Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers on May 4, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Source: Blog Tour
My content rating: YA: Nothing more than kissing
My rating:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Offmeets Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist in this romp through the city that never sleeps from the New York Times bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone, Morgan Matson.
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.
Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD
A story of misadventures and misunderstandings, Take Me Home Tonight follows three high school friends as they embark on a series of mostly unplanned adventures in New York City and beyond. The book starts out narrated by Kat as she frets over her role in the latest school play—which she sees as the key to her future college plans (and therefore to her future as an actress). When the cast list is delayed and Kat’s best friend Stevie is stood up by her dad (again) for her birthday dinner, the two decide to head to New York City themselves. Of course, their parents would not be on board with this plan, so tell them that they’re sleeping over at their other friend Teri’s house as a cover. Teri ends up babysitting in place of Kat and things go very wrong very quickly, which becomes a crazy subplot of its own. And Kat and Stevie’s night also goes downhill when a series of disasters leaves them separated and without phones. At this point, we get Stevie’s POV too and we follow all three girls on their misadventures.
My favorite aspect of this book is the relationship between Stevie and Kat. The two girls are best friends, but they realize during this whole experience that they don’t always communicate very well and they often take each other for granted. They end up in a fight, and a series of misunderstandings makes them each assume the worst of the other. Stevie and Kat are so very different, and that can cause conflict, but they also complement each other. Honestly, I felt like the relationship was realistic in a lot of ways (especially for two teenage girls). While I didn’t always love the way either of them acted, I felt like I could understand them. Another element of the book that I loved was the way little details end up getting woven into the story later. I’ll admit that you have to suspend a bit of disbelief (there are so many coincidences! So. Many.), but I still found myself enjoying the way everything unfolded. Then there was Stevie’s relationships with her father and step-siblings—she grows so much throughout the book and looks at some hard truths about those relationships (and about her own culpability in the ways they’ve gone wrong). There was a whole lot to love about this book!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
About the Author
Morgan Matson is a New York Times bestselling author. She received her MFA in writing for children from the New School and was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start author for her first book, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, which was also recognized as an ALA Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults. Her second book, Second Chance Summer, won the California State Book Award. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit her at MorganMatson.com.
4 winners will receive a finished copy of TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, US Only.
Tour Schedule
Week One:
|
4/26/2021 |
For the Love of KidLit | Excerpt |
| 4/27/2021 | PopTheButterfly | Review |
| 4/28/2021 | The Book Nut : A Book Lovers Guide | Review |
| 4/29/2021 | Do You Dog-ear? | Review |
| 4/30/2021 | Book-Keeping | Review |
| 5/1/2021 | Kait Plus Books | Review |
Week Two:
| 5/2/2021 | Review | |
| 5/3/2021 | BookInNeverland | Review |
| 5/4/2021 | Fictitiouswonderland | Review |
| 5/5/2021 | Emelie’s Books | Review |
| 5/6/2021 | onemused | Review |
| 5/7/2021 | What A Nerd Girl Says | Review |
| 5/8/2021 | Not In Jersey | Review |
Week Three:
| 5/9/2021 | Review | |
| 5/10/2021 | Moonlight Rendezvous | Review |
| 5/11/2021 | booksaremagictoo | Review |
| 5/12/2021 | Feed Your Fiction Addiction | Review |
| 5/13/2021 | BookHounds YA | Spotlight |
| 5/14/2021 | Midnightbooklover | Review |
| 5/15/2021 | I’m Shelfish | Review |
Week Four:
| 5/16/2021 | Review | |
| 5/17/2021 | Dazzled by Books | Review |
| 5/18/2021 | A Dream Within A Dream | Review |
| 5/19/2021 | Books and Zebras @jypsylynn | Review |
| 5/20/2021 | Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers | Review |
| 5/21/2021 | fictitious.fox | Review |
I’m glad that despite the coincidences, you were still able to enjoy the book!
I love this type of reads — a 24 hour timeline pack full of fun!
I am a bit behind on my Matson books, but I am glad this was a hit for you. I love books that take place in one days time.
We’ve already talked about my feelings on this one! I’m happy you enjoyed it, though. 🙂 I still want to read Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, which I’ve heard is fabulous.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? ?
Every time I see the title of this book I get that song by Eddie Money from the 80s stuck in my head. lol. Glad to hear this was a good one, it definitely sounded like it had a good story.
It looks like a good read.
I’m so looking forward to this one! Great review. <3