I have tried multiple times to get through this book since I received it, but unfortunately, I have had to officially DNF this book. It isn't bad; however, I don't think it was for me at this time.

"Major Detours" by Zachary Sergi offers readers a unique and engaging adventure that combines classic storytelling with interactive choices. The narrative revolves around two best friends, Amelia and Chase, who embark on a road trip with their friends guided by a tarot deck passed down through generations. What begins as a summer excursion quickly turns into an adventurous treasure hunt to find the missing cards from Amelia's renowned tarot deck.

The story is structured as a "choices" novel, where readers actively participate in determining the outcomes and direction of the plot. Unlike traditional choose-your-own-adventure books, the choices in "Major Detours" focus on character personalities rather than just actions. This unique approach delves deep into character development and allows readers to explore different facets of the characters' personalities. The choices also contribute to the overall meaning and depth of the journey, offering readers a chance to reflect on their own personalities and learn about the tarot along the way.

Sergi's narrative structure in "Major Detours" manages to engage readers effectively, with choices that significantly impact character relationships and the journey's ultimate destination. However, it's worth noting that some consequences of the choices may feel vague, as they lead back to the same central narrative to accommodate either choice. This might lead to some readers feeling that their choices have less impact than in a traditional linear narrative. Nevertheless, the novel offers an exciting and flexible reading experience.

"Major Detours" also provides representation through a well-established mlm relationship and nonbinary character Cleo, adding depth and diversity to the story. The overarching plot of recovering the missing tarot cards remains engaging with its twists and turns.

In conclusion, "Major Detours" offers a fresh take on the choices novel genre, allowing readers to shape the story's direction and character development. The book encourages readers to engage with the choices that align with their own preferences, resulting in a personalized and satisfying reading experience. Zachary Sergi's innovative storytelling in "Major Detours" is likely to captivate young adult audiences, making it a unique addition to the genre.

PS> it was, like other reviewers, hard to navigate the ebook. I would have enjoyed it much more in physical book format!

DNF at 12%

I wanted to like this, it seemed like a sun Adventure and I was excited to dive into it. What completely ruined it for me was the Netgalley book, it came in the wrong format and therefore made it very confusing when you wanted to play the game and you couldn’t follow the real story either.

I did like the characters and the cute little found family thing they had going on, but as i said, it wasn’t enough to keep me going with the story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

I enjoyed this choose your own adventure novel. This is only my second one, but I like the many possible outcomes of this story. It was action-packed and full of mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development through the group of friends.

I have started this book on multiple occasions waiting and hoping for that one time where I'll finally be hooked to it but I'm afraid that moment never came for me. It makes me sad because I loved the premise of it and how the book was constructed around the reader's choices but I could never get into it.
I may come back to it later on but right now this book is not for me.

One thing I was drawn in by was the tarot theme, and I can say that I absolutely loved it as a recurring motif throughout the book. This was a highly enjoyable read and I really recommend it.

Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.I got lost a couple of times reading it electronically so maybe of I had a psychical copy it would’ve been better but the plot just didn’t do it for me.

This was interesting and something new to me. I enjoyed it and found it a simple and quick read, but it is in all honesty not something that will stay with me for the years to come

Okay, I loved this style book when I was young and I still love them as an adult. Interactive stories are such fun to read. A little nostalgic, a little mystic and a whole lot of fun. I have been recommending this to everyone and even purchased a physical copy for my home library! Seriously one of my favorite reads of 2021!

This was my first choose-your-path book. To be honest, I hadn't realized the format until after I had already requested it on Netgalley, and I put off reading it because I didn't expect to like it.
Well, I did kind of like it, the experience was fun, though I think it would have been easier in a physical copy because I might have gotten lost in the e-book a couple of times.
The story was nice (at least the part that I got), and the pacing was good. I think I would have liked it better as a regular novel, but that's more on me than on the book.

it was an easy and enjoyable read, nothing that really hooked me in or blew my mind
it looked more promising but overall not a bad book

Fun and unique choices novel between found family group of friends! Nothing quite like it, and definitely an interesting tale on a novel- like putting together a choices game and a book!

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.

3.5 stars
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

A classic choose your own adventure novel but in a magical/tarot-related story. I love it. I was here for it.

I wish I could say I liked this book, but it just wasn’t for me. Usually I devour road trip books, but the pacing on this one was a little slow and just overall not the most interesting in terms of plot. I did love the interactive element of the choose the way the story goes. Thank you so much to the author and netgalley for providing me an arc of the book so I could make an honest review.

I thought this book had an interesting premise, a choose your own adventure style YA novel. Sadly, it really didn’t hook me. It took me months to read it all, in fact. Perhaps it was the format it came in which just made it hard to read, but I thought it fell flat, with the characters not having much substance in my view and the choices at the beginning seeming to have absolutely no effect on the plot whatsoever. I can definitely see the appeal of this book however, and perhaps it just wasn’t to my taste and the format I read it in really wasn’t suited to it.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐⭐⭐

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**

I have never had the pleasure of reading a choices novel and so when I picked this up I was super intrigued and ready to dive in. The story didn't disappoint. This story wasn't boring and held my attention from beginning to end and then when I finished I was able to go back through and read it in a different way. I think this book would be good for aspiring writers to read so that they can understand how many different directions a story can go in and to not give up if they can't make up there mind. This was a truly unique experience and read and I will now be on the lookout for more choices novels.