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Major Detours: A Choices Novel
Choose your path forward in this mystical interactive YA about the powers of friendship, self-discovery, and tarot.
It's the summer before college and four best friends—Amelia, Chase, Cleo, and Logan—are on the first leg of their road trip inspired by the unique tarot deck that Amelia inherited from her grandmother. However, their trip full of visiting occult shops, bonding and sightseeing, takes a major detour as the friends discover that their tarot deck is more valuable—and coveted—than they could've ever imagined. As the friends race to finish this mystical scavenger-hunt across the West coast and uncover the mysteries of their tarot deck, it is you who will decide where to go next and how the story will end. With four possible final and romantic endings, you will get to make actual choices to further the friends’ road trip adventure in this unique interactive novel.
Will you uncover the mysteries of the tarot deck and the legacy left behind? Will you help Amelia and Chase learn and grow? And will you unravel the secrets these friends keep from each other—and from themselves?
It's the summer before college and four best friends—Amelia, Chase, Cleo, and Logan—are on the first leg of their road trip inspired by the unique tarot deck that Amelia inherited from her grandmother. However, their trip full of visiting occult shops, bonding and sightseeing, takes a major detour as the friends discover that their tarot deck is more valuable—and coveted—than they could've ever imagined. As the friends race to finish this mystical scavenger-hunt across the West coast and uncover the mysteries of their tarot deck, it is you who will decide where to go next and how the story will end. With four possible final and romantic endings, you will get to make actual choices to further the friends’ road trip adventure in this unique interactive novel.
Will you uncover the mysteries of the tarot deck and the legacy left behind? Will you help Amelia and Chase learn and grow? And will you unravel the secrets these friends keep from each other—and from themselves?
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2021
58 people are currently reading
2022 people want to read
About the author
Zachary Sergi
11 books52 followersZachary Sergi is the author of several print novels (including Love And Video Games and Major Detours) and nearly a dozen interactive novels (including the Heroes Rise and Versus series). Zachary was raised in Manhattan, studied Creative Writing at Regis High School and the University of Pennsylvania, and now lives in Los Angeles with his husband, where he also writes for television. Learn more at zacharysergi.com or by following @zacharysergi on TikTok or @zacharysergiwriter on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
July 7, 2021
I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
This is 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.
The major turnoff for me regarding this book was definitely the Netgalley format, this needed to be a PDF file, and the epub gave me a headache, and is most of the reason for me taking nearly 3 weeks (you read that right, THREE FREAKING WEEKS) to read this, and while I want to rate this objectively and not let that affect my rating, I really can't because it makes up a big part of my discontent, and now when I think back to the reading experience, I just remember exhaustion.
So, most of my experience was reading the prompts to go to some age, count the number of pages flipped and number of barriers (as in separators for content) passed and hope to God I didn't spoil myself for anything and start reading the wrong thing. My original plan was actually to finish the book like one book, and then go back and read what all other choices I could have made, but by the time I was done with this book, I was done with this book.
The story in general is pretty interesting, but since I'm not very well versed in the tarot world, I was pretty out of my depth for a lot of time. And while things did start making sense by the end, I still don't know what some major stuff means.
One thing I really loved was the way the small choices in the beginning that didn't seem to make any sense turned out to be big influencers in the end. Though I would have liked some better contrasting choices (some of them would make no sense one way or the other, and I would end up randomly selecting one to just move on), my overall experience was very nice, especially with the horoscopes we filled out at the end (which definitely fit in with what I wanted my characters to be).
The characters by themselves seemed very fickle somehow? I don't know, I was never very interested in the characters, but I did give them all happy endings! (See my status updates for more on the horoscopes and choices made) Though that was more the result of me desperately needing some happy endings rather than actual want for these characters specifically to have happy endings (Logan, for example, did not vibe with me).
Overall a nice experience, but would have been much better with a better format. I would recommend it to lovers of choices books (get a better format though)(even some intralinking would have made this better), and tarot lovers. I really don't know who else I could recommend this to.
This is 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3.
The major turnoff for me regarding this book was definitely the Netgalley format, this needed to be a PDF file, and the epub gave me a headache, and is most of the reason for me taking nearly 3 weeks (you read that right, THREE FREAKING WEEKS) to read this, and while I want to rate this objectively and not let that affect my rating, I really can't because it makes up a big part of my discontent, and now when I think back to the reading experience, I just remember exhaustion.
So, most of my experience was reading the prompts to go to some age, count the number of pages flipped and number of barriers (as in separators for content) passed and hope to God I didn't spoil myself for anything and start reading the wrong thing. My original plan was actually to finish the book like one book, and then go back and read what all other choices I could have made, but by the time I was done with this book, I was done with this book.
The story in general is pretty interesting, but since I'm not very well versed in the tarot world, I was pretty out of my depth for a lot of time. And while things did start making sense by the end, I still don't know what some major stuff means.
One thing I really loved was the way the small choices in the beginning that didn't seem to make any sense turned out to be big influencers in the end. Though I would have liked some better contrasting choices (some of them would make no sense one way or the other, and I would end up randomly selecting one to just move on), my overall experience was very nice, especially with the horoscopes we filled out at the end (which definitely fit in with what I wanted my characters to be).
The characters by themselves seemed very fickle somehow? I don't know, I was never very interested in the characters, but I did give them all happy endings! (See my status updates for more on the horoscopes and choices made) Though that was more the result of me desperately needing some happy endings rather than actual want for these characters specifically to have happy endings (Logan, for example, did not vibe with me).
Overall a nice experience, but would have been much better with a better format. I would recommend it to lovers of choices books (get a better format though)(even some intralinking would have made this better), and tarot lovers. I really don't know who else I could recommend this to.
June 6, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for giving me a chance to read it in exchange for my honest review!
🚌 The story 🚌
The book is about a friend group, namely Amelia, Chase, Cloe and Logan, who go on a trip to find out more about the tarot card deck Amelia's grandmother left her. They soon find out that there is way more to the deck than they ever could've suspected.
This was such an interesting experience! I've never tried a choices novel, so I didn't know what to expect. I must say it didn't work too greatly on the Netgalley app, but I'm sure it'll be way better in an actual printed copy. Every time you choose something, you have to go to a certain page, because the choices influence the rest of the story. At first, not a lot actually changed after your choices. This made it less fun to read, because it felt like nothing I chose would actually matter. This changed when the group went to search for the missing cards; from that point onwards your choices would decide if you'd loose or gain a card! I loved that, because it made me really anxious to choose - since it could mean I'd lose a card.
Overall, the story wasn't the most interesting I've ever read, but that's mostly because I normally read fantasy kind of books. The story wasn't boring either - the search was interesting, but I just don't know a lot about tarot cards, so that made it a little less interesting to me. At a certain point in the story (I believe around 80%..?), we had to choose between cards at the Lianist Outlook Center. I really didn't know what to choose most of the time, because I honestly didn't understand the choices. I feel like this story would be better for people who know more about tarot cards, because the amount of information in this chapter really confused me. I had no clue what the different cards meant, and I just chose on the basis of which card sounded nicer to me. This was the only time this happend though, most of the time I liked/understood the choices.
I also wondered if Page Zain would ever make an appearance, since he was mentioned in the beginning, I wonder if there will be a second book or something, and they'll be in that? I don't know, I just felt like that wasn't really resolved or something?
🚌 The characters 🚌
Throughout the story, the point of view changes between Chase and Amelia.
🧭Amelia I felt like I could definitely relate to Amelia. She has struggled/is struggling with an anxiety disorder, and wants to take this last trip with her friends before they all go to different colleges. Throughout the book, she doesn't just search for her grandma's deck, she also searches for herself. I feel like she did find herself; there were some points in the story where she realized more about herself, I have to say that I saw I'm quite happy with the choices I made when it comes to her, which I'll list below. I got the Nurturing Passion Empress as her horoscope, and I'll add the characteristic scores down below too!
📓Chase I could relate even more to Chase, because he was very intelligent, but so insecure about his interactions with others. I definitely felt this, because I feel the same way most of the time! I loved his journey of finding himself, and discovering his relationship with his boyfriend Logan. I got Destiny Scholar Emperor for him, which I completely relate to.
🥣Cloe I loved Cloe! The way they were still discovering how to feel about themselves, and how they identify - they went from 'she/her' at the beginning of the story, to 'they/them' halfway through. They definitely still need to figure out a lot of things, but I feel like Cloe is getting there, and their friends are amazing in supporting them! There were quite a few times where they were called 'she' by the writer again; if you want to know at which points in the story you accidently did this Zachary Sergi, please contact me :)
߷Logan I don't really have a lot to say about Logan, I think his relationship with Chase was interesting, but I hated the way he treated him. That's not okay. Damn, I felt bad for Chase. Besides that, I'm - again - glad how he and Chase ended up!
🚌 The writing 🚌
The writing took some getting used to, but I'm not too sure why. There were some mistakes in writing; both in the pronouns for Cloe, but also in spelling etc. I have actually bookmarked most of them, so please contact me Sergi if you want to know which ones there are. A very important mistake in the book (or well, not that important, but it definitely is important to me), is at 25%. Aebleskiver is mentioned as an authentic Dutch dessert; but I'm Dutch and I've never heard of it - because it's Danish! Danish and Dutch are two VERY different countries, so you should definitely correct that ;)
I feel like the writing changed a bit around 66% into the story, because there was suddenly kind of a time jump, which described a conversation between Cloe and Amelia that didn't really happen in the book itself. Maybe if I made a different choice, it would've happend, but I'm not too sure. They I'm not sure how to properly describe it. Maybe it was just me, but this was a bit weird to me.
There were some very inspiring sayings in this book, and I honestly feel changed after reading it. I'm such a wuss, I know.
🚌 Overall conclusion 🚌
Overall, I feel like this was an interesting story, since the choices did really have an effect on what would happen. I liked how the characters were each so different, and there were so many representations (LGBTQ), which I loved! I'm really happy with my choices and how everything turned out. I also liked the kind of bonus content at the end, where you could add up your choices into a horoscope for both Amelia and Chase. I thought the search and the different riddles they had to do were very cool (although my choices didn't have a lot of effect on those riddles perse). The story - to me - just wasn't the most interesting I've ever read, but maybe that's because it didn't have as much action as I'm used to. All in all, I do recommend this story, although you might enjoy it more if you know anything about tarot cards!
🚌 Choices: 🚌
Corner I was sorted in afterwards:
All cards collected, which suggests I'm intuitive, wise and bold enough, which gives me the right to Sort Yourself (Dammit, but I wanted to know which one I'd be xD)
🚌 Outcomes 🚌
Horoscope Amelia:
Amelia's horoscope:
- Thoughtful 4
- Nurturing 8
- Eager 8
- Sensitive 3
- Spontaneous 11
- Demanding 5
- Honest 3
- Assured 2
Strength: spontaneous
Insecurity: eager
Major Amelia type (spontaneous-eager): Passion Empress
Overcome insecurities: honest
Empress type: nurturing.
This all gives me the Nurturing Passion Empress.
Horoscope Chase
Chase horoscope:
- Intelligent 8
- Impatient 1
- Destiny 12
- Intuitive 8
- Indecisive 9
- Agency 3
- Patient 5
Strength: It's a tie! So I think I'm going with Intelligent
Insecurities: indecisive (same lol)
Minor Chase Type: Scholar Emperor
Overcome insecurities: patient
Emperor type: destiny
This gave me the Destiny Scholar Emperor; and I very much identify with this one.
🚌 The story 🚌
The book is about a friend group, namely Amelia, Chase, Cloe and Logan, who go on a trip to find out more about the tarot card deck Amelia's grandmother left her. They soon find out that there is way more to the deck than they ever could've suspected.
This was such an interesting experience! I've never tried a choices novel, so I didn't know what to expect. I must say it didn't work too greatly on the Netgalley app, but I'm sure it'll be way better in an actual printed copy. Every time you choose something, you have to go to a certain page, because the choices influence the rest of the story. At first, not a lot actually changed after your choices. This made it less fun to read, because it felt like nothing I chose would actually matter. This changed when the group went to search for the missing cards; from that point onwards your choices would decide if you'd loose or gain a card! I loved that, because it made me really anxious to choose - since it could mean I'd lose a card.
Overall, the story wasn't the most interesting I've ever read, but that's mostly because I normally read fantasy kind of books. The story wasn't boring either - the search was interesting, but I just don't know a lot about tarot cards, so that made it a little less interesting to me. At a certain point in the story (I believe around 80%..?), we had to choose between cards at the Lianist Outlook Center. I really didn't know what to choose most of the time, because I honestly didn't understand the choices. I feel like this story would be better for people who know more about tarot cards, because the amount of information in this chapter really confused me. I had no clue what the different cards meant, and I just chose on the basis of which card sounded nicer to me. This was the only time this happend though, most of the time I liked/understood the choices.
I also wondered if Page Zain would ever make an appearance, since he was mentioned in the beginning, I wonder if there will be a second book or something, and they'll be in that? I don't know, I just felt like that wasn't really resolved or something?
🚌 The characters 🚌
Throughout the story, the point of view changes between Chase and Amelia.
🧭Amelia I felt like I could definitely relate to Amelia. She has struggled/is struggling with an anxiety disorder, and wants to take this last trip with her friends before they all go to different colleges. Throughout the book, she doesn't just search for her grandma's deck, she also searches for herself. I feel like she did find herself; there were some points in the story where she realized more about herself, I have to say that I saw I'm quite happy with the choices I made when it comes to her, which I'll list below. I got the Nurturing Passion Empress as her horoscope, and I'll add the characteristic scores down below too!
The screaming voice says you're a piece of crap in the center of the universe. You can choose to listen to a different voice, one that says you're worthy and interconnected. And girl, if you find that voice, no boy can ever shatter your heart. Dent it maybe, but never destroy.
📓Chase I could relate even more to Chase, because he was very intelligent, but so insecure about his interactions with others. I definitely felt this, because I feel the same way most of the time! I loved his journey of finding himself, and discovering his relationship with his boyfriend Logan. I got Destiny Scholar Emperor for him, which I completely relate to.
Don't obsess too much about always making the "right" decision. Let go of perfectionism, because you are enough as you are. When feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed, trust your gut feeling. Can love deeply, which can lead to deep wounds - but always remember, you can heal those wounds.
🥣Cloe I loved Cloe! The way they were still discovering how to feel about themselves, and how they identify - they went from 'she/her' at the beginning of the story, to 'they/them' halfway through. They definitely still need to figure out a lot of things, but I feel like Cloe is getting there, and their friends are amazing in supporting them! There were quite a few times where they were called 'she' by the writer again; if you want to know at which points in the story you accidently did this Zachary Sergi, please contact me :)
߷Logan I don't really have a lot to say about Logan, I think his relationship with Chase was interesting, but I hated the way he treated him. That's not okay. Damn, I felt bad for Chase. Besides that, I'm - again - glad how he and Chase ended up!
"It's okay not to know what to do next. The person who cannot enjoy the uncertainty of the journey is going to be in a constant state of negativity and fear. If everything were already mapped out, there'd be no evolution."
🚌 The writing 🚌
The writing took some getting used to, but I'm not too sure why. There were some mistakes in writing; both in the pronouns for Cloe, but also in spelling etc. I have actually bookmarked most of them, so please contact me Sergi if you want to know which ones there are. A very important mistake in the book (
I feel like the writing changed a bit around 66% into the story, because there was suddenly kind of a time jump, which described a conversation between Cloe and Amelia that didn't really happen in the book itself. Maybe if I made a different choice, it would've happend, but I'm not too sure. They I'm not sure how to properly describe it. Maybe it was just me, but this was a bit weird to me.
There were some very inspiring sayings in this book, and I honestly feel changed after reading it. I'm such a wuss, I know.
Worrying about things you cannot control is a natural human function, but it is also a waste of time. All you can ever[y] truly control is your perspective and your reactions to the detours that come your way. (...) Every time you have a worry about the future, instead focus on something to be frateful for in the present. It's a small shift, but you'd be surprised how much a tiny shift in perspective can change for you.
🚌 Overall conclusion 🚌
Overall, I feel like this was an interesting story, since the choices did really have an effect on what would happen. I liked how the characters were each so different, and there were so many representations (LGBTQ), which I loved! I'm really happy with my choices and how everything turned out. I also liked the kind of bonus content at the end, where you could add up your choices into a horoscope for both Amelia and Chase. I thought the search and the different riddles they had to do were very cool (although my choices didn't have a lot of effect on those riddles perse). The story - to me - just wasn't the most interesting I've ever read, but maybe that's because it didn't have as much action as I'm used to. All in all, I do recommend this story, although you might enjoy it more if you know anything about tarot cards!
You'll only be a real queen when you tell people what they need to hear, not what they want.
🚌 Choices: 🚌
Corner I was sorted in afterwards:
All cards collected, which suggests I'm intuitive, wise and bold enough, which gives me the right to Sort Yourself (
🚌 Outcomes 🚌
Horoscope Amelia:
Amelia's horoscope:
- Thoughtful 4
- Nurturing 8
- Eager 8
- Sensitive 3
- Spontaneous 11
- Demanding 5
- Honest 3
- Assured 2
Strength: spontaneous
Insecurity: eager
Major Amelia type (spontaneous-eager): Passion Empress
Overcome insecurities: honest
Empress type: nurturing.
This all gives me the Nurturing Passion Empress.
Horoscope Chase
Chase horoscope:
- Intelligent 8
- Impatient 1
- Destiny 12
- Intuitive 8
- Indecisive 9
- Agency 3
- Patient 5
Strength: It's a tie! So I think I'm going with Intelligent
Insecurities: indecisive (
Minor Chase Type: Scholar Emperor
Overcome insecurities: patient
Emperor type: destiny
This gave me the Destiny Scholar Emperor; and I very much identify with this one.
June 10, 2021
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
So I think it's safe to state that I've never read a book quite like Major Detours: A Choices Novel. Which is definitely a good thing to say because it was something new, unique and fun to dive into. While getting to know the characters - Amelia, Chase, Cleo and Logan - we also get to play around and make the decisions for them. Or you could just ignore the decision making and just reach each and every page.
I'm just going to say that I decided to play the game. I'll even admit that I did cheat during a certain part because I was really intrigued to see which path would be behind every door option. I was definitely consumed with all those choices and see the consequences for a very good amount of time. I'm honestly not even mad at myself for doing that either because it gave me pure enjoyment.
As for the characters themselves? I liked them. It was a fun little found family group of friends and they had realistic problems. This adventure also brought them closer together and probably helped prepare them for their next adventure - college.
We also meet a ton of side characters from each little adventure. It's safe to assume that I was suspicious with each and every one of them. I'll even say that I wasn't a huge fan of Maggie or Anwar. I'm not even sorry about that either. I did like Lily and her brother though.
Other than that, the magic and tarot cards were pretty interesting throughout the entire book. I don't think I ever found myself bored while reading this but I will admit that I hated seeing the book ending at 89%.. instead of like 99% or 100%. Still enjoyed the heck out of this book and I can't wait for everyone else to dive into this.
So I think it's safe to state that I've never read a book quite like Major Detours: A Choices Novel. Which is definitely a good thing to say because it was something new, unique and fun to dive into. While getting to know the characters - Amelia, Chase, Cleo and Logan - we also get to play around and make the decisions for them. Or you could just ignore the decision making and just reach each and every page.
I'm just going to say that I decided to play the game. I'll even admit that I did cheat during a certain part because I was really intrigued to see which path would be behind every door option. I was definitely consumed with all those choices and see the consequences for a very good amount of time. I'm honestly not even mad at myself for doing that either because it gave me pure enjoyment.
As for the characters themselves? I liked them. It was a fun little found family group of friends and they had realistic problems. This adventure also brought them closer together and probably helped prepare them for their next adventure - college.
We also meet a ton of side characters from each little adventure. It's safe to assume that I was suspicious with each and every one of them. I'll even say that I wasn't a huge fan of Maggie or Anwar. I'm not even sorry about that either. I did like Lily and her brother though.
Other than that, the magic and tarot cards were pretty interesting throughout the entire book. I don't think I ever found myself bored while reading this but I will admit that I hated seeing the book ending at 89%.. instead of like 99% or 100%. Still enjoyed the heck out of this book and I can't wait for everyone else to dive into this.
November 24, 2024
It was a cute little interactive book that took me way too long. Loveable cast of diverse characters, a nice but not too intense plot, the problems you face growing up. I am not a young adult genre girly, but if you are I would recommend this book.
June 20, 2021
ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
This is a hard book for me to review and much of that has to do with the ARC copy itself. The arc formatting and editing was off which made going to a specific page impossible as there were no page numbers. Not only that but having to use the NetGalley app proved rather challenging. My text talk also struggled with keeping things straight and thus I had to read the entire book as is, essentially picking all the possible outcomes at once.
As for the story, it was interesting and fun. The MCs consist of a group of friends on an adventure the summer before starting college. They’re on a journey of self discovery as well as an unusual scavenger hunt following clues via a special pack of tarot cards (AMELIA) inherited from her grandmother. The more they discover about the cards the more they learn about themselves. The farther they get on their journey the more dangerous and adventurous things become. In the end I think it wrapped up nicely and left them all in a good place. I’m not exactly sure what message I’m supposed to take from the book but I think that’s also because I have so many of the stories detours alive in my brain and the multiple storylines do sort of blur. I hope the final copy is a lot better organized and easy to read because I think I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if it were not so challenging to read and understand.
This is a hard book for me to review and much of that has to do with the ARC copy itself. The arc formatting and editing was off which made going to a specific page impossible as there were no page numbers. Not only that but having to use the NetGalley app proved rather challenging. My text talk also struggled with keeping things straight and thus I had to read the entire book as is, essentially picking all the possible outcomes at once.
As for the story, it was interesting and fun. The MCs consist of a group of friends on an adventure the summer before starting college. They’re on a journey of self discovery as well as an unusual scavenger hunt following clues via a special pack of tarot cards (AMELIA) inherited from her grandmother. The more they discover about the cards the more they learn about themselves. The farther they get on their journey the more dangerous and adventurous things become. In the end I think it wrapped up nicely and left them all in a good place. I’m not exactly sure what message I’m supposed to take from the book but I think that’s also because I have so many of the stories detours alive in my brain and the multiple storylines do sort of blur. I hope the final copy is a lot better organized and easy to read because I think I’d have enjoyed it a lot more if it were not so challenging to read and understand.
October 20, 2021
Amelia and Chase have been best friends for as long as they can remember, bonded by Amelia’s grandmother’s stories of the mysterious tarot deck she found at a yard sale. The deck has always been missing four cards, so to celebrate their high school graduation, they take a road trip with some friends to search for the missing cards, only to discover that the deck is extremely valuable. Some people would do almost anything to have it, and the trip just got a lot more complicated–and dangerous–than they ever could have guessed. In Major Detours, readers make all the major decisions to determine where the characters end up and how they get there. I received a free e-ARC through NetGalley from the publishers at Perseus Books, found it nigh unreadable, and bought my own copy, so take from that what you will. More on that in the Note. Trigger warnings: anxiety, anxiety/panic attacks, mild self-harm. Brief NSFW content that can be avoided; you decide!
I have a complicated relationship with Choose Your Own Adventure novels. I love the idea of them, and I love the idea of bringing a new, modified version of them to YA audiences with more complex storytelling. In practice, I’m a completionist at heart, and even as a kid I had to mark all my choices and read every possible outcome or ending in order to feel like I read the whole book, which is exactly what I did here. I don’t recommend reading this novel like that. To an extent, the choices do affect outcomes: whether or not you complete the deck, character relationships, and where characters are heading at the end of the novel are all impacted by the choices you make as a reader. Thematically, it makes a difference as well in what the characters (and the reader) ultimately take from the journey. So for all practical purposes, the novel works, and Sergi has done some interesting things with the structure so that we still feel like we’re reading a whole novel with each choice, rather than getting the abrupt “Oops, you died!” endings of many of the middle grade books like this.
It’s hard to articulate why I’m still not quite satisfied with it, but I think it has something to do with how the impacts of the choices don’t feel as well developed as they could be. While each choice has consequences of its own, they all ultimately lead back to the same main narrative, and some of the fallout of those choices comes over feeling rather vague–which it has to because the main narrative has to be appropriate for either choice. For example, whether or not we recovered a card or lost one, the fallout of that choice isn’t really addressed in the next chapters because the characters have to act as though either one could be true. It makes the choices and the character development that should come from them feel less impactful than they would in a regular novel. (However, I’m an adult reader with multiple degrees and an interest in how novels are put together and what makes them work, which I suspect is not typical for the target audience. I cared way less about that kind of thing as a teenager.)
It’s difficult to comment on the characters for similar reasons. Much of their personality and development hinges on the choices made, so that readers really do influence what kinds of characters they’re reading, at least to an extent. There’s a cute mlm relationship that’s already established, and some good nonbinary representation with Cleo (whose skepticism honestly saved this from being a little too New Age mystical for me). If you read through every choice like I did, the characters come over feeling a little wishy-washy, but again, I think that has to be the case for the choices to have a real impact. In that sense, it’s very much a novel of getting out of it what you put into it. If you’re the kind of person who makes x decision, then so are Chase and Amelia. The overall plot in trying to recover the missing cards is pretty straightforward, but there are enough twists in there to keep things interesting.
My overall sense is that I would have been more satisfied with fewer choices that don’t ultimately mean anything and more choices that have a significant impact on the story being told. I didn’t really get invested in the choices until Amelia was navigating a tarot-based maze, and I had to choose which doors to take (fun!). However, I did find that the choices I considered “my” choices–the ones I would have made if my brain goblins didn’t insist on reading all of them–were the ones that led to the most satisfying story for me, and that’s a pretty cool thing. So I’m going to end my review on the advice that you don’t follow my bad example. There’s little to be lost by not reading through every choice, since the overarching plot leads more or less to the same place, and the thematic and character elements are likely to be more personally satisfying by making the choices you would make and sticking with them. All in all, I think it’s an interesting take on choices novels, and I’d be curious to see whether Sergi continues to improve on it.
Note: The e-copy I received through NetGalley was absolutely hellish to navigate. I couldn’t get the file open on my usual app (Aldiko), and when I managed to get it open through the NetGalley Shelf app, it was full of bugs. Trying to change the text size meant parts of pages kept getting cut off unless it was on infinite scroll. Worst of all, there were no links to jump to the page choices and no easy way to accomplish that. After an hour of fighting with it, I gave up and bought a print copy, which is no way to get people to buy books. Of course, none of that is Sergi’s fault. Fingers crossed the actual e-book has resolved these issues because I don’t wish that headache on anyone.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
I have a complicated relationship with Choose Your Own Adventure novels. I love the idea of them, and I love the idea of bringing a new, modified version of them to YA audiences with more complex storytelling. In practice, I’m a completionist at heart, and even as a kid I had to mark all my choices and read every possible outcome or ending in order to feel like I read the whole book, which is exactly what I did here. I don’t recommend reading this novel like that. To an extent, the choices do affect outcomes: whether or not you complete the deck, character relationships, and where characters are heading at the end of the novel are all impacted by the choices you make as a reader. Thematically, it makes a difference as well in what the characters (and the reader) ultimately take from the journey. So for all practical purposes, the novel works, and Sergi has done some interesting things with the structure so that we still feel like we’re reading a whole novel with each choice, rather than getting the abrupt “Oops, you died!” endings of many of the middle grade books like this.
It’s hard to articulate why I’m still not quite satisfied with it, but I think it has something to do with how the impacts of the choices don’t feel as well developed as they could be. While each choice has consequences of its own, they all ultimately lead back to the same main narrative, and some of the fallout of those choices comes over feeling rather vague–which it has to because the main narrative has to be appropriate for either choice. For example, whether or not we recovered a card or lost one, the fallout of that choice isn’t really addressed in the next chapters because the characters have to act as though either one could be true. It makes the choices and the character development that should come from them feel less impactful than they would in a regular novel. (However, I’m an adult reader with multiple degrees and an interest in how novels are put together and what makes them work, which I suspect is not typical for the target audience. I cared way less about that kind of thing as a teenager.)
It’s difficult to comment on the characters for similar reasons. Much of their personality and development hinges on the choices made, so that readers really do influence what kinds of characters they’re reading, at least to an extent. There’s a cute mlm relationship that’s already established, and some good nonbinary representation with Cleo (whose skepticism honestly saved this from being a little too New Age mystical for me). If you read through every choice like I did, the characters come over feeling a little wishy-washy, but again, I think that has to be the case for the choices to have a real impact. In that sense, it’s very much a novel of getting out of it what you put into it. If you’re the kind of person who makes x decision, then so are Chase and Amelia. The overall plot in trying to recover the missing cards is pretty straightforward, but there are enough twists in there to keep things interesting.
My overall sense is that I would have been more satisfied with fewer choices that don’t ultimately mean anything and more choices that have a significant impact on the story being told. I didn’t really get invested in the choices until Amelia was navigating a tarot-based maze, and I had to choose which doors to take (fun!). However, I did find that the choices I considered “my” choices–the ones I would have made if my brain goblins didn’t insist on reading all of them–were the ones that led to the most satisfying story for me, and that’s a pretty cool thing. So I’m going to end my review on the advice that you don’t follow my bad example. There’s little to be lost by not reading through every choice, since the overarching plot leads more or less to the same place, and the thematic and character elements are likely to be more personally satisfying by making the choices you would make and sticking with them. All in all, I think it’s an interesting take on choices novels, and I’d be curious to see whether Sergi continues to improve on it.
Note: The e-copy I received through NetGalley was absolutely hellish to navigate. I couldn’t get the file open on my usual app (Aldiko), and when I managed to get it open through the NetGalley Shelf app, it was full of bugs. Trying to change the text size meant parts of pages kept getting cut off unless it was on infinite scroll. Worst of all, there were no links to jump to the page choices and no easy way to accomplish that. After an hour of fighting with it, I gave up and bought a print copy, which is no way to get people to buy books. Of course, none of that is Sergi’s fault. Fingers crossed the actual e-book has resolved these issues because I don’t wish that headache on anyone.
I review regularly at brightbeautifulthings.tumblr.com.
May 16, 2021
I haven’t read a choose your own adventure book in a long time and I was so excited to read this book!
Four friends (Amelia, Chase, Cleo and Logan) take a road trip due to Amelia inheriting a tarot deck from her grandmother. The story is told from the POVs of Amelia and Chase, and you get to make the decisions for them. Along with uncovering the mystery of the tarot deck, there are also different romantic endings.
At the end of the book, you tally up your answers and discover the meaning of them. Overall, I had so much fun reading this book and I would totally recommend it - especially if you have bookish friends so you can compare answers!
Four friends (Amelia, Chase, Cleo and Logan) take a road trip due to Amelia inheriting a tarot deck from her grandmother. The story is told from the POVs of Amelia and Chase, and you get to make the decisions for them. Along with uncovering the mystery of the tarot deck, there are also different romantic endings.
At the end of the book, you tally up your answers and discover the meaning of them. Overall, I had so much fun reading this book and I would totally recommend it - especially if you have bookish friends so you can compare answers!
November 17, 2021
⭐⭐⭐
Honestly, this is a really tough book to review. Because of limitations with the APP, I wasn't really able to take advantage of the "choose your own path." It was impossible without page numbers to know exactly where to go, etc. I just ended up reading the entire thing straight through. 🤷🏻♀️ The story itself was fine, and I enjoyed it. So yeah, not a lot I can really say about this one. Definitely a book that would shine more as a physical copy.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
Honestly, this is a really tough book to review. Because of limitations with the APP, I wasn't really able to take advantage of the "choose your own path." It was impossible without page numbers to know exactly where to go, etc. I just ended up reading the entire thing straight through. 🤷🏻♀️ The story itself was fine, and I enjoyed it. So yeah, not a lot I can really say about this one. Definitely a book that would shine more as a physical copy.
**ARC Via NetGalley**
June 20, 2021
Major Detours is probably the first "choose your own adventure" book I've ever read and I honestly don't know how to feel about it. I didn't hate it, but I didn't really love it either.
This books follows four friends - Amelia, Chase, Cleo and Logan - on a quest to find more about Amelia's grandmother's tarot deck, which is incomplete, and the obstacles they face along the way.
As the book progresses, you get to choose your own path throughout the whole story. Since I read the ebook, it made it difficult to follow the path I was choosing because none of the pages were numbered. I'm sure this won't be an issue on the actual book, but it made my reading experience a lot less fun because instead of enjoying the story I was more focused on going back to make sure I was following the right path.
Now, for the aspects of the story itself. As someone who doesn't really now a lot about tarot (or anything, really), I really liked how the author took time to explain everything. It wasn't difficult to follow at all, although sometimes I felt we were given too much information at once. The plot was enjoyable but since every problem was solved in the blink of an eye, I think it had an impact on how I felt about the characters. Maybe my teenage self would've loved every aspect of this book, but I couldn't care less about any of them.
All in all, this was still an enjoyable read and I would still recommend this to a younger target audience.
I received this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Running Press!
This books follows four friends - Amelia, Chase, Cleo and Logan - on a quest to find more about Amelia's grandmother's tarot deck, which is incomplete, and the obstacles they face along the way.
As the book progresses, you get to choose your own path throughout the whole story. Since I read the ebook, it made it difficult to follow the path I was choosing because none of the pages were numbered. I'm sure this won't be an issue on the actual book, but it made my reading experience a lot less fun because instead of enjoying the story I was more focused on going back to make sure I was following the right path.
Now, for the aspects of the story itself. As someone who doesn't really now a lot about tarot (or anything, really), I really liked how the author took time to explain everything. It wasn't difficult to follow at all, although sometimes I felt we were given too much information at once. The plot was enjoyable but since every problem was solved in the blink of an eye, I think it had an impact on how I felt about the characters. Maybe my teenage self would've loved every aspect of this book, but I couldn't care less about any of them.
All in all, this was still an enjoyable read and I would still recommend this to a younger target audience.
I received this e-Arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Running Press!
August 17, 2021
A fun little interactive novel featuring a cast of queer characters, tarot cards, mystery, and a road trip! Major Detours muses on the final weeks before we leave our teenage years behind and enter the world, as well as the legacy our families leave us.
I don't know if it was the interactive element but some plot reveals seemingly came out of no where? Like Cleo's confession to Amelia or Anwar's deception.
I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was a hard copy rather than the Netgalley arc because it was configured so poorly and I was so confused at which page I was on sometimes.
Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know if it was the interactive element but some plot reveals seemingly came out of no where? Like Cleo's confession to Amelia or Anwar's deception.
I think I would have enjoyed this more if it was a hard copy rather than the Netgalley arc because it was configured so poorly and I was so confused at which page I was on sometimes.
Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2022
3.5
The story - not the best, most fascinating, ground breaking out there.
The choices concept? Quite entertaining.
The tally and character cards at the end? Cherry on top.
Light read, pretty pleased with it.
The story - not the best, most fascinating, ground breaking out there.
The choices concept? Quite entertaining.
The tally and character cards at the end? Cherry on top.
Light read, pretty pleased with it.
June 24, 2021
I received an ARC from Edelweiss
3
A road trip between 4 friends guided by one, Amelia's, late grandmother's tarot deck, turns into something far more mysterious- and dangerous- when they find out the truth about the deck. If the deck is truly so rare, and meant only for people the creator cared about, how did her grandmother get the deck in the first place? And are the rumors of the decks' powers just that, or could it be something more?
I didn't know what to expect from this story, but a choose your own adventure featuring tarot is both very my style and also an interesting idea. I like the choose your own adventure format, and love video games in that style, and I love that Sergi brought it into the modern YA. However, it didn't really pan out for me.
What I did really enjoy, beyond concept, was the "personality quiz" part of it in the back of the book. Adding that in was a great idea, and I had a good time with it after reading through the story itself.
I also appreciate the representation, including a gender questioning/nonbinary character!
For me, this book just didn't involve enough choice. Other than affecting your results in the back of the book your choices do almost nothing in the story itself. I know how quickly things go out of control when you add more branches or make the choices matter more, but it hardly felt like a choice based story.
I also didn't feel like the characters or plot were developed very well. Again, I know this is a hard balance when you're attempting to be interactive, and when you need to balance between the story/writing and the gimmick.
And the plot points themselves were pretty ridiculous and unrealistic, but in terms of a fun adventure I know that won't matter to plenty of readers.
I think this is a good try at an elevated choices novel, but not one that lived up to quite what I was hoping for.
3
A road trip between 4 friends guided by one, Amelia's, late grandmother's tarot deck, turns into something far more mysterious- and dangerous- when they find out the truth about the deck. If the deck is truly so rare, and meant only for people the creator cared about, how did her grandmother get the deck in the first place? And are the rumors of the decks' powers just that, or could it be something more?
I didn't know what to expect from this story, but a choose your own adventure featuring tarot is both very my style and also an interesting idea. I like the choose your own adventure format, and love video games in that style, and I love that Sergi brought it into the modern YA. However, it didn't really pan out for me.
What I did really enjoy, beyond concept, was the "personality quiz" part of it in the back of the book. Adding that in was a great idea, and I had a good time with it after reading through the story itself.
I also appreciate the representation, including a gender questioning/nonbinary character!
For me, this book just didn't involve enough choice. Other than affecting your results in the back of the book your choices do almost nothing in the story itself. I know how quickly things go out of control when you add more branches or make the choices matter more, but it hardly felt like a choice based story.
I also didn't feel like the characters or plot were developed very well. Again, I know this is a hard balance when you're attempting to be interactive, and when you need to balance between the story/writing and the gimmick.
And the plot points themselves were pretty ridiculous and unrealistic, but in terms of a fun adventure I know that won't matter to plenty of readers.
I think this is a good try at an elevated choices novel, but not one that lived up to quite what I was hoping for.
March 14, 2023
4.5 because yikes there are a handful of grammatical errors lol
This! Book! Was! So! Cool! If you’ve played any Telltalle games, Until Dawn or Life is Strange, this book is that format but in book form! And I think it pulled it off amazing!
I loved the characters and the mystery in the story was really well done. I love how interactive the story was and how much you as the reader have control over key events. I seriously want to go back and see what routes I could have taken instead.
I picked this up as a staff rec at Anderson’s Bookstore and I’m so happy I did! This was such a fun read and I genuinely got invested in the characters. Please pick this up if you’re looking for a new adventure!
This! Book! Was! So! Cool! If you’ve played any Telltalle games, Until Dawn or Life is Strange, this book is that format but in book form! And I think it pulled it off amazing!
I loved the characters and the mystery in the story was really well done. I love how interactive the story was and how much you as the reader have control over key events. I seriously want to go back and see what routes I could have taken instead.
I picked this up as a staff rec at Anderson’s Bookstore and I’m so happy I did! This was such a fun read and I genuinely got invested in the characters. Please pick this up if you’re looking for a new adventure!
January 14, 2022
If you liked the Choose Your Own Adventure books growing up, this book is a great upgrade to the format, weaving in deep analysis of the Tarot tradition and an exciting scavenger hunt/road trip. True to the Tarot, the book includes a reading guide in the back which will give you insight into your personality and the meaning of the choices you make. Readers who don't enjoy the decision-making and flipping pages method can read straight through, captivated by the well-drawn characters and their compelling emotional journeys; at heart this is a story of 18-year-old kids on the cusp of figuring out who they're going to be. If you can relate to their situation or have ever struggled with perfectionism and making decisions, this book is highly recommended for a therapeutic journey toward greater trust in your own instincts and values. In places this advice-giving subplot can make the characters' internal monologues feel stilted, but the insight is still valuable.
March 8, 2022
3.5 stars. This was really good!! The characters were so relatable, and the choose your own adventure aspect was so fun. There were some plot holes and iffy writing here and there, but overall this was really fun. I loved the road trip aspect and I learned a ton about the tarot. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for something different and exciting.
October 3, 2022
Such a fun and easy book to get invested in! I loved the choose-your-own-adventure interaction, and the story was fun and easy to follow. The writing is definitely suitable for 13+!
June 11, 2023
I had high hopes for this book. I used to love reading Choice-Your-Own-Adventure stories when I was a kid. The fact that this book had LGBT+ characters and tarot sounded awesome. But Major Detours was a major letdown.
While reading through, it didn’t seem like the choices had much impact on the story. The story always continued into the next chapter no matter what choices I had made the previous chapter. Only once, did one of my choices come back in the next chapter. It was when my choice destroyed one the cards. But, when my choice is for Chase to ask Logan for space, Logan still would have left if I chose the other option because both options continued to Logan leaving. Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories should have full sections you’d end up skipping based on your choices.
Also, I’m over Logan. Logan was all in for an open relationship with Chase until Seidon flirted with Chase. Then, Logan was like, “I didn’t enjoy that,” but like it was a joke or that Chase was trying to get back at him. I am over people who want an open relationship but then can’t handle their significant other being with someone else.
Another problem with the choices leading back to the same points is that when Amelia comforted Logan about Chase needing space and then got mad at Chase for Logan leaving, I felt like she didn’t know what happened. Like, she had no knowledge of what went down with my choices that lead to Logan leaving. Chase was unset that his boyfriend wanted an open relationship and only just mentioned that fact to a stranger BEFORE his boyfriend. And she can’t see why Chase would want space from Logan?
Then, my choices led to an argument between Chase and Amelia. I thought they were going to go their separate ways for a while because of my choice. And they’re making up on the next “turn to page #”.
Here’s a literal example:
Choose option A, turn to page 193.
Choose option B, turn to page 194.
End of page 193, turn to page 195.
End of page 194c turn to page 195.
I hadn’t notice this for half of the book because I was actively avoiding looking at the other pages so that I could read the book again with choices that would lead to different outcomes. Only I noticed that all my choices at the end of the chapters still lead me to the first page of the next chapter. I found it on. So, I went back on my last choice to see if the other option still lead me to start of the next chapter and it did.
What’s the point of making choices if the next choice is going to lead same page as the other option? What’s the point of making choices if they barely affect the story!?!
While reading through, it didn’t seem like the choices had much impact on the story. The story always continued into the next chapter no matter what choices I had made the previous chapter. Only once, did one of my choices come back in the next chapter. It was when my choice destroyed one the cards. But, when my choice is for Chase to ask Logan for space, Logan still would have left if I chose the other option because both options continued to Logan leaving. Choose-Your-Own-Adventure stories should have full sections you’d end up skipping based on your choices.
Also, I’m over Logan. Logan was all in for an open relationship with Chase until Seidon flirted with Chase. Then, Logan was like, “I didn’t enjoy that,” but like it was a joke or that Chase was trying to get back at him. I am over people who want an open relationship but then can’t handle their significant other being with someone else.
Another problem with the choices leading back to the same points is that when Amelia comforted Logan about Chase needing space and then got mad at Chase for Logan leaving, I felt like she didn’t know what happened. Like, she had no knowledge of what went down with my choices that lead to Logan leaving. Chase was unset that his boyfriend wanted an open relationship and only just mentioned that fact to a stranger BEFORE his boyfriend. And she can’t see why Chase would want space from Logan?
Then, my choices led to an argument between Chase and Amelia. I thought they were going to go their separate ways for a while because of my choice. And they’re making up on the next “turn to page #”.
Here’s a literal example:
Choose option A, turn to page 193.
Choose option B, turn to page 194.
End of page 193, turn to page 195.
End of page 194c turn to page 195.
I hadn’t notice this for half of the book because I was actively avoiding looking at the other pages so that I could read the book again with choices that would lead to different outcomes. Only I noticed that all my choices at the end of the chapters still lead me to the first page of the next chapter. I found it on. So, I went back on my last choice to see if the other option still lead me to start of the next chapter and it did.
What’s the point of making choices if the next choice is going to lead same page as the other option? What’s the point of making choices if they barely affect the story!?!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2021
3.5
It was a long time since the last "choose your own adventure" I read and starting Major Detours I was eager to see a new story take shape through my choices.
In the beginning, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Of course, the book left the reader to take several decisions, but they seemed quite inconsequential since they did not affect the story in a significant way.
Going on, however, those choices started to matter more and more opening to very different scenarios and alternative endings. This was, in my opinion, the greatest strength of this book: the possibility to see how even the littlest decisions we take can add up making us what we are.
As a total newbie in the tarot world, I really enjoyed how the author took the time to explain the multiple meaning embedded in each card. Above all, I liked the idea of considering the tarot as a way to get to know yourself better:
What I found lacking, though, was a deeper connection to the characters. The author wove many threads but did not expand enough on any of them, making me caring only marginally for the four friends embarked on this adventure - the only exception was Chase, whose pains and struggles actually affected me and made me root for him.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This novel was written for two kinds of readers:
Those who love control and those who love to lose control.
So, go ahead, read every page like a novel straight through if you want; this was written with you in mind.
However, if you really want the full experience, follow the interactive brick road and honor your choices while reading. You might just find following the rules is the fastest way to break them . . .
Either way, this story now belongs to you.
It was a long time since the last "choose your own adventure" I read and starting Major Detours I was eager to see a new story take shape through my choices.
In the beginning, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Of course, the book left the reader to take several decisions, but they seemed quite inconsequential since they did not affect the story in a significant way.
Going on, however, those choices started to matter more and more opening to very different scenarios and alternative endings. This was, in my opinion, the greatest strength of this book: the possibility to see how even the littlest decisions we take can add up making us what we are.
These gestures are little, I know. But I also now know how the littlest things can accumulate. Tiny beads of light gathered together, branches and trees, drops and oceans. Single steps that make up an entire journey—major detours, minor miracles and all.
As a total newbie in the tarot world, I really enjoyed how the author took the time to explain the multiple meaning embedded in each card. Above all, I liked the idea of considering the tarot as a way to get to know yourself better:
The tarot is not a fortune teller.
The tarot is a doorway.
One that leads to many worlds. [...]
A chance drawing of tarot cards does not predict the future.
Rather, it illuminates the inner reflections you find in its endless representations of truth.
What I found lacking, though, was a deeper connection to the characters. The author wove many threads but did not expand enough on any of them, making me caring only marginally for the four friends embarked on this adventure - the only exception was Chase, whose pains and struggles actually affected me and made me root for him.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
August 18, 2024
EDIT: Setting this down to 1 Star. Would set it to zero, if possible.
The author found it necessary to TRACK DOWN my social media to nag me about this review, calling it '(part of) a decade of unprecedented bullying and harassment of (him) and (his) readers'.
I don't even know of this author for more than 3 years, we interacted maybe once or twice (barely) through the mentioned digital game books community and the 'bullying and harassment' he's talking about was simply discussing his works with people in the community.
I don't know if he did this to others who left negative reviews elsewhere as well (I hope not), but this is not an OK behaviour.
Old review:
It's a decent enough read, but suffers from the same issues as the author's other (digital) Interactive Fiction works:
The lack of choices, rather flat characters, lack of continuity, wooden dialogue.
This is a book that might have been better as a regular novel.
The author found it necessary to TRACK DOWN my social media to nag me about this review, calling it '(part of) a decade of unprecedented bullying and harassment of (him) and (his) readers'.
I don't even know of this author for more than 3 years, we interacted maybe once or twice (barely) through the mentioned digital game books community and the 'bullying and harassment' he's talking about was simply discussing his works with people in the community.
I don't know if he did this to others who left negative reviews elsewhere as well (I hope not), but this is not an OK behaviour.
Old review:
It's a decent enough read, but suffers from the same issues as the author's other (digital) Interactive Fiction works:
The lack of choices, rather flat characters, lack of continuity, wooden dialogue.
This is a book that might have been better as a regular novel.
December 18, 2022
3.5 stars
Thank you, Running Press Kids, for allowing me access to this book and reading and honestly reviewing the book and all the adventure it holds.
An LGBTQA+ choose your adventure with magic tarot cards; you didn't know you needed!
I've never been a fan of choosing your adventure; the suspense and the choice always make me nervous, and when I replay or reread a different ending make me mad at my original; choices. AKA, this is a me thing, not the book's fault!
I loved the plots original and diverse idea, and I think that it will be very loved by others who read it, especially those who love to choose their adventure games or books. Plus, it was just a fascinating world with characters. I am chaotic so I CHOOSE PATHS THAT WOULD MAKE CONFLICT HAHA
Thank you, Running Press Kids, for allowing me access to this book and reading and honestly reviewing the book and all the adventure it holds.
An LGBTQA+ choose your adventure with magic tarot cards; you didn't know you needed!
I've never been a fan of choosing your adventure; the suspense and the choice always make me nervous, and when I replay or reread a different ending make me mad at my original; choices. AKA, this is a me thing, not the book's fault!
I loved the plots original and diverse idea, and I think that it will be very loved by others who read it, especially those who love to choose their adventure games or books. Plus, it was just a fascinating world with characters. I am chaotic so I CHOOSE PATHS THAT WOULD MAKE CONFLICT HAHA
June 11, 2022
I was so excited about the concept of this but the writing is so juvenile it just wasn’t for me.
September 9, 2021
A great premise, but it didn't really work for me (digital version)
I have to confess, I did not finish this book, but I thought it worth writing a review to explain why.
I was reading a digital copy, and so struggled with the format, as I couldn't 'turn to page...' I think with effective bookmarks in place, or with a version of the story told in it's entirety, with the option to deviate and flick to alternate versions placed after the first full version, that might make it easier, but after this, I'd probably avoid digital 'choose-your-own-adventures' as much as I used to like them.
I thought the 'choose-your-own-adventure' idea based on tarot was a really great one, but found the choices a bit mundane, I think I was expecting that the choices might be more tarot-based, as there's an element of chance, but the 'if you said this' or 'if you said that' kind of choices weren't very interesting, and because it was easier to read both versions of the outcome in the digital format that flick to the choice you made, it became clear that whatever you choose makes no real difference, there might be a slight conversation change, but the story remains the same, and often the bulk of the alternate choices are word-for-word the same. Having not finished it, I don't know if this remains true, or if there starts to be more deviation, but it began to feel a bit pointless after reading a few chapters.
Also, the description said that it could be read straight through as a single adventure, again, this may be a formatting thing, but with the digital copy I read, you can't read through one version without a lot of skipping paragraphs, or reading all of the options, it would be possible to arrange it so that a full single story thread is at the beginning, and the alternate choices at the end.
The characters were really good, however, and the plot in general was interesting, but I felt that I lacked the depth of tarot knowledge that the writing seemed to assume; there was just a little too much unexplained tarot language for me to really get to grips with, so it was that, as well as the above, that led me to abandon this one for now. It has had some really good reviews though, so who knows, I might try again one day should I stumble across a physical copy.
I have to confess, I did not finish this book, but I thought it worth writing a review to explain why.
I was reading a digital copy, and so struggled with the format, as I couldn't 'turn to page...' I think with effective bookmarks in place, or with a version of the story told in it's entirety, with the option to deviate and flick to alternate versions placed after the first full version, that might make it easier, but after this, I'd probably avoid digital 'choose-your-own-adventures' as much as I used to like them.
I thought the 'choose-your-own-adventure' idea based on tarot was a really great one, but found the choices a bit mundane, I think I was expecting that the choices might be more tarot-based, as there's an element of chance, but the 'if you said this' or 'if you said that' kind of choices weren't very interesting, and because it was easier to read both versions of the outcome in the digital format that flick to the choice you made, it became clear that whatever you choose makes no real difference, there might be a slight conversation change, but the story remains the same, and often the bulk of the alternate choices are word-for-word the same. Having not finished it, I don't know if this remains true, or if there starts to be more deviation, but it began to feel a bit pointless after reading a few chapters.
Also, the description said that it could be read straight through as a single adventure, again, this may be a formatting thing, but with the digital copy I read, you can't read through one version without a lot of skipping paragraphs, or reading all of the options, it would be possible to arrange it so that a full single story thread is at the beginning, and the alternate choices at the end.
The characters were really good, however, and the plot in general was interesting, but I felt that I lacked the depth of tarot knowledge that the writing seemed to assume; there was just a little too much unexplained tarot language for me to really get to grips with, so it was that, as well as the above, that led me to abandon this one for now. It has had some really good reviews though, so who knows, I might try again one day should I stumble across a physical copy.
May 21, 2021
eArc provided by Netgalley.
Major Detours is a lot of fun. Interactive novels for anyone besides middle grade is almost impossible. How could I turn down a choose your own adventure, occult, scavenger hunt road trip down? It just sounds so bizarre and exciting.
There is a heavy emphasis on tarot, horoscopes and spirituality. I personally know and understand none of these things but was able to follow along perfectly. Character discussions explain what's happening easily enough.
Character development is a little bit weak and some of the twists are kind of unsurprising. I did not connect with any of the characters and found myself only being pulled along by the mysteries and history of the deck.
There is one conversation where some misgendering occurs but I hope that will be fixed before it goes to print. If the character is meant to make that mistake it is never addressed.
I wasn't able to enjoy this book as a digital copy due to the lack of page numbers. I know there is a whole host of issues with digital formats and page numbers but a book like this really needs them. "Turn to page 82" doesn't work if you can't find page 82 and have to wing it.
All in all I liked it and can see myself recommending it. Not the strongest thing I've ever but certainly not the least original.
Major Detours is a lot of fun. Interactive novels for anyone besides middle grade is almost impossible. How could I turn down a choose your own adventure, occult, scavenger hunt road trip down? It just sounds so bizarre and exciting.
There is a heavy emphasis on tarot, horoscopes and spirituality. I personally know and understand none of these things but was able to follow along perfectly. Character discussions explain what's happening easily enough.
Character development is a little bit weak and some of the twists are kind of unsurprising. I did not connect with any of the characters and found myself only being pulled along by the mysteries and history of the deck.
There is one conversation where some misgendering occurs but I hope that will be fixed before it goes to print. If the character is meant to make that mistake it is never addressed.
I wasn't able to enjoy this book as a digital copy due to the lack of page numbers. I know there is a whole host of issues with digital formats and page numbers but a book like this really needs them. "Turn to page 82" doesn't work if you can't find page 82 and have to wing it.
All in all I liked it and can see myself recommending it. Not the strongest thing I've ever but certainly not the least original.
May 27, 2021
Major Detours by Zachary Sergi was my first choice novel in ages. Let me say: it was refreshing!
The story intrigued me right from the beginning. Everyone who is somewhat interested in Tarot will love how detailed the different interpretations and meanings of reading the cards are described.
Follow four best friends on a road trip that's full of adventures, surprises, and mysteries that need to be solved. Only a few weeks before everyone will go their separate ways, they want to find out where the old Tarot deck Amelia got gifted from her Grandma, really originated. Soon enough they will find out, that there's a way bigger story behind it than they had expected.
The story starts right away – on the road. The whole book is filled with strong emotions from every character, which sometimes were a little hard to get through and detangle.
The writing style was very picturesque and transported me right into the small towns and occult shops, that the friends came by on their journey. Now, the most important part: the decision-making! I loved how I could become part of the story and determine how everything will play out. Sometimes it can be the small decisions that affect the outcome of a story after all.
Magical, mystical, and overall a fun and interactive read.
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.
The story intrigued me right from the beginning. Everyone who is somewhat interested in Tarot will love how detailed the different interpretations and meanings of reading the cards are described.
Follow four best friends on a road trip that's full of adventures, surprises, and mysteries that need to be solved. Only a few weeks before everyone will go their separate ways, they want to find out where the old Tarot deck Amelia got gifted from her Grandma, really originated. Soon enough they will find out, that there's a way bigger story behind it than they had expected.
The story starts right away – on the road. The whole book is filled with strong emotions from every character, which sometimes were a little hard to get through and detangle.
The writing style was very picturesque and transported me right into the small towns and occult shops, that the friends came by on their journey. Now, the most important part: the decision-making! I loved how I could become part of the story and determine how everything will play out. Sometimes it can be the small decisions that affect the outcome of a story after all.
Magical, mystical, and overall a fun and interactive read.
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.
July 28, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Major Detours is a choose your own adventure book. It follows Amelia and Chase, lifelong best friends as they take a road trip with some friends before heading off to college. Amelia's grandmother had a set of tarot cards that she passed down to her, which leads them on a treasure hunt to find four cards hidden; one from each suit. Along the way and depending on what the reader chooses, Amelia and Chase learn not only about themselves, but even deeper truths about those they surround themselves with.
I always love choose your own adventure books, and my interest in tarot has grown in the past few years, so this book was a great ride for me. I really enjoyed flipping from Amelia's POV over to Chase's and back again. It wasn't jarring and actually helped with the flow of the story. Some of the plot points felt a little forced at first, but once we came to the conclusion of the novel it all tied together beautifully.
I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to give a choose your own adventure novel a go. Even if you aren't big into tarot there is plenty of story to appreciate along the way. Recommended for readers 12+.
Major Detours is a choose your own adventure book. It follows Amelia and Chase, lifelong best friends as they take a road trip with some friends before heading off to college. Amelia's grandmother had a set of tarot cards that she passed down to her, which leads them on a treasure hunt to find four cards hidden; one from each suit. Along the way and depending on what the reader chooses, Amelia and Chase learn not only about themselves, but even deeper truths about those they surround themselves with.
I always love choose your own adventure books, and my interest in tarot has grown in the past few years, so this book was a great ride for me. I really enjoyed flipping from Amelia's POV over to Chase's and back again. It wasn't jarring and actually helped with the flow of the story. Some of the plot points felt a little forced at first, but once we came to the conclusion of the novel it all tied together beautifully.
I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to give a choose your own adventure novel a go. Even if you aren't big into tarot there is plenty of story to appreciate along the way. Recommended for readers 12+.
September 23, 2021
3.5 stars
This was actually really fun! The main topic of the book was super interesting and I really enjoyed the adventure. I was a little bit confused at times, especially when it came to making decisions based on my previous decisions, but I mostly blame my own memory for that (as well as not realizing there is a sort of fill-out-form in the back of the book just for the sake of keeping track of your own memories!) I also feel like the plot could have been slightly more explored, but I understand that the format of a choose-your-own-adventure book makes that more difficult than perhaps it would have been if it was a standard format book. I must emphasize that the choosing part was really fun though!
Another note on the format is that it was sometimes a bit difficult to "turn to page x" due to me reading it in ebook format and therefore not having actual page numbers to refer to in the same sense as you would in a printed book. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the book though!
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was actually really fun! The main topic of the book was super interesting and I really enjoyed the adventure. I was a little bit confused at times, especially when it came to making decisions based on my previous decisions, but I mostly blame my own memory for that (as well as not realizing there is a sort of fill-out-form in the back of the book just for the sake of keeping track of your own memories!) I also feel like the plot could have been slightly more explored, but I understand that the format of a choose-your-own-adventure book makes that more difficult than perhaps it would have been if it was a standard format book. I must emphasize that the choosing part was really fun though!
Another note on the format is that it was sometimes a bit difficult to "turn to page x" due to me reading it in ebook format and therefore not having actual page numbers to refer to in the same sense as you would in a printed book. This didn't affect my enjoyment of the book though!
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
January 24, 2022
This book was both classic and entirely unique. The two main characters are Amelia and Chase. Amelia has this amazing tarot card deck that was handed down from her grandmother. Her grandmother taught her and Chase everything she knows about the tarot, and now year later, as a last great hurrah of the summer before college, 4 friends set off on a trip guided by tarot. Their trip quickly turns to an adventure when their first stop sets in motion a grand treasure hunt to find the 4 intentionally missing cards from her famous deck. This book was a wonderful adventure. It is a choices novel, so the reader helps make choices throughout the book. What makes this unique is the choices center more on the characters personality rather than actions, and it helps change the meaning and the thought process of the trip. It also will teach the reader a bit about themselves and they learn about the tarot. Overall, this was a great fun read and should get more attention.
August 2, 2022
A very enjoyable choose-your-own-adventure story.
It's a rare instance where I read a CYOA story and don't feel the need to flip back and forth, second guessing my choices. It was easy to just keep going and enjoy the story that unfolded with my first choices. Some choices are deeply embedded as well, having rippling effects right to the end.
It's a unique setting/quest, focusing on tarot, with some familiar characters struggling with your standard coming of age challenges. All the characters were well written and likable (and diverse!).
All in all, I really enjoyed it. Folks not interested in tarot may find it slightly less relatable/understandable, but for those who have at least some basic familiarity with tarot I expect they'll find this neat.
Only reason it's a 4 and not 5 stars for me is just because, personally, it's not the type of book I want to rave about like I would my other 5 star reads. Still a solid book that I can't find much, if anything, to criticize.
It's a rare instance where I read a CYOA story and don't feel the need to flip back and forth, second guessing my choices. It was easy to just keep going and enjoy the story that unfolded with my first choices. Some choices are deeply embedded as well, having rippling effects right to the end.
It's a unique setting/quest, focusing on tarot, with some familiar characters struggling with your standard coming of age challenges. All the characters were well written and likable (and diverse!).
All in all, I really enjoyed it. Folks not interested in tarot may find it slightly less relatable/understandable, but for those who have at least some basic familiarity with tarot I expect they'll find this neat.
Only reason it's a 4 and not 5 stars for me is just because, personally, it's not the type of book I want to rave about like I would my other 5 star reads. Still a solid book that I can't find much, if anything, to criticize.
April 21, 2021
This book was received as an ARC from Running Press Kids in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
I loved how the reader got to choose the direction the book went throughout almost the entire book. I am also in love with the plot and story. It's almost like Road Trip meets Sisterhood but with a mix of friends rather than all girls and a librarian like myself, really appreciates those types of books and they are very popular in our library. I am also a fan of the sentiment that Amelia had with their grandmother and they wanted to do this trip and scavenger hunt in her honor and of course their spark of curiosity. I know our teen book club will be enthusiastic for this read and I am anticipating some captivating conversations to derive from this book.
We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
I loved how the reader got to choose the direction the book went throughout almost the entire book. I am also in love with the plot and story. It's almost like Road Trip meets Sisterhood but with a mix of friends rather than all girls and a librarian like myself, really appreciates those types of books and they are very popular in our library. I am also a fan of the sentiment that Amelia had with their grandmother and they wanted to do this trip and scavenger hunt in her honor and of course their spark of curiosity. I know our teen book club will be enthusiastic for this read and I am anticipating some captivating conversations to derive from this book.
We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.
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