Title: TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT
Author: Morgan Matson
Pub. Date: May 4, 2021
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off meets 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.
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.
Take Me Home Tonight was my first Morgan Matson book, so I was really excited to dive in! I've heard wonderful things about this author their books, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour. I liked that this story was about Kat and Stevie's friendship, and enjoyed seeing the two of them become closer friends by the end. They had to take different paths, but both needed to learn certain truths about themselves. There were just a few things that irked me about the book, which is why I didn't give it more stars.
I think Kat was a crutch for Stevie and vice versa. Stevie never wanted to feel like a burden, so she always said things were fine even when they weren't. If Kat was around, she wouldn't let Stevie suffer in silence, and oftentimes forcefully took charge of a situation. Stevie's coffee was made wrong? Stevie says it's fine, but Kat ignores her and has the barista remake the drink. When Kat is obsessing over a casting or wanting to run lines for a play, Stevie indulges her instead of telling her she's being insane. I completely understood Kat's dedication, but hated how consumed she was by one thing. She didn't allow herself to have other hobbies or a life outside of theater.
Of the two characters, I preferred Stevie. Her problems were more relatable and she was easier to tolerate. They both were incredibly frustrating characters, and it took the better part of the book for them to grow on me. I think losing each other in the city was a much needed wakeup call for them both. They may have initially jumped to the wrong conclusions, but their experiences helped bring certain aspects of their lives into perspective.
Unfortunately, I had to suspend my disbelief for this book to work. Everything that happened was either too convenient or too unbelievable. I can understand certain things happening unexpectedly (like running into someone you JUST met at a bodega later on). It wasn't likely to happen, but still possible. However, there were a lot of these moments peppered in throughout the book. Like what happened to Stevie after getting off the subway (super weird and not at all believable), or how they both kept running into people they knew in a city that was as unfamiliar as it was large. The characters were confronted with coincidence after coincidence, and everything seemed to work out for the best.
I also hated Teri's storyline and wish it didn't exist. We don't know enough about her as a character for her to have this strange subplot. What happens to Teri is totally unexpected and hits you in the face like a foul ball off a broken bat. It was as shocking as it was painful to read. I cringed every time we flashed to what was happening with her while Kat and Stevie were off on their separate life-changing adventures. It made absolutely no sense and wasn't even remotely realistic. I would say more, but I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who want to read the book.
I always struggle with books when I don't like the main character(s) or have trouble relating to them. Kat and Stevie were interesting enough to read about, and I also think the author captured their ages and level of maturity really well, but there was something off-putting about them both. They're still young and figuring themselves out, and I think that's what this book is really about. Kat and Stevie have an authentic high school friendship, one that grows and changes over time. They aren't the same people they were four years ago, but they're also not the same people they were yesterday. They both say things to each other that cut deep, but that are also true and come from a place of love. It's hard to hear sometimes, but I have hope for their friendship after the end of this book. They've both learned so much about themselves in a single night, and hopefully that means certain changes will take place in the future.
I absolutely loved Cary and all of his various jobs! However, there's a REALLY BIG spoiler for Top Gun, if you haven't seen the movie. I also liked Mateo (Matty) and thought his friends were funny. I would've enjoyed seeing more of them.
Did I absolutely love and swoon over this book? No. Was it an authentic portrayal of teenagers lost in New York City? Eh. Was it fun to read? Mostly. I may not have liked Kat and Stevie, but I do think they are characters people will be able to relate to (especially people around their age). Additionally, the formatting for this book was weird, but you get used to it. The random flashes to Teri (ugh), the fact that we only get Kat's perspective for the first part of the book and then randomly get Stevie's POV (though much needed), made this book feel unorganized and all over the place. Again, you get used to it, but you really have to pay attention the the chapter headers.
I honestly can't say whether or not I would recommend Take Me Home Tonight, because I don't have strong feelings about it either way. I didn't love or hate it, but did enjoy it enough to keep reading. You should see my copy of the book - so many sticky notes! Maybe I'll post pictures later, haha. If you've liked the author's previous books, you might like this one, but I don't have anything to compare it to. If you've already read this one, I'd love to chat about it. (★★⋆☆☆)
About Morgan:
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.
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Giveaway Details:
4 winners will receive a finished copy of TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT, US Only.
Thank you for the honest review. The premise sounds really fun so maybe this would make a great summer read for me--something not to be taken so seriously. I've never been to NY, so the setting definitely sounds exciting to me.
ReplyDeleteThere were too many coincidences for me to take this book seriously. Solutions practically fell out of the sky and landed at their feet - it was too much. However, if you go into this one knowing that, it might be okay. Exploring the city was fun, and their friendship felt mostly realistic, so there's that. :)
DeleteWhen things are way to unbelievable or the lead character or characters aren't likable, it's hard to like the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%! I need to believe in the story and the characters themselves, and everything has to feel real. Even fantasy books can feel realistic and authentic when written well, so I bummed this one lacked believability.
DeleteIt's been a while since I read a Matson book, but I loved her older books. Sorry your first Matson wasn't spectacular.
ReplyDeleteI've been told I should read some of her earlier books! Like Amy & Rogers Epic Detour? I vaguely remember when that book was released, but don't think I ever got around to reading it.
DeleteI know my sister is really looking forward to this one - I think all the coincidences and unbelievable plot lines would bug me, though!
ReplyDeleteI hope your sister likes it more than I did! It was just waaaaay too unbelievable for me to take it seriously.
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