Review Detail

Here's a thing you immediately need to know about THE DATE TO SAVE: it's an oral documentary. It read's like one long interview (because it is! Well, a fictional interview...but you get what I'm saying!) So you need to be prepared. I found this format difficult to get into at first but once I was invested in the various plot elements and characters, I got used to it! It's still not my preferred format but it was nice to change it up. The dialogue was definitely laugh out loud funny and felt so natural and reminded me of how my friends and I talk around and about each other at time!

We follow the stories of several different students - our main narrator/interview is Angelica who lives in the shadow of her recently graduated older brother. She's dying to make it onto the school's newspaper staff but the new chief-of-staff has rejected every idea she's submitted. She's finally given a "throw away" assignment which she attacks with gusto.

Pretty quickly, one thing leads to another. The initial inquiry into the Academic Battle shows a more serious situation. A school scheduling snafu that cannot have been coincidence puts several high profile school events all on the same day and time. Compelled to solve the problem and identify the perpetrator; Angelica nevertheless agrees to help the school mascot when he approaches her with different mystery, affecting the same date.

Angelica's best friend is her total opposite: Becca. The determinedly grumpy, blue-haired-bestie is everyone’s fantasy friend. This fierce non-conformist, is a loyal companion bringing balance with her humor and unique outlook.

Once you can get past the different format, you'll find an entertaining and laugh out loud read.