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michelle_pink_polka_dot's review against another edition
1.0
Ok when I read the overview on this book i was thinking, Oh it's a book about a secret romance. A brother torn between his love for a girl and betraying his own brother, right? ummm no. This book is about family dyfunction and weirdness. There is a very brief section that involves the girl, but it's never a secret between the brothers, it's kind of icky. I don't think 2 brothers would knowingly share a girl, because it's creepy.
Also I totally get that some parents don't watch their kids, but I don't need a book about it. And what teenagers quote prose? It's weird. Sorry but I wish I could get my money back on this one.
PS- NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER, this one fooled the heck out of me.
Also I totally get that some parents don't watch their kids, but I don't need a book about it. And what teenagers quote prose? It's weird. Sorry but I wish I could get my money back on this one.
PS- NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER, this one fooled the heck out of me.
rachels1127's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
(reread)
lowkey pretentious and obnoxious af but is it a Hannah Moskowitz book if the siblings aren't codependant and just a little too close?
lowkey pretentious and obnoxious af but is it a Hannah Moskowitz book if the siblings aren't codependant and just a little too close?
rafika's review against another edition
5.0
I finally found the perfect song for this book ; to sum up the story of Chase & Melinda : The 1975 - Sex : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY7JzwDt-Bs
eschewed's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to make a huge review. I really did. But I don't think my words can give it justice.
This was beautiful. So worth all those months and weeks of waiting. To sum up my feelings: I would sleep with this book if I could.
This was beautiful. So worth all those months and weeks of waiting. To sum up my feelings: I would sleep with this book if I could.
breadedbookpages's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog.
Trigger warning: underage boy sleeps with a girl 5 years older than him, and there is a drowning leads to death.
Invincible Summer is a character driven book written from the point of view of a fourteen year old boy named Chase McGill. The book spans over four summers in Chase’s life that kind of defined him in a big way. It’s got tragedy, love and strong familial bonds. I kind of understand why Hannah mentioned that there is some insinuated incestuous feelings happening here.
Chase and his older brother Noah have such a unique relationship that had its lined blurred especially since Noah was so very complex and flighty while Chase wanted him to stay stay stay more than anything. I think I saw the reason behind Chase’s inevitable attraction to the girl who usually gets a big piece of Noah during the summer, it’s his way of having something with Noah, in a weird kinda gross way. I honestly didn’t mind that aspect of the book but I’d understand if anyone was. The progression of this trio is strange because there is not jealousy between the two brother when Noah finds out about Chase and Melinda, but he rather shares with him some inside details that I wrinkled my nose at. Again, I didn’t mind that, it was weird but not anything horrendous.
The only real problem I had with this book is Melinda. I didn’t have enough of her to form an opinion about her. She shared Camus with the boys, she shared the boys, and was a rape survivor. Also: I didn’t like the obvious emotional advantage she had on Chase. While only a year older than Noah, Melinda was five years older than Chase and it showed. Her character kind of fell through for me, I didn’t see why Chase hated her so much at times. I did get uncomfortable with when he’d get angry when Melinda used her “rape victim face.” I personally cannot fathom how it’d be for Melinda and I don’t blame her for actions she committed after her trauma. I kind of wanted more of her.
The family dynamic in Chase’s family, which is what I hope is a Hannah Moskowitz reoccurring thing because I love it, is what gripped me. Their family is bigger than I’ve read in other YA works, to be honest. There’s Mom and Dad with their not so subtle screaming, Noah the flighty eldest son who’s burdened with so much weight due to his title, Chase who’s growing up too quickly because he believes he was born in the wrong order, Claudia who is animated and felt the most real to me, Gideon who due to being born deaf is somewhat the most vulnerable yet is a wild one and Newbaby Lucy who’s sort of their baby forever. The family is dysfunctional to say the least but what family isn’t? I related so much to the tight-knit relationship they all had, it reminded me of my own family when I was a kid. The constant shouting and checking up one another.
Tragedy strikes the family during the summers, more than once, but in a way, they grow and get even closer together.
The pacing worked really nicely. I liked the focus on summer and the summer house they’d stay at. Chase’s narration was beautiful and realistic enough of a teenage boy (or what I’d expect of a teenage boy, anyway). I just wish we got more of Melinda and her family.
This is my first book for the #HMReadathon and I liked it a lot. Check out my post to know more about this marathon and why I’m doing it. #HMReadathon
That this isn’t my shirt or my mess. My life is just something that happened to me.
Trigger warning: underage boy sleeps with a girl 5 years older than him, and there is a drowning leads to death.
Invincible Summer is a character driven book written from the point of view of a fourteen year old boy named Chase McGill. The book spans over four summers in Chase’s life that kind of defined him in a big way. It’s got tragedy, love and strong familial bonds. I kind of understand why Hannah mentioned that there is some insinuated incestuous feelings happening here.
Chase and his older brother Noah have such a unique relationship that had its lined blurred especially since Noah was so very complex and flighty while Chase wanted him to stay stay stay more than anything. I think I saw the reason behind Chase’s inevitable attraction to the girl who usually gets a big piece of Noah during the summer, it’s his way of having something with Noah, in a weird kinda gross way. I honestly didn’t mind that aspect of the book but I’d understand if anyone was. The progression of this trio is strange because there is not jealousy between the two brother when Noah finds out about Chase and Melinda, but he rather shares with him some inside details that I wrinkled my nose at. Again, I didn’t mind that, it was weird but not anything horrendous.
The only real problem I had with this book is Melinda. I didn’t have enough of her to form an opinion about her. She shared Camus with the boys, she shared the boys, and was a rape survivor. Also: I didn’t like the obvious emotional advantage she had on Chase. While only a year older than Noah, Melinda was five years older than Chase and it showed. Her character kind of fell through for me, I didn’t see why Chase hated her so much at times. I did get uncomfortable with when he’d get angry when Melinda used her “rape victim face.” I personally cannot fathom how it’d be for Melinda and I don’t blame her for actions she committed after her trauma. I kind of wanted more of her.
The family dynamic in Chase’s family, which is what I hope is a Hannah Moskowitz reoccurring thing because I love it, is what gripped me. Their family is bigger than I’ve read in other YA works, to be honest. There’s Mom and Dad with their not so subtle screaming, Noah the flighty eldest son who’s burdened with so much weight due to his title, Chase who’s growing up too quickly because he believes he was born in the wrong order, Claudia who is animated and felt the most real to me, Gideon who due to being born deaf is somewhat the most vulnerable yet is a wild one and Newbaby Lucy who’s sort of their baby forever. The family is dysfunctional to say the least but what family isn’t? I related so much to the tight-knit relationship they all had, it reminded me of my own family when I was a kid. The constant shouting and checking up one another.
Tragedy strikes the family during the summers, more than once, but in a way, they grow and get even closer together.
The pacing worked really nicely. I liked the focus on summer and the summer house they’d stay at. Chase’s narration was beautiful and realistic enough of a teenage boy (or what I’d expect of a teenage boy, anyway). I just wish we got more of Melinda and her family.
This is my first book for the #HMReadathon and I liked it a lot. Check out my post to know more about this marathon and why I’m doing it. #HMReadathon
aidentaylor's review against another edition
3.0
this book was sitting at a 1.5 star for the longest time until the ending. it was so heartbreaking that it’s a 3 star now. it made me so sad but it also redeemed the book for me somehow.
i could write an essay on all the horrible things in this book and how uncomfortable it made me. but the characters were so real and flawed and i really liked the family relationship even when things got really bad.
so idk how i feel. in a few hours i might take this back down to a 1 star but right now i feel so much for the characters that i can’t.
i could write an essay on all the horrible things in this book and how uncomfortable it made me. but the characters were so real and flawed and i really liked the family relationship even when things got really bad.
so idk how i feel. in a few hours i might take this back down to a 1 star but right now i feel so much for the characters that i can’t.
marcyjmf's review against another edition
4.0
It was emotionally messy & gorgeous & brutal & yet somehow still uplifting. It was perfect, and I loved it!
philyra91's review against another edition
2.0
Not your typical beach read.
That was the billing given to Invincible Summer and I can definitely say that it’s true. It’s not your typical read, but unfortunately, it’s not very much of anything, not for me at least.
Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....
I felt that Invincible Summer was trying too hard to be different. I mean, Camus, really? Quoting his poetry when it has relevance to the story is fine but quoting him for long passages on every other page is just plain annoying.
The story is definitely intense. It’s a gritty family drama but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that. One second, the parents are yelling at each other and all of a sudden, this means that the family’s falling apart and they’re getting a divorce? There’s also Chase’ inexplicable clinginess towards his older brother, Noah. I don’t get it; I really don’t.
You might guess from the story summary that there’s a love triangle involved, but personally, I don’t see it actually happening in real life. The girl is clearly making use of both boys and both of them knew it and allowed it to continue. This is completely unhealthy.
There was a ray of hope towards the end when things started looking up for all the characters and I thought, well, this novel isn’t too and then, a tragedy occurs and I lost faith. It felt like the author was determined to make this a novel that is so different, that she must make it filled with tragedy and drama and general angst.
Overall, I didn’t care too much for Invincible Summer, but if you’re into those gritty, makes-you-think, characters-driven sort of novel, then you might want to give this a try.
That was the billing given to Invincible Summer and I can definitely say that it’s true. It’s not your typical read, but unfortunately, it’s not very much of anything, not for me at least.
Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....
I felt that Invincible Summer was trying too hard to be different. I mean, Camus, really? Quoting his poetry when it has relevance to the story is fine but quoting him for long passages on every other page is just plain annoying.
The story is definitely intense. It’s a gritty family drama but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that. One second, the parents are yelling at each other and all of a sudden, this means that the family’s falling apart and they’re getting a divorce? There’s also Chase’ inexplicable clinginess towards his older brother, Noah. I don’t get it; I really don’t.
You might guess from the story summary that there’s a love triangle involved, but personally, I don’t see it actually happening in real life. The girl is clearly making use of both boys and both of them knew it and allowed it to continue. This is completely unhealthy.
There was a ray of hope towards the end when things started looking up for all the characters and I thought, well, this novel isn’t too and then, a tragedy occurs and I lost faith. It felt like the author was determined to make this a novel that is so different, that she must make it filled with tragedy and drama and general angst.
Overall, I didn’t care too much for Invincible Summer, but if you’re into those gritty, makes-you-think, characters-driven sort of novel, then you might want to give this a try.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
1.0
It took 200 pages for anything to be at stake, and I didn't find Chase well-fleshed...let alone any of the other characters. This meandered a lot, and I really was more interested in what happened in the 9 months between summers than the summers themselves.