Review: The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

Expected Publication: June 16th 2015 by Harper Teen

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: ARC, Paperback, 304 pages

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Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over her ex-boyfriend and graduate high school—simple as that. But Matt—the cute, shy bass player—was never part of that plan. And neither was spending an entire night saying "yes" to every crazy, fun thing they could think of. But then Matt leaves town, breaking Ella's heart. And when he shows up a year later, wanting to relive the night that brought them together, Ella isn't sure if re-creating the past can help them create a different future. Or maybe it can . . .

A light and worthwhile summer read that would reminisce readers of Paper Towns and The Last Year's Mistake.

The Night We Said Yes is written in the voice of Ella in alternating chapters between the present and a year in the past. Ella spent her summer night before senior year of high school with her best friend Meg and band friends Jake, who's also Meg's on and off boyfriend, and Matt, the band's new bassist. After running away from cops from a party, they end up in a restaurant and decided to kill the night by saying "yes" to whatever silly they could think—from drinking games at the high school rooftop, skinny dipping in the school pool, and rocking a local shop with the band's performance. Ella and Matt grows a closeness by discovering weird habits and cute pinkie touch. Readers would expect Ella and Matt's cunning relationship would last but Matt just. . . disappeared. No clues, no phone calls, nothing. But after a year of Ella trying on moving on, Matt appeared reliving that last night of saying yes.

What's cool to The Night We Said Yes is Ella, Matt, Meg and Jake's friendship. The teemingness of their relationship drama is tolerable. The purpose on their character is well-spread throughout the story. It's never unfair - like it's all about Ella's but we can also see Matt, Meg and Jake through her. Lauren Gibaldi made their relationship strong by a night of saying "yes" to every crackpot thing they could think of. Even though I'm not part of their circle of friends, I can feel the fun and craziness they are having, too. Which is very important on writing a story - to make your reader be part of it.

Gibaldi wrote The Night We Said Yes free from ambiguity and without dodging. Readers surely would enjoy this fast paced read. As previously mentioned, I have thought back the night of saying "yes" experience as of Paper Towns adventure - when Q and his friends drove off to find Margo. Not to mention the 'naked' part. LOL. And, to the The Last Year's Mistake alternating chapters between the present and the past.

I am not sure to recommend this for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti because unfortunately I have not read any books from these authors. Apologies guys. But I am having no doubt, for those fans of witty, audacious, romantic read, will relish The Night We Said Yes.

 Interested to read 'The Night We Said Yes'?
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Source: Author · I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content.

Yani

I love to collect soundtracks from books and movies. It's cool to listen to their music and to live with them. Well, only those books and movies that are oh so aplomb to me.