Emma Lord’s newest Young Adult novel, The Getaway List is a heartwarming story about teenagers, their mothers and friendships. It’s a coming of age, rite of passage plot filled with all the angst which comes with growing up. It’s about two best friends, one of which moved away and how they attempt to reconnect on the same level as when they were younger. But they soon realize, their old selves are gone, and they must try and adjust to the new people they have become. But can they? As they try to find a balance between their new freedom, adult problems and still needing their moms in their lives, can they reconnect in a different way.

The day Riley graduated from high school was the day she decided to tell her mom she needed to spread her wings. Not being able to go to college the coming year, for reasons she doesn’t want to discuss, she makes the decision to go see her best friend Tom who now lives in New York City with his famous screenwriter mother. Since they moved a few years ago they have not seen each other, and their interactions have become less and less. So, Riley wants to get them back on track. Unfortunately, her mother feels that her being with Tom will only get her in trouble and forbids her to go. But, Riley, now feeling she is an adult and doesn’t need her mother’s permission goes against her wishes and ends up in New York.

What her mother doesn’t understand is that Riley and Tom had created a Getaway List of crazy things they wanted to do together. But then Tom moved, and they never had the chance to even start the list. So now, Riley wants to complete the list with Tom over a weekend.

But, when they get together, Riley finds they have become two different people than she remembers, although she sees a bit of the old Tom, he is more serious, adult-like. She realizes they have changed. They are not the same young kids with no problems who are just able to hang out and relax. Tom now has a job and with his mother away at the moment is responsible for an actual household.

But they decide to make the most of the time they have and start the list. Along the way, they get a bit of help from a couple of kids who they would have never even given the time of day. And as they all begin the list together, they begin to trust each other and tell their own pasts and fears and parental issues realizing they really aren’t any different from each other.

What happens is this group of semi-lost young adults discover the value of true friendships, family and feelings as their lives take on different directions and they contemplate what is next for them once the list is finished…if they can even finish it!

The Getaway List is a powerful story about learning to become an adult, the heartbreak and heartache of not being understood, and the importance of true friendship and honesty with oneself and others you love.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #EmmaLord #TheGetawayList for the advanced copy.

This was such a fun YA coming-of-age/finding oneself novel. Something that I often struggle with while reading YA books is the writing, and how it reads almost cheesy. Emma Lord definitely does not fall into that category. Her writing is WITTY and FUNNY and so poignantly raw with emotion that I wanted to hug my Kindle while reading. This was such a cute story of living out a "bucket list" and reconnecting with old friends and making new ones in an effort to find your niche in life.

if Emma Lord's writing it, I'm reading it. while this doesn't dethrone When You Get the Chance, I'm starting to think nothing ever will, it's an all-time favorite. but this one was a delight that tugged at my heartstrings and had me laughing out loud. it was a love letter to New York but also to finding yourself. I feel like this leaned less romance than some of her other books but Lord has a talent for weaving both romantic and self-discovery plotlines together seamlessly.

The Getaway List is exactly the type of book I love and need right now. Riley and Tom have been best friends since they were eight. For the last few years, though, Tom has been in New York City, with Riley back at home. Together, they've created The Getaway List, various things they want to do when they finally get to see each other again. So, Riley heads to NYC right after her high school graduation. This hits all my sweet spots- found family, quirky characters with lots of heart, in a setting that makes me feel like I'm right there. I loved everything about this one and can't wait to read more by Emma Lord, who is one of my favorite go-to authors.

Emma Lord is an auto-buy author for me and I LOVED this book! I think that the concept was really fun and different from most other YA books that I've read before. The slow build of actual feelings between these best friends normally would bug me, but I loved that the pacing of the romance gave all of the side characters a chance to shine and really develop on their own.

There were a lot of kind of side plots going on, but the adventure aspect of it was so fun and kept me so sucked into the story.

10/10 will continue to recommend this book to other readers, especially YA readers.

The Getaway List
Emma Lord

The Getaway List is a YA novel with recent high school graduate, Riley Larson anxious to go to NYC to reunite with her childhood best friend, Tom Whitz. Riley and Tom haven’t seen each other in 3 years and a reunion needs to happen so they can work on their Getaway List. They collect a circle of friends and forge a new life, one Riley wants to continue rather than return home. The relationships, Riley and Tom have with their Moms has depth and realness to it. Riley and Tom’s relationship grows and they find their way navigating adulthood with a little help from their friends. Sweet, real without being too heavy. There are many YA readers who will love this book and its glimpse of NYC. Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

It seems like you can tell authors that have previously published when you are reading a book. They seem to let the story flow and the characters act naturally. There isn't anything forced or unclear in the story line. And that is true in this book. I couldn't always tell where the story was going and things didn't always fall into the easy space. Which made it that much better.
I really enjoyed the characters dealing with their parents and learning how to become an adult themselves. The dialogue was so much fun. I laughed out loud at some spots. It was very believable and fun.
This is a great read for any time.
Enjoy!

This is the story of Riley and Tom- two best friends who were separated by a move, but who reunite to tackle a list of adventures they've named "The Getaway List." As the two work together accomplishing the tasks they set for themselves on the list, they also realize that they don't know each other quite as well as they used to, so their friendship needs some work.
I really enjoyed following these two on their way through NYC and as they work to balance independence and relationship. Both Riley and Tom are flawed people, but they are willing to give one another grace and support to work through the flaws and figure out life. I thought the plot was engaging and the main and support characters are likeable and well developed. I will definitely be recommending this book to students.

Thank you to netgalley for my copy of this book!
I find Emma Lord’s books to be hit or miss, and unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I just felt like there wasn’t much plot or character development, but I was determined to finish it and give it a shot to see if my opinions would change - they didn’t. I felt this way pretty much through the entire book.

Thank you, Net Galley, for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was such a sweet, heart warming read. I loved the setting (NYC) and loved all of the big Apple vibes. The author did a fabulous job of making you fall in love with the characters, and rooting for them. I loved that the author brought heavier topics to light, but handled them so well. I really enjoyed this one!

All hail, Emma Lord, as she can do no wrong! Riley and Tom are best friends since childhood who have been kept apart by Tom's mom moving to NYC in 9th grade for work. Communication is hard while apart, so when Riley decides to take a spur of the moment trip to visit Tom after graduation, it's anyone's guess how that will go.

But you know what? It goes amazingly. The heart of this book is finding yourself and, most importantly, finding a crew of people who you love (and who love you) to help you blossom and be the best version of yourself you can be. Emma Lord writes friendship like no one else. I love love loved this book and LOVE LOVE LOVED the characters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

On the day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes that she has no idea what she wants to do with her life and that she misses her childhood best friend, Tom, that she hasn’t seen in years. She packs her bags and goes to spend the summer in NYC with Tom where they can both finally complete “The Getaway List,” a list of things they’ve always wanted to do since Tom moved away. In NYC learns about herself, what she wants for her future and finds love.

This is more of a coming-of-age story than a romance. I loved the NYC setting, and the friendship of Riley and Tom. It was fun following them along checking off the adventures from “The Getaway List.” Riley’s character was relatable, she’s carefree and just trying to figure out what to do after high school, and I adored all the side characters. It was a book about friendship, self-discovery and the uncertainties of the future sprinkled with a little bit of friends to lovers romance. If you enjoy YA books, give this one a try!

Like every Emma Lord novel, this one bursts with color and quirkiness. Sci-fi themed creative writing walking tours! An anonymous delivery service app! A brownie shop where you can make your own brownies! It’s so cute it’ll make your teeth hurt. I love cruising through Lord’s version of NYC.

If you love the friends to lovers trope, a wide, quirky cast of characters, and coming-of-age stories, Lord’s newest offering is perfect for you!

Thank you for the advanced copy! This was a first book by this author that I’ve read. Very cute funny and entertaining. Glad I read it and excited to tell others about it.

Emma Lord is one of those authors who I somehow have most of her backlog, but I keep forgetting that I do and I don't read them. Even though I want to read them all! I did read Tweet Cute (her debut) way back when it first came out so it was interesting to compare that book to her newest release.

This book is a lot of fun! We follow 18-year-old Riley right after her high school graduation where she realizes she has no idea what she wants to do next. So she does the one thing she has always wanted to do: hop on a bus and find her best friend Tom in the New York City to complete their version of a bucket list: The Getaway List.

What I loved about this book were the characters. Riley was so relatable in the coming of age journey she went on in this book and you really see the growth that she goes through as she figures out who she is, what she wants, and how to navigate this summer away from her mom. All of the side characters were so vibrant and I found myself wanting to know more about each of them and their own journeys as well.

The only reason why I docked this one star is that I felt like the big reveal or "betrayal" was a bit convoluted and I didn't really understand why Riley was so upset with Tom. It didn't really make sense in the grand scheme of things and at times, it felt like two different plots were emerging: one centered around the Getaway List and one about the delivery service.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and you can tell that Emma's writing has really grown since Tweet Cute. I definitely look forward to checking out her backlog as well as her summer release later this year!

The Getaway List was a fun story of a girl who decides to postpone college (maybe forever) and follow her dreams of living in New York. There she reconnects with an old friend and finds some new ones.

Emma Lord's characters are always BIG characters. While there are sometimes a lot, I like that she features these kind of young women, with big voices, big ideas, and big dreams.

I reviewed the book and also made a fun post on the NYC world of some of Emma Lord's books, which share a story world!

Enjoyed this coming of age sweet teenager love story. While I'm not the target audience for this book i did enjoy this one. But I think teens will love it.

Once again, I have fallen in love with an Emma Lord novel set in NYC. I loved these characters so much and this novel is such an accurate portrayal of what the time between high school and university is like. I really admire the way that Riley does not cave to Tom and his people-pleasing; there is actually a moment where Tom tells Riley that he is okay with something and she asks him if he's just saying that or if it will actually make him happy. I also found it so mature as Riley points out that she can't make someone else happy.

Like with all Emma Lord novels, The Getaway List is more than a fun YA story. It touches on self-love, depression, finding oneself and famililal relationships while remaining fun. It brought me back to being 18 and feeling on top of the world with so many opportunities ahead.

I have consistently adored Emma Lord's characters and stories. As a middle school teacher, I have girls always asking for "love stories", but many YA novels still tiptoe into the area that makes me hesitant to willingly recommend. I have all of Lord's stories in my classroom, and I have no issue adding this one as well!

The story is her typical "cute rom-com" with a sprinkle of growing up and finding oneself. I had a serious soft spot for both Riley and Tom, as well as the little pack they collected over the course of the novel. I wanted to hug them all and push them on their merry little way. I can only hope that my own daughter has a group of friends that love her as much as this collection.

This is probably super cute for a YA audience. As for me, I found it underwhelming. I didn’t really enjoy any of the relationships all that much, and there was pretty excessive swearing, in my opinion. There were some good overarching themes that could cause teens to ponder, especially related to familial relationships, but I am already finding myself forgetting this story and the characters in it. It does have its enjoyable moments, but they were too few and far between for me to genuinely enjoy this.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.