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msilkwolfe's review against another edition
3.0
This is a quiet novel that details a woman’s experience going through middle age. While some of the language was so eloquent and I underlined so many sentences, I found it just a taaaaad to slow. But I also assume the goal of the novel wasn’t to be fast paced. I also feel like I didn’t know Emily (the main character) that well.
michellekmartin's review against another edition
5.0
The Summer Demands was quiet and beautiful but you know those books where the author is sharing all sorts of thoughts that you have had but thought no one else had? That was this book for me. Add to that some really lovely writing (and a New England setting...I am a sucker for that) and I was just completely in love with this one.
The main character, Emily, and her husband, David, have recently gone through a miscarriage and moved to an abandoned summer camp in Massachusetts that they inherited from Emily's great aunt. Emily is on the cusp of her fortieth birthday and mourns the loss of motherhood and spends her summer lazing about the summer camp. She encounters Stella, a magnetic 22-year-old who has been staying in one of the cabins. The two form a fast relationship that blurs the lines between friend, lover, and mother.
Shapiro's reflections on youth, aging, and transitions in a woman's life were spot on for me and I found myself underlining so much in this book. Her ability to reflect on what it's like to be in the female brain - especially as we compare ourselves to other females - had me unable to put this book down. She also hit the nail on the head with her reflections on ambition and how that changes as we change and prioritize different things in our lives.
The main character, Emily, and her husband, David, have recently gone through a miscarriage and moved to an abandoned summer camp in Massachusetts that they inherited from Emily's great aunt. Emily is on the cusp of her fortieth birthday and mourns the loss of motherhood and spends her summer lazing about the summer camp. She encounters Stella, a magnetic 22-year-old who has been staying in one of the cabins. The two form a fast relationship that blurs the lines between friend, lover, and mother.
Shapiro's reflections on youth, aging, and transitions in a woman's life were spot on for me and I found myself underlining so much in this book. Her ability to reflect on what it's like to be in the female brain - especially as we compare ourselves to other females - had me unable to put this book down. She also hit the nail on the head with her reflections on ambition and how that changes as we change and prioritize different things in our lives.
mhorne's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
carolineeckels's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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? Yes
3.75
dcgingerreads's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
betweenbookends's review against another edition
2.0
3.5/5
There have been books in the vein of a person entering a married couple's life, changing their dynamics in some inexplicable way and exiting just as suddenly as they had entered, leaving not much of a trace. But few manage to handle this in a very interesting way and Deborah Shapiro's The Summer Demands really stands out in that regard. In it, you're following a middle-aged couple, Emily & David, having had a miscarriage a few years previously and unable to conceive a child, move into a large property that Emily inherits from an aunt. This property was previously used a summer camp/retreat for children but has been abandoned for many years and is in a state of disrepair. One summer day while Emily is exploring the grounds she finds a young woman Stella, illegally staying in one of the abandoned camp houses and there begins an interesting equation of interpersonal dynamics that Stella brings in when she enters into Emily and David's orbit.
Shapiro's novel explores the question of identity. Emily as a character almost feels like an outline, a vessel that's been emptied of character and emotion with her miscarriage. She's at a point where she's unsure what to make of her life and who to be or even who she is. With Stella, her identity morphs taking on a new role every day. Sometimes that dynamic seems more of a mother & daughter, sometimes that of friends, and sometimes on the threshold of something more intimate. The novel is a fascinating character study with only the faint thread of a plot. It reminded me of another novel I read in June, English Animals by Laura Kaye. Though plot-wise they are very different, thematically, the influence of a stranger on the lives of a married couple is a strong basis of commonality. It also had a quietly intense atmosphere similar to what you can find in Claire Fuller's work. I loved Shapiro's writing style. A fluid, easy lyricism inherent to the writing without being too try-hard. My only gripe with the novel is that it sometimes digresses into unnecessary threads. In an already plotless novel, that could be a tad distracting. One the whole, I liked it quite a bit. A perfect summer read.
There have been books in the vein of a person entering a married couple's life, changing their dynamics in some inexplicable way and exiting just as suddenly as they had entered, leaving not much of a trace. But few manage to handle this in a very interesting way and Deborah Shapiro's The Summer Demands really stands out in that regard. In it, you're following a middle-aged couple, Emily & David, having had a miscarriage a few years previously and unable to conceive a child, move into a large property that Emily inherits from an aunt. This property was previously used a summer camp/retreat for children but has been abandoned for many years and is in a state of disrepair. One summer day while Emily is exploring the grounds she finds a young woman Stella, illegally staying in one of the abandoned camp houses and there begins an interesting equation of interpersonal dynamics that Stella brings in when she enters into Emily and David's orbit.
Shapiro's novel explores the question of identity. Emily as a character almost feels like an outline, a vessel that's been emptied of character and emotion with her miscarriage. She's at a point where she's unsure what to make of her life and who to be or even who she is. With Stella, her identity morphs taking on a new role every day. Sometimes that dynamic seems more of a mother & daughter, sometimes that of friends, and sometimes on the threshold of something more intimate. The novel is a fascinating character study with only the faint thread of a plot. It reminded me of another novel I read in June, English Animals by Laura Kaye. Though plot-wise they are very different, thematically, the influence of a stranger on the lives of a married couple is a strong basis of commonality. It also had a quietly intense atmosphere similar to what you can find in Claire Fuller's work. I loved Shapiro's writing style. A fluid, easy lyricism inherent to the writing without being too try-hard. My only gripe with the novel is that it sometimes digresses into unnecessary threads. In an already plotless novel, that could be a tad distracting. One the whole, I liked it quite a bit. A perfect summer read.
pgm's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rachelflint's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this quick contemporary read. A great book that doesn’t necessarily go anywhere or have much of a plot, but has great vibes of an old campsite, adventure and discovering relationships.
casually_booking's review against another edition
2.0
Very average book. Definitely thought there would be more romance in this book but it is not a romance novel. It’s about a woman finding herself, somewhat. I would probably pass on this book. The writing is overly indulgent and main character spends most of the time reminiscing about things you then try to relate to the plot of the book
kkayleen's review against another edition
2.0
the possibilities are endless with an ENTIRE vacant camp inherited and you know what happens in this book? absolutely nothing