Take Me Home Tonight

WOW WOW WOW!

I feel like I always say this, but it’s because it’s true: I can’t put into words how much I loved and enjoyed this book!

First of all thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I requested this book solely on the fact that Morgan Matson wrote it.

I requested this book because 11 years ago I read Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour. ARED is a book I reread almost every year and has become one of my favorite comfort reads. I was hoping TMHT would be another hit, and I was right!

Recap:

Kat and Stevie are best friends who are enjoying their senior year of high school in Connecticut. They are both in theatre and are anxiously awaiting the new cast list. After the posting gets postponed, Kat gets the idea that if she goes to see her theatre teacher’s play in New York she would earn his good graces, and a higher chance of getting her preferred role. It’s perfect timing too because Stevie has plans to celebrate her birthday in New York that same weekend. They plan their whole evening out, but once they get to New York it seems like their perfect night is over before it even gets started. Every step of their plan gets ruined one way or another, and somehow the girls get separated with barely any money and no cell phones. The girls find themselves on separate adventures, but by the end they learn to come back to each other.

Thoughts:

-This was a FUN book. The pacing of this book was brilliant. At one point the story gets told in multiple perspectives. At the end of each chapter I thought that particular character was my favorite only to read the next chapter and change my mind. Even though there are mainly two perspectives there are three perspectives here. I don’t want to give too much away, but that third POV was so out of left field in the best way possible.

- This was a great book about friendship. I know that sounds cheesy, but you have to understand, friendship is important. Especially female friendships and especially for teens/young adults. There are not enough books about friendship! Matson does an excellent job exploring friendship when it seems like friends are growing apart WITHOUT being cheesy or corny, but being totally relatable.

- The girls learned so much over the night and by extension I learned so much too! From learning about family to friendship to not everything is what it seems to taking chances. For how much fun this book was it is surprising at how much growth takes place!

-My biggest takeaway from this book is that even when things don’t go as planned, you are still where you are meant to be. Sometimes things will happen that you will have no control over and that is OK! You have to play with the cards that have been dealt, and even though it wasn’t what you thought or ideal, you can still make the most of it.

-This book is a reminder to start romanticizing your life!

-Even though this book is about two high schoolers it reminded me of my first year in college with my friends. I am not even lying I am going to buy a copy of this book for all of my friends! I could see so much of myself in this book and I could see my friends in it too.

Connections to Amy and Roger’s Epic detour

If you haven’t read this book then the following is not going to mean much to you. So you should stop here and go read ARED right now. I am not holding back on spoilers so you have been warned!

Ok so at the end of ARED it is implied that they stay a couple. Which is so cute. I love it! Did I want a sequel? Sure, but I didn’t find it totally necessary.

Fast forward to TMHT, Kat brings up this actress throughout the book, Amy Curry. Somehow I missed all the clues and didn’t realize this was Amy Curry from ARED!! I found out on a goodreads question after I read the whole thing *facepalm*.

So imagine a 20 something female browsing goodreads when she should be asleep slowly remembering all the times Amy was mentioned in the book. I was freaking out! But you know why I was freaking out?? Amy was engaged in this book!! But you know to who???? Roger’s ex-girfriend’s brother!!! AAAAHHH

As soon as I realized I went back to the book AND I went back to ARED. I was shook. (Is shook still a think? IDK BUT I WAS SHOOK).

Amy gets a phone call from her best friend at one point. A name isn’t dropped, but I think it’s ROGER?! So now I NEED a proper sequel to ARED. What happened to Amy and Roger? How did she realize it was this other guy the whole time? Morgan Matson, PLEASE, I need answers.

I did in fact go back to read his appearance in ARED, and the groundwork was definitely laid. Morgan Matson you are a literary genius.

So this whole revelation improved an already great book to a super fantastic book. Because now there is an overarching lesson spanning two books and 11 years. Sometimes people come into your life to teach you something, and just because they leave or that relationship changes it doesn’t mean it didn’t mean anything. And sometimes maybe the love story you think you’re in is actually the start to a completely different one.

I give this book 5 stars with my whole heart. Thank you Morgan Matson <3