ARC REVIEW: TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS by Leila Sales

ARC REVIEW: TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS

Summary:
Recklessly loyal.

That’s how seventeen-year-old Arden Huntley has always thought of herself. Caring for her loved ones is what gives Arden purpose in her life and makes her feel like she matters. But lately she’s grown resentful of everyone—including her needy best friend and her absent mom—taking her loyalty for granted.

Then Arden stumbles upon a website called Tonight the Streets Are Ours, the musings of a young New York City writer named Peter, who gives voice to feelings that Arden has never known how to express. He seems to get her in a way that no one else does, and he hasn’t even met her.

Until Arden sets out on a road trip to find him.


During one crazy night out in New York City filled with parties, dancing, and music—the type of night when anything can happen, and nearly everything does—Arden discovers that Peter isn’t exactly who she thought he was. And maybe she isn’t exactly who she thought she was, either.

Title: TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS

Author: Leila Sales

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

I liked this one. I had heard from some people that I know that it was disappointing to them and I can get there, but I still liked it. I think it's probably because I *am* Arden: I am a perpetual people pleaser and have written so many blank cheques that eventually one of them might bounce.
I liked the story, I liked the journey that both Arden and Lindsey took throughout this novel, and I liked that they both came to realize that they needed to own up to their mistakes. 

I thought the pacing was a little off: it was so much backstory and not enough New York and shenanigans. I think the front half could have been scaled back to give us more time with Peter in New York because I felt like that was lacking. I also thought that what happened in New York wasn't as *fun* as I thought it was going to be. I was anticipating more from what Peter could offer and what Arden would take. I just felt like it was not enough. 

I also wasn't a fan of the ending. I didn't like the Epilogue, I thought it cheapened the rest of the story. I think I would have been happier with the story overall if I didn't find out about what happened after and it could just hang open. I wanted to imagine what Arden did after and how it affected her -- or at least be given more of an explanation than the couple of paragraphs we got. I also wasn't a fan of how Peter's story wrapped up. Sure he was an asshole, but it kind of felt like a "good triumphing over evil" sort of ending. And everything wrapped up so *nicely*. It just felt cheap and hokey compared to how fun the rest was.