Today Tonight Tomorrow

I confess that I was a little sad when I learned Rachel Lynn Solomon wasn’t going to be writing more YA books that dealt with serious chronic illness. She does that so well and I was looking forward to the next one. That said, this rom com with two graduating seniors who have a serious enemies-to-lovers vibe going on was simply adorable. McNair and Rowan have competed in everything all throughout high school. Every assignment. Every school club. Every attendance award. They are so wrapped up in each other that they can’t see maybe there’s a little spark of something there, too. Or maybe it’s just Rowan that’s never noticed. On the last day of school, the seniors get to go on a Seattle-wide scavenger hunt/”kill” expedition show more (which was totally fun) and they’ll have to team up when a plot forms to take them out. And as these two work together throughout the day and night and slowly get to know one another better, I couldn’t help but fall for their romance. So cute. This was one of my favorite reads this year!

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader. show less

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review here and on my blog Samwise Reviews. Oh. My. God. I’ll be honest, the first 10% of this book didn’t really grab me, but I was sucked into the rest of it and couldn’t put it down. I even snuck in some reading while I was at work, cause I just had to finish it. The characters are delightfully sweet and perfectly awkward, and their rivalry/romance was very well done. I felt every emotion they did, and loved the whole roller coaster ride of them. I loved how honest and open Rowan and Neil are, and I shipped them hard. I was not disappointed. I haven’t read Rachel Lynn Solomon’s other books, but I’ll be definitely picking them up after this.

First sentence: The text jolts me from sleep a minute before my 5:55 alarm, three quick pulses to let me know my least favorite person is already awake. Neil McNair--"McNightmare" in my phone--is annoyingly punctual. It's one of his only good traits. We've been text-taunting since we were sophomores, after a series of morning threats made both of us late for homeroom.

Premise/plot: Rowan Roth and Neil McNair are fierce (and feisty) competitors (and classmates). Only one can be valedictorian, both desperately want it. Today Tonight Tomorrow is the story of their last day of high school. (Or perhaps their last weekend before graduation on Sunday.) They'll spend much of this day together...

The jacket copy reads, "Today, she hates him. show more Tonight, she puts up with him. Tomorrow...maybe she's already fallen for him." The premise is 100% predictable. Competitive classmates turned love interests.

My thoughts: I enjoyed this one mostly. I think Rowan and Neil make a cute-and-compatible couple, for the most part. I think they are capable of bringing out the best in each other. Granted, they haven't always been thoughtful or kind. This is definitely a YA romance. It would make a fun rom-com as well.

One of Rowan's big things is her obsession with romance novels and her desire to write (and publish) romance novels herself. So much of the text of Today Tonight Tomorrow is a defense of--an argument for--romance novels. She asserts that romance novels are essentially feminist and empowering. In a world where women are objectified so often, so blatantly there are romance novels where women are never objectified. I'm not sure I completely buy her argument. [Though you could argue that they are more balanced perhaps--men are objectified too.] Perhaps it's an author by author, book by book, series by series, publisher by publisher, decade by decade thing. I can certainly think of plenty of examples of UNhealthy relationships--abusive, manipulative, etc--depicted in romance novels. There were decades were it was okay--more than okay--for the "hero" of a romance novel to VIOLENTLY assault the heroine of the novel only to have her swooning over him and falling head over heels in love with him a few encounters later. I've certainly encountered romance books where women are objectified. Though perhaps the romance novel was calling out objectifying behavior without condoning it. For examples, books where heroines are saved by heroes from dangerous situations. Rowan, however, seems to have grown up reading different kinds of romance novels--or perhaps she has a blind spot or two. She loves how reading romance novels makes her super-comfortable and honest with all the sex-talk and sex itself.

I should have been suspicious of all this romance novel talk to see where this one would eventually end up. So much of the novel is on the "light" side. Not clean exactly. But more on the sweet-and-flirty side and not the steamy side. But. By the end of the day my giddy-making, sweet rom-com had turned graphic--very.

Again, I'll mention for the millionth time that I know I am completely in the minority. So don't let this dissuade you from reading the book itself. For those looking for a sex-positive YA rom-com with well-developed characters...then this one may prove a great fit. show less

I really wound up loving this read. This book has some of my all time favorite elements. Hate to love, a mission of some type, 24 hours only and end of high school. It was heart warming read and one that I had a super hard time putting down. I loved learning more about settle as a state and also more about being jewish in America. I loved both characters, i MEAN COME on a red headed love interest (you totally are my jam neil) I loved Rowen as a character. I loved how the game Howl really crafted this novel. So much happened in this book and I loved it. I also really enjoyed how her being romance writer was elements and how hard that is for you when people don't take your passion that as being important This was def a fun read and I will show more def check out some of her more hard hitting books next! show less

The thing I appreciate about YA novels is that they are often unashamedly predictable and satisfying to read. This isn't a bad thing; it's refreshing to read a YA romance with a unique story that I know is going to end well. I also feel that YA novels tend to be much more progressive; the main character of this one goes on lovely feminist rants and has queer best friends. Now, I know that simply including a gay character or two doesn't make a novel particularly groundbreaking, but I wish little queer teenage me had more books like this. Queer characters having a narrative that doesn't center coming out, queer trauma, or being gay normalizes sexuality in a way that books didn't when I was growing up. Solomon also does a great job of show more discussing the actual impacts of antisemitism on kids/teenagers in a natural but very clear way. I was pleased with the breadth of issues tackled in this book, as well as the author's very natural and accessible explanations.

How "woke" a book is doesn't necessarily dictate my rating, but this is also a very good YA novel in general. There were points where I thought I'd give Today Tonight Tomorrow a five star rating, but I feel that the author fell into a few cliche traps that took away from the overall flow and inventiveness. I also felt that the conclusion was wrapped up too quickly, which is a very common complaint of mine. Maybe I just like a different writing style, but this book made me wish that the conclusion was a bit longer and better developed. Overall, I really enjoyed the story, and the backstory was a refreshingly new idea in the world of YA (either that or I've been living under the very boring rock of adulthood for too long).

Even though I typically dont enjoy YA as much as I used to, I still thoroughly enjoyed Solomon's narrative style and writing skill. This is a great book for teens because it tackles a lot of current issues young people care about, and does so in a tactful way that is clear and accessible to even to the most sheltered kids. It's good also for adults who want a feel-good book to reflect on young love, ambition, and what it's like to grow up in today's world. show less

WOW!! This was more than I expected and beyond what I hoped for. I have been reading A LOT of Fantasy, SciFi, Magically Realistic books lately and to be honest, switching things up in order to break free from the monotonous genre rut I have been stuck in sounded a little scary... like I was going to waste my time on some vapid fluff. Let me tell you that this slowly budding Hate --> Love relationship was not only sweet and gently tentative BUT it was smoothly, subtly and superbly executed as well. This is the Rivals to Lovers trope done right! It's also a coming of age tale, our two MCs, Rowen and Neil, navigated the oft times murky waters of teenage life... although their personal transformations seemed slow, they were ultimately show more significant. I loved how they brought out the very best in each other even when they weren't conscious of it or more importantly, even when they were trying to subvert (and outdo) one another. I also loved their interplay (both verbal and physical), the juxtaposition really ratcheted up the tension.

The MCs were teenagers so you'd think that, because of the large age gap between us, the story wouldn't have resonated with me as much as it did. I am thrilled to report that my worrying was completely unfounded... it was a tiny slice of perfection... a dollop of guilty pleasure AND exactly what I needed at the moment. I kept checking the page count and percentage finished, willing it to slow down even as I read faster to see what would happen next. It was so well crafted and fleshed out that I stayed up all night just to see where Neil and Rowan's story would end up. I sported a Cheshire Cat like smile for almost the entire time I was reading. It was so wide and firmly stuck there that my hubby noticed it even in a dark room with only the dim glow of my ereader to see by... that's how happy this book made me feel. I wanted to cuddle up somewhere cozy and snuggle with this in my arms for hours thinking of all the sweet, tender, nascent moments sprinkled throughout the story.

Overall:
This quick, surprisingly touching gem blindsided me... it drop kicked me right in the Feels. The dialogue was clever and natural and the tension was deliciously palpable. This is one book that will have you thinking back on your teenage years and wondering what high school would have been like if you had just done something differently... taken a slightly different path... what would have happened if you gave that love interest a chance? What would your life look like? How would that have shaped the person you are today?

I loved this read, especially its characters and the poignant morals our cast wrestled with. There were introspective moments where our MCs had to notice, address and try to rectify their personal flaws. These are deep concepts that I see many adults, myself included, still trying to come to terms with in their own lives. I highly recommend this read if you're in the mood for a lighthearted, throwback to your teenage years book with burgeoning romance and the coming of age aspects that addresses the universal truth that Perfection is a myth... it's unobtainable and you can't live in the daydreams where it is the pinnacle... the penultimate goal. BUT don't expect full closure... the ending is satisfying but kept messy... like life.

Anyway... check it out... I'm sure you'll be searching for a comfy spot where you too can adoringly canoodle with this book.

~ Enjoy show less

This takes place over 24 hours on Rowan’s final day of high school, which at her school always involves a city-wide scavenger hunt. Rowan has spent the past four years competing with Neil McNair, her rival for valedictorian, and this is last chance to beat him at something.

The scavenger hunt across Seattle is an epic concept, and I enjoyed watching Rowan and Neil’s competitive banter transform into something softer.

There were also a couple of moments that gave me secondhand embarrassment, and Rowan’s other friends somehow didn’t feel fully fleshed out -- perhaps a side effect of the 24 hour format, combined with Rowan’s preoccupation with beating Neil.

I don’t think this is a flaw, for what it’s worth, so much as my show more priorities differing slightly from the book’s. And that’s fine. Especially because I am well aware that I’m not the target audience for YA any more. (I am the target audience for Solomon’s romance novel Weather Girl, which I have been rereading.) show less