Tonight the Streets Are Ours

Rating: 3 Stars
Published: September 2015
Genre: YA // Contemporary
Favorite Quote:

Life is sort of like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, if you know what I mean. Some days are too big. Some days are much too small. But today was one of those rare days that was just right.

Recklessly loyal.
That’s how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Caring for her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she’s grown resentful of everyone—including her needy best friend and her absent mom—taking her loyalty for granted.
Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn’t even met her.
Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.
During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either. (Summary taken from Goodreads)

Story

• For some reason, I thought this would be a lot more like Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares or Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist.  To be clear, it wasn’t at all.  That’s not why this book wasn’t for me, though. Don’t get me wrong. And it is most definitely NOT a love story– at least not in the romantic sense.
• As for mentioning a crazy night in NYC, it took an awful long time for the characters to actually GET to that night.  It felt too drawn out.
• I really loved the party scene in NYC, it was my favorite because of it’s detail and dreamlike quality.  It made me really love Sales’ writing.  I wanted the whole book to take place in that party, in the sequence leading up to party, etc.
• I think there’s a little too much going on in this book– home life falling apart, growing up too fast, drifting from friends, rebuilding broken relationships,  falling for an unattainable guy, going on a road trip, and finding yourself.

Characters

• I understand the compulsion to read an entire blog.  But to be completely certain the people you’re reading about are exactly like they seem online is naive.  Just look at how your friends, people you actually know in real life, post about themselves on social media. It’s not real.  I’m looking at you, Arden. Arden is like all of us, she wants to escape and believe in something that is beyond herself.  I know she needs to learn the lesson for herself but I couldn’t bear reading about it.
• Peter.  What do I say about Peter?  The version of him that he presents himself as in his blog is a cookie-cutter YA boy.  His real-life version is more interesting (but not what he presented himself as).

One thing I did like was that Arden learned some good life lessons through her journey.  She’ll be a better person to herself in college since she learned these things in high school.  Good for her.

But that’s the thing: when you swear to take someone’s side no matter what, sometimes you have to go to war for them.

Overall

•  For as much hype as this book got, I didn’t think it was that great.  It was a quick enough read and enjoyable enough but I was slightly annoyed.    It makes me a little sad because I heard a lot of great things about Leila Sales.  I’ll still give her other books a shot because I don’t think disliking one book means I shouldn’t read her others.  She’s a good writer, that much is clear. There were lines that just floored me in the best way.  This story just wasn’t for me, mostly because it wasn’t what I was anticipating.
• I think a lot of people will like it and I can see why.  I’ve just been getting pickier & pickier with my contemporary novels.

Have you read Tonight the Streets Are Ours? What did you think?  Did you like other books by Leila Sales?