https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/best-jewish-childrens-books-of-2020-1

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon is an enemies-to-lovers romance, and who among us does not love an enemies-to-lovers romance? (Caveat: as long as neither party is an asshole. No assholes, please.) Also, everything happens in one 24-hour period, which is both fun and cinematic. The plot: On the last day of the school year, Rowan and Neil, who have been rivals for all four years of high school, seem to have reached the end of the road. Neil wins valedictorian. Which sucks for Rowan, who decides that her final shot at besting her annoying freckle-faced rival is to defeat him at Howl, the annual senior class scavenger hunt. The duo wind up having to team up, and the more time Rowan spends with Neil, the more she sees that she’s made some pretty wrongful assumptions. The dude is actually a mensch (and, it turns out, a fellow Jew) and also freckles are kind of hot. Today Tonight Tomorrow is not only a love story; it’s also a love letter to its setting, Seattle—as the kids race around solving puzzles and collecting clues, you feel that you too are exploring this cool and quirky and beautiful city. (All the locations in the book are real except one.) Sweet and swoony.

I love stores like this—enemies to lovers, opposites attract... basically, all my favorite tropes! I felt like I got to take. Trip around Seattle, which is on my bucket list, so thank for that! The banter and dialogue were natural and not forced at all (so wonderful because that is not always the case!).

I was really bummed out by this book. What I was hoping to be a cute and fun read turned out to be the opposite, unfortunately.

I went into this book excited. A lot of my friends in the book community have had nothing but high praises for it, and trusting their judgement, I thought I’d end up feeling the same way. But when, 100 pages into the book, I was bored out of my mind, I knew my opinion on it wouldn’t change and I’d still be tired of reading it if I continued. So, I DNFed it.

Honestly, I didn’t really like the dynamic between Rowan and Neil. I thought that their “rivalry” was really just forced tension, and it didn’t feel realistic to me at all. At one point, I thought that the author might actually make Rowan’s ex-boyfriend Spencer a second love interest, but that fizzled out pretty quickly after. A specific scene actually brought this thought about, and it’s during the Howl–the characters’ school’s farewell seniors scavenger hunt–that this took place. Rowan ended up going into the coffee shop she works at and Spencer happened to run into her. Ironically, Spencer happened to be her target for the scavenger hunt. The entire scene felt very forced and just convenient for the sake of the plot.

One thing is for sure, this book dragged hardcore. I hate saying this, but I don’t think I’ve ever yawned as much during a book as I have during this one. The pacing was incredibly slow, and it wasn’t my taste at all. I also didn’t like that Rowan made fun of a classmate for liking and writing shapeshifters in fiction when she herself has been made fun of for liking and writing romance books. It felt very hypocritical.

All in all, I am pretty let down by this read. I was hoping for more but didn’t get what I was looking for. Maybe some of these things might be up y’alls alleyway though, so I’d still definitely give it a try for yourself. Even though this book wasn’t to my liking, I’ll still be giving Solomon’s other books a try when I can get around to them.

To start off, I have to say that this book has become one of my top 3 reads of not only 2020 but pretty much of all time! I read this book in a span of hours and finished it around five in the morning and was so giddy that I could not fall asleep.


Today Tonight Tomorrow was SUCH a comedic and heartwarming read in that I completely fell in love with Rowan and Neil and their story filled with endings and new beginnings. Not only that, but the entire atmosphere of the book was also so prominent and I loved the way that we got to explore Seattle in a fun way. I could picture every scene and moment that either felt light with humor or heavy with tension (the good kind of course).

Our main character, Rowan, was someone that I instantly connected to and I loved being in her head and part of her family. Rowan’s background was definitely one of the highlights of the book and we’re introduced to her author-illustrated duo parents from the very beginning. I loved their family dynamic and the culture that was brought into the small moments we were given with her family. We’re told that Rowan’s mom is from Mexico City and was born to a Russian-Jewish mother and her father is Jewish, and throughout the book, we’re constantly reminded of these aspects of Rowan’s identity which becomes an important part of the plot itself. This was something that I really enjoyed about the book in addition to learning the negative stereotypes that Rowan has to encounter in her journey of being who she is.

Rowan was a character that I could completely relate to because she loved to read and fall in love with stories, and just like many of us, her issues felt so prevalent and relatable because sometimes reality did not meet the expectations she created through her fantasies. And phew, I felt that in the deepest recesses of my soul and I think that so many others could relate to that as well! Another aspect of Rowan that I absolutely cherished from the get-go, was that just like her parents, Rowan wanted to write books for a living. However, her passion was writing romance novels and it was clear that she treasured all the romance novels she read and the authors that wrote them. Through this love of romance novels, the author brought to light the toxic concept of how many women are attacked for the things they truly find comfort in and cherish, and therefore, have instead become a punchline.


This was another aspect of the book that I had to applaud out loud (although technically I couldn’t since it was like 2 am when I was reading this) and I was completely about it!! This leads to my last favorite thing I have to mention about this book, although I could go on and on, and it was that I loved the communication and overall relationship between Rowan and Neil. I loved their relationship not only as a pair but as individuals as well. The way the author tackled not only the issues within Rowan and Neil as separate individuals, but she also did such a marvelous job of addressing these issues out loud and showing the growth of communication and seriously talking about issues such as: making comments without truly understanding who you could hurt with what you are saying, normalizing talking about sex rather than it being taboo and embarrassing, deconstructing toxic gender roles, and letting people be truly excited about what they love without the need to make fun of them and tear them down.

All of these issues mentioned applied to both Rowan and Neil, and for their relationship as well, and their growth and learning from their mistakes was so mature!!!!!

After reading this book, I definitely had this need to send it to everyone I knew and yell: READ THIS NOW. This book was a breath of fresh air that I needed and I completely understand the hype for it! I highly recommend picking it up once it is out in the world, it is a story that will stay with you for a long time and for good reasons.

I really wanted to love this book. It has every trope I desire in a young adult novel! I think I just really didn't like the main character Rowan. She got on my last nerve and I wanted to just move on from her from the beginning. It also didn't really seem like a true high school experience that you or I would have had (can't fault that though, it just seemed totally unrealistic). I also wasn't a fan of the cussing. I felt like it was there to look cool? It just felt so out of place and unnecessary. What a bummer.

Even though one might guess what the outcome might be between the two main characters, reading the journey to see how it all unfolds made this a fun read! The addition of the cut-throat senior scavenger hunt added even more fun and tension to the story. I laughed. I cried. I stayed up late to finish it. This will definitely be a book I recommend to my students.

This last day of school book was everything! I loved the Jewish representation, the hate-to-love troupe of the main characters and how sweet and romantic it ended up being.

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow introduces Rowan Roth and Neil McNair, who have been overachieving rivals throughout high school. Rowan frequently loses out to Neil and she thinks she can't wait to go to college and get away from him. When he is named valedictorian, she figures she has only one more opportunity to best him. She is determined to win "Howl," a scavenger hunt for the senior class that takes the students all over Seattle. When Rowan and Neil find out a group of seniors is out to defeat them, they team up so that they will be the last two players in the competition. But as they cooperate to solve the clues, Rowan finds out she and Neil have a lot in common and he might just have a place in her future. Will it change her decision about where she goes to college? As she begins second guessing her choices and weighing the pros and cons of the schools that have accepted her, Neil becomes a factor she never expected to consider.

I really enjoyed this book. I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and their story arc. It was much more that just a boy meets girls, boy hates girl on sight, etc. I loved their growth as people too.

This has become such a comfort read for me this year. It made me envious of all the fun graduation traditions that graduates like my sister and myself would have gotten if not for COVID and I wish I had such a great enemies-to-lovers romance like Rowan and Neil! I connected with them on such a deep level, with both of them being Jewish and celebrating their heritage and Rowan wanting to be a writer. It was the sweetest kind of escapism I needed.

I was so excited to finally read this book, so it was so disappointing to find that the galley was messed up. Somehow, there are empty text boxes and every illustration stretches across multiple pages. I’m sorry ai won’t be able to read and review this. Regardless, I’ve purchased it for our library.

A fun teen romance that I could not put down. I love books set in Seattle as that is such a cool city. It was definitely an important character in this book. This was helped along by the Scavenger Hunt. I also loved Neil and Rowan's relationship. The haters to lovers theme will always be one of my favorites. I loved how they were able to to truly open up to each other and share their true feelings. I could totally relate to Rowan's secret obsession with romance novels as I was that teen. I will definitely be recommending this book.

I'm a sucker for any book that takes place in the course of one day, especially if that date is around the last day of high school or graduation. There were plenty of other tropes and plot points I fell for in the synopsis, so it was awesome that this book exceeded my expectations!

Rowan and Neil have been enemies throughout high school, constantly competing for the eventual valedictorian slot. When Rowan uncovers a plot against both of them during the senior's final game together, they decide to team up and win the whole thing together. Rowan soon realizes that maybe Neil isn't as bad as she thought...

Our high school had "senior assassination" during the final few months of school, which is similar to this - there's involved ripping armbands off the person they were secretly assigned AND following a scavenger hunt around Seattle. The first person to complete the hunt and survive the assassination attempts wins a huge cash prize. It was such a fun concept that also helped me learn more about Seattle landmarks! Really fun. Like I said, books involving the last day of school and moving on from high school always get me too. I remember those days like they were yesterday! 

I'm a big fan of enemies-to-lovers and the super slow realization that they actually are starting to like each other. They had such amazing chemistry and some adorable heart-to-hearts, even when they were still in enemy mode. This book was genuinely YA contemporary perfection. I can't think of anything I would change about it. Yes, it had some classic lack-of-communication moments but they weren't as bad as other books.

I'm pretty sure I smiled the entire time I was reading this. I took my dog out at 2am and couldn't sleep, so I picked up the book, only to spend the next hour and a half completely blazing through it. I wish I could adequately form words for how much I loved this one but please take my word for it - READ IT!

Today Tonight Tomorrow is a book that feels like a cozy blanket on a cold wintery afternoon. It will draw you in with its witty and engaging characters and will leave you with the biggest smile on your face. Rachel Lynn Solomon is a gifted writer and this heartfelt story is further proof of just how far her talent extends.

I love the concept of books that take place over 24 hours, but they can be a hit or miss for me. I was very curious to see how Rachel would execute it and she did it beautifully. Even though it's technically just a short passage of time, readers have the opportunity to get close to all of the characters here. The main character, Rowan, was fabulous and had one of the most engaging and memorable voices. I related a lot to her competitive and ambitious streak when it came to academics. Her love for romance novels made her an even more endearing character! I don't think I've read of any main characters who want to become romance writers, so Rowan's goals were refreshing. In Today Tonight Tomorrow, she does initially struggle with telling others about her love for the genre, given that there's a sense of shame attached to reading and loving romance, but we see her grow out of that and even go as far as defending romance and its importance to her. Rowan's growth in this book was a work of art and she develops into this mature young woman who discovers that it's okay for your priorities to evolve through your life.

Just as likable as Rowan was her archnemesis, Neil. What a sweetheart! The two of them had a rivalry in high school and there's an obvious tinge of chemistry between them that suggests their feelings may be more than those between rivals. You all know how much I enjoy reading stories about soft boys and Neil is a soft boy™. He could be shy at times, but underneath was a clever and witty boy. He reveals his depths throughout the night and I loved every layer of his personality. If you love a rivals-to-more romance, you're going to adore the romance in Today Tonight Tomorrow. It's an adorable romance that will give you all the butterflies. I loved the set-up of Rowan and Neil being pushed to work together as they take on a city-wide scavenger hunt. They already had a solid foundation, so the scavenger hunt provided the perfect opportunity to get them into a forced proximity situation allowing them to connect emotionally and intellectually. It's truly one of the sweetest romance and I will be re-reading this book many times just for the romance. This is also a very sex-positive book and Rowan and Neil have thoughtful conversations about sex and their individual experiences. An equally charming part of this book was the Seattle setting. Because the hunt takes them all over Seattle, I felt like I was on a mini-tour. The author's love for the city absolutely shone through.

In the end, Today Tonight Tomorrow was truly a story about the different kinds of love that a teenager can experience. The last day of high school was a bittersweet day for me and this book brought back all the nostalgia of that day for me. I loved it and I think this delightful story is a must-read.

CW: anti-semitic microaggressions

When I saw this pitched as the YA “The Hating Game” I was instantly intrigued—and this book definitely delivered. I loved the character dynamics and the game aspect of the plot was really fun and kept the book fast-paced. I also really appreciated how authentic the teenagers were and how normalized intimacy and talking about feels and desires was. I definitely recommend!

This book tells the story of two students who have been rivals throughout high school for being valedictorian. After one prevails, they set out on their senior class scavenger hunt. Through the scavenger hunt over the course of a night, the two main characters go on their own journey -- and learn more about each other and what they want from the future than they learned over the previous four years. This book was a quick and very entertaining read. The characters are multi-dimensional, and I enjoyed the time I spent with them. Recommended.

This book was cute but predictable. The main character was a little unlikeable for me. Secondary characters fell flat. It did address some interesting issues. I think teens will enjoy it.

Solomon’s novel is sweet and charming. An easy, fun read and you’ll enjoy the “enemy to friends” storyline. Loved it!!

i LOVED this book, it was fun and fast paced and very entertaining. It captured the nervousness of graduation and worrying about what's next and how friendships will survive the next phase of life. anyway, it was fun and there was a redheaded love interest so check it out!

Today Tonight Tomorrow is a super cute day-in-the-life of two high school rivals who "have to" (wink wink) work together in order to one-up each other one last time before graduating. It's pretty much the pg-13 version of every enemies-to-lovers book I've ever loved with some gorgeous pining and "oh shit do I like him like him" thrown in for good measure. (Because honestly? I know exactly how Rowan feels every time she ogles Neil's biceps.) There's tense car chemistry and lightly tragic back story to inspire empathy and also so many freckles. In short, I loved it.

Rowan loves romance novels and longs to be a novelist like her parents—but she's ashamed of telling anyone because they all think romance novels aren't "real books." She feels like the third wheel among her two best friends (a couple), out of place as a biracial Jew, and nostalgic for who she thought she'd be by the end of high school. To say I related to Rowan's identity crisis is an understatement. We have a lot of dissimilarities, but we're also alike in so many ways. I wanted so much to have the perfect high school experience that I forgot to enjoy it while it was happening, comparing myself to everyone around me that I never really figured out who I was until the middle of my twenties. (Also, Rowan and I both went to Emerson.)

Today Tonight Tomorrow is a fantastic bildungsroman snuck into a pre-graduation, city-wide scavenger hunt. Rowan learns so much about herself over the course of the novel, and her budding romance with Neil is really The Cutest. Rowan and Neil have known each other— and tried to best one another—for four years before we even meet them, but, throughout the book, they get to rediscover how they fit into each other's lives. This book was very much an "okay but what comes after" story for me, exploring what happens once you've accomplished something important but before you embark on a new project. It reinforced the idea that re-evaluating goals is an ongoing process (and that you still learn something even if you fail). It reminded me that being honest is super important and that sometimes people don't react in the ways that you expected (or even feared).

It was just really good and I liked it, okay?