Reviews

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

jennyglickman's review

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

To be honest, I picked up this book in part because I thought the theatre/New York references would make me crazy. But for the most part, they actually made sense! To nitpick, occasionally the geography was bonkers, but what’re you gonna do. It’s been a second since I read a YA novel, and it was refreshing to be able to read something quickly and without that much density. The characters were deeply teenagers, and their problems were like…deeply unserious, but when you’re that age everything feels like the end of the world, so I give them a pass. The twists were often predictable and you have to suspend a lot of disbelief, but it’s a fun little romp. The one glaring thing was that Teri’s plot line was so unnecessary and I hated it. There was so much to keep track of between the two main characters, I didn’t need a spy thriller every 30 pages.

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review

3.0

3.5/5

This book was interesting to say the least. I liked the idea of them going about New York but I felt it took them FOREVER to even get into the city. Teri’s story was more interesting then the main characters. Especially since the stakes were very high. I didn’t expect for that to happen but it did. There was a lot going on to say the least. Some characters I would want to read more then the others so I would be excited to read them and it juggled between the three.

amanda_carmela's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

3.0

maycie_reads's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ella_eaves's review

3.0

3.5

ana988's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sunny_day's review

adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

rileywoods's review against another edition

adventurous relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

steph01924's review

3.0

I've been needing some uncomplicated contemporary in my life lately, and Morgan Matson's books usually fit the bill. They feel very feel-good cinematic where everything always seems to work out and there's coincidences that tie things together. And NYC is always a fun setting.

I liked it, didn't quite love it, but overall it was fine. Kat at the start was really getting on my nerves so I'm glad she experienced growth. Reading-wise, it felt a bit jarring to go from only Kat's perspective for all of the beginning and then suddenly to both Stevie and occasionally Teri.

I could totally see where Matson was going with Teri's story (very Adventures in Babysitting, which she even referenced), but it felt kind of unnecessary to Kat and Stevie's stories and, ultimately, out of place. I'm usually willing to roll with weird asides (I've read books where suitcases gave little narrations in between chapters, and I loved that) but the silliness of Teri's story magnified how everything else in the book was too perfect to be true, and took me out of it. It's not a deal-breaker, but just a personal quibble.

deyaniralh's review

4.0

Very solid 4 stars! Morgan Matson knows how to hook me every time. I will forever read anything she writes.