The Wonder of Us.

Culbertson, Kim. The Wonder of Us.
April 25th 2017 by Point
E ARC from Edelweiss Above the Treeline

Abby and Riya were best friends while growing up in Yuba Ridge, but when Riya's family moves to Germany to help with the family business, the two start to grow apart. It doesn't help that Abby's parents get divorced and she takes it very badly. When Riya's grandmother offers to send the girls on a "grand tour" of Europe (accompanied by Riya's cousin Neel), the two have a chance to reconnect while taking in all of the historical sites, which Abby loves, and shopping, which Riya loves. They spend time in Florence, Switzerland, Scotland, Iceland, etc., and Neel seems to have hot friends in every one of the places they visit. It's hard for the girls to get over their fight, especially since they haven't been completely truthful with one another about their plans.
Strengths: Great descriptions of what it is like to have a very privileged travel experience in Europe. While there are some overnight trains, there are no youth hostels, and money is never an issue because Riya's grandmother is footing the bill. The friend drama is right on point.
Weaknesses: This was on the long side, and I was expecting more of a romance. It makes sense that there isn't as much, but I was expecting it!
What I really think: I've got a lot of travel books that don't circulate as much as I would like them to, so I will probably pass on this. Great for high school, and perfectly fine for middle grade readers who want a longer book.