Reviews

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

ro_ro_romeo1's review

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

la_ravenreader's review against another edition

3.0

This summer was just depressing. Belly got older, but not wiser. She is still a very mean spirited and selfish person.

katievkfeller's review

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-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

2.5

aliciahubball's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense 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

4.0

gracehbellman's review against another edition

4.0

SECOND BOOK REVIEW TIME!!!

I also read this one in about two hours.

I'm getting straight into the characters and the relationships now, no small talk.

I like Belly as a narrator but dear God, she frustrates me sometimes. She just doesn't grow much in terms of her actions and continues to make the same mistakes in her relationships. I think that her relationships with the Fisher boys rightfully take the front of this novel, but I found myself getting frustrated with her. Her grief and resistance to so many changes was genuinely refreshing and I was hopeful to see her grow from it... But she's very stuck. Taylor and the kids from her hometown do seem pretty frustrating for a teenager who's trying to properly grieve a lifelong friend and pseudo mother figure. Yet even in the first book, Belly talks about anyone who's not her brother or Conrad and Jeremiah as vain and not really worth deep thought. It was more prevalent here since she wasn't away from them and now was interacting with people from her hometown more.

now. Jeremiah. I'll be honest I just don't believe in him as a romantic interest and part of that is because HE DOESN'T EITHER!!!!! When we get into his head, he's constantly saying that he knows Conrad could have Belly if he wanted (which yuck way of thinking of it) and seems to see Belly as the ultimate way to one-up Conrad. I'm sure he does love her but he just seems so passive and as if he doesn't give a shit about what Belly wants. Like

Spoiler

she only gets with you because Conrad promised your dead mother he'd take care of you. She only got with you because Conrad killed their potential.

Overall, I just couldn't invest in him. He seemed so jealous and petty in his monologue and it was frustrating at times to see him and Belly's different perspectives because she is pretty innocent and naive while he seems so fucking jaded. I wanted to like him more than I ended up. I was pretty surprised he was being taken so seriously as a romantic interest for Belly when Conrad is set up as the long term.

CONRAD FISHER! Oh boy, I was frustrated but also heartbroken for him in this book. The sensitive side his mother and Laurel always mention really flares up throughout this book. You see how he cares in a sharpppp comparison to how the rest of the characters do. The way I perceived him throughout this was that he wanted to be there for Belly but knew how many different things would get in the way. And...

Spoiler

the fact that he didn't want anyone to know their father was selling Beck's house after her death... How he stayed there and tried to save it for their mom and her memory.

He really won my heart throughout this book as a brooding and emotionally complex character. I think that when he hurts Belly, he apologizes so swiftly and it hurts to see. He and Belly work as opposites in that way. Belly says something harsh and overthinks and struggles to apologize for a long time while Conrad does immediately. I found his relationship with Jeremiah to be similarly heartwarming as they seem to balance and complement each other's personalities.

justcallme_blondie's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

meh. that's what my emotion was during 99% percent of this book. this book was just belly saying "Conrad's a nice guy" and then Conrad would do something that shows he is, in fact, not a nice guy. the best part of this book, imo was when

Jeremiah and Belly kissed and held hands and grew closer romantically because you'd have to be blind to be team Conrad

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

moonheavn's review

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

dele_tubbies's review against another edition

3.0

Similar review to first book. Apart from its slightly worse. I know the third book will annoy me bc she deffo ends up with Conrad and not Jeremiah smh

healreads's review against another edition

3.0

okkk la fin???

agquintero's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0