Save the Date by Morgan Matson

Pages: 417 + bonus material
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Contemporary
Notes for Parents: Contains brief coarse language, and some mature scenes.
 
The Back Cover
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.
 
What the cover doesn’t tell you:
This was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction in 2018.
 
What’s good?
This is a story about a family trying to connect with each other. Charlie is the youngest, and she’s having trouble coping with all of the changes happening within her family, so she’s hoping her sister’s wedding brings everyone together. The characters are well-done and the premise feels fresh. Throw in a prodigal son, unexpected guest, a feuding neighbor, a neglected friend, a cute wedding planner, a divorce, a malfunctioning smoke alarm, and a dog, and you’ve got a fun story about a charming family.
Best Part: Grant Central Station and Waffles the dog
 
What isn’t good?
This novel was a lot longer than it had to be. The wordiness made it slow at times. Luckily the quality of characters kept me reading. The ending was predictable, but still worth it.
Worst part: The “love triangle.” We all know who she should be with.
 
Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4/5)
This was a fun book, and it would make a great tv movie!

Matson, Morgan. Save the Date. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018.