Young Adult Review: Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

Published: May 4th, 2021

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult

# of pages: 416

My rating: 4 stars

Acquired this book: From the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for honest consideration

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Two girls. One night. Zero phones.

Kat and Stevie—best friends, theater kids, polar opposites—have snuck away from the suburbs to spend a night in New York City. They have it all planned out. They’ll see a play, eat at the city’s hottest restaurant, and have the best. Night. Ever. What could go wrong?

Well. Kind of a lot?

They’re barely off the train before they’re dealing with destroyed phones, family drama, and unexpected Pomeranians. Over the next few hours, they’ll have to grapple with old flames, terrible theater, and unhelpful cab drivers. But there are also cute boys to kiss, parties to crash, dry cleaning to deliver (don’t ask), and the world’s best museum to explore.

Over the course of a wild night in the city that never sleeps, both Kat and Stevie will get a wake-up call about their friendship, their choices…and finally discover what they really want for their future.

That is, assuming they can make it to Grand Central before the clock strikes midnight.

I’ve been a fan of Morgan Matson’s books since I fell in love with Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour ten years ago. When you pick up one of her books, you know you’re going to get well-developed characters, realistic portrayals of friendships, lots of laughs, likely a few tears, and a sweet and swoony romance. Take Me Home Tonight had all those things, plus a fun premise and a vivid setting.

Best friends Kat and Stevie are complete opposites, but they love each other unconditionally and would do anything for each other. So when Stevie’s dad bails on her 18th birthday dinner in New York City, Kat suggests they go into the city anyway for a night of fun. Their plan is foolproof, as far as Kat’s concerned...but they weren’t counting on one disaster and mishap after another starting before they even arrived in the city. 

This book was so much fun. It started out a little slow and took me a while to warm up to Kat and Stevie, but once I did I was completely invested in their story and was cheering them on. They were well-developed and realistic, and I could relate to each of them in different ways. I was amazed and impressed with how well Matson managed to pull off so much believable character development and growth in the span of the one-night setting. There were also a lot of great side characters in this book (Brad the dog and Cary-with-six-jobs were my favourites), and I loved how New York City really came alive and felt like a character itself.

While I know I’m not the intended target audience for this book - I’m more than twice Kat and Stevie’s age - I also know many adults will read this book and think about how the girls’ phoneless adventure was how we lived every day growing up. It was amusing while also being realistic; we’re all so attached to and dependent on our phones these days for entertainment, mindless scrolling, posting endless updates, keeping in touch with everyone we know, taking pictures, etc. If Stevie and Kat had had their phones, their night would have ended up a lot different, so I loved that aspect of the story and how it forced them to be resourceful and also live in the moment.

I’m not sure if I can call this an ‘issue’, but my only *thing* with this book was how long it was. I’ve come to expect that from Matson’s books and you always inevitably get to a part where it doesn’t actually feel all that long, but 400+ pages for a contemporary set in the span of one night is a lot. Mild spoiler alert: I had mixed feelings about the side story with Teri; it was entertaining, but it was also completely unnecessary and made a really long book even longer. And while the main storyline with Kat and Stevie was wild, it was mostly believable, whereas Teri’s storyline was just so out there.

Take Me Home Tonight was a highly entertaining read. I felt like I was right there with Kat and Stevie in NYC. I felt for both of them and was rooting for them. I laughed at their mishaps and felt the pangs at the painful lessons they learned. After ten years, Morgan Matson continues to be a favourite author, and I couldn’t be happier.

Have you read Take Me Home Tonight? Who are some of your auto-buy authors?

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Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Series: Standalone
Published: May 3rd, 2016
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
496 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Acquired this book: Via Edelweiss in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
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Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks)

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing - if everything's planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

 

 

I have a confession to make: until The Unexpected Everything, I was worried I’d never love a Morgan Matson book as much as I loved Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. I enjoyed Second Chance Summer and Since You’ve Been Gone, but they didn’t make the impact that Amy & Roger did. It seemed to be just me, because almost everyone I know who read those two books adored them. So I went into The Unexpected Everything with no expectations. I honestly didn’t even read the synopsis, I just saw the adorable cover and figured since I’ve read all of Matson’s other books I should read this one, too. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement; I absolutely adored this book and have added it to my list of favourite contemporary YAs.

The Unexpected Everything encompasses everything I love about contemporary YA: a main character with a great voice and lots of personality; strong, realistic female friendships; family issues; self-discovery and growth, and not just from the main character; and a romance that’s so adorable you can’t help but root for it. I loved Andie - she’s mature and responsible, partly because she’s been forced to be since her dad is a congressman and Andie has been pretty much on her own for the last five years since her mom died. She has great friends, does well in school, and has her future all planned out...until her summer plans - the plans that will help her future - fall through and she’s stuck in town with no job and nothing spectacular to add to her resume.

This is one of those books that has a string of fun events more than an actual plot. There’s the family aspect: the father-daughter relationship between Andie and her dad was messy, imperfect, and sometimes uncomfortable, but it budded into something that made me so happy. The romance: my new book boyfriend, Clark! He was adorable and nerdy and awkward and so good for Andie. I loved how he became part of the group, his bromance with Tom, and his respect and almost-friendship with Andie’s dad. The friendships: I want to be part of this group. I could picture myself with them at the diner, at the beach, running around for the scavenger hunt (one of my favourite parts of the whole book). The dynamics of the group were realistic - the closeness, the drama, the inside jokes, the laughter, the shared burdens and joys.

The Unexpected Everything was unexpectedly amazing. In a way it was simply a fun summery read about a bunch of friends hanging out - having pizza and ice cream, scavenger hunts, beach days, pool parties, group texts, diner breakfasts. The friendship aspect was important and meaningful, because it helped Andie grow, as did her family issues and her new relationship with Clark. Andie’s growth left me feeling satisfied and so proud of her. She started out thinking everything needed to be planned, needed to be a certain way, but she realized you don’t always have to have things figured out. You can change your mind or you can simply not know. Not everything turns out the way you think it will. Not all relationships are healthy and not all hurt feelings can be forgotten with an apology. I appreciated how realistic and believable it was, even when it was painful to read. This sweet, funny, emotional book is the perfect summer must-read.

{My review of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour || My review of Second Chance Summer || My review of Since You've Been Gone}

 

Have you read The Unexpected Everything? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of Morgan's other books?

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Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge: Top Ten Romances

The 2016 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Jess at Gone With the Words and Danielle at Love First Page. Every month, they have a weekly topic related to contemporary romance and this month the topic is Top Ten Contemporary Romances.

Contemporary romance is my favourite genre so it was torture to whittle down this list. I’m sticking to YA and NA because if I added in Adult, I’d never be able to cut it back to ten.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpactrick

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Upside Down by Lia Riley

Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

Swimming to Tokyo by Brenda St John Brown

The Boys of Summer by CJ Duggan

I Do by AJ Pine

What are your favourite contemporary romances? See any of your favourites on my list? If you're participating in the Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge and you did this month's topic (or a wrap-up) feel free to leave a link in the comments so I can visit you in return!

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Wanderlust Wednesday: The Road Trip Book Edition

Check out my previous Wanderlust Wednesday posts.

I love road trips. As soon as the weather turns nice every year, I start itching to take a road trip. There's something wonderful about being in a car with someone you love, music blasting, windows down, inhibitions lowered. Since I love road trips so much, it's only natural I'd love books about road trips. Whenever I read a synopsis and see the words 'road trip', I automatically add it to my TBR. The best road trip books are as much about the emotional journey as the physical one. There's just something about being with someone in such a small space. You can learn a lot about them - things they tell you and things they don't. How do they handle stressful situations? Do they have annoying habits? Is their taste in music amazing or does it suck? I think the music and the snacks people choose for a road trip says a lot about them. ;-)

These six books are very different, but they have a few key things in common: amazing characters who grow and learn a lot, the ability to make you both laugh and cry, and a fun journey that spans many miles.

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson {My review}

One of my favourite road trip books, and one of my favourite books, period. This is always the first book I recommend to people looking for road trip books (or contemporary YA or sweet, swoony romance, or basically anything...). Amy and Roger are fantastic characters, plus they meet a bunch of fun people along the way, and have some interesting adventures. This book is very sweet, very swoony, plus it kicks you right in the feels in ways you're not expecting. Oh, and the playlists and drawings are epic and make the book that much more special and memorable.

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord {My review}

Friendship, romance, country music, and a tour bus. This book gets a ton of hype, and with good reason. I love Reagan, Taylor Swift...I mean Dee, and Matt. There aren't enough books that showcase friendships as much as romance, but this book does it so well, plus it's beautifully written.

Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson {My review}

This was my most recent road trip book and I'm still swooning. Seriously. Justin and Landry's story is beautiful. I felt like I was right there in that RV with them while they travelled across the States to honour Justin's dad. Friendship, romance, humour, sexytimes, swoons, and realistic obstacles that tugged at my heartstrings and made it impossible not to root for these two. This is one of my new go-to books when I recommend not only road trip books, but also LGBTQ books.

 

In Honor by Jessi Kirby {GoodReads}

A sweet car, a bad boy, and shared grief...this is another road trip book that tugs on your heartstrings. Jessi Kirby has a way of writing books that make you really think about your life, your choices, and what truly matters, and In Honor was no exception.

Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole {My review}

In my review for this one, I said it was and wasn't what I was expecting. I loved the road trip aspect, and watching Anna and Kat's friendship turn into something more. I was even expecting the religion aspect from the synopsis, but I went in wary, because books with religious themes don't always sit well with me. Strangely enough, that ended up being one of the things I loved most about the book, because it was dealt with in such a real, honest way, as was the relationship between the girls, and the grief Anna was experiencing. It wasn't always easy to read, but sometimes the books that make you uncomfortable end up being the best kinds of books, and that was definitely the case for me with Kiss the Morning Star.

 

That One Summer by CJ Duggan {My review} 

 

That One Summer has one major difference from the rest of the books on this list: the others are set in America, but this one is set in Australia. I love the Summer series and the Onslow gang, and it was great to see them all together on this road trip. There were a lot of ups and downs along the journey, but there were plenty of fun moments too. This is also another book that showcases not just a swoony, sexy romance, but also really great friendships.

  

Have you read any of these? What are some of your favourite road trip books? What's the best road trip you ever took? What would your dream road trip be? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

   
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Review: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

Series: Broken Hearts & Revenge #1

Published: May 13th, 2014

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

352 pages (e-ARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

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Summer, boys, and friendships gone sour. This new series has everything that perfect beach reads are made of!

Gemma just got dumped and is devastated. She finds herself back in the Hamptons for the summer—which puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friend that she wronged five years earlier. Do people hold grudges that long?

When a small case of mistaken identity causes everyone, including Hallie and her dreamy brother Josh, to think she’s someone else, Gemma decides to go along with it.

Gemma's plan is working (she's finding it hard to resist Josh), but she's finding herself in embarrassing situations (how could a bathing suit fall apart like that!?). Is it coincidence or is someone trying to expose her true identity? And how will Josh react if he finds out who she is?

Katie Finn hits all the right notes in this perfect beginning to a new summer series: A Broken Hearts & Revenge novel.

 

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend was a fast-paced, funny comedy of errors about the ultimate revenge and trying to make amends for past wrong doings.

This book was compulsively readable. Even though I was pretty sure I had things figured out from the beginning, I stayed up until 2am to finish it because I just couldn’t put it down, and I had to know what happened. And even though my guesses were right, there was still a feeling of shock when everything was revealed. Finn weaved a tight story full of laughably horrible situations, accidents, and sticky situations.

One downside to the story for me was that I didn’t connect with the characters. I liked Gemma, but for some reason I just couldn’t connect with her. It felt like she never went past being the girl who was trying to make amends. We didn’t get to know much about her beyond her horrific behaviour as an 11-year-old and how she was trying to make up for it now. We didn’t get to know much about any of the other characters either, so it was hard to connect with them.

Then there was the ending. Gah! We don’t often see cliffhanger endings in contemporary stories, but it worked for this book. Things could play out in a number of ways in the next book, and I’m curious to see how everything gets resolved, and what fresh drama Finn will come up with for her characters.

If you’re looking for a quick, highly entertaining contemporary story with a summery setting and plenty of teenage drama, give Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend a try!

 

 

Have you read Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Did you know that Katie Finn is actually Morgan Matson? She is! This is the first book I've read of hers as Katie, but I've read all three of her other books and you should too! Be sure to check out Amy & Roger's Epic Detour (one of my favourite books EVER), Second Chance Summer, and Morgan's brand new book Since You've Been Gone.

 
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Review: Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Series: Standalone

Published: May 6th, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

448 pages (ARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

 

Morgan Matson’s debut, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour is one of my favourite books ever. It put Matson on my auto-buy list, and I’m always super excited when I see she has a new book coming out. Between the title and the cover of Since You’ve Been Gone, I couldn’t wait to read this book. Despite a slow start, once I finally got into Since You’ve Been Gone I really enjoyed it.

I found Emily easily to connect to. We have very similar personalities - a bit timid in certain situations, afraid to step outside our comfort zones, happy to take a backseat and observe rather than be part of the action. I’ve had friends like Sloan, those types of friends who are the life of the party, are up for anything, and make you feel special in a way no one else has. When that friend is around, you can do anything, and when they’re gone, you feel their absence in a very acute way. This emotion came across very well in the book, and my heart broke for Emily with how lost and alone she felt when she realized Sloan was gone and might not be coming back.

Enter ‘the list’. Sloan was always giving Emily lists of things to do on trips and vacations, even though she knew Emily likely wouldn’t do any of them. She wanted the best for her friend, and she wanted her to know she could survive without her. Emily hoped the list would somehow lead her to Sloan, so even though some of the tasks seemed terrifying, she was willing to try, and I loved that about her.

Watching Emily go outside her comfort zone, try new things, and make new friends was incredible. Throughout the book I laughed, teared up, and cheered Emily on as she grew and learned. I admired her so much and found myself feeling inspired by the way Emily started thinking for herself, and not always going by what Sloan would have wanted or done or recommended. There were moments of huge growth where I wanted to laugh and high five her and congratulate her, and then moments of quiet, sometimes painful growth where I just wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be all right.

There were great secondary characters in this book, too. Most of what we saw of Sloan was in flashbacks. I alternately loved and hated her for a variety of reasons, but ultimately, it was clear she loved Emily. Frank, Collins, and Dawn added a lot to the story and helped Emily in ways both big and small. I wasn’t entirely sure about Frank at first, but it didn’t take long for me to love him. Emily’s parents and little brother, Beckett, were great additions, too.

I loved the ending of Since You've Been Gone. I honestly didn’t know what to expect as the story began to wind down, and I was afraid of how things would end. I think Matson did a great job of tying things up, but also leaving it open enough to let us make our own guesses and assumptions. The characters are young and have so much ahead of them, so the ending suited the book, and left me feeling satisfied. You get the feeling that anything is possible for the characters, and that left me with a big smile on my face…and maybe a few happy tears, too. 

 

{Read my review of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour || Read my review of Second Chance Summer}

Have you read Since You've Been Gone? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you ever had a friend like Sloan, that larger-than-life person who brings you out of your shell?

 
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Epic Recs: January

Epic Recs is hosted by Judith at Paper Riot and Amber at Books of Amber. It's where you pair up with a reader friend and recommend (*cough*force*cough*) a book to them. As Judith says, it's like truth or dare without the truth. 

I'm pairing up with my brain twin Molli from Books and Whimsy. We’re always recommending books to each other but rarely actually read them for whatever reason. We’ve made a goal/promise to ourselves and each other to read more ‘me’ books in 2014. We both got bogged down with review books in 2013 and need to get back to reading more for pleasure, so we thought Epic Recs would help...plus then we don't have to constantly listen to each other saying "Read this book. When are you going to read this book? Have you read this book yet?"

For our first month of Epic Recs, Molli is making me read If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch, a book that broke her feels and that she talks about constantly (and which I'm way overdue to read anyway since I own a gorgeous signed, personalized copy AND Emily is one of the sweetest people ever), and I'm making her read Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, which is one of my favourite books ever, and which I've been trying to get her to read for ages, and even bought her a copy a few months ago lol. 

 

 

Have you read either of these books? What did you think?

 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Book Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Favourite Book Covers of Books I've Read

This one was hard for me because I'm such a cover whore. I made a list of about 20 and then basically had to randomly narrow it down to 10. And these are all ones I've read within the lifespan of my blog - I didn't even touch ones I read pre-blogging because then it would have been impossible. So here are 10 of my many, many favourite book covers of books I've read in the last two years.

1. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson {my review}. This is the UK cover - I love the North American cover as well, but this one is so evocative of the story. All the little bits and pieces that make the story so unique and so special are right there for the reader to see. I've spent a lot of time admiring this cover, and when I finally bought the book just recently (I borrowed the book from the library about two years ago), I purposely got the UK cover. 

2. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick {my review}. This cover is so simple but I love it. It's beautiful and sweet and really fits the story. 

3. Splintered by AG Howard {my review}. I love the colours and the details and the font of the cover. It's all really eye-catching and piques your interest.

4. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson {my review}. I don't really know what to say about this one other than it's simple but beautiful.

5. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard {my review}. I love the girl's dress (and necklace and gloves and hairstyle) and the gear details in the background.

6. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock {my review}. What can I say, I like pretty dresses. I also love the vine details and the girl's pose - it's fitting to the overall mood of the story.

7. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi {my review}. I love the colours, the way the title's done, and the attitude emanating from the girl.

8. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood {my review}. I love the vintage feel of this one, plus the girl is gorgeous. I love her dress and the flowers in her hair. I was really bummed when this cover got a mid-series makeover; even though I like the new cover, I was looking forward to seeing how they'd match the next book to this one. Instead they redid this one and made the second book match the new cover. Why must publishers do that?

9. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake {my review}. I love the creepy feel of this one. Why is she covered in blood? What's the deal with the spooky house in the background? Plus I love the little details around the author's name.

10. Venom by Fiona Paul {my review}. I love masquerade masks, and purple's my favourite colour, so this one was a double win. Also, the inside of this book is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen - the pages have designs along the crease and each chapter has a black page with fancy writing and details. It's gorgeous.

Did any of these make your list? What are some of your favourite book covers? If you're participating in this week's TTT, be sure to link me up so I can see your favourite covers!

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