Series: None
Author: Morgan Matson
Published May 7th 2015 by Simon & Schuster
Goodreads Synopsis
From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak.
Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.
Goodreads
Review
Second Chance Summer is just that, a second chance. After Taylor's father gets a terminal diagnosis, the entire Edwards' family decide to get to get for one last summer, at their old lake house. The whole family have always been a little self occupied and not the closest, but knowing that they need to band together before the worst happens, they start to learn more about one another, and become a true family. Taylor seems to struggle the most, and doesn't want to let her guard down, especially around her former friends, Lucy and Henry, who have moved on since she was last there. However, as the summer, and Taylor's dad's illness progresses, we see Taylor becoming more open.
Now, I was nervous going into this book. I've always liked Morgan's books, but I was reading this just a year after my gran died from cancer, and the thought of it dragging up all those feelings really worried me. Instead, I found it quite cathartic, because it was just enough removed from my situation, but still close enough to help me think about some of the feelings of grief and sadness I still had. Taylor was a character who was difficult to engage with first, but as we got to know her more, and see that she had built up these walls that were slowly crumbling under the pressure, we appreciated her more. Her family all were wonderful, especially towards the end of the book, when they became a proper family unit again, rather than a whole lot of separate people with the same surname. The sub plot of Taylor reconnecting with once best friend, Lucy, and ex-boyfriend, Henry, was a nice reprieve from the hard hitting cancer story line, and another way in which we see Taylor's growth as she stops running and hiding from problems, but instead faces it, head on.
Dates Read:
September 15-18, 2018
Rating
4 Stars
Series: None
Author: Morgan Matson
Published June 14th 2018 by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Goodreads Synopsis
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.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Ever since I read The Unexpected Everything in 2016, I've fallen in love with Morgan Matson's style of writing, and couldn't wait to get my hands on Save the Date, so much so that I've ended up with two copies (be on the lookout for a giveaway on my twitter account). Save the Date, covers the span of a weekend were everything that could go wrong, seems to do so. Charlie's older sister is getting married, and is doing so at the family home. The only issue is that that home is being sold, so they've had to move up the wedding, and everyone has had to chip in and help. Charlie and her 4 siblings always had a strong family dynamic, which was helped, and hindered, in part to the fact that since they were children their lives have been played out in the newspaper through their mother's cartoon strip, Grant Central Station. However, one of her brother's, Mike, grew angry about his life being shown to everyone, and for a long time now has had no contact with the family, but this weekend will change it all. First of all, the wedding planner has ran off, and they've had to start from scratch the day before to get everything perfect, her favourite brother Danny brings home a surprise girlfriend who is getting in the way, Mike has brought a black cloud with him, and nothing is going right, at all. However, we do get to see some true family connections, and learn that everything going wrong might've been perfect all along.
This book is more about family than it is about romantic relationships. As the youngest of 5, Charlie has had the pressure of her elder siblings achievements on her, and it's come time for her to pick a college, and the choice of her ideal school is marred by the fact that's where her estranged brother Mike goes, and she honestly doesn't want anything to do with him. So when he turns up at the wedding, which was unexpected to say the least, that threw a spanner in the works, as did his claim that he wouldn't be staying at home, but instead at his friend Jesse's house, who just so happens to be Charlie's crush. Awkward. As the book progressed, we get to see that Charlie has somewhat idealised her family, using the old comic strips of her pseudo self and confused it with reality. As she comes to term with the fact that her family isn't perfect, she finds herself understanding herself more, and understanding why each and everyone of the 7 Grant's have kept stuff bottled up for so long, and this weekend was the catalyst for it all to come to the surface.
Thought the theme of family is the main part of this book, that's not to say there isn't any romantic parts to it. As I've already said, Charlie has had a crush on Jesse, Mike's best friend, for some time now, and we slowly learn more about their past encounters, and though he initially seemed like a good fit for Charlie, we learn that he's really not, and, even better, so does Charlie, and she knows she can do better than him. Luckily, we have Bill waiting in the wings, who has been helping his uncle deal with the fiasco that was left by the original wedding planner. Bill and Charlie are thrown together to get things back on track, and though there is never a proper romantic interlude between them, the chemistry is there, and I'm hoping in a future Matson book we will see them, again, like we did with Andie and Clark from The Unexpected Everything.
Though I didn't love this one as much as I have others by the author, I seriously enjoyed it, and am looking forward to seeing what she has next for us.
Dates Read:
June 16, 2018Rating
5 Stars
Giveaway
I have an extra copy of Save the Date by @morgan_m, so here's a giveaway. RT & follow by midnight on 6th August to win. UK only. (See my review here - https://t.co/FFGKt8bkbW) pic.twitter.com/4BCmaTscjX— Sophie 📚📚 (@xsophiehoughton) July 31, 2018
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pick is:
Save the Date
Series: None
Author: Morgan Matson
Published June 5th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads Summary
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.
Why I'm waiting:
- Contemporary books are some of my favourite, and Morgan's books are perfect! Definitely one on my TBR.
Are you waiting for this book? Have you already read it? Let me know :)
This week's pick is:
Series: None
Author: Morgan Matson
Published June 5th 2018 by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads Summary
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.
Why I'm waiting:
- Contemporary books are some of my favourite, and Morgan's books are perfect! Definitely one on my TBR.
Are you waiting for this book? Have you already read it? Let me know :)
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pick is:
Series: None
Author: Morgan Matson
Published May 5th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Children's
Goodreads Summary
From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.
Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.
Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.
So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.
Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?
Why I'm waiting:
- I was lucky enough to get a review copy of this book, and absolutely adored it. Even though I hadn't been too keen on Matson's, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, The Unexpected Everything had everything you could ever want from a YA Contemporary book. I'd definitely recommend it.
- See my review, here.
- I've recently fallen in love with all things pug, and the one on the cover has to be the cutest!
Are you waiting for this book? Have you already read it? Let me know :)
Series: None
Author: Morgan Matson
Published May 5th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Children's
Goodreads Synopsis
From Morgan Matson, the bestselling author of Since You’ve Been Gone comes a feel-good story of friendship, finding yourself, and all the joys in life that happen while you’re busy making other plans.
Andie has a plan. And she always sticks to her plan.
Future? A top-tier medical school.
Dad? Avoid him as much as possible (which isn’t that hard considering he’s a Congressman and he’s never around).
Friends? Palmer, Bri, and Toby—pretty much the most awesome people on the planet, who needs anyone else?
Relationships? No one’s worth more than three weeks.
So it’s no surprise that Andie’s got her summer all planned out too.
Until a political scandal costs Andie her summer pre-med internship, and lands both she and Dad back in the same house together for the first time in years. Suddenly she’s doing things that aren’t Andie at all—working as a dog walker, doing an epic scavenger hunt with her dad, and maybe, just maybe, letting the super cute Clark get closer than she expected. Palmer, Bri, and Toby tell her to embrace all the chaos, but can she really let go of her control?
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
After a scandal rips apart the political career of Andie's dad, she is faced with a summer of unknowns.
She had been organised to complete a summer pre-med internship at the prestigious Johns Hopkins, setting her up for her future degree and career, until the scandal involving her dad and some missing funds came to light. Soon, her place has been rescinded, and everything else has been taken. Her summer plan of avoiding her father, and learning something in the process, is no more, and she soon takes up a summer job of walking dogs, even though Andie has never been around a dog before. She takes to it as easy as pie, and when she meets Clark, her summer appears to be back on track.
Even her relationship with her estranged father gets better. After the death of her mother a whole ago, they hadn’t got on, especially with him spending the majority of the year in Washington as a Congressman. Now that they’re forced to spend time together, they realise just how much they have in common, and the value of family.
I loved Andie - Alexandra may be her full name, but no one calls her that. She is faced with a situation that would make most people break apart, but she takes it all on the nose, and turns it in her advantage. She was a strong, and extremely smart, character, who values her friendships above everything else, and when stuff happens that threatens those very relationships, she does as much as possible to lessen the fall out.
The relationship between Andie and Clark was the cutest. It started off a little rocky, but once they got over their nerves and really got to know each other, I practically swooned. And, to make it even better, Andie didn’t ignore her friends in favour of her new boyfriend; instead, she introduced them all, and they got along really well. Even so, when she had to choose between her boyfriend or her besties, the besties won, every time – something that you don’t seem to find often in YA books.
I've only ever read one book by Matson before, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, and wasn't really a fan, but The Unexpected Everything, has changed that view completely. I adored the way she constructed all the various characters, and developed the plot, and will definitely be trying more of her work, starting with Since You've Been Gone, which I have a copy of at home.
If you're a fan of cute contemporary fiction, perfect for summertime, this is a book for you! I definitely recommend it. (Side note, I've recently fallen in love with pugs, and the fact that the cover has a pug on it, made it even more of a must have for me ;)).
Dates Read:
March 29-31, 2016
Rating
5 Stars
Rating
5 Stars
