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Save the Date
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Young Adult Fiction (2018)Charlie's sister is getting married.
Everyone is coming home—all her older siblings. It'll be just like it used to be. One last weekend together before her parents sell the house.
Charlie doesn't want to think about college next year, or things changing—she just wants to make this a perfect weekend. What could go wrong?
Well.
First the wedding planner quits. Then the house alarm won't stop going off. Charlie's biggest crush shows up unannounced. There's a missing tuxedo, an unexpected dog, and a neighbor bent on destruction. Not to mention the event planner's assistant, who is surprisingly, distractingly . . . cute. And that's before things get really crazy.
In all the chaos, 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.
Everyone is coming home—all her older siblings. It'll be just like it used to be. One last weekend together before her parents sell the house.
Charlie doesn't want to think about college next year, or things changing—she just wants to make this a perfect weekend. What could go wrong?
Well.
First the wedding planner quits. Then the house alarm won't stop going off. Charlie's biggest crush shows up unannounced. There's a missing tuxedo, an unexpected dog, and a neighbor bent on destruction. Not to mention the event planner's assistant, who is surprisingly, distractingly . . . cute. And that's before things get really crazy.
In all the chaos, 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.
417 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
About the author
Morgan Matson
14 books13.2k followersMorgan Matson grew up in New York City and Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles but halfway though a theater degree, she started working in the children's department of Vroman's Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.
Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.
In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.
Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.
Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she moved back East to attend the New School, where she received her M.F.A in Writing for Children.
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, inspired by Morgan's three cross-country road trips, was published in May 2010. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a PW "Flying Start" book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Book Prize.
In the meantime, Morgan moved back to California, went back to school again and in 2011 received an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
Her second book, Second Chance Summer, was published in May 2012 and draws largely on her experiences spending summers growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
Her third book, Since You've Been Gone, was published in 2014.
Morgan currently lives in Los Angeles, though she loves to travel and does it whenever she can. She is currently writing another book, to be published in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,265 reviews
February 4, 2022
GUYS. I HAVE VERY GOOD NEWS.
You know that thing of how every contemporary is basically the same? You know what I’m talking about. Like, main female character who’s pretty good at school without being overwhelmingly good (because that would mean describing doing homework or something and ha ha ha authors don’t do that). Similarly she’s of course kissed one semi-embarrassing boy: Kevin from seventh-grade gym or Tommy from the ninth-grade play, and then one boy she dated for three dispassionate months a year or two ago. Girl’s name might be something just SLIGHTLY unusual, like Hazel or Bailey or some bird or flower, but is probably extremely normal. You know. Abby/Megan/Emily.
Anyway 20 pages in, Abby/Megan/Emily meets a Boy and then spends 200 or so pages slowlyyy getting with him, only to break up with him, then they get back together after a drastic amount of work or some grand gesture and boom, happily ever after. Abby/Megan/Emily has 2-3 friends who pop up occasionally but not consistently. Maybe one of them is not straight or white, if we’re lucky. It’s all very flat and not good.
You also know, if you know me, that thing of how I read infinity contemporaries and like absolutely zero of them. That’s because they’re all the same!! And that same = “very flat and not good.” I mean, I just said that, you guys. Come on. Keep up.
But here’s the good news: THIS CONTEMPORARY IS NOT THAT CONTEMPORARY. This is not the exact same as every single other one!!! Also it’s by Officially Crowned Contemporary Queen Morgan Matson, so maybe things they are a-changin’???
I’ll back up.
Okay, so there’s this girl Charlie Grant. She has approximately 100 siblings, by which I mean “four older siblings.” (I’m allowed to joke about how many that is because I have three younger ones so I, ahem, get it.) One of those siblings is getting married, and the wedding has arrived! And now they’re all coming home! Which is perfect because they’re selling their excellent perfect family home :( But then a million jillion hijinks happen during the wedding weekend. It’s all wild. Lots of drama. Oh also the mom is retiring from writing a comic strip about the family during the same weekend. So that’s bananas.
Guess what I didn’t mention in that lil synopsis? Guess! Guess guess guess!!!
Hell yeah. It was “romance,” boi!!!
There are romantic subplots in this but they are so irrelevant compared to the family. This book is all about family!! This also means some flat non-family characters and some annoying underdone subplots and a little too much drama maybe.
But mainly this is an EXCELLENT THING. Not least because Bill, the guy you’d expect to be the love interest, is the most boring adolescent male to ever cross the YA stage and they should’ve just taken him out to be honest.
Basically what I’m trying to say here is I. LOVE. THIS. FAMILY. Please oh please gods of YA give me more crazy wild big families with loving but imperfect parents and lots of loving but imperfect older siblings and character development and just UGH BIG LOVING FULL WELL-CHARACTERIZED FAMILIES.
Especially when they live in a pretty, weirdly-designed, aging home that’s constantly wild well-described...I loved this setting. I was literally sad they were selling it! Basically this book was giving me HGTV and pre-divorce pre-infidelity pre-teenage Jon & Kate Plus Eight and I was getting my absolute life.
What else, what else...
Oh Morgan Matson does that thing where she brings characters from past books in, which like...I normally hate. Typically feels so cheesy and forced. But I didn’t mind it here so much? P cute. There’s a bonus scene at the end which I was Into.
Ooh and! Don’t forget this thing is insanely long (432 pages!) and sometimes it was very, very, very...dry. Which is a nice-ish way of saying “boring.” It was just way too long! And then so much drama in the last hundred pages!! Giving me whiplash, Matson. God this took a while to read. Goddamn Ulysses over here am I right ha ha.
Essentially what I’m saying is this book is long and uneven and strange and imperfect and SO SWEET AND UNIQUE AND ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING I NEED TO SEE MORE OF IN YA.
That’s my bottom line.
-------------------
reread updates
i finished a book and it only took me two weeks.
call my reading slump vanquished.
(end sarcasm)
--------------
the haters might try to tell you that i forgot i was reading this. and they'd be absolutely right
--------------
it simply is not summer until i've read a morgan matson book
-------------------
pre-review
This wasn't even slightly what I expected/have long wanted from this book.........but I think I liked it????
Like. I think I liked it a lot????
I DON'T KNOW BUT. EXCITING.
review to come!!
-------------------
tbr review
I bought a signed first edition of this book (good). But my copy had three stickers on the dust jacket (bad). Not a single one of those stickers came off easily and NOW THERE ARE TRACES OF STICKER GOOP PRESENT.
WHICH IS VERY, VERY BAD INDEED.
If the rest of this reading experience isn't a massive improvement the universe will collapse in on itself like a dying star.
You know that thing of how every contemporary is basically the same? You know what I’m talking about. Like, main female character who’s pretty good at school without being overwhelmingly good (because that would mean describing doing homework or something and ha ha ha authors don’t do that). Similarly she’s of course kissed one semi-embarrassing boy: Kevin from seventh-grade gym or Tommy from the ninth-grade play, and then one boy she dated for three dispassionate months a year or two ago. Girl’s name might be something just SLIGHTLY unusual, like Hazel or Bailey or some bird or flower, but is probably extremely normal. You know. Abby/Megan/Emily.
Anyway 20 pages in, Abby/Megan/Emily meets a Boy and then spends 200 or so pages slowlyyy getting with him, only to break up with him, then they get back together after a drastic amount of work or some grand gesture and boom, happily ever after. Abby/Megan/Emily has 2-3 friends who pop up occasionally but not consistently. Maybe one of them is not straight or white, if we’re lucky. It’s all very flat and not good.
You also know, if you know me, that thing of how I read infinity contemporaries and like absolutely zero of them. That’s because they’re all the same!! And that same = “very flat and not good.” I mean, I just said that, you guys. Come on. Keep up.
But here’s the good news: THIS CONTEMPORARY IS NOT THAT CONTEMPORARY. This is not the exact same as every single other one!!! Also it’s by Officially Crowned Contemporary Queen Morgan Matson, so maybe things they are a-changin’???
I’ll back up.
Okay, so there’s this girl Charlie Grant. She has approximately 100 siblings, by which I mean “four older siblings.” (I’m allowed to joke about how many that is because I have three younger ones so I, ahem, get it.) One of those siblings is getting married, and the wedding has arrived! And now they’re all coming home! Which is perfect because they’re selling their excellent perfect family home :( But then a million jillion hijinks happen during the wedding weekend. It’s all wild. Lots of drama. Oh also the mom is retiring from writing a comic strip about the family during the same weekend. So that’s bananas.
Guess what I didn’t mention in that lil synopsis? Guess! Guess guess guess!!!
Hell yeah. It was “romance,” boi!!!
There are romantic subplots in this but they are so irrelevant compared to the family. This book is all about family!! This also means some flat non-family characters and some annoying underdone subplots and a little too much drama maybe.
But mainly this is an EXCELLENT THING. Not least because Bill, the guy you’d expect to be the love interest, is the most boring adolescent male to ever cross the YA stage and they should’ve just taken him out to be honest.
Basically what I’m trying to say here is I. LOVE. THIS. FAMILY. Please oh please gods of YA give me more crazy wild big families with loving but imperfect parents and lots of loving but imperfect older siblings and character development and just UGH BIG LOVING FULL WELL-CHARACTERIZED FAMILIES.
Especially when they live in a pretty, weirdly-designed, aging home that’s constantly wild well-described...I loved this setting. I was literally sad they were selling it! Basically this book was giving me HGTV and pre-divorce pre-infidelity pre-teenage Jon & Kate Plus Eight and I was getting my absolute life.
What else, what else...
Oh Morgan Matson does that thing where she brings characters from past books in, which like...I normally hate. Typically feels so cheesy and forced. But I didn’t mind it here so much? P cute. There’s a bonus scene at the end which I was Into.
Ooh and! Don’t forget this thing is insanely long (432 pages!) and sometimes it was very, very, very...dry. Which is a nice-ish way of saying “boring.” It was just way too long! And then so much drama in the last hundred pages!! Giving me whiplash, Matson. God this took a while to read. Goddamn Ulysses over here am I right ha ha.
Essentially what I’m saying is this book is long and uneven and strange and imperfect and SO SWEET AND UNIQUE AND ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING I NEED TO SEE MORE OF IN YA.
That’s my bottom line.
-------------------
reread updates
i finished a book and it only took me two weeks.
call my reading slump vanquished.
(end sarcasm)
--------------
the haters might try to tell you that i forgot i was reading this. and they'd be absolutely right
--------------
it simply is not summer until i've read a morgan matson book
-------------------
pre-review
This wasn't even slightly what I expected/have long wanted from this book.........but I think I liked it????
Like. I think I liked it a lot????
I DON'T KNOW BUT. EXCITING.
review to come!!
-------------------
tbr review
I bought a signed first edition of this book (good). But my copy had three stickers on the dust jacket (bad). Not a single one of those stickers came off easily and NOW THERE ARE TRACES OF STICKER GOOP PRESENT.
WHICH IS VERY, VERY BAD INDEED.
If the rest of this reading experience isn't a massive improvement the universe will collapse in on itself like a dying star.
April 1, 2019
2.5 Stars. Unfortunately, this book didn’t really do it for me! I’ve always considered myself a fan of Morgan Matson, even though I haven’t picked up her books in a few years, but Save The Date did not resonate with me the same way her other books have. Not sure if it’s an outlier compared to her previous works or I’ve just grown out of her style, but I wish I would have enjoyed it more.
Save The Date was kind of a roller coaster for me. I didn’t like it, then I was enjoying it. Then I went back to disliking it and liked it again, so I’m unsure how to really feel about it! The beginning was a big struggle for me because there was SO MUCH exposition before the story really began. I fully understand the need to establish long-standing relationships (especially among family members!) But it felt as if the first two hours of this audiobook was entirely set up, which was frustrating to power through. I’m not a reader who loves a ton of flashbacks, so when a story is supposed to be told in real time but is oversaturated with past anecdotes, I get annoyed.
What I did like about Save The Date was the family dynamic! I’m a sucker for (1) a story about a large family and (2) a story about siblings who are very close, and this novel had both! While I don’t feel the characters individually are anything special, I really enjoyed getting to know them as a unit. I feel the way the Grants operate and their family history was very unique. Their strong bond and family struggles were one of the highlights of my reading experience.
I will note that Charlie, the protagonist, was particularly irritating at times. I found her very immature and naïve (beyond the typical young adult main characters I encounter). I think this was reinforced by the audiobook narrator – her tone made it sound like Charlie was a 12 year old who is wonderstruck about ~everything~ that happens instead of a 17 year old. I try not to be too judgmental of how teens are portrayed in YA because I know these are books about teens FOR teens and adolescents are often unfairly viewed as annoying and incompetent, but Charlie exceeded my limits. I do think nearing the end of the story, she went through some truly great character development. I understand her initial reactions to certain events were intentional to show her growth, but she made me enjoy the story much less while reading.
My final gripe with the story is that it was just too unrealistic for me. I get it – this is fiction. But I do expect some semblance of reality with modern-day contemporary stories. It sounds silly but too much went wrong. I think the story would have benefited even from just one or two less mishaps because the constant mistakes and failures ended up making the novel SUPER predictable. There was no anticipation IF something would go wrong because we could assume that every plan would go amiss. I will admit to being “nit-picky” about this particular aspect because you go into the story knowing this is the plot, but I can’t help that it lead to LOTS of eye rolls while reading.
Despite my many criticisms of the novel, there was one twist that really shocked me and made me enjoy the story more! Up until this point, the book was just so surface-level to me and it felt like it was lacking something significant. Then we get hit with an unexpected emotional impact that created so much more depth for the characters and their story! I was really pleased with this surprise direction – It was the right choice to begin closing out the novel.
Generally, I didn’t love Save The Date. I’m not even sure if I really liked it! I struggled a lot with this novel, but it did have it’s compelling moments. I’d recommend this to people who are looking for a light, fluffy read AND can see past an over-embellished story to be entertained, but for those looking for a very satisfying young adult contemporary, I’d search elsewhere.
Save The Date was kind of a roller coaster for me. I didn’t like it, then I was enjoying it. Then I went back to disliking it and liked it again, so I’m unsure how to really feel about it! The beginning was a big struggle for me because there was SO MUCH exposition before the story really began. I fully understand the need to establish long-standing relationships (especially among family members!) But it felt as if the first two hours of this audiobook was entirely set up, which was frustrating to power through. I’m not a reader who loves a ton of flashbacks, so when a story is supposed to be told in real time but is oversaturated with past anecdotes, I get annoyed.
What I did like about Save The Date was the family dynamic! I’m a sucker for (1) a story about a large family and (2) a story about siblings who are very close, and this novel had both! While I don’t feel the characters individually are anything special, I really enjoyed getting to know them as a unit. I feel the way the Grants operate and their family history was very unique. Their strong bond and family struggles were one of the highlights of my reading experience.
I will note that Charlie, the protagonist, was particularly irritating at times. I found her very immature and naïve (beyond the typical young adult main characters I encounter). I think this was reinforced by the audiobook narrator – her tone made it sound like Charlie was a 12 year old who is wonderstruck about ~everything~ that happens instead of a 17 year old. I try not to be too judgmental of how teens are portrayed in YA because I know these are books about teens FOR teens and adolescents are often unfairly viewed as annoying and incompetent, but Charlie exceeded my limits. I do think nearing the end of the story, she went through some truly great character development. I understand her initial reactions to certain events were intentional to show her growth, but she made me enjoy the story much less while reading.
My final gripe with the story is that it was just too unrealistic for me. I get it – this is fiction. But I do expect some semblance of reality with modern-day contemporary stories. It sounds silly but too much went wrong. I think the story would have benefited even from just one or two less mishaps because the constant mistakes and failures ended up making the novel SUPER predictable. There was no anticipation IF something would go wrong because we could assume that every plan would go amiss. I will admit to being “nit-picky” about this particular aspect because you go into the story knowing this is the plot, but I can’t help that it lead to LOTS of eye rolls while reading.
Despite my many criticisms of the novel, there was one twist that really shocked me and made me enjoy the story more! Up until this point, the book was just so surface-level to me and it felt like it was lacking something significant. Then we get hit with an unexpected emotional impact that created so much more depth for the characters and their story! I was really pleased with this surprise direction – It was the right choice to begin closing out the novel.
Generally, I didn’t love Save The Date. I’m not even sure if I really liked it! I struggled a lot with this novel, but it did have it’s compelling moments. I’d recommend this to people who are looking for a light, fluffy read AND can see past an over-embellished story to be entertained, but for those looking for a very satisfying young adult contemporary, I’d search elsewhere.
February 6, 2019
Charlie Grant is finally going to have her entire family under one roof. Her four siblings Danny, JJ, Mike, and Linnie are going to spend the weekend in the Grant home for one last time before her parents sell the house. Linnie’s long time dream of getting married in the Grant home is finally coming true but it’s not going to be easy and everything seems to have a way of going wrong. From power outages, to not having a suit, and that crazy alarm that won’t stop going off, they have more than enough on their hands. The book start with the grant family reuniting but also with the news that their event planner was embezzling money and is no longer their event planner for obvious reasons.
Charlie has to pick a college to attend, but she’s not sure she wants to leave home especially when her parents are selling the house, so she is considering going to the college in her town. Charlie usually gets wrapped up in her siblings because they’re together so rarely and she struggles to maintain her life outside her family.
I like that this book focuses on family dynamics and how the wedding is coming together rather than focusing on the romance. The romance is only a small part of the book which is not a bad thing because this family is amazing and watching them have fun, make jokes, and the overall shenanigans is great. This family is just so adorable, each of their personalities mesh very well and watching Charlie reminisce the things that have happened in this house is wonderful. Linnie’s to be husband, Rodney, has practically been a part of this family since they started dating. The entire Grant family considers him family anyway and they all get along, so no trouble on that end.
I loved that parts of this book was hilarious and loving and the other parts was serious yet brought the family together. The relationship between each of the siblings is mind blowing and watching this entire family have their own inside jokes, bets, insults, and nicknames is heartwarming. Just seeing this family function in their own unique way is mesmerizing and seeing them try to function through all the problems that occur in the span of two days is hilarious. I love that this book was so funny at times.
I flew through this book, not kidding, I finished it in the same day I started it all while ignoring a ton of work I really had to do, so just another day in my life. This book was beautiful and heartwarming, I give it 5 stars and recommend it to contemporary lovers.
Charlie has to pick a college to attend, but she’s not sure she wants to leave home especially when her parents are selling the house, so she is considering going to the college in her town. Charlie usually gets wrapped up in her siblings because they’re together so rarely and she struggles to maintain her life outside her family.
I like that this book focuses on family dynamics and how the wedding is coming together rather than focusing on the romance. The romance is only a small part of the book which is not a bad thing because this family is amazing and watching them have fun, make jokes, and the overall shenanigans is great. This family is just so adorable, each of their personalities mesh very well and watching Charlie reminisce the things that have happened in this house is wonderful. Linnie’s to be husband, Rodney, has practically been a part of this family since they started dating. The entire Grant family considers him family anyway and they all get along, so no trouble on that end.
I loved that parts of this book was hilarious and loving and the other parts was serious yet brought the family together. The relationship between each of the siblings is mind blowing and watching this entire family have their own inside jokes, bets, insults, and nicknames is heartwarming. Just seeing this family function in their own unique way is mesmerizing and seeing them try to function through all the problems that occur in the span of two days is hilarious. I love that this book was so funny at times.
I flew through this book, not kidding, I finished it in the same day I started it all while ignoring a ton of work I really had to do, so just another day in my life. This book was beautiful and heartwarming, I give it 5 stars and recommend it to contemporary lovers.
June 22, 2018
Super cute! I loved the family and all the funniness! Can’t wait to read more of Morgan Matson‘s books!
January 6, 2020
cute contemporary with a misleading synopsis!
or maybe not misleading, but i got a completely different vibe while reading this book. i assumed it was going to be a hijinks-y romantic story a la sara dessen but instead it was a lil deeper. which i really appreciated.
the core of the story is about growing up, figuring out what you want out of life, and figuring out that your perfect family is perhaps fallible. which is something i personally felt very seen by and would have appreciated reading even more when i was a senior in high school.
and there wasn't much romance in here which i thought was kind of refreshing. especially given the time in the main character's life. like who is here to find the love of their life right before going away to college lol.
reading Peruse Project's favorite books
or maybe not misleading, but i got a completely different vibe while reading this book. i assumed it was going to be a hijinks-y romantic story a la sara dessen but instead it was a lil deeper. which i really appreciated.
the core of the story is about growing up, figuring out what you want out of life, and figuring out that your perfect family is perhaps fallible. which is something i personally felt very seen by and would have appreciated reading even more when i was a senior in high school.
and there wasn't much romance in here which i thought was kind of refreshing. especially given the time in the main character's life. like who is here to find the love of their life right before going away to college lol.
reading Peruse Project's favorite books
October 27, 2020
Cute story! But pretty predictable. Her family members are something else. It reminded me of my own family with five kids, parents and a dog. Always talking over one another, never getting any peace and quiet etc. Enjoyable read! Let’s hope I can read more books by the end of this year.
January 4, 2019
i grew up with a small family - just my parents and younger brother. i do have a bigger extended family, but they lived so far away that i rarely saw them. so reading books about large family dynamics is always exciting for me because i get a chance to experience something unfamiliar.
and i think family is the one thing this book did right. i absolutely adored all of the interactions and banter between the grant siblings. there was a moment where i felt overwhelmed with all of the characters (there were a lot of them) and was worried there would be too many to even care about, but i loved the bickering, support, teasing, and love. it felt very real and genuine, which was refreshing because the rest of the book was quite absurd.
i didnt hate it, but it got to the point where one bad thing happening after another (in the most ridiculous way possible, i might add) became too unrealistic to enjoy. i understand a faux pas here and there for comedic value, but this was literally one disaster after another. unfortunately, it just became more frustrating than it was funny, as it just felt all over the place with too much going on.
overall, this was light and fun, in true morgan matson fashion. and even though the storyline itself fell short for me, the focus on what it means to be a family and appreciating those who love you was the books one redeeming quality.
↠ 3 stars
and i think family is the one thing this book did right. i absolutely adored all of the interactions and banter between the grant siblings. there was a moment where i felt overwhelmed with all of the characters (there were a lot of them) and was worried there would be too many to even care about, but i loved the bickering, support, teasing, and love. it felt very real and genuine, which was refreshing because the rest of the book was quite absurd.
i didnt hate it, but it got to the point where one bad thing happening after another (in the most ridiculous way possible, i might add) became too unrealistic to enjoy. i understand a faux pas here and there for comedic value, but this was literally one disaster after another. unfortunately, it just became more frustrating than it was funny, as it just felt all over the place with too much going on.
overall, this was light and fun, in true morgan matson fashion. and even though the storyline itself fell short for me, the focus on what it means to be a family and appreciating those who love you was the books one redeeming quality.
↠ 3 stars
January 24, 2018
I loved this SO much and I am very emotional. I think it might’ve knocked Amy & Roger from my #2 spot of favorite MM books.
I won’t really talk in depth about much to spare anyone the waiting but I LOVED the characters, the big family, and all the hijinks.
SO MUCH GOOD STUFF.
Will probably reread and do a video review closer to when the book releases in June.
I won’t really talk in depth about much to spare anyone the waiting but I LOVED the characters, the big family, and all the hijinks.
SO MUCH GOOD STUFF.
Will probably reread and do a video review closer to when the book releases in June.
May 7, 2018
i adore weddings, like its such a fun time for celebration ft. mountains of food and a free space where no one will judge you for stuffing your face
honestly, does it get better??
so going into this book, i was highkey ready for that 5 star rating and well, i didn't dislike it, but it didn't shake my world either
Pros
- BIG. NOISY. FAMILY.
- fun, lighthearted, family-oriented plot
- ft. //that// brother that always has the lame jokes that everyone rolls their eyes at but secretly loves
- disasters upon disasters
- CLARK'S FRICKEN CAMEO I SCREAMED MY NERD BABY
- wedding nightmares (this isn't a pro if you're the bride, but its hilarious to see that no matter how much you plan, weddings can never just go right)
- the cover's so cute and fun
- THE COMICS FEATURED i could honestly get more of that
- the alaRM
- seriously i loved the family dynamics sm its just so fun to see big dysfunctional families featured in ya
- beagle
Cons
- while i generally loved the plot and idea behind the book, the execution wasn't as dazzling
- i found the plot draggggeeedddd over a course of 400 pages when it really didn't need to
- i couldn't connect with our mc even tho she seemed to check all the boxes
- (she was really idk, standoff-ish to her bro's gf and i was just not here for it- yes yes, character development and all, but idk it was meh for me)
- the romance also didn't go for me. usually i adore Matson's love interests, but this one really seemed like a sub-sub plot and the whole love triangle dynamic had me uninterested
overall, it was a really fun, summer, read and i would totally recomend it as something lighthearted and fun but i didn't feel like it was a book you could get lost inside
3.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I REQUESTED THIS ON NETGALLEY ON A WHIM AND SOMEHOW I GOT ACCEPTED HOW DID THIS HAPPEN IM SO FJDAKLFJDAL;FJA EXCITED AND HAPPY
much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request. all opinions are mineeeee
June 1, 2019
"How was it that you only fully realized what you had when it was gone? And I knew there would be new friends, new experiences, maybe even amazing adventures ahead of me. But I felt like I needed, for just a moment, to appreciate what I was - what we all were - leaving behind."
Save the Date was such an enjoyable, comfy read. The Grant family was the kind of family we'd all want to be a part of. They were funny, imperfect, loving and so real. It felt like I was in their house the entire time I was reading.
The plot revolves around Linnie's wedding and the weekend of festivities which coincide with the mom's final installment of her famed comic strip which was loosely based off the family. Now, it's impossible to sum everything up that happens in that 1 tidy sentence. There was lots of family drama, & wedding mishaps along the way but what really grabbed me was the sibling relationships in the story. Charlie's love for her brothers & sister and her utter devotion to the Grant family shine through so vividly. It was hard not to fall in love with this bunch.
This was a perfect summer read - quick, light, funny & heartwarming.
Save the Date was such an enjoyable, comfy read. The Grant family was the kind of family we'd all want to be a part of. They were funny, imperfect, loving and so real. It felt like I was in their house the entire time I was reading.
The plot revolves around Linnie's wedding and the weekend of festivities which coincide with the mom's final installment of her famed comic strip which was loosely based off the family. Now, it's impossible to sum everything up that happens in that 1 tidy sentence. There was lots of family drama, & wedding mishaps along the way but what really grabbed me was the sibling relationships in the story. Charlie's love for her brothers & sister and her utter devotion to the Grant family shine through so vividly. It was hard not to fall in love with this bunch.
This was a perfect summer read - quick, light, funny & heartwarming.
August 5, 2018
More like a 3.5 BECAUSE I'VE NEVRR BEEN MORE STRESSED READING THIS BOOK. BUT DAMN. POIGNANT THERE AT THE END. I feel like as an adult, I got it, it resonated in me, but to a teen this could be just a fun read. But type A personality almost DNF this book so hard. Oh gosh, some scenes I wish I read while taking shots. LOL
June 30, 2018
Ohhhh. This was so FUNNY and CUTE. My first Morgan Matson’s book :).
June 18, 2018
3.75/5
It was all about a wedding which is my jam so I loved reading behind the scenes of one. I also enjoyed how it mostly centered around the Grant family & the complexity of the relationships between them all.
🍰 🐶
I’m not going to lie, this book annoyed me at times. Mostly the situations in it really. Almost every situation if something could go wrong, it did...big time. It often reminded me of some movies where crazy situations keep happening which give me such bad anxiety honestly. 🍰
Overall I did really enjoy this book and would say it’s a great summer read. It’s long but fast to fly through and you will fall in love with the Grant family & Waffles The dog of course!
It was all about a wedding which is my jam so I loved reading behind the scenes of one. I also enjoyed how it mostly centered around the Grant family & the complexity of the relationships between them all.
🍰 🐶
I’m not going to lie, this book annoyed me at times. Mostly the situations in it really. Almost every situation if something could go wrong, it did...big time. It often reminded me of some movies where crazy situations keep happening which give me such bad anxiety honestly. 🍰
Overall I did really enjoy this book and would say it’s a great summer read. It’s long but fast to fly through and you will fall in love with the Grant family & Waffles The dog of course!
July 27, 2018
This book had one of the best family dynamics that I’ve read in a long time. So loving, so flawed and so funny!
August 10, 2018
It was that feeling like when the lights come up after a movie—how it takes a minute to let go of the world you’d been immersed in.
I've been patiently waiting for this newest Matson's book, back when its release date had been set for the same day as Sarah Dessen's Once and For All, both surrounding the wedding season, though, the latter is more on planning than attending one. Save the Date still holds the same hectic atmosphere since the main event - the wedding - is taking place at the Grant's house with a bunch of siblings set to arrive all at once.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning:
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.
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.
I forgot how quickly these contemporary reads go by. You start to get into it and then poof the book's over.
Save the Date , in particular, hit it off with a bang by starting with a romantic get-together that swept me right into the storyline. I’m a (low-key) sucker for obsessional crushes, so seeing Charlie’s keenness on her childhood crush was all too real; Jesse Foster is no longer a boy in her eyes, but a mythical figure that can do no wrong.
The book hits the mark on experiencing unrequited crushes and observing from the sidelines. Like my favorite quote from To All the Boys I've Loved Before conveys: 'You'd rather make up a fantasy version of somebody in your head than be with a real person.’
I mean, I can’t stop thinking about this:
“Jesse didn’t move over from his spot on the middle cushion, so when I sat on the couch, I was closer to him than I had ever been before, except for two memorable occasions—when we’d been stuck in an elevator together at a laser tag place for Mike’s fourteenth birthday, and a memorable car ride when I was twelve and we’d been coming back from playing mini golf in Hartfield, all of us crammed into the car, and somehow, I’d ended up in the way back next to Jesse, Mike on his other side. And Jesse kept turning to talk to Mike, which meant he kept leaning into me, his bare leg pressing against mine. It had been a thirty-minute ride home, and the whole time, I’d prayed for a traffic jam, a road closure, a flat tire—anything to keep it going longer. So, as I sat on the couch next to him now, it was with full awareness that this proximity to him—voluntary, as opposed to car-logistic mandated—was a brand-new thing.”
*rubs hands together* Now, it’s getting good.
“She didn’t know what it was like to look and wish and want, always two steps behind the person, always on the edges of their life. What it was like to stand next to someone and know you weren’t registering with them, not in any meaningful way. That you thought about someone a thousand times more than they’d ever thought about you. To know that you were just a face in the crowd scenes while they were center stage. And then, all at once, to have the spotlight finally swing over to you. To suddenly be visible, to be seen, no longer one of the people in the background who never get any lines. To suddenly be in the midst of something you’d only ever looked at from the sidelines. What that felt like when it finally happened, dropped in your lap when you were least expecting it, like a gift you were half-afraid to open.”
This right here is exactly why I so love Wren’s line from Fangirl: “That moment," she told Cath, "when you realize that a guy's looking at you differently—that you're taking up more space in his field of vision. That moment when you know he can't see past you anymore.”
I'll never tire of seeing books get it right when discussing something close to heart. I was living vicariously through Charlie and Jesse's interactions, which is why this became such a pivotal reading experience for me when it went the extra mile of showing the reason these types of crushes don't tend to develop any further is because you hold them on this invisible pedestal, whereas for them you're just a body in a crowd.
���He was a nice guy. He was cute, and he was a great kisser. But that was actually all I really knew about him, Jesse the actual person. I couldn’t have told you his favorite movie, or his roommate’s name, or his greatest fear. He wasn’t who I thought he was all those years, because that person didn’t exist. That Jesse was just a compilation of everything I’d projected onto him, coupled with a handful of real-life interactions that I’d given far too much value to.”
Her anthem should include Dua Lipa's New Rules.
Source
Analysing and reading into their every move can become exhausting really quickly, so I was beyond grateful to safely experience from the sidelines where all this can lead to with Save the Date . (Another great book that touches upon this is The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.)
I'm putting that major revelation aside by moving on to discuss the actual book, which is 'what you see is what you get' synopsis-wise since the entirety of it is set around three hectic wedding days (without any major flashbacks). Consequently, the usual contemporary, summer fun isn’t quite as present here as with Matson's previous books, especially when each developing storyline could be detected from a mile away.
The only remaining upside Save the Date held for me were Charlie's siblings with their dynamic personalities put into one house. It's the little things that made them seem so close to me. Like, calling for "witnesses" when making a bet, or their "not it" gesture of pulling on their earlobe.
“This was one of the thousands of tiny things that only happened when we were together, one of the things you didn’t know you’d miss until it was gone.”
It's these details that are able to procure real, authentic moments.
“Mike Drop?”
“No!” I said quickly. Mike Drops were something that J.J. and Danny had done a lot when Mike was in elementary school and they were much, much bigger than he was. It was true to its name—Danny would pick up Mike, yell “Mike Drop!” and toss him in the air and J.J. would dash in and catch him just before he hit the floor. All of which had worked out great when Mike was six. But as they’d all gotten older, J.J. sometimes forgot to catch him, and they had a way of getting people injured, sometimes all three of them in the same Mike Drop.”
They were a never-ending hoot to read about. As well as the scarcely Grant Central Station comic strips scattered throughout.
Plus, there's the added bonus of featuring quite the creative chapter titles that make for a compelling road ahead, with favorites including: “Or, Acronyms Are Not Always a Good Idea Or, AANAAGI” & “Or, 98% of All Statistics Are Made Up on the Spot.”
Overall, Save the Date was an enjoyable YA read, though a bit rushed in places, and included just the right amount of fun and laughter.
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December 22, 2020
Big families and wedding drama? This is the story of my life.
It was really great to read about someone else's problems when it comes to those two things. This book was just so entertaining and it had me sitting with my bowl popcorn.
Charlie has made it her mission to ensure that her sister's wedding at their family home runs smoothly. The house they've lived in for two decades has been sold and this is the last weekend they have for the whole Grant family to be together.
Nothing can go wrong....at least until everything does. Missing wedding planners and misplaced decorations. Meddlesome neighbours and a paper girl with a grudge.
The weekend of her sisters wedding also happens to be the ending of Charlie's moms famous comic strip, Grant Central Station, which she based on their family.
As the youngest of five kids, Charlie remembers the days when her whole family lived together to be as is depicted in her moms comic. The perfect family. This weekend is a wake up call to Charlie that not everything was as perfect as she remembers.
All in all, this book was really fun! Slightly ridiculous and unrealistic but still super fun!
______
Pre-Read Rambles
Okay guys, I'm going in. This will officially be my first Morgan Matson book. Please be good to me. 🙇
It was really great to read about someone else's problems when it comes to those two things. This book was just so entertaining and it had me sitting with my bowl popcorn.
Charlie has made it her mission to ensure that her sister's wedding at their family home runs smoothly. The house they've lived in for two decades has been sold and this is the last weekend they have for the whole Grant family to be together.
Nothing can go wrong....at least until everything does. Missing wedding planners and misplaced decorations. Meddlesome neighbours and a paper girl with a grudge.
The weekend of her sisters wedding also happens to be the ending of Charlie's moms famous comic strip, Grant Central Station, which she based on their family.
As the youngest of five kids, Charlie remembers the days when her whole family lived together to be as is depicted in her moms comic. The perfect family. This weekend is a wake up call to Charlie that not everything was as perfect as she remembers.
All in all, this book was really fun! Slightly ridiculous and unrealistic but still super fun!
______
Pre-Read Rambles
Okay guys, I'm going in. This will officially be my first Morgan Matson book. Please be good to me. 🙇
May 12, 2019
3.75 stars
I was expecting a bit more romance in here than I got, and some of the themes were a little more on the nose than I’d have liked, but it was still fun.
I was expecting a bit more romance in here than I got, and some of the themes were a little more on the nose than I’d have liked, but it was still fun.
October 3, 2018
This is my second Morgan Matson book and it's the highest I rated too, I'm beginning to think that her books aren't for me :(
I never really minded this in books before but this felt like a bunch of rich white people trying to fix problems they caused themselves, with money. And I'm using the word problems with the broadest definition of the word because some of them were honestly like first world problems.
I hated this book from the very first chapter, in which the MC meets her crush at a party and suddenly they are alone, a few minutes pass and things are moving fast between them.
And I absolutely hated Charlie, I wanted her to have a stronger personality then this because it felt she's been used and she went 100% with it.
The entire plotline with Jesse was absolutely unnecessary.
And don't even get me started with the rest of her family, they all were different level of jerks. And only one of them was confronted (not really) for his behavior, having casual unstable relationships.
And her mom, gosh I hated her. She did something wrong and never apologized for it. I mean for god's sake your teenage son had the decency to apologize so why not you!?
The way this family dealt with their neighbors is absolute trash. The mother does this comic in the newspaper and basically uses people she meets irl in it without asking them, she even tell the rest of the family to deny it if asked. What a poop!
Oh and the signs, the freaking signs!
Her brothers had this stupid tradition of stealing a street sign, and their mom ever the caring one used this in the comic saying she did it to teach them a lesson while Charlie said I'm sure she did it to get some extra publicity for the comic, which reading about her I have no doubt it's the later.
So here's how this situation ended.
"My parents, alarmed that it was going this far—and by this point, I think they’d discovered just how high the penalty for stealing town property could be—got it settled quietly. My siblings never had to admit guilt, but, coincidentally, all of them spent a month doing community service that summer. My parents made a large donation to the Stanwich Public Works Department, a new Grant Avenue sign was installed, much higher than street signs normally were. And that seemed to be the end of it—at least for the Grants in the real world."
Top notch parenting😤
And then came the interview and I was absolutely done. This is exactly what I hated about them, they just feel like such jerks, people are trying to do their jobs and they just don't care.
“And we’re out,” Jill yelled, sounding disgusted. But I didn’t care about that—or about the fact that Jackson Goodman was storming out of our family room, or that the alarm was still going off. I was still laughing, with little hiccups punctuating each one, and Rodney was wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. I met Mike’s eye, which set us off again, and like he wanted to join in"
Deep breaths Fares.
Very deep breaths Fares.
Anyway, it wasn't all bad. Charlie's development was really good. And it probably would've been funnier for me if it wasn't for that stupid first chapter.
I actually never laughed even once reading this and I really was in a contemporary mood after all the fantasy I've been reading. This book was so very disappointing.
Oh an the situation between Mike and his mom was the best thing about the book but it was so easily fixed and brushed over as nothing at the end and that just was poop.
Same thing goes for
That's all, thank you for reading and always stay awesomer than the Grants :)
I never really minded this in books before but this felt like a bunch of rich white people trying to fix problems they caused themselves, with money. And I'm using the word problems with the broadest definition of the word because some of them were honestly like first world problems.
I hated this book from the very first chapter, in which the MC meets her crush at a party and suddenly they are alone, a few minutes pass and things are moving fast between them.
And I absolutely hated Charlie, I wanted her to have a stronger personality then this because it felt she's been used and she went 100% with it.
The entire plotline with Jesse was absolutely unnecessary.
And don't even get me started with the rest of her family, they all were different level of jerks. And only one of them was confronted (not really) for his behavior, having casual unstable relationships.
And her mom, gosh I hated her. She did something wrong and never apologized for it. I mean for god's sake your teenage son had the decency to apologize so why not you!?
The way this family dealt with their neighbors is absolute trash. The mother does this comic in the newspaper and basically uses people she meets irl in it without asking them, she even tell the rest of the family to deny it if asked. What a poop!
Oh and the signs, the freaking signs!
Her brothers had this stupid tradition of stealing a street sign, and their mom ever the caring one used this in the comic saying she did it to teach them a lesson while Charlie said I'm sure she did it to get some extra publicity for the comic, which reading about her I have no doubt it's the later.
So here's how this situation ended.
"My parents, alarmed that it was going this far—and by this point, I think they’d discovered just how high the penalty for stealing town property could be—got it settled quietly. My siblings never had to admit guilt, but, coincidentally, all of them spent a month doing community service that summer. My parents made a large donation to the Stanwich Public Works Department, a new Grant Avenue sign was installed, much higher than street signs normally were. And that seemed to be the end of it—at least for the Grants in the real world."
Top notch parenting😤
And then came the interview and I was absolutely done. This is exactly what I hated about them, they just feel like such jerks, people are trying to do their jobs and they just don't care.
“And we’re out,” Jill yelled, sounding disgusted. But I didn’t care about that—or about the fact that Jackson Goodman was storming out of our family room, or that the alarm was still going off. I was still laughing, with little hiccups punctuating each one, and Rodney was wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. I met Mike’s eye, which set us off again, and like he wanted to join in"
Deep breaths Fares.
Very deep breaths Fares.
Anyway, it wasn't all bad. Charlie's development was really good. And it probably would've been funnier for me if it wasn't for that stupid first chapter.
I actually never laughed even once reading this and I really was in a contemporary mood after all the fantasy I've been reading. This book was so very disappointing.
Oh an the situation between Mike and his mom was the best thing about the book but it was so easily fixed and brushed over as nothing at the end and that just was poop.
Same thing goes for
That's all, thank you for reading and always stay awesomer than the Grants :)
September 2, 2021
It’s not my favorite of her books but it made me laugh and it had some sad and happy
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
July 26, 2018
Save the Date is absolutely wonderful. it's funny and touching and just... wonderful. I love the focus on thr Grant family, and it was really cool to see the dynamic among the family as a whole unit as well as in smaller groupings. And all the wedding hijinks are amazing. Full review to come!
Pre-review:
I can't make this stupid gif load correctly, but to quote Tom Haverford: "This is America. I want it now!"
Pre-review:
I can't make this stupid gif load correctly, but to quote Tom Haverford: "This is America. I want it now!"
July 21, 2018
Rating: 4.5 stars
Who let me sleep on Morgan Matson books for so long?!?! Seriously, I want to know because I've been missing out. This was such a cute and funny story and yet it got real deep at times too, which I totally was not expecting. The characters were all extremely lovable and somehow this book made it feel like I actually grew up with the Grant family.
The story revolves around Charlie, whose older sister Linnie is getting married in a backyard wedding at their home for one last hoorah before her parents sell the house. Charlie desperately wants to have the most amazing time with her four older siblings before she graduates high school and goes to college. But when everything, and I mean EVERYTHING starts going wrong, Charlie needs to come to grip with her new reality and realize that sometimes we cannot live our lives stuck in the past and must move forward. As Linnie's wedding approaches so does the end of their mothers nationally beloved comic strip which is loosely centered around the Grant family. The family is set for an interview with Good Morning America the day after the wedding to discuss the comic coming to a close and showing the world who the Grant's really are.
Now before we get to the end, let's get to the DISASTER that led up to Linnie's wedding. I'm just saying, I was no bridezilla when I got married but if everything poor Linnie went through happened to me I might have been writing this from a jail cell. Just picture everything you can think of involved in a wedding going so horribly wrong.
Wedding planner? Bailed.
Security alarm in the house? Goes off every two seconds.
Favorite brother brings home a girlfriend? The nerve.
Groom's tuxedo? Missing.
Family drama? Like you've never seen before.
Pesty neighbors? The cops are bound to show at some point.
Wedding cake? Hope you like it from the supermarket.
Birthday party decorations instead of wedding decorations? We're just getting warmed up, folks.
No power the day of the wedding? It's not like they need music or anything.
Speaking of bands, you like Journey right? Because that's all the band plays.
Did I mention the wrong band got sent to the wedding?
And the list goes on and on and on to create the most disastrous wedding in the history of weddings. It was hilarious.
Despite how hilarious this was, I was not expecting for this to get as deep as it did. Once the wedding is over and the guests have danced the night away, some revelations are made and Charlie realizes maybe her "picture perfect family" is not as perfect as it seems. At this point it's no surprise that Charlie hates change and fiercely clings to the past, but life is drastically about to change for her. Which leads us to the most hilarious Good Morning America interview the morning after the wedding, when the Grant family is so done with the events of the weekend that they totally wreck the interview. I need this book to be made into a movie. I WOULD PAY GOOD MONEY FOR IT.
All in all, this was the perfect contemporary I was looking for this summer. On top everything I mentioned there is still so much more to it and so many more disasters headed your way. I was able to relate to Charlie so much since I also hate change and feel the same way towards my family. I've always felt like I would rather hold on to the good times and memories rather than have life get in the way. So, I'm going to close this one out with some Grant family wisdom since I could really use it myself.
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Who let me sleep on Morgan Matson books for so long?!?! Seriously, I want to know because I've been missing out. This was such a cute and funny story and yet it got real deep at times too, which I totally was not expecting. The characters were all extremely lovable and somehow this book made it feel like I actually grew up with the Grant family.
The story revolves around Charlie, whose older sister Linnie is getting married in a backyard wedding at their home for one last hoorah before her parents sell the house. Charlie desperately wants to have the most amazing time with her four older siblings before she graduates high school and goes to college. But when everything, and I mean EVERYTHING starts going wrong, Charlie needs to come to grip with her new reality and realize that sometimes we cannot live our lives stuck in the past and must move forward. As Linnie's wedding approaches so does the end of their mothers nationally beloved comic strip which is loosely centered around the Grant family. The family is set for an interview with Good Morning America the day after the wedding to discuss the comic coming to a close and showing the world who the Grant's really are.
Now before we get to the end, let's get to the DISASTER that led up to Linnie's wedding. I'm just saying, I was no bridezilla when I got married but if everything poor Linnie went through happened to me I might have been writing this from a jail cell. Just picture everything you can think of involved in a wedding going so horribly wrong.
Wedding disasters include, but are not limited to:
Wedding planner? Bailed.
Security alarm in the house? Goes off every two seconds.
Favorite brother brings home a girlfriend? The nerve.
Groom's tuxedo? Missing.
Family drama? Like you've never seen before.
Pesty neighbors? The cops are bound to show at some point.
Wedding cake? Hope you like it from the supermarket.
Birthday party decorations instead of wedding decorations? We're just getting warmed up, folks.
No power the day of the wedding? It's not like they need music or anything.
Speaking of bands, you like Journey right? Because that's all the band plays.
Did I mention the wrong band got sent to the wedding?
And the list goes on and on and on to create the most disastrous wedding in the history of weddings. It was hilarious.
Despite how hilarious this was, I was not expecting for this to get as deep as it did. Once the wedding is over and the guests have danced the night away, some revelations are made and Charlie realizes maybe her "picture perfect family" is not as perfect as it seems. At this point it's no surprise that Charlie hates change and fiercely clings to the past, but life is drastically about to change for her. Which leads us to the most hilarious Good Morning America interview the morning after the wedding, when the Grant family is so done with the events of the weekend that they totally wreck the interview. I need this book to be made into a movie. I WOULD PAY GOOD MONEY FOR IT.
All in all, this was the perfect contemporary I was looking for this summer. On top everything I mentioned there is still so much more to it and so many more disasters headed your way. I was able to relate to Charlie so much since I also hate change and feel the same way towards my family. I've always felt like I would rather hold on to the good times and memories rather than have life get in the way. So, I'm going to close this one out with some Grant family wisdom since I could really use it myself.
“You need to move forward. If you don’t move on from the past, you’re going to miss out on some really amazing stuff in the future.”
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March 2, 2022
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. So many amazing books being released this summer and this made the perfect light, fun read. I went into it expecting somewhat of a romance, because the other MM books I’ve read have had that touch of romance, but it turns out this book is focused much more on family. And I truly loved the way SAVE THE DATE turned the Grant family inside out, exposing all their scars, as they prepare for the wedding of the oldest daughter.
Youngest daughter Charlie is the narrator, and she just wants all her siblings together again in one place before their parents sell the house and she goes off to college. Is that too much to ask for? But some siblings have been estranged, others may bring home uninvited guests, and then you just have those oddball family members that make life fun. This book capitalizes on that natural family feel and just makes you smile as the chaos of the wedding day ramps up.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
Youngest daughter Charlie is the narrator, and she just wants all her siblings together again in one place before their parents sell the house and she goes off to college. Is that too much to ask for? But some siblings have been estranged, others may bring home uninvited guests, and then you just have those oddball family members that make life fun. This book capitalizes on that natural family feel and just makes you smile as the chaos of the wedding day ramps up.
Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.
July 19, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I wanted this book as soon as I saw the cover. Naturally that meant I was denied an ARC and had to wait for the library to listen to another of my “please sir, may I have some more” requests for it to be purchased. I went into Save the Date hoping for something reminiscent of this . . . .
Without so much of this . . . .
But with some of this . . . .
And that’s pretty much what I got so YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
This is the story of the weekend of Charlie’s older sister’s wedding. It’s a time for the whole family to be reunited for the first time in a couple of years, for secrets to be revealed and old wounds to be reopened (and hopefully healed), and a time when maybe Charlie will get a shot at her longtime crush. With expectations for the perfect day, what could possibly go wrong????? Yep, pretty much everything . . . . .
If you are an actual young adult and not an old adult like myself PLEEEEEEEEEASE take this rating with agrain pound of salt. Also note that 3 Stars means “I liked it” and I did. It was cute and fluffy and the perfect summertime read and I will absolutely check out more by Morgan Matson after reading this. It just wasn’t a real world changer due to the familiarity of the plot and I’m also not a giant fan of slapstick comedy or every minute detail being covered regarding flowers and dresses and hair like a freaking Pinterest dream board.
I wanted this book as soon as I saw the cover. Naturally that meant I was denied an ARC and had to wait for the library to listen to another of my “please sir, may I have some more” requests for it to be purchased. I went into Save the Date hoping for something reminiscent of this . . . .
Without so much of this . . . .
But with some of this . . . .
And that’s pretty much what I got so YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
This is the story of the weekend of Charlie’s older sister’s wedding. It’s a time for the whole family to be reunited for the first time in a couple of years, for secrets to be revealed and old wounds to be reopened (and hopefully healed), and a time when maybe Charlie will get a shot at her longtime crush. With expectations for the perfect day, what could possibly go wrong????? Yep, pretty much everything . . . . .
If you are an actual young adult and not an old adult like myself PLEEEEEEEEEASE take this rating with a
June 10, 2018
2.5/5 stars.
Out of all of Morgan Matson’s books, this one was my least favourite. To me, “Save the Date” reads like a comedy in which everything goes wrong all the time, to the point that it’s not even realistic anymore. Charlie is our protagonist, and she’s trying to balance everything during one weekend in which her sister is getting married. Charlie wants for everything to go perfectly; needless to say, things go awry pretty quickly, and the plot turns into a predictable series of unfortunate events.
What still made this book interesting to read, nonetheless, were the characters. I felt warmed and comfortable reading about Charlie and her big family; it kind of felt like taking a nostalgic look back at my own time living at home. I also really loved the comic strips and the story behind - that part of the novel was probably my favourite.
But all in all, this novel was very underwhelming, and I can’t help wondering why Morgan Matson chose this plot to write a book about nostalgia, letting go and growing up. The themes were interesting, albeit too overt, but combined with the silly plot, “Save the Date” makes for a pretty underwhelming and predictable novel.
Out of all of Morgan Matson’s books, this one was my least favourite. To me, “Save the Date” reads like a comedy in which everything goes wrong all the time, to the point that it’s not even realistic anymore. Charlie is our protagonist, and she’s trying to balance everything during one weekend in which her sister is getting married. Charlie wants for everything to go perfectly; needless to say, things go awry pretty quickly, and the plot turns into a predictable series of unfortunate events.
What still made this book interesting to read, nonetheless, were the characters. I felt warmed and comfortable reading about Charlie and her big family; it kind of felt like taking a nostalgic look back at my own time living at home. I also really loved the comic strips and the story behind - that part of the novel was probably my favourite.
But all in all, this novel was very underwhelming, and I can’t help wondering why Morgan Matson chose this plot to write a book about nostalgia, letting go and growing up. The themes were interesting, albeit too overt, but combined with the silly plot, “Save the Date” makes for a pretty underwhelming and predictable novel.
June 15, 2018
RATING: 4.5/5
One of my most anticipated releases of 2018 and it was completely worth the wait ☺️
This would make an AMAZING movie!
One of my most anticipated releases of 2018 and it was completely worth the wait ☺️
This would make an AMAZING movie!
July 16, 2020
bueno es una historia entretenida sin más
la he ido leyendo a ratos porque no me ha enganchado...
sus portadas son preciosas 😍 es una novela fresca para el verano
la he ido leyendo a ratos porque no me ha enganchado...
sus portadas son preciosas 😍 es una novela fresca para el verano
July 5, 2018
2.5 stars?
I had only heard gushing reviews of how great this book was, so I was pretty excited for it when I finally got around to it. Sadly, I was bored.
I guess Charlie was an okay MC. The family was huge and because there were so many people to keep track of, no one felt fleshed out. And I legit couldn’t keep track of the brothers.
Plot wise it was bland. I mean, there are so many things happening that it was a bit too convoluted. Several of the plot lines seemed unnecessary and there for no purpose other than to fill a page.
Overall, it was a cute idea and there was a lot of potential, but the family dynamic just didn’t click.
**Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a finished copy free of charge**
I had only heard gushing reviews of how great this book was, so I was pretty excited for it when I finally got around to it. Sadly, I was bored.
I guess Charlie was an okay MC. The family was huge and because there were so many people to keep track of, no one felt fleshed out. And I legit couldn’t keep track of the brothers.
Plot wise it was bland. I mean, there are so many things happening that it was a bit too convoluted. Several of the plot lines seemed unnecessary and there for no purpose other than to fill a page.
Overall, it was a cute idea and there was a lot of potential, but the family dynamic just didn’t click.
**Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a finished copy free of charge**
July 17, 2018
thank you so much to simon & schuster for sending me a full copy in exchange for an honest review
TO READ MORE OF MY REVIEWS CLICK HERE
I have been anticipating Save The Date by Morgan Matson for some time now. I absolutely love Morgan Matson’s books and the ultimate feel-good vibe they give me. Save The Date was not what I was expecting. It shocked me so much at what an overwhelming feel-good read this was (yes, this is the third review in a row where I’ve said this). The characters all truly jump off the page and at the core Save The Date is not a romance. It is about a messy family and moving on. Change can be scary and this book really focuses on subtly letting the audience know the main character Charlie inside and out. This book is truly about family and the struggles and how change can actually be good for us.
Charlie Grant and her family have been known by America for the past 25 years. How? Her mother writes a comic in the newspaper. This comic has shared countless parallels with real life, with the comic ultimately being a more perfect version of them. With five kids in both real life and the comic, the Grant family is very easily what some people may call a mess. There is anger within some characters and too much excitement in others. As they all come together for the second eldest wedding disaster definitely occurs. This one last huzzah is happening just as Charlie’s mother is finishing up her comic strip. Charlie’s house is being sold and she needs to choose where she is going to college now. But, so much is changing and she is struggling to keep her head afloat and her panic stamped down. A random beagle, a criminal wedding planner and a missing suit are just the start of a night the Grant’s will never forget.
This book was truly such a delightful story. If you know me, you know my favourite dog is a beagle. If you know me and my family in real life you’ll know that years ago we had a dog named Waffles, which is exactly what the beagle in this book is named. The struggles and adventures of Charlie as she tries to make her sister’s wedding perfect are absolutely hilarious, while the book also touching on the serious topic of change. Despite this being a long contemporary novel I still highly recommend it. I feel this is perfect for someone who is moving away for college soon and is struggling with the concept.
Anyway, let’s jump into what I loved and didn’t love about Morgan Matson’s Save The Date.
what I liked
✗ DISASTERS HAD ME LAUGHING
Almost everything that could go wrong in this book did. It literally had me laughing out loud. Very rarely can a book make me physically laugh and smile, this book did it. Morgan Matson has a way with words and, overall, humour. I truly can’t remember being this happy while reading this book in a long time.
✗ EVERY CHARACTER HAD SO MUCH DEPTH
With such a large cast of characters it should be difficult to identify the individual voices. I think Morgan Matson did an amazing job. Even family members who only had a few lines were complex and amazingly written. I truly don’t know what else to say here. I am just blown away by the characters and how they flew off the page at me and basically smacked me in the face.
✗ FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Five siblings is always a mess. At one stage in my life I was in a family of seven like the Grant’s. However, I had three stepbrothers and one biological sister. That is no longer a thing due to my mum leaving their abusive father. Anyway, I know what the dynamic of five kids can be like and it is always a ride. Morgan Matson does an incredible job of including fights and what Charlie feels like as the youngest of the family.
✗ NOT A LOVE STORY
I went in to Save The Date expecting it to be a love story like all of Morgan Matson’s other works. That is not what I got. I know I’ve said it a few times in this review but I really can’t get over the message of this story. It was truly one that created power – moving on is hard when you want to dig your nails into your past. I think the characters did an excellent job of supporting one another during this as well. I just have no words. I am so glad this wasn’t a love story. Romance itself just didn’t really fit into this storyline.
what I didn’t like
✗ SOME SCENES WERE TOO CONFUSING
I know I said I loved that this book had a large cast of characters but man, it was so confusing at times. With ten characters in a scene it can get beyond confusing and I found myself stumbling over who was who. I know a few of the pronouns were mixed up on paper as well which lead to me going back and reading paragraphs in order to get a better grasp of what I was reading.
✗ JESSE WAS A USELESS CHARACTER
I know I said there is no love story but there is kind of a mild one. Jesse is Mike’s best friend. Mike is the second youngest in the Grant family and what I would call the black sheep of the family. However, Jesse added absolutely nothing apart from being kind of a player who Charlie had a crush on. It was honestly annoying. His addition to the story really did add nothing and took up page time that I felt was wasted.
Overall, you know when you read a book and you can vividly see it playing like a movie before your eyes? Save The Date is like that. I truly hope that in coming years this book does get a movie because it deserves it. It is an incredible laugh and would do amazing on the big screen. With an overall message that really hits home, I think this is a book that anyone can pick up and see a bit of themselves in.
TO READ MORE OF MY REVIEWS CLICK HERE
I have been anticipating Save The Date by Morgan Matson for some time now. I absolutely love Morgan Matson’s books and the ultimate feel-good vibe they give me. Save The Date was not what I was expecting. It shocked me so much at what an overwhelming feel-good read this was (yes, this is the third review in a row where I’ve said this). The characters all truly jump off the page and at the core Save The Date is not a romance. It is about a messy family and moving on. Change can be scary and this book really focuses on subtly letting the audience know the main character Charlie inside and out. This book is truly about family and the struggles and how change can actually be good for us.
Charlie Grant and her family have been known by America for the past 25 years. How? Her mother writes a comic in the newspaper. This comic has shared countless parallels with real life, with the comic ultimately being a more perfect version of them. With five kids in both real life and the comic, the Grant family is very easily what some people may call a mess. There is anger within some characters and too much excitement in others. As they all come together for the second eldest wedding disaster definitely occurs. This one last huzzah is happening just as Charlie’s mother is finishing up her comic strip. Charlie’s house is being sold and she needs to choose where she is going to college now. But, so much is changing and she is struggling to keep her head afloat and her panic stamped down. A random beagle, a criminal wedding planner and a missing suit are just the start of a night the Grant’s will never forget.
This book was truly such a delightful story. If you know me, you know my favourite dog is a beagle. If you know me and my family in real life you’ll know that years ago we had a dog named Waffles, which is exactly what the beagle in this book is named. The struggles and adventures of Charlie as she tries to make her sister’s wedding perfect are absolutely hilarious, while the book also touching on the serious topic of change. Despite this being a long contemporary novel I still highly recommend it. I feel this is perfect for someone who is moving away for college soon and is struggling with the concept.
Anyway, let’s jump into what I loved and didn’t love about Morgan Matson’s Save The Date.
what I liked
✗ DISASTERS HAD ME LAUGHING
Almost everything that could go wrong in this book did. It literally had me laughing out loud. Very rarely can a book make me physically laugh and smile, this book did it. Morgan Matson has a way with words and, overall, humour. I truly can’t remember being this happy while reading this book in a long time.
✗ EVERY CHARACTER HAD SO MUCH DEPTH
With such a large cast of characters it should be difficult to identify the individual voices. I think Morgan Matson did an amazing job. Even family members who only had a few lines were complex and amazingly written. I truly don’t know what else to say here. I am just blown away by the characters and how they flew off the page at me and basically smacked me in the face.
✗ FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Five siblings is always a mess. At one stage in my life I was in a family of seven like the Grant’s. However, I had three stepbrothers and one biological sister. That is no longer a thing due to my mum leaving their abusive father. Anyway, I know what the dynamic of five kids can be like and it is always a ride. Morgan Matson does an incredible job of including fights and what Charlie feels like as the youngest of the family.
✗ NOT A LOVE STORY
I went in to Save The Date expecting it to be a love story like all of Morgan Matson’s other works. That is not what I got. I know I’ve said it a few times in this review but I really can’t get over the message of this story. It was truly one that created power – moving on is hard when you want to dig your nails into your past. I think the characters did an excellent job of supporting one another during this as well. I just have no words. I am so glad this wasn’t a love story. Romance itself just didn’t really fit into this storyline.
what I didn’t like
✗ SOME SCENES WERE TOO CONFUSING
I know I said I loved that this book had a large cast of characters but man, it was so confusing at times. With ten characters in a scene it can get beyond confusing and I found myself stumbling over who was who. I know a few of the pronouns were mixed up on paper as well which lead to me going back and reading paragraphs in order to get a better grasp of what I was reading.
✗ JESSE WAS A USELESS CHARACTER
I know I said there is no love story but there is kind of a mild one. Jesse is Mike’s best friend. Mike is the second youngest in the Grant family and what I would call the black sheep of the family. However, Jesse added absolutely nothing apart from being kind of a player who Charlie had a crush on. It was honestly annoying. His addition to the story really did add nothing and took up page time that I felt was wasted.
Overall, you know when you read a book and you can vividly see it playing like a movie before your eyes? Save The Date is like that. I truly hope that in coming years this book does get a movie because it deserves it. It is an incredible laugh and would do amazing on the big screen. With an overall message that really hits home, I think this is a book that anyone can pick up and see a bit of themselves in.
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