Any Other Night

Anne Pfeffer

Welcome to Reading Addiction Blog Tour’s stop for ‘Any Other Night’.

Ryan’s life is falling apart and there is nothing he can do about it. Left bereft by his friend’s death, his growing feelings for Emily make him feel bad, like he is betraying Michael’s memory. Add in the fact that Mitchael had a potent secret, and you have a potent, enjoyable, teenage read.

The official blurb:

Any other night, Ryan Mills would have driven his best friend, Michael, to Emily’s sweet sixteen party at the Breakers Club. Instead, determined to win over the birthday girl, he goes to the party early and alone, setting off a chain of events that ends with a car accident in which Michael dies.

Ryan blames himself for what happened to Michael. As far as he’s concerned, he doesn’t deserve to have love or ever be happy again. Then he learns Michael left a secret behind. Ryan feels compelled to take on his friend’s unfinished business, and in the process, changes his life forever and becomes a man.

This book was published in October 2011 under the title Loving Emily. In May 2012, it was reissued with its content unchanged as Any Other Night. The book was named a Finalist in the 2012 Indie Reader Discovery Awards competition.

My review:

Pfeffer has a good mix of past and present at the beginning of the novel to really expose what Michael was like when he was alive, and why he meant so much to the protagonist.

Opening a novel on a party scene, even one with a seemingly Mexican theme is a pretty thrilling beginning! It won me over, and I had to keep reading.

By avoiding introducing the fact that Ryan is a rich boy (except the mention of his car) until after the party, we sort of see more clearly that he is more than just a rich white guy who likes girls and partying. By the time I read that section, I already liked him too much and couldn’t be too prejudiced against him for his parents.

The Chrissie storyline really forced Ryan to grow up, to become more responsible. The theme of not knowing what you are going to do with your life and being anxious about it is one that would resonate with many teenagers and young adults.

Grief and denial play a heavy role in Ryan’s life. These feelings are mied with the attraction he feels towards Emily. Ryan treats his parents like crap, and you know there must be a reason behind that, but nothing is made certain. Tidbits of information are fed to the reader at just the right time to enhance our understanding.

The use of drugs in this novel is not glamorised in any way. It seems horrifically easy how these teenagers are able to get them though. So many lives potentially wasted. I would have said the thrills of drugs weren’t worth any of the other problems associated with their use, and this novel definitely confirms it.

I read this novel before having seen the cover, and now that I do see it, it makes it seem a bit like it’s more a romance than anything, but that’s not true! It has depth and detail, and makes you want to read more. The new title of ‘Any Other Night’ is far more appropriate than ‘Loving Emily’.

This novel is a gem, particularly for the reluctant teenage male reader. I’m not saying girls won’t enjoy it too, just that it might be a good option for males. For me, this is in the realms of Brent Runyon’s amazing writing. I look forward to further novels from Pfeffer.