Scan barcode
christiana's review against another edition
3.0
I kind of wish I hadn't known about the pitch of this book (Gilmore Girls meets something by way of Sarah Dessen) because I think it got my expectations too high. That being said, I think this would be a fun summer read that would be easy to give out to high schoolers or back from college girls.
gracemarshall6's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
starlightbooktales's review against another edition
4.0
This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 STARS
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was a light summer read that provides a tale of 4 sisters trying to navigate their last summer together. Each sister is going through something different and the story follows each one of them as they let go of the past and find themselves and new love.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a nice summer read. The Garrett girls will keep you on your toes!
4 STARS
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was a light summer read that provides a tale of 4 sisters trying to navigate their last summer together. Each sister is going through something different and the story follows each one of them as they let go of the past and find themselves and new love.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a nice summer read. The Garrett girls will keep you on your toes!
hellomadalyn's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
*3.5 stars*
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a lovely, summery contemporary that follows a family of four sisters navigating their last summer together in their small, coastal town. Since the book features four perspectives, it feels like you’re reading four companion novels that involve the same setting and same characters, which made for a fun reading experience.
Each of the Garrett sisters brought a different vibe to this story. There’s Des, the oldest, who struggles with feeling inadequate and boring because she decided to stay in her small hometown and work in her family’s bookshop after graduation, rather than attend college. Then, there’s Bea, who realizes that the plan she made years ago– attend Georgetown with her boyfriend– now that it’s within reach, is no longer what she wants. Kat, the second-youngest sister, hatches a plan to get back at her ex-boyfriend through the community theater production they’re both involved in this summer. And finally, we have Vi, the youngest (my precious child), who harbors a not-so-secret crush on the cute girl who works next door– the only problem is, she doesn’t know whether said cute girl actually likes girls.
I related to each sister in different ways. I empathized a lot with Des, as she’s the closest to my age; Bea reminded me of my high school self; Kat shared my love of the arts; and Vi is dealing with one of the quintessential #QueerGirlProblems. That being said, I definitely enjoyed reading some stories more than others. I think Kat’s perspective was my favorite to read from, because I adored the romance she develops with one of her castmates (who, I should mention, is bisexual and Korean-American! more bi boy love interests, please!). It involves the fake dating trope, a personal fave of mine, so obviously I was hooked from the beginning. Plus, Kat works in a cat cafe, which I loved reading about. I also loved Vi’s storyline, because her romance was really, really sweet. Plus, she’s such a cinnamon roll. I just wanna protect her. Like I said, I related to Des quite a lot, but she made some pretty poor decisions that were kinda frustrating as a reader. Bea’s storyline was by far my least favorite, because 1.) I feel like, out of all the main characters, she had the least-developed personality, and 2.) it involved cheating.
The setting of The Summer of the Garrett Girls added so much charm and personality to this book! It takes place in a tiny riverside town in Maryland. The small-town vibes were strong, and they added lots of atmosphere to the story. The Garrett family owns an independent bookstore, and all the sisters work there periodically. I of course enjoyed all the scenes that took place in the book shop! I think book lovers will all appreciate the myriad literary references in Garrett Girls: first off, all the sisters are named after Shakespeare characters (Desdemona, Beatrice, Katharina, and Viola). Plus, all of the sisters love to read, and titles from across multiple genres are frequently name-dropped. I especially appreciated the A+ queer girl YA recs. Jessica Spotswood did an excellent job of giving this town unique personality while keeping a cozy feel that anyone who grew up in small-town America will find familiar.
I’ve heard this book pitched as Gilmore Girls meets Sarah Dessen, and I think that’s a great comp. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls tackles some heavy issues, but it still reads easily and makes for a perfect summery contemporary. I’d highly recommend any contemporary lover to pick this one up!
*3.5 stars*
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a lovely, summery contemporary that follows a family of four sisters navigating their last summer together in their small, coastal town. Since the book features four perspectives, it feels like you’re reading four companion novels that involve the same setting and same characters, which made for a fun reading experience.
Each of the Garrett sisters brought a different vibe to this story. There’s Des, the oldest, who struggles with feeling inadequate and boring because she decided to stay in her small hometown and work in her family’s bookshop after graduation, rather than attend college. Then, there’s Bea, who realizes that the plan she made years ago– attend Georgetown with her boyfriend– now that it’s within reach, is no longer what she wants. Kat, the second-youngest sister, hatches a plan to get back at her ex-boyfriend through the community theater production they’re both involved in this summer. And finally, we have Vi, the youngest (my precious child), who harbors a not-so-secret crush on the cute girl who works next door– the only problem is, she doesn’t know whether said cute girl actually likes girls.
I related to each sister in different ways. I empathized a lot with Des, as she’s the closest to my age; Bea reminded me of my high school self; Kat shared my love of the arts; and Vi is dealing with one of the quintessential #QueerGirlProblems. That being said, I definitely enjoyed reading some stories more than others. I think Kat’s perspective was my favorite to read from, because I adored the romance she develops with one of her castmates (who, I should mention, is bisexual and Korean-American! more bi boy love interests, please!). It involves the fake dating trope, a personal fave of mine, so obviously I was hooked from the beginning. Plus, Kat works in a cat cafe, which I loved reading about. I also loved Vi’s storyline, because her romance was really, really sweet. Plus, she’s such a cinnamon roll. I just wanna protect her. Like I said, I related to Des quite a lot, but she made some pretty poor decisions that were kinda frustrating as a reader. Bea’s storyline was by far my least favorite, because 1.) I feel like, out of all the main characters, she had the least-developed personality, and 2.) it involved cheating.
The setting of The Summer of the Garrett Girls added so much charm and personality to this book! It takes place in a tiny riverside town in Maryland. The small-town vibes were strong, and they added lots of atmosphere to the story. The Garrett family owns an independent bookstore, and all the sisters work there periodically. I of course enjoyed all the scenes that took place in the book shop! I think book lovers will all appreciate the myriad literary references in Garrett Girls: first off, all the sisters are named after Shakespeare characters (Desdemona, Beatrice, Katharina, and Viola). Plus, all of the sisters love to read, and titles from across multiple genres are frequently name-dropped. I especially appreciated the A+ queer girl YA recs. Jessica Spotswood did an excellent job of giving this town unique personality while keeping a cozy feel that anyone who grew up in small-town America will find familiar.
I’ve heard this book pitched as Gilmore Girls meets Sarah Dessen, and I think that’s a great comp. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls tackles some heavy issues, but it still reads easily and makes for a perfect summery contemporary. I’d highly recommend any contemporary lover to pick this one up!
noirbettie's review
5.0
A delightful, unexpected read. Because of the author’s anthologies (and my own lack of research before I one-clicked it), I was expecting this to be historical fiction. It’s not—but it’s timeless in the way that a good, quiet story should be. The Garrett sisters live in a small town. Everyone knows them and everyone know where they’ve been and where they’re going. They just need to figure out what they actually want for themselves.
I adore this book. I’ve seen the comparisons to Little Women—legit—and Gilmore Girls—disagree; if anything, it has a real Mystic Pizza vibe.
I adore this book. I’ve seen the comparisons to Little Women—legit—and Gilmore Girls—disagree; if anything, it has a real Mystic Pizza vibe.
chelsbethbaute's review against another edition
3.0
This book was...fine? I feel like the author tried to do WAY too much. I didn’t even care about this book enough to give it a lower rating.
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
3.0
This was cute - a very adorable story with the perfectly imperfect sisters who learn things over the span of a summer. It's very after-school-special but it's YA and this isn't always bad in a book. Sometimes it's nice to be pretty sure the story is going to end with smiles and sweet moments. And there are sweet moments and very realistic situations.
My only complaint would be about there being so many popculture references. There are book and author and tv show references. Already, just a few after publication, they already feel a little dated. I don't know how this one will hold up well.
My only complaint would be about there being so many popculture references. There are book and author and tv show references. Already, just a few after publication, they already feel a little dated. I don't know how this one will hold up well.
jugglingpup's review against another edition
5.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
This book started out a miss for me, drastically changed to love real quick, then ended with four chapters of total let down. The book could have easily been four different books instead of one, but it did work well as one.
Des is the oldest of the Garrett girls. She is the one who pretty much has taken on the role of being their mother after their parents died in a car crash. She cooks, cleans, and looks after the store that their mother had opened. She is especially needed lately because their grandmother just had knee surgery. Des is one of the characters that can read as really bland or can be perfect, really just depends on how you can connect to her. She can read as bland because she has no rebellious streak, no desire to get out, and she has no interest in dating. The rebellious streak is the focus of her story. She meets a girl who has purple hair and then all bets are off on what Des will be doing. My favorite aspect of Des is that she is cannonly asexual or aromantic. She has no desire to date, no interest in sex from what she says to others. It is damn rare a character like that exists and even more rare that a character like that is allowed to just be. Spotswood earned so many points with Des.
Bea is the perfect child. She is high achieving, has a steady boyfriend for years that is also high achieving, she got accepted into an amazing college. She has everything figured out. When she gets stressed out, she bakes. Her story reads a lot like Gilmore Girls drama. Her issues is she doesn’t want to be with her boyfriend anymore and isn’t sure about her future anymore. It is pretty fantastic to see such a high achieving character experiencing doubt and being accepted by her family for it. This is the type of character so many AP kids need to read. Bea will resonate so deeply with those kids.
Kat is dramatic and jealous, or is she? She is really into theater. She joins both the local and the high school productions. She is good at what she does. Her story revolves around her trying to win back her ex who cheated on her. She gets together with a bisexual guy who is also into theater. He is trying to get back with his (male) ex who cheated on him. They agree to fake date, but things go wrong. Kat falls for him. In the process she learns that she wasn’t actually jealous, that she was being gaslighted and that the guy who made her feel ridiculous was doing it to cover for the fact he was cheating on her (and has tons of insecurity issues like with his height and sexuality). Kat’s story is so much more complex and beautiful that so many other YA books have allowed. The representation of the bisexual male character was AMAZING. He had eyeliner, but more in a punk way than a femme way. He also actually dates men and women. He doesn’t cheat. He has issues being taken seriously by his gay friends for seeing a woman, he has issues in town being taken seriously because he dates men. His character is so much more than I have seen in bisexual characters in any genre.
Vi is the youngest Garrett sister and an out lesbian. She is always wearing political t-shirts that get her noticed, but she doesn’t seem to notice it. Others see her as brave and proud, she sees herself as awkward and scared. She has a HUGE crush on the waitress next door. She has to figure out how to be friends with someone she has feelings for and respect that not everyone who is queer can be out. It takes some growing pains, but Vi does learn her lessons and find some happiness. Her character is much softer than the others. I would have loved to read a full book about all of the sisters, but Vi’s story would have been one I latched onto in middle and high school because she was openly gay in a small town.
The issues I had with the book were my fear of telling the characters apart, but they are wonderfully different (not what you see on the cover as they are redheads in the book). So that fear eased after five chapters. My other major issue with the last four chapters. They read as too after school special to me. The author jammed a synopsis of what everyone learned and went through in the book into a chapter each. It wasn’t really something I needed or wanted in an ending. The only chapter that really mattered of the last four was Vi’s. That chapter really ended her plot, the others were just rehashing of what I already sat through by reading the book. Vi had the only new plot in it. For how amazing the representation of the characters was, I can ignore a few pages of boring. For how much this story sucked me in, I can easily forgive a few pages of “what?”.
This is a great book full of diversity. This is the sort of book I want to see everywhere.
I got an ARC of this book.
This book started out a miss for me, drastically changed to love real quick, then ended with four chapters of total let down. The book could have easily been four different books instead of one, but it did work well as one.
Des is the oldest of the Garrett girls. She is the one who pretty much has taken on the role of being their mother after their parents died in a car crash. She cooks, cleans, and looks after the store that their mother had opened. She is especially needed lately because their grandmother just had knee surgery. Des is one of the characters that can read as really bland or can be perfect, really just depends on how you can connect to her. She can read as bland because she has no rebellious streak, no desire to get out, and she has no interest in dating. The rebellious streak is the focus of her story. She meets a girl who has purple hair and then all bets are off on what Des will be doing. My favorite aspect of Des is that she is cannonly asexual or aromantic. She has no desire to date, no interest in sex from what she says to others. It is damn rare a character like that exists and even more rare that a character like that is allowed to just be. Spotswood earned so many points with Des.
Bea is the perfect child. She is high achieving, has a steady boyfriend for years that is also high achieving, she got accepted into an amazing college. She has everything figured out. When she gets stressed out, she bakes. Her story reads a lot like Gilmore Girls drama. Her issues is she doesn’t want to be with her boyfriend anymore and isn’t sure about her future anymore. It is pretty fantastic to see such a high achieving character experiencing doubt and being accepted by her family for it. This is the type of character so many AP kids need to read. Bea will resonate so deeply with those kids.
Kat is dramatic and jealous, or is she? She is really into theater. She joins both the local and the high school productions. She is good at what she does. Her story revolves around her trying to win back her ex who cheated on her. She gets together with a bisexual guy who is also into theater. He is trying to get back with his (male) ex who cheated on him. They agree to fake date, but things go wrong. Kat falls for him. In the process she learns that she wasn’t actually jealous, that she was being gaslighted and that the guy who made her feel ridiculous was doing it to cover for the fact he was cheating on her (and has tons of insecurity issues like with his height and sexuality). Kat’s story is so much more complex and beautiful that so many other YA books have allowed. The representation of the bisexual male character was AMAZING. He had eyeliner, but more in a punk way than a femme way. He also actually dates men and women. He doesn’t cheat. He has issues being taken seriously by his gay friends for seeing a woman, he has issues in town being taken seriously because he dates men. His character is so much more than I have seen in bisexual characters in any genre.
Vi is the youngest Garrett sister and an out lesbian. She is always wearing political t-shirts that get her noticed, but she doesn’t seem to notice it. Others see her as brave and proud, she sees herself as awkward and scared. She has a HUGE crush on the waitress next door. She has to figure out how to be friends with someone she has feelings for and respect that not everyone who is queer can be out. It takes some growing pains, but Vi does learn her lessons and find some happiness. Her character is much softer than the others. I would have loved to read a full book about all of the sisters, but Vi’s story would have been one I latched onto in middle and high school because she was openly gay in a small town.
The issues I had with the book were my fear of telling the characters apart, but they are wonderfully different (not what you see on the cover as they are redheads in the book). So that fear eased after five chapters. My other major issue with the last four chapters. They read as too after school special to me. The author jammed a synopsis of what everyone learned and went through in the book into a chapter each. It wasn’t really something I needed or wanted in an ending. The only chapter that really mattered of the last four was Vi’s. That chapter really ended her plot, the others were just rehashing of what I already sat through by reading the book. Vi had the only new plot in it. For how amazing the representation of the characters was, I can ignore a few pages of boring. For how much this story sucked me in, I can easily forgive a few pages of “what?”.
This is a great book full of diversity. This is the sort of book I want to see everywhere.
emreadsmore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5