Morgan Matson is back with a new young adult romance, which was released on June 5th 2018. If you have read any other Morgan Matson books and have enjoyed them, Save the Date will not disappoint! It is a classic YA contemporary with its fast pace, which makes it perfect for the upcoming days spent on the beach or by the pool.
Charlie Grant is the youngest of give siblings, famous for their mother’s loved comic strip, “Grant Central Station”. Charlie is a senior in high school, struggling to decide what university to attend next year and she’s in love with her older brother’s best friend. Charlie is obsessed with her older siblings, and waits eagerly for the day that they all return home and she can catch up with them, play capture the flag, and be a family once again.
This story is told over the span of three days, highlighting Charlie’s older sister wedding to her soulmate at their beloved family home. Charlie is put in a difficult situation where she has to remedy all of the obstacles that could harm the outcome of the wedding and the temperament of the bride and groom. Charlie sets off with Bill, the nephew of the wedding coordinator, to accomplish the impossible and make sure her older sister’s wedding goes according to plan. Charlie wants nothing more than to have a perfect weekend surrounded by her family, whom she adores, however, as you can guess, this does not go to plan. Charlie is left to fix all of the mistakes left by the old wedding planner, and keep things running smoothly.
As if having the weight of a wedding on your shoulders with the expectation of perfection, a fight with her best friend, the challenge of deciding what university to attend in the fall, is all not enough for a young girl, Charlie is also trying to win the heart of her brother’s best friend, Jesse.
Overall, this was a good read and I flew through this book in two days as it’s incredibly easy to devour. However, unlike most of Morgan Matson’s other works, which touch on heavier underlying themes of death, separation, love and remorse, Save the Date only slightly skimmed the surface. It did have a more important theme accompanying it, but it wasn’t as fleshed out as it should have been. Unfortunately, this was just another fluffy YA contemporary novel that features a privileged white girl, her family and the crush on her sibling’s best friend. It was not my favourite, although if you enjoy YA tropes and fast contemporary reads, you will most likely enjoy it!
In conclusion, this was a good book and if you’re looking for a quick read by the pool during summer break, this is one we would recommend! However, if you are looking for a book that leaves you pondering after, or something you cannot stop thinking about after you have put it down, I would suggest looking for another author. Morgan Matson is a very talented author and is phenomenal at writing YA love stories, but I would not expect her novels to change your life and your perception on books and reading in general.
You can find Save The Date on Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers!
Have you read Save The Date? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
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