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heykellyjensen's review against another edition
All the heart eyes for this one!
A lovely story about four sisters in the summer before everything in their life in a small coastal town changes for them. The four girls are very distinct, with great character arcs. The writing is evocative, and the world-building and character development is very Sarah Dessen like.
There are tons of cats, dogs, and BOOK REFERENCES GALORE because one of the settings is a bookstore. There are all kinds of pop culture references, a fan fiction writer, an actress, and a badass grandma character.
Just delightful.
A lovely story about four sisters in the summer before everything in their life in a small coastal town changes for them. The four girls are very distinct, with great character arcs. The writing is evocative, and the world-building and character development is very Sarah Dessen like.
There are tons of cats, dogs, and BOOK REFERENCES GALORE because one of the settings is a bookstore. There are all kinds of pop culture references, a fan fiction writer, an actress, and a badass grandma character.
Just delightful.
cassiesbookishcorner's review against another edition
5.0
This book. Oof. It was so good. So emotional. And honest. And touching. The only thing wrong with it was that it ended. Seriously. You have to love all the characters. You will relate to at least one of them, but in some way, probably all of them. It's well written, and touching, and inclusive, and I loved it. I'm on the hunt for every other book she's written!
suzyqhf's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ebooklivv's review against another edition
5.0
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If I could rate this book a ten, I would. I feel like the author crept into my brain and read my mind and discovered all of the things that I love and am obsessed with, all of the tropes and pop culture references, and put it all into a book just for me.
I was approved to read an ARC of this book on NetGalley, sort of on a whim. I read the description and thought it sounded really interesting, well I am so glad I made that choice because I will be recommending this fast, fun, summer read to everyone I know!
The author describes this book as “Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen” and I think that perfectly describes this book. It’s about the four Garrett sisters, Des, Bea, Kat, and Vi (all shortened versions of Shakespeare names), who all go through their own personal journies to learn more about themselves and each other. Each sister has their own chapters following their story and is told in 3rd person. They all live with their grandmother, known to them as Gran, and live in a small town where their Gran owns a bookstore called Arden.
The Garrett Girls:
Des: 19, the Responsible One, and who is struggling to find her voice and her place in her own life. She has taken over the role as the caretaker of the family. The one who cleans, and cooks and works the most shifts at Arden. But when her high school BFF comes home for the summer and feels like the small town life is no longer for her, Des worries that she fits into that category as well. Des also meets a new friend, Paige. Purple haired and tatted, Paige is bold and everything that Des wants to be. Will a summer of spontaneity do Des some good, or will it all come crashing down?
Bea: 18, the Smart One. Bea has been dating Erik since she was thirteen years old. They have a five-year plan mapped out, and a ten-year plan, but what Bea did not plan for was falling out of love with Erik. She no longer wants to attend Georgetown in the fall, something that she and Erik decided as one. And when a cute boy from out of town comes to visit his grandma for the summer, she can’t help but see how different she wishes her life was. But is she brave enough to ask for what she wants even if it hurts the people around her?
Kat: 16, the Dramatic One. Kat lives to be the center of the attention, whether it is between her sisters or on stage for the community production of Little Women. Kat’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her and she is interested in revenge. What better way to make him jealous then striking up a fake relationship with the recently dumped, fellow castmate and coworker, Mase. With his Mohawk and his guyliner, Kat thinks he is the coolest candidate to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, what she didn’t plan on was falling for him for real.
Vi: 15, the Bookish One. Vi is perfectly fine with reading her LGBTQ YA novels and writing her Beronica fanfiction, but she can’t help be tempted by real romance outside of books. This summer, Vi cannot control her overwhelming crush on Cece Perez, the pretty hostess next door. Cece loves LGBT romance novels too, and they bond over their love of books. When they strike up a friendship, Vi can’t help but wish it could turn into more. Will Vi find her summer filled with requited or unrequited love?
In the acknowledgments, the author asks what Garrett Girl you are most like, and I found that to be a tough question to answer. I felt like I related to all of the girls at times, some more than others, but all of them the same; although sometimes I did feel like Erik. All of the girls have such distinct personalities, and I really admire the writer for writing them so fully. I also loved how feminist all of the girls are! They are always wearing great feminist shirts like ‘girls just want to have fun(damental human rights) and I really admired that. Someday when I finish my book I hope it turns out as fun and realistic as this *crosses fingers* fantastic book. If I had to pick, I would say that I am a mix between Kat and Vi. I am super bookish (duh) and shy, but I also love theater and can have a flare for the dramatics.
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If I could rate this book a ten, I would. I feel like the author crept into my brain and read my mind and discovered all of the things that I love and am obsessed with, all of the tropes and pop culture references, and put it all into a book just for me.
I was approved to read an ARC of this book on NetGalley, sort of on a whim. I read the description and thought it sounded really interesting, well I am so glad I made that choice because I will be recommending this fast, fun, summer read to everyone I know!
The author describes this book as “Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen” and I think that perfectly describes this book. It’s about the four Garrett sisters, Des, Bea, Kat, and Vi (all shortened versions of Shakespeare names), who all go through their own personal journies to learn more about themselves and each other. Each sister has their own chapters following their story and is told in 3rd person. They all live with their grandmother, known to them as Gran, and live in a small town where their Gran owns a bookstore called Arden.
The Garrett Girls:
Des: 19, the Responsible One, and who is struggling to find her voice and her place in her own life. She has taken over the role as the caretaker of the family. The one who cleans, and cooks and works the most shifts at Arden. But when her high school BFF comes home for the summer and feels like the small town life is no longer for her, Des worries that she fits into that category as well. Des also meets a new friend, Paige. Purple haired and tatted, Paige is bold and everything that Des wants to be. Will a summer of spontaneity do Des some good, or will it all come crashing down?
Bea: 18, the Smart One. Bea has been dating Erik since she was thirteen years old. They have a five-year plan mapped out, and a ten-year plan, but what Bea did not plan for was falling out of love with Erik. She no longer wants to attend Georgetown in the fall, something that she and Erik decided as one. And when a cute boy from out of town comes to visit his grandma for the summer, she can’t help but see how different she wishes her life was. But is she brave enough to ask for what she wants even if it hurts the people around her?
Kat: 16, the Dramatic One. Kat lives to be the center of the attention, whether it is between her sisters or on stage for the community production of Little Women. Kat’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her and she is interested in revenge. What better way to make him jealous then striking up a fake relationship with the recently dumped, fellow castmate and coworker, Mase. With his Mohawk and his guyliner, Kat thinks he is the coolest candidate to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, what she didn’t plan on was falling for him for real.
Vi: 15, the Bookish One. Vi is perfectly fine with reading her LGBTQ YA novels and writing her Beronica fanfiction, but she can’t help be tempted by real romance outside of books. This summer, Vi cannot control her overwhelming crush on Cece Perez, the pretty hostess next door. Cece loves LGBT romance novels too, and they bond over their love of books. When they strike up a friendship, Vi can’t help but wish it could turn into more. Will Vi find her summer filled with requited or unrequited love?
In the acknowledgments, the author asks what Garrett Girl you are most like, and I found that to be a tough question to answer. I felt like I related to all of the girls at times, some more than others, but all of them the same; although sometimes I did feel like Erik. All of the girls have such distinct personalities, and I really admire the writer for writing them so fully. I also loved how feminist all of the girls are! They are always wearing great feminist shirts like ‘girls just want to have fun(damental human rights) and I really admired that. Someday when I finish my book I hope it turns out as fun and realistic as this *crosses fingers* fantastic book. If I had to pick, I would say that I am a mix between Kat and Vi. I am super bookish (duh) and shy, but I also love theater and can have a flare for the dramatics.
sungmemoonstruck's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute and more than a little Stars Hollow-y.
akarapunzl's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, cute, and well-written. A little predictable and the last section of the book is a bit of a let-down, but still cute and happy. A perfect summer read!
kiercarnahan's review against another edition
2.0
This book had a lot of names and it took me awhile to figure out who everyone was and keep them straight. It seemed like a lot happened but also nothing that dramatic happened. It was a light, YA read that would be good for reading at the beach because it doesn't require that much attention, once you figure out who everyone is. Just not my cup of tea.
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
fangirlfury's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute, sisterly summer contemporary. Buttt a little perplexed about how I found multiple spelling/grammatical errors in my finished copy?
andiabcs's review against another edition
3.0
This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs
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.I added The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls to my TBR about 2 years ago and then promptly forgot all about it. But then I decided to scroll my TBR list for a challenge I gave myself in 2020 and I came across it again and back on the radar it went. And in the end it was really good. I know 3.5 stars doesn’t look like a rave review, but it really was a good story. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is I think because it was 4 POVs and not a focus on 1 or 2, some of the stories felt a little rushed. Don;t get me wrong, I was mostly satisfied, but I think each girl would have benefitted from having their own book, their own stories apart from their sisters. For example I didn’t love Des. She was the only Garrett girl I was not a fan of and I think that is because I didn’t really get to know her. She was a girl I got a to learn about every 4th chapter. If she had her own book I think I would have understood and liked her more. But that aside, The Last Summer of the Garret Girls was a quick read and at its core about growing up and moving on. I think this deserves a spot on your TBR.
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.I added The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls to my TBR about 2 years ago and then promptly forgot all about it. But then I decided to scroll my TBR list for a challenge I gave myself in 2020 and I came across it again and back on the radar it went. And in the end it was really good. I know 3.5 stars doesn’t look like a rave review, but it really was a good story. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is I think because it was 4 POVs and not a focus on 1 or 2, some of the stories felt a little rushed. Don;t get me wrong, I was mostly satisfied, but I think each girl would have benefitted from having their own book, their own stories apart from their sisters. For example I didn’t love Des. She was the only Garrett girl I was not a fan of and I think that is because I didn’t really get to know her. She was a girl I got a to learn about every 4th chapter. If she had her own book I think I would have understood and liked her more. But that aside, The Last Summer of the Garret Girls was a quick read and at its core about growing up and moving on. I think this deserves a spot on your TBR.