Hello! I’m excited to finally bring the next installment of my “favorite book of the month” series. These are probably some of the best-loved posts (at least for me) that I get to write on this blog, and have such a fun time picking apart exactly what I enjoyed about these books. **And as always, the work to support the Black community is not done, whether there is media coverage for it or not, so here is the link to click in order to support the Black Lives Matter movement in any way you can, and thank you to StarlahReads for compiling these resources.**
Today’s post is going to be all about my favorite book that I read in July. It was tied with April for my second best reading month page-wise, and quality-wise it definitely had it’s fair share of highs and lows. Some of the other books I enjoyed I’ve already discussed in ARC reviews, such as Blazewrath Games and Miss Meteor. But here and now I want to talk about Today Tonight Tomorrow, a YA contemporary written by Rachel Lynn Solomon, because I could NOT put this book down. Back in April, I was scrolling through all the books available for purchase and pre-order through YALLSTAYHOME, and the cover and synopsis of Today Tonight Tomorrow intrigued me so I decided to get a copy. Since it was a pre-order, the book didn’t cross my mind again until it showed up on my doorstep over a week before release date. I was excited all over again, and once I started reading it I couldn’t stop. I was close to the end while on break from virtual training with a coworker, and I asked for five more minutes so I could finish it – I did not stop raving about the book for several minutes after, to my coworker’s amusement. Needless to say, I loved this book.
High school student Rowan Roth has been at odds with fellow classmate Neil McNair since he won over her at a school-wide essay contest. They’ve battled to be the best ever since, competing in everyday classes, extracurriculars, and even student council. Now it’s the last day of senior year, and it’s come down to the fight for valedictorian. When Rowan is beaten yet again, there is one final chance for her to defeat McNair – the senior’s annual game, Howl (a combination of a scavenger hunt around Seattle and extreme tag). When she overhears several of her classmates vowing to take both of them down, Rowan must team up with her rival to be sure they make it to the end. But, will they make it to the end still rivals, or throughout the night will they realize there’s been more to their rivalry all along? *Today she hates him. Tonight she puts up with him. Tomorrow… maybe she’s already fallen for him.*
AH, okay, where do I start. I absolutely fell in love with Rowan and Neil, both them as individuals and them together. I could feel the tension from their rivalry, and enjoyed watching it melt away as the night went on. The trope of rivals-to-lovers, a version (in my mind) of enemies-to-lovers where the characters have history, always makes me smile, and I laugh every time a side character acknowledges that they’ve known the two rivals have had feelings for each other the whole time but where just too busy fighting to realize it. There was also a slight mixed-media format thrown into the mix that I wasn’t expecting but added so much substance to the story – we got to see text exchanges between Rowan and Neil from the past and present day, Howl updates keeping score and locations of safe zones, lists that include but are not limited to Rowan’s Guide to High School Success, Neil’s favorite words, moments where Rowan may have ditched her friends to be with Neil, and many others. I felt the novel also captured the emotions of the last day of high school well – signing everyone’s yearbooks, even people you barely talk to, worrying about whether or not your friendships are going to last after the summer, especially if you’re heading off to different schools across the country, and realizing that it might be the last chance to do something you’ve always wanted, but never had the guts to do until now. The game of Howl also brought in the imagery of Seattle, which I have never been to, but was able to get a feel for the city and picture the sights as the students rushed to be the first to collect all of the clues. The book may only take place across a single day, but the story felt fleshed out and to me never felt rushed.
While the characters and the romance are truly something to cherish, I also appreciated the subtle (and sometimes overt) discussions and conversations that are displayed in this novel.
–First, it touches on moments of anti-semitism and sterotypes against Jewish individuals – one of Rowan and Neil’s classmates, Savannah Bell, plots to take both Rowan and Neil down in the game of Howl. When she is addressing those who want to join her in her quest, she comments that Rowan won’t need the money (because she is Jewish) and touches her nose to emphasize the point. Rowan overhears this, and notes that even in places where people are “more open,” there will still always be jabs that appear harmless (but aren’t) and stereotypes people accept as truth, even if they are painfully inaccurate and misguided.
–Second, it addresses hating romance as a genre – Rowan has loved romance novels ever since she picked one up at a garage sale, and is even seriously drafting a romance story of her own. However, she feels as though she can’t share her progress or her dreams with anyone (her author parents, her best friends, even rival Neil), because they’ve all expressed disdain for the genre as a whole. Sure, at times it may be in a joking manner, because it’s “cool to dunk on books with shirtless men on the cover,” but to Rowan, romance has portrayed and centered women in a way that other forms of media just don’t. She feels that her passion is other people’s guilty pleasure, and fears that other people won’t support her because of it.
–Third, it shuts down slut-shaming – this is a very specific instance in the book, but I found it significant. When Rowan and Neil are in the parking lot of the school, Rowan points out a spot where she hooked up with a classmate, Luke, in his car. Neil makes a comment along the lines of “I thought you were a good girl,” and Rowan immediately strikes back against the comment, saying that just because she gets good grades or sticks to herself, it doesn’t mean that she has not engaged in sex – those two aspects of her life have little to do with each other. Neil may have been projecting, making assumptions because he himself is still a virgin, but that does not excuse his comment and how its ideal is wrong and outdated.
–Lastly, it displays open communication and understanding of boundaries – *this section may have minor spoilers so please read a your own risk* due to conversations that Neil and Rowan have throughout the book, they both understand their history with former partners and their personal levels of experience with activities involving physical attraction. When things do become physical between them, at every step there is a question of “is this okay?” Rowan understands that she is more experienced than Neil in certain regards, and is mindful of that, and understands that while she may feel comfortable reaching a certain level of intimacy, he might not be (at least at the present time). During a conversation, Rowan tells Neil that “sex is not a dirty word,” and I agree, it’s not. There needs to be discussions regarding boundaries and comfort levels between potential partners, and I’m glad this novel explored that well.
I feel like each time I draft one of these “favorite book of the month” posts, the more I tend to write, but sometimes I just want to gush about the incredible books I’m able to get my hands on. A tell-tale sign that a book is going to be a new favorite for me (at least for books that have a happy ending) is the act of going back and rereading just so I can relive the emotions it made me feel. I have done with so many times with Today Tonight Tomorrow so far, and can guarantee it will happen many more times in the future. Rachel Lynn Solomon has captured the true essence of a rivals-to-lovers rom-com, and I was here for every second of it. I can’t wait to read more from her. If I have been able to convince you of all the goodness this book can bring, I highly recommend picking it up (and if possible, buying from a local indie bookstore – find one here). You won’t be disappointed. **and if you are that means your reading tastes just don’t align with mine and that is 1000% valid**
Places to find Today Tonight Tomorrow:
Amazon
Goodreads
Rachel Lynn Solomon’s site
Simon & Schuster
Thoughts About Things 