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leexpenandpages's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
π SYNOPSIS:
Belly spends every summer at a beach house with her mother, brother, two beautiful boys, and their mother. Growing up, she mostly passed time at the house with the parents, but this year, everything changes.
ππΊοΈπΊππ₯πΊππ©βπ§βπ¦π©βπ¦βπ¦
ππ» RECOMMENDATION:
β₯οΈ SKIP it (and the Netflix show). You know this story already, and you can find other versions with better characters.
π¬ FAVORITE QUOTES:
Sometimes it's like people are a million times more beautiful to you in your mind. It's like you see them through a special lens. But maybe if it's how you see them, that's how they really are. It's like the whole tree falling in the forest thing.
My dad once told me that Winstone Churchill said that Russia was riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. According to my dad, Churchill had been talking about my mother. This was before the divorce, and he said it half-bitterly, half-respectfully. Because even when he hated her, he admired her.
So this was my power over her: my supposed innocence over her supposed sluttiness. It was all such BS. I would've traded my spot for hers in a second.
π FORMAT:
π§
π COMMENTS:
β’ This story is warm and cutesy, just what one expects from a romance, especially a teen romance. It follows the story beats you expect from a childhood friends-to-lovers story. Combined with the short, focused chapters, it's an easy read.
β’ The narrator does an amazing job of sounding like a sweet, excited teenager. It's a shame Belly is completely annoying and oblivious, and most of the cast is frustrating too. (Thank you, Susannah, for being the exveption!)
β’ There is a scene in which Belly says asking someone before kissing is awkward. I'd like to remark that consent is important, and Belly is wrong on this subject. If it feels awkward to ask or to say yes, you shouldn't be doing it yet!
β’ Toward the end of the book, the pacing is uncomfortably fast. There is a major reveal that readers hardly get any time to feel.
β’ NOTE: The plot and characters differ significantly from the Amazon series. They're only loosely similar. Amazon does it better, but they're both easy skips.
β’ This story is warm and cutesy, just what one expects from a romance, especially a teen romance. It follows the story beats you expect from a childhood friends-to-lovers story. Combined with the short, focused chapters, it's an easy read.
β’ The narrator does an amazing job of sounding like a sweet, excited teenager. It's a shame Belly is completely annoying and oblivious, and most of the cast is frustrating too. (Thank you, Susannah, for being the exveption!)
β’ There is a scene in which Belly says asking someone before kissing is awkward. I'd like to remark that consent is important, and Belly is wrong on this subject. If it feels awkward to ask or to say yes, you shouldn't be doing it yet!
β’ Toward the end of the book, the pacing is uncomfortably fast. There is a major reveal that readers hardly get any time to feel.
β’ NOTE: The plot and characters differ significantly from the Amazon series. They're only loosely similar. Amazon does it better, but they're both easy skips.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Body shaming, Chronic illness, and Cancer
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Alcohol
Minor: Cursing
litliz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Sexism, Blood, and Cancer
hkantola11's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Cancer
shay_2522's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Cancer
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Cursing
This book is 12+f_r_e_d's review against another edition
this book was SO STUPID. the girl in the story is so freakin annoying. Sheβs constantly complaining and is so vain. Sheβs all I hate this I hate that. Or they did this to me and they hate me. And the whole time it was HER. UGGGG I was rolling my eyes the whole time. I 100% agree with the comment that said, " petition to change book title to the summer i turned stupid" Awful book.
I will NEVER read this again. You shouldnβt either.
it was HORRENDOUS.
I will NEVER read this again. You shouldnβt either.
it was HORRENDOUS.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing and Drug use
booksrmylife's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Nah, it was overall pretty great, it took me a while to read considering my reading pace tho
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Cursing
Minor: Cancer
It was amazing, just didn't hit 5 stars cuz it was a bit slow at the beginning for meunicorngirl's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Belly is a pick-me girl, who, when she doesn't get treated the way she wants to be treated, insults and reprimands them. She knew that Conrad was into her, but instead of telling him until the very end she got jealous that he found a potential girlfriend , so she became Cam Cameron's girlfriend to make him jealous back
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing
Talk of skinny dipping (they don't actually do it)ki3racass_fan's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.25
This book was horrible. The only thing I liked was the short chapters.
The way the author handled topics like cancer was slightly offensive (coming from someone who has had experiences with others getting cancer).
Cancer seemed like an afterthought in the story.
Most of the characters were jerks except for Jeremiah.
The main character never had any self reflection, even though, it was greatly needed.
It felt like there were random topics thrown in for fun because they didnβt add much to the story in my opinion.
There were way too many flashbacks that interrupted the story and only made the flow worse.
The characters were all really insensitive to all the bad situations too.
Also, why Belly? Sorry but if someone called me that, I would throw hands.
The way the author handled topics like cancer was slightly offensive (coming from someone who has had experiences with others getting cancer).
Cancer seemed like an afterthought in the story.
Most of the characters were jerks except for Jeremiah.
The main character never had any self reflection, even though, it was greatly needed.
It felt like there were random topics thrown in for fun because they didnβt add much to the story in my opinion.
There were way too many flashbacks that interrupted the story and only made the flow worse.
The characters were all really insensitive to all the bad situations too.
Also, why Belly? Sorry but if someone called me that, I would throw hands.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Cancer
Minor: Sexual content, Sexism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
There was also divorce which I would consider used graphically throughout the book.icedlemonade's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Cancer, and Alcohol
Minor: Homophobia and Blood
rebecathebookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Homophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Cursing
Minor: Violence