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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oh, I SO wanted to like this book. It sounded great (if a little similar to Stephen Rowley’s “The Celebrants”). It started off well. And then. Bleurgh.
The main three characters are best friends since freshman year of college. They used to be a part of a tight-knit foursome, until they lost one of their friends just before graduation. After that, the surviving three made a pact (named for their lost friend Summer) to always be there for each other in times of need. Fast forward 10 years, and they each have their own lives in different parts of the county, but are still close. When Hannah (half-heartedly working in a job in Atlanta that clearly isn’t hat she wants, if she even *knows* what she wants) suffers a loss of her own, she calls on her besties Lainey (now an actress based in NY) and Tyson (a lawyer in DC), and of course they rush to her side to be there for her as promised. Each is facing something in their lives that takes time and energy to process, and together they decide to take a trip that will allow them each the time to face those issues.
Up till now, all good. Love the premise, and I think this could really go somewhere. And then it didn’t. The characters had so much potential - great backstories, but things fell flat and they seemed so black & white and 2-dimensional (a big recurring issue I have, maybe I am too nitpicky?). The in-fighting between two of the characters seemed dumb (again, reminding me of “The Celebrants” and how I couldn’t understand in that book why those people were even friends with each other) and made the turn that their relationship later took seem even dumber. Addressing the major issue in Lainey’s life was thrust into the story and needed to be more than a 1 or 2 chapter side trip, and the abruptness with which is was handled (both by the author and the characters) didn’t do it justice. And then the side story that THAT brought in - really? Just no.
Emily Giffin wrote one of my favorite books ever (“The One and Only”), and I’ve enjoyed most of her others, but this one just fell really flat. I recommend skipping.
The main three characters are best friends since freshman year of college. They used to be a part of a tight-knit foursome, until they lost one of their friends just before graduation. After that, the surviving three made a pact (named for their lost friend Summer) to always be there for each other in times of need. Fast forward 10 years, and they each have their own lives in different parts of the county, but are still close. When Hannah (half-heartedly working in a job in Atlanta that clearly isn’t hat she wants, if she even *knows* what she wants) suffers a loss of her own, she calls on her besties Lainey (now an actress based in NY) and Tyson (a lawyer in DC), and of course they rush to her side to be there for her as promised. Each is facing something in their lives that takes time and energy to process, and together they decide to take a trip that will allow them each the time to face those issues.
Up till now, all good. Love the premise, and I think this could really go somewhere. And then it didn’t. The characters had so much potential - great backstories, but things fell flat and they seemed so black & white and 2-dimensional (a big recurring issue I have, maybe I am too nitpicky?). The in-fighting between two of the characters seemed dumb (again, reminding me of “The Celebrants” and how I couldn’t understand in that book why those people were even friends with each other) and made the turn that their relationship later took seem even dumber. Addressing the major issue in Lainey’s life was thrust into the story and needed to be more than a 1 or 2 chapter side trip, and the abruptness with which is was handled (both by the author and the characters) didn’t do it justice. And then the side story that THAT brought in - really? Just no.
Emily Giffin wrote one of my favorite books ever (“The One and Only”), and I’ve enjoyed most of her others, but this one just fell really flat. I recommend skipping.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I used to really love Emily’s books but the last few, including this one, felt amateur to me.
This one in particular was a bit all over the place. Dialogue was just absolutely horrible. The middle of the book felt long and then wham, about 3 plots and subplots are crammed into a 20 page ending.
The one Black character felt so cliched and had a secret relationship with the friend that committed suicide (hence the summer pact), and then finds love with a second in their group.
Hannah’s character is also cliche and literally could not follow a boundary set by her friend, Lainey, throughout the book.
Lainey’s character was hard to swallow. She’s an alcoholic, conceited, has parental issues, oversteps, etc., etc.and then the author skips over a black out drunk situation at the end of the book and alludes to a sexual assault but says the character doesn’t want to think about it so it’s passed over.
In the end, 3 stars is probably too kind, and I’ll end up adjusting.
This one in particular was a bit all over the place. Dialogue was just absolutely horrible. The middle of the book felt long and then wham, about 3 plots and subplots are crammed into a 20 page ending.
The one Black character felt so cliched and had a secret relationship with the friend that committed suicide (hence the summer pact), and then finds love with a second in their group.
Hannah’s character is also cliche and literally could not follow a boundary set by her friend, Lainey, throughout the book.
Lainey’s character was hard to swallow. She’s an alcoholic, conceited, has parental issues, oversteps, etc., etc.and then the author skips over a black out drunk situation at the end of the book and alludes to a sexual assault but says the character doesn’t want to think about it so it’s passed over.
In the end, 3 stars is probably too kind, and I’ll end up adjusting.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
Yes
I enjoyed reading a summer book with a focus on friendship with a smattering of romance (rather than the usual romance forward story.) This is a tight group of friends from college that vowed to be there for each other in their adult lives after losing Summer to suicide just before graduation. Now in their early 30s, Tyson and Lainey make good on that promise to support Hannah when she is blindsided by her cheating fiancee.
I liked that all three friends had a POV. I liked the grown up traveling pants of it all. Through a pretty rotten circumstance they got to spend extended time together and love and support each other as they figured out the next chapters of their lives.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.
I liked that all three friends had a POV. I liked the grown up traveling pants of it all. Through a pretty rotten circumstance they got to spend extended time together and love and support each other as they figured out the next chapters of their lives.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Suicide, Grief
Minor: Vomit, Death of parent
Another author who has fully embraced CRT believing if you aren't born white you are automatically a victim. I can't believe she has the audacity to write a black character into her story. What does a middle aged white woman know about being black.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes