Blog Tour: Save the Date by Morgan Matson Review and Favorite Quotes

Title: Save the Date Written by: Morgan Matson Published: June 6, 2018 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.  The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.  There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.  There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.  Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.  Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

MY REVIEW

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher as part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I love Morgan Matson books, Since You've Been Gone is the book that made me realize that I don't hate YA contemporaries, I just needed to find the right ones. Since then I have read all Morgan's new books and loved them all. So I jumped at the chance to be a part of the blog tour for this book. And it was a really good read.

What I liked about this book, and all Morgan Matson books, is that it is a really great balance between serious and fun. Like the previous books I have read there is a lot of humor to this book. I was definitely laughing and smiling numerous times while I was reading. It's a sweet and fun book with a lot of silly moments. Many of them were so outlandish that you could see it in a TV comedy or a movie. But there were also some heart-warming moments and some sad moments.  It struck the right balance and made for an emotional and engaging read.

The heart of this book and what made it more sentimental was that it is essentially a story of family. What I loved about the Grant family that Morgan created here was that it was so realistic. It was a family that was inherently flawed. They didn't always get along but they still really loved one another. I loved that they had so much history and in-jokes. It reminded me of my family which was obviously relateable and enjoyable. I loved the way their story developed throughout the book as they came together.

But the plot on the whole wasn't as tight as it could be. For the most part I would say that this book just felt like a series of moments strung together over the course of a few days. I mean that's how life is, so it was realistic in that way, but it doesn't necessarily make the most cohesive and engaging book. And yes, the wedding and the hijinx that went along with it was a good basis for a story, and it built to an interesting conclusion, I just wish that there was more of a specific plot. 

But this isn't really a plot-driven read. It's a character-driven book and it worked in that capacity. The main character of Charlie had to carry a lot of this book and that was fine with me. Charlie was a likable character if a little bland. She had some good development though and I like watching her try to go with the flow despite all the crazy things that were happening. But the secondary characters is where this book really shined. I loved all Charlie's siblings, especially JJ, her best friend Siobban , and even Bill. Usually I love Morgan's love interests and romances but in this book the romance was super basic and that I loved even more. Morgan knows how to write some great characters and this book was no exception.

All in all this was a really good read and I enjoyed it so much. It had a great balance between serious and fun, a fantastic family dynamic, and fun and likable characters. 

I give Save the Day by Morgan Matson 9 out of 10 stars

FAVORITE QUOTES

"She loves that dog more than me,"... said to... shaking his head. 

"Were you waiting for me to disagree with that?" p. 142

"I leaned against him, resting my head against his arm as I looked at everything that was there--everything our mother had done, for good and bad, this whole world she'd brought into existence with some paper and ink." p. 158

"It was a moment better than all the ones I'd been picturing, and I found myself wishing it had to end." p. 303

"How was it that you only fully realized what you had when it was gone? And I knew there would be new friends, new experiences, maybe even amazing adventures ahead of me. But I felt like I needed, for just a moment, to appreciate what I was-- what we all were--leaving behind." p. 416-7

BOOK LINKS

Goodreads :  Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository :  Kobo : IndieBound : iBooks

TOUR SCHEDULE

Find more stops on the tour here! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Morgan Matson was born in New York City and grew up there and in Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College inLos Angeles, but halfway through a theater degree, she started working in the children’s department of Vroman’s Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature. 

Following college graduation (and the proud bearer ofan incredibly useful thea-ter/English degree) she received her M.F.A. in Writing for Children from The New school and worked asan editor for YA novels. She received a second M.F.A. (for reasons that made sense at the time) in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.

Her novels have been translated into dozens of languages, and published all over the world.

Morgan’s first novel, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, was inspired byher love of road trips, snacks, and the quest for the perfect playlist. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Book Prize.

Her second novel, Second Chance Summer, was inspired by her experiences spending summers in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. It was the winner of the California Book Award (YA category) and was named to the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List, selected for the Oklahoma Sequoya List, and selected as a School Library Journal Best Book.

 Her third novel, Since You’ve Been Gone, was published in2014,and was a Pub-lisher’s Weekly and international bestseller. It was named to the YALSA Teens Top Ten list, and the Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award List.

Morgan’s fourth novel, The Unexpected Everything, was published May 3rd, 2016.

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Murphy.

GIVEAWAY

• Prize:3 copies of SAVE THE DATE by Morgan Matson 
• US Only 
• Starts: 6/4 
• Ends: 6/21

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read Save the Date? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Title: The Unexpected Everything Written by: Morgan Matson Published: May 31, 2016 by Bloomsbury (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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?

This was really adorable with great characters and the perfect combination with serious and lighthearted. But then again what do you expect from a Morgan Matson book. This is only my second book by the author but I have really loved the way she balances romance and life. It's realistic and entertaining and The Unexpected Everything was no exception.

First things first I actually really loved the romance here. This is high praise from me, because most of you know I am romancephobic and I don't usually like contemporary romances. But Morgan Matson just does them so well. In this book, it's not quite a slowburn but it wasn't insta-love either. The characters had to work at it and take their time to get together and stay together. It felt realistic and engaging. Plus when they were together it was fantastic with some really great kissing scenes. It was a cute YA romance perfect for summer.

But that wasn't the only great relationship here. There was a really fantastic family relationship here with Andie and her father who haven't spent so much time together since Andie's mom died. Despite some challenging moments they develop a really close relationship. I apprteciated that they fought but they cared and supported each other. I liked seeing her and her dad getting to know each other again. Then you have Andie's friends who are tight-knit and devoted to one another but still fight. Matson does a great job in making the relationships engaging and relatable.

But that's exactly how I would refer to these characters as well. Andie was a great character as she's going through a bit of period of change and growth. There's something simple and realistic about her characterization. Same thing with Clark, the romantic lead. He was pretty adorkable but very easily could have been a nerdy caricature but he wasn't. He was was likable and interesting. Morgan's characterization makes the characters come alive and feel like people you know and people you want to be friends with. It's one of the best things about her contemporaries, the characters feel so genuine and that helps you connect with the story.

This might seem on the longer side for a YA and especially a contemporary romance but it's compulsively readable and doesn't feel like it's over 500 pages. This is only my second Matson book but I'm definitely impressed with how she balances fun and humorous moments with serious and complicated things that life can throw at us. It built to a really complex ending where you could feel the drama and everything going completely wrong. Along the way it is incredibly well-paced and I was so engaged in reading it. It's a fast and entertaining story that I wanted to keep reading.

On the whole this was a great summer read with a great romance, likable and relatable characters, and a story that is serious and fun. I loved it and it is definitely making me think that perhaps I should read some more of the author's books.

I give The Unexpected Everything 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you are a Morgan Matson and/or a YA contemporary romance fan and you have not read this book you should totally get on that. It's a great summer read with great characters and a plot that balances fun with more serious moments, like all great contemporaries.

Have you read The Unexpected Everything? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: The Unexpected Everything Author: Morgan Matson Published: May 3, 2016 by Simon & Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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?

Why I'm Waiting 

I read my first Morgan Matson book, Since You've Been Gone, a little over a year ago and I absolutely loved it. It was the book that inspired me to read more contemporaries and that maybe I don't hate romances in the way that I thought. So when I saw that she was coming out with a new book of course I need to read.

But in general, this sounds fantastic. I love that her father is a politician and had a recent scandal. I predict some family drama. I also love that things are not going to go as planned for the MC this summer. Probably really great character development. The tone also sounds similar to Since You've Been Gone so I'm sure it will be a fun coming-of-age story as well. This will be a great way to get excited for summer I think and I can't wait to read it.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on The Unexpected Everything along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Title: Since You've Been Gone Author: Morgan Matson Published: May 6, 2014 by Simon and Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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? Okay, 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…

I really thought this book was going to have more mystery elements. But I'm kind of glad I had that perception because I may not have read it if I had known it's more of a traditional Contemporary novel. But I'm glad I read it. I took a chance and I really loved it. Not giving it chance would have been a real shame. 

What really made this book for me were the characters. I'm always a bigger fan of secondary characters and here they were quirky, fun, and incredibly well-rounded. I couldn't help but connect with them and laugh along with the main character Emily and her friends and family. But surprisingly, my favorite character was Emily. She was well-rounded and interesting but she was also so unbelievably relatable and realistic.  She felt like a real teenager. She felt like me as a teenager. She felt like me as an adult. Emily starts this book being socially awkward and missing her best friend, her safety blanket. Morgan Matson does an incredible job helping us feel what Emily is feeling and miss Sloane along with her. It made me think about all the times I have been in similar situations. I could almost instantly empathize with Emily and root for her.

And that connection to the character is what made the coming-of-age story of this book all the more enjoyable. I honestly forgot how much I love these kinds of stories. I was expecting a mystery, a search for clues to help Emily reunite with her best friend. But what I got was something better. The plot of this book was Emily taking chances and doing things out of her comfort zone. She had always been Sloane's sidekick and this was about her becoming her own person. It was so empowering to see that from a character that you can relate to. But I didn't expect to enjoy it so much as I did. A good Hero's Journey is something I always look for in my novels but I forgot that good character development can actually be good plot development. Since You've Been Gone was a captivating character-driven story that I didn't want to stop reading. I loved being along for the ride as Emily did the things on Sloane's list, even the ones she was afraid of. I loved seeing her find an internal strength to be brave and independent, and make friends that accept her and the person she was becoming (not that Sloane doesn't or won't accept her but you get the idea.) I really enjoyed following Emily as she figured out who she was independent of Sloane, I loved her character-development.

But what I also enjoyed so much more than I expected was the romance in this book. I like when my books have romance but I don't like when that is the basis for this story. What Morgan Matson managed to do in this book was effortlessly balance the coming-of-age story with the romance. It was as if her life before didn't have room for a relationship and now it did. It made total and complete sense with the story and still didn't take the focus. Plus on top of that, it was a fantastic slowburn kind of romance. I liked the romantic lead instantly but my shipping feels seemed to grow as the book progressed, a rate similar to that of the characters' feelings for one another. And by the end of the book, I was shipping it so hard I just wanted to smoosh their faces together. 

This is not a book I thought I would enjoy but it was incredibly well-written and restored my faith in YA Contemporaries. It makes me want to read more Contemps, more coming-of-age stories, more romances. And that is extremely high praise for a book to do that to me!

I give Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! As a person who is not really a fan of Contemporary novels and after loving this one so much, I would definitely recommend this book. If you are a fan of YA romances or coming of age stories then check this one out. If you are looking for a character-driven novel with likable and realistic characters then get this book.

Have you read Since You've Been Gone? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. In addition leave me a comment if you have recommendations for more YA Contemps I should check out. I'd love to know your thoughts on more coming-of-age stories like this that you would recommend. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!