[ BLOG TOUR ] Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

"You Can Go Your Own Way" is a heartwarming story about growing up, moving on, community, and family.

Adam and Whitney used to be close friends until Adam’s father passed away, causing a rift forming in their relationship. Now, Adam struggles to hold on to his father’s memory by keeping Old City Pinball financially afloat and out of the hands of big tech business. Whitney is busy running the social media for her father’s chain of eSports cafes in the hopes of getting her father’s attention (to no avail). Now they're sworn enemies.

I liked that the story alternates between Adam and Whitney’s pov, though this seemed more like Whitney’s story than Adam’s. Her journey seemed fuller and hectic, more in depth. Adam’s journey was good, kind of deep but in a smaller, quieter way. You really feel for both characters because it seems like they’re fighting a losing battle.

Their constant bickering over social media doesn’t help either of them. I didn’t like those exchanges because they were using business accounts to argue or talk about personal stuff. Their petty, immature, and unprofessional behavior was (for me) hard to get past. It wasn’t all bickering. There were some funny exchanges with other accounts.

I liked that the story takes place in Philadelphia and the strong sense of community between all the small businesses. It gave the story a homey, cozy atmosphere.

I also liked the excerpts from The Art and Zen of Pinball Repair by James Watts (fictional book) that Adam studies because of how it juxtaposes pinball machines and real life situations. Those quotes enhanced the community and family values depicted within the story.

"You Can Go Your Own Way" was so wholesome and I enjoyed how much Adam and Whitney grew together and along their personal journeys.

Contemporary fiction isn’t my first choice when it comes to genres, but if it’s written by this author, I don’t even need to read the description. I’ll immediately grab it.

Adam and Whitney are dealing with some heavy issues. Adam is still grieving the loss of his father, who passed away just before Adam started high school. He keeps him close by wearing his vintage concert t-shirts and REM jacket, and working on a pinball machine designed by his father. He and his mother are struggling to keep their pinball arcade afloat, and Adam is determined to hang onto the business his dad started. Whitney is still adjusting to her parents’ divorce and spends hours every day handling social media for her father’s company. Although her heart lies with the plants at her mom’s shop, she believes working for her dad is the only way to spend time with him. Despite her efforts, he’s laser-focused on his business and unaware of what’s going on in her life. Adam and Whitney were childhood best friends, but grew apart the summer before high school when Adam lost his father and Whitney found new friends. Their dynamic now is combative at best, but their mothers push for them to patch up their relationship.

Smith’s characters generally fall into the nerd category, something that’s made me a confirmed fan. He mentions several bands I’ve seen in concert, and although many of them wouldn’t be recognized by teens this age, Adam’s dad introduced him to their music – as any cool parent would. In their small slice of Philadephia, I adored the strong community among the small businesses surrounding the pinball arcade and how they supported each other. Their comedic social media comments gave me plenty of laughs. I was delighted when two characters from Don’t Read the Comments (Smith’s previous book) made an appearance.

Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about the place. It’s about who you shared it with.

The above quote is something that stuck with me, and it’s perfectly suited for the story. If you’re a fan of well-developed characters, offbeat plots, heartfelt moments, and YA books without the typical high school drama, I can’t recommend this author enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY is a lovely and powerful book of grief and loss, friendship and second chances, with two delightful teens at the center of this frenemies-to-lovey-doves story.

Whitney’s father is a businessman who’s set his sights on owning an arcade in town. An arcade that remains one of the only things that Adam has left of his father. Determined to keep the arcade, the battle brings former friends Whitney and Adam together. When a storm drives them to hunker down in the arcade, it forces them to confront what tore them apart, and clears a path for them to move forward as friends…or perhaps something more.

Heartwarming and cute, YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY is a feel-good story of friends that rediscover the things that brought them together in the first place. It’s also a book that also dives in to some topics including grief and parental death among others, and I love the realistic aspect that brought to the story. The characters are also incredibly charming and just so darn squishy, and I kept crossing my fingers hoping they’d finally overcome the the things that tore them apart. I loved Adam and Whitney so much, and this is definitely a book I’ll recommend over and over again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I feel like I got to go on a little trip to Philly in this book. I've only been there twice, I didn't get to see much either time I was there or enjoy the sites. I did however tour Drexel as it was one of the schools I applied to when I like Adam was considering Electrical Engineering schools. I choose a different school in the end, but Drexel has a great program as well.

I love pinball! There is a laser tag place we take our kids to where we live and they have a Lord of the Rings pinball game, while we are waiting our turn our the kids are playing arcade games, I play pinball. I have secretly always wanted my own pinball machine. I don't know what it is about them, the lights, the bumpers, the unpredictable way the ball goes around the board, I love it! Our main character Adam runs a pinball arcade with his mom, pinball has lost it's appeal with all of the new tech and online games that have taken the world by storm. Across the county arcades, bowling alleys, and pool halls are dying. After the death of his father who loved the arcade, Adam and his mother are struggling to make ends meet and get people in the doors to play the aging games. Keeping people interested along with the upkeep of the games is a struggle, but Adam is determined to keep his dad's dream going. Their direct competition is the new e-sports cafe chain owned by a former friend's father. Adam and Whitney were best friends until Whitney's dad's idea for gaming cafes became really popular. Adam and Whitney snark at each other on Twitter constantly and their friendship has suffered. As the winter festival approaches, Adam and Whitney find themselves forced to spend time together and talk through what happened and why they aren't friends anymore. They both realize that they are working in their respective jobs for the wrong reasons and that they need to do the things that make them happy.

I really loved this! I've loved everything I've read by Eric Smith so far! This really tackles relationships and emotions in such a relatable way. Adam is dealing with grief and loss, while Whitney is dealing with abandonment and the need to be seen. They both dealt with pretty big upheavals in their lives around the same time in very different ways that ended up pushing away the people they needed most. They both had to face each other to deal with some of their emotions and start healing and moving forward. I really liked the way the author approached this.

I think this is marketed as YA, but I feel this would be appropriate for advanced middle grade readers an adults alike. There really isn't anything inappropriate in here. There were a few curse words and the main characters do kiss, but I think readers of all ages would enjoy this. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the dialogue between the characters.

In Eric Smith's newest YA novel, protagonist Adam Stillwater is doing his damnedest to hold onto his late father's legacy - Old City Arcade, a pinball arcade whose time is pretty much up. Adam is working to complete "The Beast" - a custom pinball machine dream of his father's, focusing on Philadelphia kitsch. But money is tight, and Mom can't keep working as a professor AND running the failing arcade.

His former friend Whitney Mitchell helps run her father's businesses - ESports cafes. Her father is interested in acquiring Old City Arcade and turning it into the third cafe in his franchise. As Whitney's life is falling apart - her brother has broken a machine at Adam's arcade, her boyfriend dumped her, and she's realizing her friends are just interested in what her dad can do for them - a Twitter feud and a snowstorm put her in the arcade, alone with Adam, for a night.

Trapped with only each other and a little dog named Coco for company, the two find that they're not as different from each other as they thought, and maybe they could let go of parental legacies and responsibilities to be who they really want to be.

Smith peppers the book with lots of 80s musical references, an homage to the character of Adam's father, which I love as an 80s baby myself. It's done well so as not to be dated - Adam wears his father's band T-shirts and leather jacket, and Whitney has no clue who the bands are that he's displaying. I was drawn in within the first few pages and was choking up and had tears welling by the end. A great, fun book about, well, finding your own way. Another winning YA novel by Eric Smith. Read it. You need to.

This was such a fun read, and I think it hits nicely on a few levels. For the adults who read YA, there are some great musical puns and references to pop culture. The puns in this novel are legitimately unmatched, honestly.
And of course, if you happen to be from Philadelphia, you're going to recognize the landmarks and locations, but also the very Philly attitude of all of these characters. Snowstorm shuts down the city? Hell yes, have a party in the street cooking food on a fire in a barrel. For the target audience, it's well-written, well-paced, and a romance that feels real for the modern age. I loved how much the different online vs. offline perspectives of the characters felt, but also the exploration of identity and what is really important to individuals vs. family. Nothing felt forced while I was reading the novel, and I'm excited to see it in print to see how the text/twitter threads are actually structured.
Definitely recommended if you're looking for strong character development, finding yourself, and happy endings.

This book started off strong for me. It had a great premise. The title was fantastic. The cover was fantastic but I found early on that it was just too descriptive in places that it didn’t need to be which had the story moving at a very slow pace early on and I quickly lost interest.

Once best friends, their interactions were now limited to Twitter wars. When Adam and Whitney were trapped in the arcade by a blizzard, they began to see themselves, and each other, in a different light.

The thing about Eric Smith is that he always drops pop culture references I love. Look at the name of the book? (I know you’re singing!) As with most YA books, I wouldn’t call this a romance. There is some romance, and it was precious, but the story was more about so much more.

Both Adam and Whitney were trying to stay connected to their fathers. Adam was fighting to preserve his father’s memory by attempting to keep his struggling arcade alive, while Whitney worked tirelessly for her father’s eCafe hoping he would notice her. Needless to say, neither were living their best life, and part of this book was them figuring out that they could go their own way. I really enjoyed watching these two figure that part out, and I was excited about the futures they were defining for themselves.

I think a lot of people will really like Adam. He had a tender heart and was not ashamed to show his emotions. He outwardly loved his mom, wore his dad’s old clothing to be close to him, and talked about his feeling with his best friend Chris. Can we talk about Chris? What a great person to have in ones life. He gave one hundred percent to this friendship. He supported and encouraged Adam, while always having Swedish fish on hand for when they needed to talk about feelings. I absolutely was onboard with this bromance.

Smith’s love of Philadelphia rang loud and clear as well. I really felt like I was right there in the city with them, and I adored getting to know the ins and outs of Adam’s community. This was a merry band of merchants who seemed to really embrace an all-for-one-and-one-for-all mentality. The way they rallied and worked together was fantastic.

Great dialog, an adorable romance, and lots of personal growth were the heart of this tale. It was a pleasure getting to know Adam and Whitney as they reconnected, figured out their futures, and dealt with their personal losses. There was a lot to glean from this story, and Smith told it with warmth, humor, and heart.

Adam Stillwater loves his family’s pinball arcade. It’s consumed his life, especially since his dad died, as he tries to fix up the old machines and complete the machine his dad never finished building.

Whitney Mitchell runs her father’s gaming cafe’s social media account in order to stay connected to him, since he always seems to be too busy with his business to focus on her.

Before Whitney got rich and popular and before Adam distanced himself from everyone after his father’s death, the two of them were friends. Now, as Whitney realizes maybe she doesn’t quite fit in with her so-called friends, she finds herself making her way back to Adam, who is learning that maybe letting go is the only way to move forward.

I really liked the history between Adam and Whitney’s families, as well as the current tension, given that Whitney’s dad is trying to buy the pinball arcade—Adam’s livelihood. Both main characters had a well-developed background story and both were dealing with deep emotional issues dealing with their parents. These problems felt authentic and their reactions felt real. I LOVED the setting—snowed in at an arcade? Um, yes! With Only One Emergency Blanket?! Yes, please.

However, this could just be a personal preference, but I just wished there was more romantic tension between the two throughout the book, more of a build up to them getting together. It felt almost like two separate stories most of the time, which is fine, but I would have preferred more romance throughout.

Overall, a cute story!

What happens when you give friendships a second chance?

Adam and Whitney used to be really close, but drifted apart due to life and high school. Now they find themselves face to face again in a Twitter feud between their family businesses. Will they head down the path of reconciliation or drift apart even more?

I loved this book so much.. Not only did it focus on the character's relationships, but also their internal conflict, Adam, who is clinging to the past and Whitney who is fighting to earn her father's recognition for her efforts. Things came together beautifully. I rarely enjoy YA novels, but this one is one of my favourites.

With his family's pinball arcade on the verge of failing, a teen reconnects with his former best friend, who happens to be the daughter of the esports CEO who wants to buy out the arcade.

Romantic, funny, and heartwarming, this YA contemporary has a perfect blend of fun and emotional depth. The pinball background and general '80s nostalgia creates a delightful atmosphere, and I found myself longing to be part of the Old City shop owners' community with their wonderful, hilarious camaraderie. I highly recommend this to fans of YA contemporary fiction and YA rom coms.

Adam and Whitney were childhood best friends, but when Adam's dad died and they started high school, the two went separate ways. As Adam tries to save his dad's dying pinball arcade and Whitney tries to get her dad's attention as his eSports cafe social media manager, the two are continually at odds. When a blizzard threatens the city festival and last chance for publicity for the arcade, Adam and Whitney must come to terms with where their lives are headed.

A cute romance with dual perspectives. The pinball machine elements are woven throughout and the life advice analogies are solid, but it will appeal to more of a niche audience.

Snowed-in enemies who might become more? Need I as anymore? You Can Go Your Own Way is the angsty teen drama you need to read. Full of in depth characters and witty banter and a potential at teenage love, this book holds all the cards.

3.5 stars
[.What the hell? Why is Adam Stillwater, of all people, making me feel like a walking blush? ]

Adam and Whitney used to be best friends, but summer before freshman year of high school everything changed, and since then they’ve barely said a word to one another; their minimal exchanges are limited to sniping at each other on social media through their parents’ businesses’ Twitter accounts, which they each run. When Whitney’s brother damages one of the games at Adam’s arcade shop, Whitney has to go into damage control mode. Their sniping goes a little too far and when Whitney and Adam next run into each other, they’re awkward and unsure and regretful about how out of control things got. As they both try to make amends, they spend more and more time together and both are left missing the close friendship they once had and wondering if something more might be blooming between them.

This was a cute YA contemporary romance and though some things stretched the imagination (the catalyst for their latest Twitter fight and the supposed fall out from it, for example), I kept in mind not to take things too seriously and to remember this was YA.

Adam’s father died four years ago and this is a big part of the book—Adam coming to terms with the loss of his father and understanding that letting go of the arcade, which is barely breaking even, doesn’t mean letting go of his father.

Another big part is Whitney’s relationship with her father, who is pretty inattentive and whom she feels only pays attention to her when it has to do with the business. The reason she manages the social media accounts and works for his company is because she thinks that’s the only way to get any of his attention, and that really tears her up.

* This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

What I Loved

I loved the themes that make You Can Go Your Own Way more than a cute little young adult story. Exploring grief and loss in all its many stages, as well as the impact of divorce, this story touched my heart deeply. I couldn’t help but sympathize with the main characters as each scene unfolded.

The dual narration and character-driven story enabled me to get to know each of the characters and the many layers that make them who they are at this point. Both characters- Adam and Whitney – work so hard to honor their fathers. Whitney wants her father to notice her, and Adam wants to keep his father’s memory alive. Trying to fulfill these two needs broke their friendship apart, and I absolutely loved watching them work towards rediscovering what they lost and working out that they needed to follow their own path fueled by their own dreams.

The song title that is the book title played through the story and connected it in multiple ways. It’s not chosen randomly or for just a cute factor. It means something and touches a few aspects of the story.

I love that two characters from Don’t Read the Comments made a cameo appearance. That is very cool to bring those characters into this story as it makes sense with the setting. I rarely see that in any stories, and it was a nice shoutout to them.

The city of Philadelphia also gets a shoutout in this story with a setting that reminds me that even big cities have small pockets of community. Everyone looks out for one another and supports each other in good times and bad. It is just another heartwarming touch that makes this story above others in the genre.


Characters

One of the things I love the most about Eric Smith’s stories is how relatable the characters are. Adam and Whitney are no exception. Whitney is a child of divorce working very hard to belong- socially in high school and as her father’s daughter. Adam’s father passed away right before he entered high school, and he has been going through all the stages of grief. That’s had many consequences in his life, but now that he’s at the last step, he’s ready to repair what he lost. Neither of them is angsty or whiny. If anything, what they have been through has made them grow up faster than their chronological age.

What I Wish

My only wish is that Smith keeps creating these wonderful heartfelt stories with the most relatable teens I’ve ever read.

To Read or Not to Read

If you are looking for a story that will touch your heart and make you smile often, this book must be the next one you pick up.

I was so ready to absolutely love this book. I think the cover looks fantastic and the premise completely sucked me in. Unfortunately the actual snowed in stuck together premise that I was so excited by doesn't even start until 64% of the way into the book. Well over halfway into the book and the main characters haven't even been in the same room together, they've just exchanged a handful of tweets. I feel like I could have gotten more on board with this book had I had a more realistic expectation of what the story was going to be, which is two characters who are dealing with difficult family situations and frustrating family businesses. That's what the first 64% of the book is about. I have to admit, I was disappointed that the promise of the description didn't match the actual book.

After reading a lot of mystery/thrillers and historical fiction novels, I was in the mood for a feel good, growth based book. I came across You Can Go Your Own Way by Eric Smith and knew this was what I was looking for.

The story follows Adam as he tries to keep his family’s arcade afloat with just his mom and a lot of broken machines. Having separated from his friends after the death of his father a year before, he really only has a handful of friends he still talks to. His major enemy is old friend Whitney and her father who wants to buy the arcade. Of course, enemies who use to be friends is obviously going to bring up old feelings.

Eric Smith did a great job of breaking down these characters. Adam is definitely suffering from the grief of the loss of his dad and his life literally revolves around that. He seems obsessed with doing everything his dad wanted and even wearing his dad’s clothes only. Then you have Whitney who is so obsessed with getting her dad’s approval and attention that she lets herself be sucked into friendships and relationships that don’t benefit her. I love how these two were kind of going through the same thing wanting to connect with their fathers and how both journey’s have happened separate. The characters have so many layers and Smith did a great job of slowly letting us discover them.

I love the story too. We see these two struggles happening and how honestly the two could help each other, but because they are basically enemies they can’t help each other. This story is very much about growth and self-awareness. I loved getting to watch the characters come to realizations and make decisions that is better for them and their futures. I loved watching them mend their relationship and the relationships with others around them.

I feel like this book gives a great depiction of how young adults are more than capable of working through hard times on their own with the help of a good support system. This message is one a lot of teens and young adults could use help with. I think this kind of story is important for people to read, as well as this one is just a great, easy read for a cold fall day. I encourage everyone to take time to read this phenomenal story of friendship, personal growths and grief and share with your friends. You will not regret it.

#NetGalley #YouCanGoYourOwnWay #Love #Snowstorm

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it, it has two problems which bothered me throughout the story:1/ How did Adam's father die? 2/ Why did Whitley and her siblings live with their father instead of their mother? Their mother seemed loving and caring and their father was in my opinion a jerk!

Otherwise it was a fun read, especially in a time when I've read quite a few dystopian books and historical fictions with such grim subjects as the holocaust.

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.

Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. Her boyfriend dumped her. Her friends seem to have changed overnight. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.

But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

<i>Sincere regards to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. It doesn't influence my opinion on it.</i>

What's up with new releases that continuously disappoint me during the last few months!! I jumped with joy when my request for this book was approved because it looked so promising. I had SO MANY expectations, and then all of them crashed onto the floor while reading this.

The pacing is extremely weird. The being-stuck-in-the-arcade situation included in the synopsis didn't happen until the 64% mark. Yes, that's more than half-way through the book without anything important besides Adam being childish and Whitney being naive. I never skimmed an ARC this furiously before.

Even when things started looking like the promise in the synopsis, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the rest of the story. The only positive point about Adam's conversation with Whitney was that they were talking like actual teenagers. I don't like anything else besides that.

In the end, I thank this book for its many lessons on pinball machines. This is better off as a repairing manual, period.

A sensible, fluffy story about two teens finding companionship in the oddest of places.

The book is light on tone and sweet enough to rotten your teeth. It's fall vibes make the book feel cozy and warm, something you can easily find yourself reading again.

Adam and Whitney were both delightful and relatable. Their banter was the highlight of the book; I couldn't put it down because of their dynamic.

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing a digital copy of this book with me in exchange of my honest opinion.