her looking for her father but the story was more about Tuesday being upset that her family, friends, and especially mother worried about and only thought of her in terms of a condition she was recently diagnosed with, Retinitis Pigmentosa. Tuesday thinks about how it isn't curable but might not even progress to blindness while also trying to work through how it feels like a looming guillotine above her.

“[...] As you get older, Tuesday; you'll find that much of life is wasted in the space where we don't say what we're feeling.”

A little romance arc gets thrown in when her bestfriend's brother ends up going on the road trip with her to look for her dad in Albuquerque. They end up going to locations off a Weird Places in Arizona and New Mexico map and another little small arc about how her grandmother saw auroras and how Tuesday has “sightings” where she can see flashes of how a person looked in their past and future, with some feelings of pain they might be having or had. It's small enough that I wouldn't give this a supernatural tag, which is how a lot of this story felt, a few small enough additions that never quite felt filled out enough and mashed together in kind of an unfitting collage. The dad storyline ended up feeling disappointing to me as he was found very easily and then we only spent about three pages with him. The story then veered to Tuesday's romance, bestfriend's romance with a band member, and them going to a concert.

Family dramas and history, growing up learning how to fit in your family, and beginning to find yourself, with a light romance arc, this felt more like literary adult fiction about a YA character and a handful of little additive threads that never quite flowed together right for me.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the summer after high school, and eighteen-year-old Tuesday is desperate to leave her Scottsdale home for a life of her own at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. But Tuesday’s mother is reluctant to allow her to venture so far from home, especially as a degenerative eye condition threatens to derail all of Tuesday's plans. And when Tuesday’s father leaves unexpectedly in an attempt to find himself, Tuesday feels the pressure of a ticking clock as the time to make a college decision draws ever closer. Luckily, Tuesday has a plan to find her father and bring him home before the deadline, and her journey turns into an adventure she will never forget.

This engaging, contemporary fiction novel expertly combines familiar feelings of adolescence with the unknowns that naturally arrive after high school graduation. Though Tuesday’s medical diagnosis is not common for young adults, her desire for independence, love, and acceptance is universal. Told in the first person from Tuesday’s perspective, this book unspools in a manner that connects readers of all ages with the feelings living inside Tuesday’s mind. She has been a loyal and trustworthy friend and daughter throughout her life, and the journey to find her father is her first real opportunity to embrace the things she wants for herself.

Mature content like underage drinking, drug use, mental illness, sex, and occasional strong language appear throughout the narrative, but the general focus of the story is on Tuesday’s transformation from the youth she was into the young adult she wishes to become. These stronger elements enhance the story and make it feel more real and believable within the context of a fictional plot. Readers familiar with Scottsdale will recognize many familiar landmarks and climate details mentioned throughout the story, which makes Tuesday’s experience even more tangible. The writing is good overall, and while there are some elements that are intriguing without being fully investigated, the novel is satisfying nonetheless. Filled with heart and self-discovery, this is a positive addition to library collections for young people who are preparing for the next steps in their lives.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

This is a sombre book - a meditation on life and the challenges faced. Our protagonist was just diagnosed with a rare eye condition that will likely render her fully blind within a few years. As such, this is the theme running throughout: how to live today with a terrible future around the corner. There is a romance but it is not the focus of the story.

Story: Tuesday is about to graduate high school and going over options for college. When her father has a midlife crisis and leaves suddenly to a retreat in New Mexico, she is devastated and determined to track him down and find out why. With the help of her best friend's older brother, Cris, the two will travel across Arizona together and realize they might actually really suit each other.

The search for her father is really a maguffin - the story is about the journey the couple take as they stop at sites listed in a 'weird Arizona' tour book. From a haunted mine to ley lines, the stops give Tuesday a chance to consider her future as well as fall for Cris.

I have to admit, I didn't like Tuesday as a character - she was completely wrapped up in herself so the book felt claustrophobic at times. Kris and his sister feel cliché and overidealized rather than real organic people. All the characters are there just to point out aspects of Tuesday and so feel a waste. There is a lot of waffling that soon became frustrating and the read felt dreary at times. It really could have used some lighter moments.

If you are looking for a serious read with a touch of magical realism then this is a Summer read choice. But be aware that it really isn't amusing or lighthearted and can be very heavy at times. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Things to See in Arizona” by Mary Vensel White ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: YA Mystery Romance Location: Arizona and New Mexico, USA. Time: Present.

Tuesday Mayes (18) lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. She hopes to have an adventure this summer, and attend college in the fall. Tuesday doesn’t want her life to be defined by her eyes. She has a progressive eye disease, which could severely limit her future vision. Everyone knows this. Tuesday lives with high-strung mom Janis (compulsive exerciser and anti-choice church activist) and calm dad Devin (who works too much). She also has sightings, where she sees someone as they were earlier in life or as they will be later in life. She keeps that ability secret.

After partying with best friend Rosanna Robles, she comes home to find her dad is missing. Cristian (Cris) is Rosanna’s older brother and Tuesday’s long-time crush. He offers to take her to New Mexico to find her dad—as long as they also visit locations from the Weird Arizona guidebook he bought.

Author Vensel White has written a book that is a mash-up of facing your fears, growing up, adventure, self-discovery, romance-and it works! She fills her book with coming-of-age learnings. Her writing feels true to the characters’ ages. For example, Tuesday realizes she hasn’t paid much attention to the issues of her family and friends. The book would also have worked fine concentrating on her eye disease without the subplot of her special abilities. Since it was included, I wish the sightings had been a bigger part of the book. In any case, it’s definitely a book to read and it’s definitely 4 stars from me!🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to LibraryThing, Type Eighteen Books, and Mary Vensel White for this early copy. Publishes 7/28/2023.

[Bobi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Type Eighteen Books and Library Thing for this ARC in exchange for review.

This book tells the story of Tuesday Mayes who ends up on a road trip through Arizona with her long-time crush, Cris. Tuesday's father has taken off and she wants to find him in time to commit to her 1st choice college in Flagstaff. Cris agrees to take her. He is interested in mystical/paranormal locations and they visit them together while on their quest.

I wish I could say that the plot structure of this book is clear, but it seems undeveloped to me. Tuesday has magical powers that are never explained, there's a connection to her long-gone grandmother that is hinted at but not developed or explained, and there's no central conflict -just a bunch of things that Tuesday experiences during one period of time (example: her relationship with Cris, looking for her dad which wasn't all that difficult, and meeting up with her BFF to see a concert). There doesn't seem to be any high stakes because the conflicts are kind of muddled together. I also wish that the locations that Tuesday and Cris visit were described more to create a stronger atmosphere for the novel.

As an English teacher, I must also express concern about the fact that this is supposed to be a young adult book. The teenage characters drink and take drugs, as well as drive under the influence with absolutely no consequences. I will not give my students a book to read that shows that this type of behavior doesn't cause problems for the characters.

[Lavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since 2016 I have wanted to go to Arizona. I don't have a real reason besides the pull of the desert. Seeing signs of travelings in an RV, arizona license plate, the natural formations. I have lived in my home state for my entire life. I have traveled in my opinion very little. I look forward to the day to move and travel frequently out of state and the country. I really enjoyed the book and my connection to it. The detailed descriptions of the disorders and landmarks were helpful in understanding for me. I can understand how with family time passes and so many things can happen to change grow or break apart. I love my family but know to be independent and happier I need to live on my own. I want to see the world beyond the american and limited gaze. The romantic aspect between the youth and the adults was intersting. Janis and her "weird interests" was kind of expected. When illness/tragedy occours in children/family can truly be hard to go over but can actually once the aftermath can be healing sometimes. This was a very quick read. I wanted to get through because I was really enjoying it. A lot of things in regards to family and growing up is relatable.

[Bree’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the representation with Tuesday and her navigating her eye condition while also wanting a full college experience and not wanting to be defined by her condition. I loved reading about her and Cris’s relationship grow and I’m a sucker for a HEA.
I wish it went more in depth with like her ability to see people as they were younger and why that happens, I feel like that was just a bit random at times. I was kind of confused with the whole spirituality theme I feel liked it was kind of thrown in there and I wasn’t really sure how it wove everything together. I feel like this whole time they’re on this road trip and the reason why in the end is kinda anticlimactic…I don’t want to to spoil what happens but I expected more.

Thank you to Type Eighteen Books for an ARC!!

[Alaina B. Kinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an enjoyable read! It was easy going and I had a hard time putting it down. If you like plot based stories, the road trip setting makes for a fun, teenage adventure with a deeper touch of mystery and mysticism. If you like character based stories, there's a variety of solid relationships to invest in and every character has so many layers to explore. And if you like stories with a good setting, the descriptions of the Arizona desert are poetic and honest. All in all, definitely recommend for readers who like an authentic coming of age story.

[Cherie Kephart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually read many YA books, but this one gave me a good reason to start reading more of them. Tuesday and Cristian fit so well together, and the story felt like something I could imagine going through--dealing with a difficult diagnosis, coming to terms with coming of age and the limiting beliefs we have about disabilities. It also made me want to revisit Arizona and explore. Smooth writing and picturesque descriptions kept me flipping through the pages, immersing myself in the story. I am already looking forward to Vensel White's next book!

[Jen Melham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. Something kept it from being GREAT, for me, though.

I love Arizona so I thought the road-tripping part would be cool. And for the most part it was.

I don’t know though, overall it kind of fell flat.

I don’t think any of the stakes were high enough in any part of the storyline to really feel invested in Tuesday’s story, not did I have a reason to really like her very much. I liked her best friend’s character, and the best friend’s brother.

I think if you’re looking for a good, quiet rainy day read then this is a good book for ya.

[Candi Sary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much! The characters really came to life and I especially loved going on a road trip with them.

“I, for one, I have not begun to unwrap the wonders of Arizona. I’m thinking we should use this opportunity to see things we haven’t seen before. Let’s find out-of-the-way Or unusual places. Landmarks, attractions, weird, geological phenomena.” So begins the inspiration for two young adults to follow a touristy book called ‘Weird Arizona’ and take readers with them on a fun, spiritual and unexpected journey. Great read!

[Makenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and contemplative look at the late teenage years framed through an eventful roadtrip across the Arizona desert. If you like frank and flawed narrators, rich settings, and roadtrip romance, then this book is definitely for you! A truly delightful and thoughtful read.

[Meryemreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75⭐️
It was a bit of a slow read for me but i liked the characters, especially the mmc! The romance felt too rushed but i enjoyed their banter. I didn’t like the fantasy-ish aspects but i thought the story was unique overall :)

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, easy read with a simple story, nothing extraordinary.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this new novel, the author presents a modern twist on many typical YA story elements: teen romance, friendship, coming of age, road trips…plus a little mystery and paranormal powers. Happily, it all combines into a highly enjoyable read!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The character development and pacing are excellent. Even if you're not a fan of YA, you will enjoy this book. I will definitely look for more from this author!

[Melanie Bracco · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the summer after graduation, and Tuesday Mayes just wants to get out of her town of Scottsdale, go to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and live her own life. But when her father, Devin, leaves unexpectedly, saying in a somewhat mysterious note that he's going to be away for a couple of weeks but doesn't say where he went, it doesn't help Tuesday's worries, because the deadline to commit is fast approaching and she needs his help. So Tuesday decides she needs to find out where he is and go after him. Tuesday's life suddenly changes course even more so when she finds out she has Retinitis Pigmentosa (or RP), an eye disease that deteriorates the retina and the choroid; but you can never be sure if it's hereditary or genetic defects.
When Tuesday's best friend Rosanna hears about her potential road trip, she asks her hot older brother Cris to go with her, which he agrees to despite Tuesday's reluctance to have him accompany her. During their trip, Cris offers a suggestion to Tuesday; that they should take the opportunity to see things in Arizona they haven't seen before, all the interesting and out-of-the-way places, to which Tuesday agrees, and finds herself being swept up by Cris's contagious enthusiasm.
I found it a bit weird that Tuesday called her mother and father by their first names but got used to it as the story progressed. It takes a little while to get underway as far as the road trip, but the writing was great, the characters well-developed and memorable. I also wasn't sure how the magical realism of Tuesday's supernatural abilities tied in with the plot, but I still really enjoyed this story.

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the summer between high school and college, Tuesday Mayes’ father takes off for a healing center in an undisclosed location, jeopardizing her college ambitions as her mother will not cement Tuesday’s enrollment without her dad’s input. In response to this, Tuesday sets off to track down her father and send him home before her college deadline approaches.

She hitches a ride with Cristian Robles, the older brother of her best friend, Rosanna. Cristian suggests they stop at various roadside attractions throughout this wild goose chase. And on this trip, Tuesday reveals why she is so desperate to leave home, develops a newfound respect for the unexplained, and comes to terms with a recent health diagnosis that will inevitably alter her future plans.

Things to See in Arizona is a short but sweet road trip story that explores the relationships between family, friends, and our relationship with ourselves. It seamlessly blends serious themes with a light-hearted perspective and helps to show how we can endure and overcome our personal histories, better understand our ancestral ones, and accept the unknown future ahead.

You can read my full review here: https://laurasbooksandblogs.com/thing...

[christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you TypeEighteenBooks for sending me this in exchange for my honest review first of all! This novel had a cool setting, taking place throughout a road trip. I also could relate to the indecision of picking majors in college. Cris was sweet.

There wasn’t really a huge plot. I thought the whole situation with her dad was going somewhere, but that was kind of anti-climactic. Not necessarily in a bad way, but I wasn’t super interested in the plot.

The relationship also kind of was anti-climactic because I liked the whole best-friend’s brother trope, but it just happened. I never really connected with the characters. Even with it being short, I still felt like I was missing things throughout the book. I sometimes thought the way it jumped from scenes to memories was also a little sudden.

I don’t know, since it was so short, I understand the shorter descriptions and scenes. But at the same time, it felt lacking in a lot of ways.

Overall, an easy fast read with a cool setting, but was not a favorite of mine.

[Diego White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The storyline was super intriguing and had me not wanting to put the book down. The characters would introduced very well and it felt like you knew them personally. An overall good coming of age book that I really enjoyed

[Mire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy summer reading. Love how descriptive it is of the Arizona scenery, it takes you there.
Perfect read for a road trip.