Save the Date Book Club Discussion: Part 2 (And Wedding Cake!)

       ​My IRL book friends and I are back with our second discussion post! After two weeks, we have finished Save the Date and are so excited to discuss our thoughts on the complete story. If you have any thoughts about the book, please leave them in the comments! We’d love to discuss with you!

*Once again, this blog post is in a discussion format, and our answers contain spoilers for Save the Date. 

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Did you miss our first post? Go check it out first!

Part 1

Final rating out of 5 stars?

@the_bookinsider: ​★★★★☆

@sidneywatsonn: ★★★★☆

@jackiewatson_: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

What are your final thoughts on Jesse?

@the_bookinsider: ​I think at the end of the story, we got to see the real Jesse, not the one Charlie dreamed up in her head. This whole book focused on the reality of idolized people and events, and Jesse was a part of that. Jesse and Charlie’s last scene together brought out his true colors: not good or bad, but human.

@sidneywatsonn: I actually liked him at first, and I don’t dislike him now. I think the whole situation was more Charlie’s doing because she had put him on such a high pedestal since the beginning.

@jackiewatson_: Well, I didn’t like him since the first time we met him. 

What was your favorite wedding disaster?

@the_bookinsider: ​I loved the entire cake disaster. From the moment Maple Syrup enters the kitchen, to the drive back from the grocery store, it was all hilarious and charming. I loved everyone’s reaction to Max keeping a secret cat in his room. I didn’t pick up on the little bits of foreshadowing throughout the story, which made this scene even better. It wasn’t until the cat showed up that I connected the dish of milk, Waffles barking, and Max’s weird behavior together. This section of the story also lets Bill and Charlie’s relationship grow while they wait for the cake. I want a boy I can dance in the supermarket with!

@sidneywatsonn: I thought the Journey cover-band was really funny, so that wedding disaster was probably my favorite because it turned out well.

@jackiewatson_: Definitely the cake disaster. I liked when Charlie and Bill went to the supermarket and started dancing as they were waiting. And then when they had to run to the car -- ugh, that was so cute. 

How do you feel about Mike and Charlie’s relationship? About her choice of school?

@the_bookinsider: I am happy that Mike and Charlie got a chance to rebuild their relationship. I didn’t like how distant he stayed from the rest of the family in the first half of the story. Also, I’m glad that Charlie changed her mind about Stanwich. I think she needed a fresh start, and going to Northwestern will give her that new beginning, both on her own and with Mike. 

@sidneywatsonn: I didn’t really like how much Charlie hated him in the beginning, so I’m glad they finally made up. Also, they’ll be spending more time together in Chicago because she decided to go to Northwestern (which I totally called from the beginning!!).

@jackiewatson_: I’m thrilled they have been connecting and getting closer since the wedding. And I love how they will be really close to each other during college so they can visit more often. 

Did you see the divorce coming?

@the_bookinsider: ​I didn’t see it coming at all, but now that I know, I can see all the little details that were dropped throughout the story. Her parents fighting, selling the house, and sleeping in separate beds were all things that should have pointed it out. 

@sidneywatsonn: Yes yes yes. I guessed it when Charlie said they had been fighting lately, and then I really knew it when she saw the extra bed in her parents’ room. So, I’m basically a fortune-teller now.

@jackiewatson_: ​No, absolutely not. Although I feel like I should have because there were so many foreshadows about it. Dang. 

What was your reaction to the GMA interview?

@the_bookinsider: I was actually laughing out loud. There were so many things happening, and the best part was that they all embraced the disaster. In a way, it was almost a symbol for the whole weekend.

@sidneywatsonn: I loved everything about it. SO funny.

@jackiewatson_: At first, I was really hoping that it went well, and nobody messed up, but as it got further and further into a disaster I was like YES, this is so awesome. 

Max is hiding a cat, and Don is stealing the papers??

@the_bookinsider: ​Hahaha I didn’t pick up on the cat details. Once Jackie and Sidney pointed it out in our first discussion, it made sense. It made for a perfect cake disaster. Although, I’m not sure why Max thought keeping it a secret was a good idea. It also cracked me up knowing that Don was stealing the papers. Of course, it was him.

@sidneywatsonn: Jackie and I both guessed that there was going to be a cat. I mean, it couldn’t have been anything else. Also, really Don?? What the heck?

@jackiewatson_: I KNEW that Max was going to be hiding a cat. I thought it was so obvious (don’t know how Ashton didn’t pick up on that). Also, what the heck, Don. Like, stop that. 

Did you like Morgan Matson’s writing style? How about the TIME FRAME for the whole plot?

@the_bookinsider: ​I have always been a big fan of Morgan Matson’s writing, so this isn’t anything new. Her narration is funny, and I love how she blended the humor with the family relationships. I also loved how she was able to create an entire story about one weekend. I’ve never seen anything like this book before, so it was neat to see this unique story unfold.

@sidneywatsonn: ​Her style was entertaining to read. It wasn’t “10/10, I completely loved it,” but I definitely enjoyed the book and her characters.

@jackiewatson_: I did really like her style. It was a pretty basic contemporary style, but I loved the way she set up the book and developed the characters. 

We Baked Cakes!

       To celebrate our last Save the Date meeting, I thought it would be fun to make our own mini wedding cakes. We decided to make individual mug cakes with mine being chocolate, Jackie’s being vanilla, and Sidney’s being birthday cake. After we frosted them, we decided they were so cute that the world needed to see our handy work. (We hope that Linnie and Rodney approve.) 

Sidney's Cake

Ashton's Cake

Jackie's Cake

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       Thanks again to Jackie and Sidney for reading Save the Date with me! We had so much fun, and hopefully, we’ll be able to read another book together soon. If you would like to join in on our discussion or would like to recommend our next book club read, comment down below!

The Save the Date Book Club,
Ashton, Jackie, and Sidney

Save the Date Links:

Goodreads

Book Depository

Amazon

It seemed like the second you tried to tell someone why you loved someone else, it took the luster off it, like pinning a butterfly down in a case—it never quite captured it.

― Morgan Matson, Save the Date