Title: This Night is Ours
Author: Ronnie Davis
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 14, 2024
ISBN: 9780316373616
Synopsis:
Eighteen-year-old Brandy Bailey has just received the worst news of her life: She’s been accepted to a top nursing school, making her mother overwhelmingly proud. The thing is, Brandy wants to be an artist.
Plus, Brandy’s annoying classmate from high school, the annoyingly handsome Ben Nolan, is catching his far-fetched dream of being an actor. Why does he get to be fearless while she has to be practical? Ben is the last thing Brandy wants on her mind, so of course today is the day he decides to glue himself to her hip. Now his perfect face is right there in the cacophony crashing through her head.
Swirling in too many directions, Brandy’s emotions clash with the flashing lights at the town’s summer carnival. Can she have one extraordinary night before everything changes?
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An easily digestible, young adult read, The Night is Ours takes place over a single full day in the life of Brandy Bailey. We enter her story just as Brandy receives her acceptance to nursing school and is utterly devastated. The thing is, she wants to be an artist. In fact, she already makes a little bit of money creating art that she sells at her very own online shop. The last thing she wants to do is disappoint her mom, who’s dreamed of her daughter following in her footsteps to make waves in the nursing world. So, Brandy is stuck, and that really sucks.
It’s a quick read—a cute romance, a relatable story for teens trying to figure out their next steps after high school—but substance-wise, well, it’s fluffy and that’s about it. I was a little confused by the pre-existing relationship between the FMC and MMC. She says repeatedly that they aren’t friends and that she’s annoyed by him, but they very clearly enjoy one another’s company and their history seems flirty and fun. I find it hard to believe that Brandy is so dense that she didn’t have an idea of her feelings (or the MMC’s for that matter) prior to the interaction in this book.
Ben Nolan, our MMC, is likeable, adorable, and on a track to stardom. It’s no wonder Brandy is smitten. He adds a genuine feel to the book as he coaches Brandy through her struggles and opens up to her about his own insecurities. I enjoyed seeing a male lead in a book that’s open, and honest, and outspokenly in therapy! He’s a great counter to Brandy and they are able to have fun together, bounce ideas off of each other, as well as have the more existential conversations.
Got a teen in your life? This is a good summer read that’s not too challenging and deals with the pretty universal topic of self-discovery and having the courage to take the next steps for one’s future.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 