Save the Date by Morgan Matson {review}

Save the Date
by Morgan Matson
♦publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
♦release date: June 5th, 2018
♦hardcover, 417 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone, contemporary
♦source: ARC from publisher for review consideration

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.

{Amy's Thoughts}

Morgan Matson does it again, with a delightful, refreshing read that makes the perfect summer escape.

 A contemporary, coming of age read, Save the Date delivers everything you have come to expect from Morgan Matson.  Charming, sweet, and paired with authentic voices, Morgan Matson makes her readers feel as if they have been swept into the book, living the experience, not just reading it.

June is usually all about weddings and, Save The Date is no exception. However, this time it’s all about the things that can go wrong, and the lengths it takes to make them right.  While each wedding disaster seems to grow in intensity, each problem is believable, as well as relatable, however maybe not in the magnitude in which these present themselves.  With an old crush returning and the possibility of a new relationship,there is just enough love to make you feel hopeful.  With almost too many problems than two people can resolve, like a missing tuxedo, family drama, electrical problems at the house, and a random dog dropped off for the weekend the angst and tension will drive you to speed read through the chapters. A true portrayal of a realistic family with reliaistic problems hidden from the public, this book will make you really think about balancing work demands with family demands and ultimately who pays the price when the scales get tipped. However, in true Morgan Matson fashion, the heart of her plot lines and her characters always prevail.  

A wild ride, highlighting every chaotic event that can happen with a wedding at home, ultimately falls back on one main principle; you can get through anything, as long as family sticks together.  Morgan Matson’s ease of writing and storytelling will sweep you away to a backyard wedding filled with its own share of ups and downs, love, heartache, comedy, and most of all family.  Throw this book in your bag on your way to a summer vacation, or to sit poolside, either way it will leave you with the desire to start new family traditions, or run out for an epic battle of capture the flag in the middle of the night.

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Morgan Matson was born in New York City and grew up there and in Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College as a theater major, but halfway through, switched her focus to writing and never looked back. She received an MFA in Writing for Children from the New School, and then a second MFA in Screenwriting from USC.  She is the New York Times bestselling author of five books, all published by Simon & Schuster.  She currently lives in Los Angeles with her rescue terrier, Murphy, in a house with blue floors that’s overflowing with books.

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •   INSTAGRAM

Purchase the book:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

Morgan Matson & Jenny Han Event Recap & Giveaway!

Recently, at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA, I had the absolute pleasure of attending a book signing with two fabulous authors, Jenny Han and Morgan Matson.  People, if you get the chance to see them, especially together, take it! These two are a blast to meet, they are both so outgoing with their  audience.  They actually interviewed one another, which felt much like sitting in on a conversation between old friends---which they are! These two have known each since college!

 From the crowd, they got some really great questions.  They each read from their books, then talked about their writing processes, writing the YA voice, and shared stories about seeing each other succeed after being in the same writing courses in college.  Morgan spoke about her own best friendship that inspired Since You’ve Been Gone and also talked a little about writing under her pen name, Katie Finn. Jenny let us in on how she doesn’t write the scenes of her books in order, a scene here, a scene there(!! Fascinating!!).  She also talked a little about parallels of her own experience growing up Korean in comparison to her main character, Lara Jean in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and how making that part of Jean’s experience has caused some negative comments from readers.  This led to a great discussion on why we read, and how reading should make us more open to other life experiences and cultures, not the opposite.  It was great food for thought.   She also gave us a little insider info on the next book in the To All The Boys duology and who it will be about!

They gave out some fun prizes, one of which was a very cool pink pen and journal set embossed with the To All the Boys title (which we won!).  They signed lots of books and graciously posed for pictures.  Best part was Jenny declaring that my daughter was her character come to life! She said her look and outfit (you can't see them but she wore this dress with cute knee high socks and vintage-y shoes) was exactly how she pictures Lara Jean!
<~~~~~

Such a fun night!

On to the giveaway! :D

Ok, this is an odd one, people.  I'm giving away signed ARC of both books BUT in full disclosure I want to mention that:

A- The To All the Boys ARC is a bound manuscript with a picture of the cover on a white background and has what looks like a staple ding on the page edges. It came from the publisher that way. BUT the cool thing is---Jenny signed it ON THE COVER :D.  

And B-The Since You've Been Gone ARC is signed... but it's signed to me LOL. Bit of a mix up on my part oopsie!

SO if you don't mind all that, enter away! :D  

Ends June 12th, 2014

US mailing addresses only please.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway