Review by Booklist Review
Lord continues to break and mend hearts with her latest romance. After graduating high school, Riley believes she doesn't have a future. A heated argument with her mother leads Riley to hop on a bus headed to New York City with the hope of reconnecting with Tom, her childhood best friend. As children, Riley and Tom were inseparable, but he moved to New York City after their freshman year, and their intense friendship fizzled to sporadic texts over the next three years. In New York, Riley and Tom rediscover their "getaway list," the adventures the two had hoped to have. Riley and her ragtag group of newly made friends check off each item from the getaway list and learn something about themselves along the way. While the romantic elements are important, the novel is, first and foremost, a journey of young people grappling with expectations and learning what they want for themselves. Lord writes affectionately about bustling New York in this cozy, immersive story about self-discovery that her fans will love.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Recent high school graduate Riley Larson, 18, is dead set on leaving Falls Creek, Va. But after receiving rejections from all 10 colleges that she applied to, Riley is at a loss--not because she's sad that she didn't get in anywhere, but because she isn't sad at all. Hoping to embrace spontaneity and rediscover herself outside of academia, Riley rebuffs her overscheduled life of extracurriculars and part-time jobs and, despite her mother's protests, travels to New York City to reunite with her childhood best friend Tom, who moved there three years ago. Together with Tom's memorably realized friend group, Riley determines to spend the summer checking off items on their cowritten Getaway List, which includes going camping, road-tripping, seeing their favorite band perform live, and singing at a karaoke bar. In this heartfelt ode to betting on oneself, Lord (Begin Again) enriches a familiar "bucket list" premise with leaps-off-the-page atmosphere and a lived-in setting. Introspective depictions of family, friend, and romantic relationships are riddled with humor and rambunctious energy in this inspired carpe diem romp through the city of dreams. Riley and Tom read as white. Ages 12--up. Agent: Janna Bonikowski, Knight Agency. (Jan.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--On the day of her high school graduation, Riley Larson, who was rejected from every college she applied to, makes a spur of the moment decision to spend a weekend in New York City and reconnect with her best friend, Tom. This is supposed to be one last hurrah before starting a summer job and community college classes in the fall. But as Riley and Tom begin to check items off of their long-anticipated Getaway List, Riley realizes that one weekend isn't nearly enough time to spend with Tom or in New York City. Over the strong objections of her mother, Riley makes plans to stay in the city for the summer. As she spends days working as a bike messenger and going on adventures with an eclectic group of newfound friends, Riley begins to figure out who she is, what she wants, where her future lies, and who she wants to spend it with. This novel is an ode to found families and a love letter to New York City. Riley's journey of self-discovery is far from trite, and her story is an appropriate balance of earnest realizations and teenage antics as she explores new and existing relationships with friends, family, and romantic interests. Lord has reliably created a cast of fully formed, well-rounded secondary characters who all add something to the overall story, and her signature wit is present as well. VERDICT This friends-to-lovers rom-com is perfect for readers who enjoy books such as What If It's Us? by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera and Now That I've Found You by Kristina Forest.--Alison Glass
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two best friends come together after being separated for several years, tackling long-anticipated items on their Getaway List. Riley was turned down by all 10 colleges she applied to, and she's not upset about it, which concerns her--and really bothers her mother. With her history of joining childhood bestie Tom in good-natured troublemaking, Riley has spent the past few years of high school since getting suspended overwhelmed by the extracurriculars and jobs her mother sets up for her. Now that Riley's graduated, she realizes that she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. Against her mother's wishes, she travels from Virginia to New York City, back into the life of Tom, who moved there after ninth grade. What starts as a weekend away turns into a summer of discovery and adventure for the two 18-year-olds as they hang out with a quirky group of friends and work to complete the list of activities they started making after Tom's move. Together, Riley and Tom navigate the intricacies of self-discovery and their changing feelings for one another. This is a beautiful story of family, friendship, romantic love, and personal growth. Riley is a witty, reflective narrator, and the supporting characters are well formed and likable, keeping the humor and engagement high. Riley and Tom are cued white. An entertaining friends-to-lovers story that will have readers laughing and reflecting in equal measure. (Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
