Adventure-Filled YA Books About Road Trips
by Dena McMurdie
Most teens dream of taking an epic road trip at some point, and these books help YA readers travel to distant locales from the comfort of their couches. Whether you’re interested in romances on the road, thrillers, or coming-of-age stories, these road trip books for young adults will take you on unforgettable adventures. Let the driving (and reading) begin!
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Melt With You
Available from:Ex-best friends Chloe and Fallon find themselves unexpectedly in charge of running an ice cream truck business for the summer. They hit the road, selling at food truck festivals across the United States and doing their best to get along. As the summer progresses, the girls wonder if they can become friends again — or maybe more.
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Five Survive
Available from:A spring break road trip takes a deadly turn for Red Kenny and five of her friends when their RV breaks down in a remote area. With no cell service and a killer out to get them, the teens must find a way to survive the night. This #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from the author of A Good Girls Guide to Murder will keep you up all night!
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The Disenchantments
Available from:Besties Colby and Bev had big plans for a road trip and gap year after high school. So, when Bev announces a significant shake-up to those plans, it upends Colby’s world. As they hit the road, the girls must grapple with growing up, growing apart, and embracing the next phases of their lives.
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Places We've Never Been
Available from:When you need a feel-good and light-hearted YA romance to read, you can’t go wrong with Kasie West. In this novel, childhood friends Norah and Skyler meet again when their families take a joint RV trip. But things have changed since they were children, and they get off to a rocky start. However, as the scenery changes, their relationship evolves into something more than friendship.
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Mosquitoland
Available from:This classic coming-of-age road trip novel is a must-read for teens on the cusp of adulthood. When Mim finds out her mother is sick, she buys a bus ticket bound for her home in Ohio. Her journey comes with bumps and twists, but she meets new friends and learns more about herself along the way.
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We Are All We Have
Available from:When her mother gets detained by ICE, Raina is left alone to care for her younger brother. Questions about her mother prompt Raina, her brother, and a new friend to hit the open road and look for answers. Their soul-searching journey reveals family secrets, kindhearted strangers, and each character’s greatest strengths.
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Rules of the Road
Available from:In a last-ditch effort to save her shoe store business from the clutches of her greedy son, Madeline Gladstone hires 16-year-old Jenna to drive her across the country. As Jenna and Madeline travel from state to state, spying on shoe stores, they learn about life, themselves, and each other.
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Love & Other Great Expectations
Available from:An American in the UK, romance, and a road trip make this adorable rom-com a delight to read. Britt is competing in an epic scavenger hunt that takes her through the English countryside to the locales of famous novels. A cute, bookish boy named Luke joins her excursion, and they embark on a journey of clue-solving, competition, and romance.
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The Kissing Booth: Road Trip!
If you loved The Kissing Booth series, don’t miss this adorable short story featuring a road trip from California to Harvard. Elle misses her boyfriend, Noah, so she and her best friend load up the car and head out on an unforgettable adventure to reunite the couple.
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This One's for You
Available from:When his late mother’s band embarks on a reunion tour, Cass decides to take a cross-country road trip to see each show. He invites his ex-best friend, Syd, to join him, and the teens discover the power of music, nature, and friendship on the open road.
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Every Time You Hear That Song
Available from:When country music legend Decklee Cassel dies, she leaves behind a hidden time capsule, a trail of clues, and a substantial cash prize for the first person to find it. Lifelong fan Darren teams up with her co-worker Kendall to find the capsule. The teens strike out on the road trip of a lifetime, uncovering Decklee Cassel’s story and the secrets that forced her to give up her music career at the height of her popularity.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2015 and updated in 2024.