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joannaautumn's review against another edition
3.0
⟶ Once upon a time (but really, last year in the summertime) a book made me cry.
Which is something that happens roughly once every two years.
That book was written by Morgan Matson and on that day I vowed to read every single book she writes until she retires – and that is how I ended up here, reviewing her latest book.
I did not love this book.
However, it isn’t a bad book by any means. It has a lot of the tropes that Matson has mastered like tearing down illusions we have as teenagers about people we look up to, healthy conflict resolution, characters learning and growing from their flaws and mistakes, summer adventures ( of course).
⟶ The novel centers around a friendship between Kat and Stevie, and how they go on an adventure in the Big Apple ( N e w Y o r k – I love the setting) and get separated after a heated argument. Now, this wouldn’t be that bad if they had phones. Which they didn’t. That’s only the tip of the iceberg – other things this book includes: a dog named Brad, the theatre production of King Lear, honest conversations, a kidnapping subplot, and many other elements.
⟶ This brings me to the reason why I didn’t like this book: it was too much. It had three points of view that kept switching, they didn’t balance each other out, rather overcrowd the narrative making it incoherent and scattered.
On top of that, the reader doesn’t get to spend enough time with the characters to form the connection – this being the strongest part of Matson's books, so knowing that I was ultimately disappointed by this book.
This was hands down one of the top 5 releases I was excited for this year ( especially summer) but it left me indifferent upon finishing it.
Nevertheless, somebody else might love the hell out of this book precisely for the abovementioned tropes; this is a definitely a “it’s me not you” situation.
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Pretty underwhelming, unfortunately. Review to come.
Which is something that happens roughly once every two years.
That book was written by Morgan Matson and on that day I vowed to read every single book she writes until she retires – and that is how I ended up here, reviewing her latest book.
I did not love this book.
However, it isn’t a bad book by any means. It has a lot of the tropes that Matson has mastered like tearing down illusions we have as teenagers about people we look up to, healthy conflict resolution, characters learning and growing from their flaws and mistakes, summer adventures (
"Standing there in the hallway, I was aware that this was what I always did. I made things easier for people. I smoothed things over. I kept everything inside until I felt like I was going to explode. And where had it gotten me?"
⟶ The novel centers around a friendship between Kat and Stevie, and how they go on an adventure in the Big Apple ( N e w Y o r k – I love the setting) and get separated after a heated argument. Now, this wouldn’t be that bad if they had phones. Which they didn’t. That’s only the tip of the iceberg – other things this book includes: a dog named Brad, the theatre production of King Lear, honest conversations, a kidnapping subplot, and many other elements.
⟶ This brings me to the reason why I didn’t like this book: it was too much. It had three points of view that kept switching, they didn’t balance each other out, rather overcrowd the narrative making it incoherent and scattered.
On top of that, the reader doesn’t get to spend enough time with the characters to form the connection – this being the strongest part of Matson's books, so knowing that I was ultimately disappointed by this book.
This was hands down one of the top 5 releases I was excited for this year (
Nevertheless, somebody else might love the hell out of this book precisely for the abovementioned tropes; this is a definitely a “it’s me not you” situation.
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Pretty underwhelming, unfortunately. Review to come.
livruther's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
part 1 was a slog to get through, but i’m glad i persevered. once the real adventure started, i was invested. i appreciated how every character was flawed but also relatable. at the end, i wanted an epilogue of like a year later, though. i didnt feel like i got enough closure
breathehopebooks's review against another edition
4.0
5 stars for Kat & Stevie’s storyline.
3 stars for Teri’s storyline.
Why did i not realize this had so much do with theater?!
3 stars for Teri’s storyline.
Why did i not realize this had so much do with theater?!
dennasus's review against another edition
3.0
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars. It took me quite a while to get into this story, because I didn't like either Stevie and Kat that much at first. Maybe I just couldn't relate. Once the adventure in NYC started I got more interested and enjoyed it quite a bit. The whole Teri plot though felt super weird and ludicrous and... what was the point? I guess that also costed it the 4 star rating...
jackiepenn18's review against another edition
5.0
This YA novel follows two-best friends-- Kat and Stevie as they sneak away from the suburbs to have a fun night in New York City. Their plan is simple: they'll see their teacher's play, eat dinner at a famous restaurant and have the best night ever! And with a plan like that, nothing can go wrong, right?
But they're barely in the city when they're plans get turned upside down. Between broken phones, a cute Pomeranian, family drama, old flames, cute boys, crashing a party and exploring the city's best museum, their night turns into way more than they ever expected.
I loved this book so much. If you're looking for a book that is filled with a fun adventure and gives you 90s movie vibes in the best of ways, this book is for you.. This coming of age book about two best friends will give you all the feels. From learning about themselves, their friendship, their relationships with others and their future, this book will capture your heart.
I'm officially a Morgan Matson fan!
Special thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
But they're barely in the city when they're plans get turned upside down. Between broken phones, a cute Pomeranian, family drama, old flames, cute boys, crashing a party and exploring the city's best museum, their night turns into way more than they ever expected.
I loved this book so much. If you're looking for a book that is filled with a fun adventure and gives you 90s movie vibes in the best of ways, this book is for you.. This coming of age book about two best friends will give you all the feels. From learning about themselves, their friendship, their relationships with others and their future, this book will capture your heart.
I'm officially a Morgan Matson fan!
Special thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
jackiepenn18's review against another edition
5.0
This YA novel follows two-best friends-- Kat and Stevie as they sneak away from the suburbs to have a fun night in New York City. Their plan is simple: they'll see their teacher's play, eat dinner at a famous restaurant and have the best night ever! And with a plan like that, nothing can go wrong, right?
But they're barely in the city when they're plans get turned upside down. Between broken phones, a cute Pomeranian, family drama, old flames, cute boys, crashing a party and exploring the city's best museum, their night turns into way more than they ever expected.
I loved this book so much. If you're looking for a book that is filled with a fun adventure and gives you 90s movie vibes in the best of ways, this book is for you.. This coming of age book about two best friends will give you all the feels. From learning about themselves, their friendship, their relationships with others and their future, this book will capture your heart.
I'm officially a Morgan Matson fan!
Special thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
But they're barely in the city when they're plans get turned upside down. Between broken phones, a cute Pomeranian, family drama, old flames, cute boys, crashing a party and exploring the city's best museum, their night turns into way more than they ever expected.
I loved this book so much. If you're looking for a book that is filled with a fun adventure and gives you 90s movie vibes in the best of ways, this book is for you.. This coming of age book about two best friends will give you all the feels. From learning about themselves, their friendship, their relationships with others and their future, this book will capture your heart.
I'm officially a Morgan Matson fan!
Special thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review.
sarahteejordan's review against another edition
5.0
Sweet, cozy, chaotic-in-a-great-way YA perfection <3 (as always. I mean, it's Morgan Matson.)
missmary98's review against another edition
4.0
This would've been another solid 5 star Morgan Matson book if it weren't for Teri's plotline. What on earth was that?!?!?! Honestly tempted to reread the book and skip those sections entirely.
Otherwise, though, a very very enjoyable book. I love her writing style and after some of my recent reads (AKA weird/depressing), this felt a little bit like returning to a familiar favourite place.
Otherwise, though, a very very enjoyable book. I love her writing style and after some of my recent reads (AKA weird/depressing), this felt a little bit like returning to a familiar favourite place.