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tunikaknows's review against another edition
2.0
I read this last summer, looking for a good SUMMER read. What I got instead was a raw and sad look at life. It's a good book to read, if it's what you're looking for, but it was a shock to read.
Chase was a very frustrating character to have a narrator; it seemed like he was whining throughout the novel. I can't say I liked any of the other characters either.
The book was tough to follow and even harder to enjoy.
Chase was a very frustrating character to have a narrator; it seemed like he was whining throughout the novel. I can't say I liked any of the other characters either.
The book was tough to follow and even harder to enjoy.
24hourlibrary's review against another edition
4.0
Invincible Summer covers four summers at the beach, where Chase and his family experience an upheaval year after year. There's Melinda, one of the older Hathaway kids, who both Chase and his older brother, Noah, can't seem to stay away from. There's Chase's younger deaf brother, Gideon, and his hypersexualized younger sister, Claudia. And then there's Newbaby on the way. With a crescendo of drama each summer, Chase continuously returns to the wisdom and beauty of Camus while trying to keep his family together.
Thoughtful and chewy, Invincible Summer is a character driven novel that has enough plot to carry along Chase's development. Moskowitz captures a unique and consistent voice for her narrator (Chase), and his observations of his family and the Hathaways show a distinct sort of bias and perspective that not only helps to define Chase, but is an impressive example of a potentially unreliable narrator and of Moskowitz's skill.
As a whole, the novel felt slightly under-baked and might have benefited from another round of edits. However, it appears to achieve what it intends in terms of a somewhat lofty but still accessible novel with well-drawn characters and a sticky narrative that sits with the reader long after the last page.
Thoughtful and chewy, Invincible Summer is a character driven novel that has enough plot to carry along Chase's development. Moskowitz captures a unique and consistent voice for her narrator (Chase), and his observations of his family and the Hathaways show a distinct sort of bias and perspective that not only helps to define Chase, but is an impressive example of a potentially unreliable narrator and of Moskowitz's skill.
Spoiler
Moskowitz also paints a true-to-life depiction of sibling loss, which I particularly appreciated as someone who has lost a sibling.As a whole, the novel felt slightly under-baked and might have benefited from another round of edits. However, it appears to achieve what it intends in terms of a somewhat lofty but still accessible novel with well-drawn characters and a sticky narrative that sits with the reader long after the last page.
lizpatanders's review against another edition
4.0
When I heard the words “beach read,” I tend to think of a light-hearted book that will make me smile without making me think deeply. Moskowitz’s sophomore novel Invincible Summer is a beach read in terms of its oceanside setting, but is also a novel that leaves readers with a lot to think about. This is the story of a family that is trying to say together as they grow older. While I didn’t connect with the plot one hundred percent, I found this to be a beautifully done work which nicely showcases Moskowitz’s talent and creativity.
Not one word of Invincible Summer’s plot is sugar coated. It took me about fifty pages to get into Invincible Summer, because sometimes the writing style felt like unedited thoughts. I got used to it, though, and ultimately found it quite poignant. I will say that I didn’t agree with or feel the full impact of every Camus quote in the story.
While I can imagine that some people grow up in a family with dynamics similar to those of Chase and his family, I did not, so it was challenging for me to connect with that aspect of the story. The end of the story was very emotional for me. I loved Chase’s connection to the beach because I’ve felt that way about places where I spent large chunks of my summer.
Moskowitz’s characters are brilliantly realistic because they have good intentions, but also make mistakes and aren’t the easiest to love. Sometimes Chase frustrated me because he wanted to bring his family together, but would say or do something hurtful to his family. I adored Gideon because he was so loving and full of life. At the end of the day, I really cared about how things worked out for the family Moskowitz created.
For some readers, Invincible Summer will be a novel to which they can relate. Although Moskowitz is an incredibly talented writer, this wasn’t quite the story for me. Fans of honest, gripping contemporary novels will eat up Invincible Summer, and I look forward to reading more of Moskowitz’s work.
Not one word of Invincible Summer’s plot is sugar coated. It took me about fifty pages to get into Invincible Summer, because sometimes the writing style felt like unedited thoughts. I got used to it, though, and ultimately found it quite poignant. I will say that I didn’t agree with or feel the full impact of every Camus quote in the story.
While I can imagine that some people grow up in a family with dynamics similar to those of Chase and his family, I did not, so it was challenging for me to connect with that aspect of the story. The end of the story was very emotional for me. I loved Chase’s connection to the beach because I’ve felt that way about places where I spent large chunks of my summer.
Moskowitz’s characters are brilliantly realistic because they have good intentions, but also make mistakes and aren’t the easiest to love. Sometimes Chase frustrated me because he wanted to bring his family together, but would say or do something hurtful to his family. I adored Gideon because he was so loving and full of life. At the end of the day, I really cared about how things worked out for the family Moskowitz created.
For some readers, Invincible Summer will be a novel to which they can relate. Although Moskowitz is an incredibly talented writer, this wasn’t quite the story for me. Fans of honest, gripping contemporary novels will eat up Invincible Summer, and I look forward to reading more of Moskowitz’s work.
omgitsyelhsa's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book about summer, families, relationships, sex, fighting, and communication, or lack there of. There are things I liked about this book, like the inclusion of ASL, Gideon, and Chase’s love for his siblings. But I also didn’t like some things: relationship age gaps, Melinda, and excessive Camus. All in all, it did make me cry, so I definitely connected with the sorry.
gloriousbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Also reviewed on the blog: http://gloriousbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-invincible-summer.html
I really loved this read.
It definitely was not what I was expecting. Especially the writing by Hannah Moskowitz. It was really, really well written.
I expected the typical summer romance between the protagonist and a girl he met somewhere along the way and then they fell in love and whatnot. But no, it was so much more.
It was definitely an emotional read. I cried more than once I have to tell you!
What I really loved though, is how thought-provoking it was. As the characters developed – which they did really well – they learnt things about themselves and about life in general which I felt like I was learning right along with them without actually experiencing what happens in the book.
Back to the writing though, it was absolutely breathtaking. It added to everything that happens in the plot and it has such a blunt feel to it that it made the read really realistic and relatable.
I loved the characters in Invincible Summers too. They all had their own distinct personalities, their own way of thinking, their own traits. They were all likeable in their own way. Especially Gideon, Chase’s deaf younger brother. Seriously fell in love with him!
This is definitely ‘not your typical beach read’. The summary is sort of misleading I guess. It sort of doesn’t do the book justice.
All in all though, Invincible Summers is a brilliant read that I more than recommend. Please go out and get it!!!
I really loved this read.
It definitely was not what I was expecting. Especially the writing by Hannah Moskowitz. It was really, really well written.
I expected the typical summer romance between the protagonist and a girl he met somewhere along the way and then they fell in love and whatnot. But no, it was so much more.
It was definitely an emotional read. I cried more than once I have to tell you!
What I really loved though, is how thought-provoking it was. As the characters developed – which they did really well – they learnt things about themselves and about life in general which I felt like I was learning right along with them without actually experiencing what happens in the book.
Back to the writing though, it was absolutely breathtaking. It added to everything that happens in the plot and it has such a blunt feel to it that it made the read really realistic and relatable.
I loved the characters in Invincible Summers too. They all had their own distinct personalities, their own way of thinking, their own traits. They were all likeable in their own way. Especially Gideon, Chase’s deaf younger brother. Seriously fell in love with him!
This is definitely ‘not your typical beach read’. The summary is sort of misleading I guess. It sort of doesn’t do the book justice.
All in all though, Invincible Summers is a brilliant read that I more than recommend. Please go out and get it!!!
pegahe's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so shocked after reading Invincible Summer. It blew my mind. Here I was for some reason expecting a light romance that was tons of fun but the book was actually very emotional. I loved that even more!
Chase is this great character who loves his summers. Everything important in his life happens in the summer. But life is starting to change and Chase is wondering how he can keep his family together. I understood Chase so well. He was a deep character. On the outside he seems to not want to grow up and on the inside... Well I'll let the readers discover that. Over the course of the summers, Chase changed and I was fascinated watching that. He's a unique character. His protectiveness for his family is sweet and I'm so glad there are characters like him who aren't clichés.
My favourite part of Invincible Summer was the interactions of Chase's large family. Each member was so different and they each got different personalities. They dealt with their problems differently but in the end they all loved each other. It was such a true portrayal of the chaos of family, especially when you have five children.
The plot surprised me a lot. There was much more depth in Invincible Summer than I expected. Some parts had me giggling and others had me tearful. There were some huge twists that I never would have guessed. I was shocked when I read of those, but it worked for the story. The conclusion was fragile but satisfying. It made me want to do a slow reread of the book again.
All in all, I loved this book. I loved the characters, the family dynamics, and the story. 4.5 stars,
****&1/2*
Chase is this great character who loves his summers. Everything important in his life happens in the summer. But life is starting to change and Chase is wondering how he can keep his family together. I understood Chase so well. He was a deep character. On the outside he seems to not want to grow up and on the inside... Well I'll let the readers discover that. Over the course of the summers, Chase changed and I was fascinated watching that. He's a unique character. His protectiveness for his family is sweet and I'm so glad there are characters like him who aren't clichés.
My favourite part of Invincible Summer was the interactions of Chase's large family. Each member was so different and they each got different personalities. They dealt with their problems differently but in the end they all loved each other. It was such a true portrayal of the chaos of family, especially when you have five children.
The plot surprised me a lot. There was much more depth in Invincible Summer than I expected. Some parts had me giggling and others had me tearful. There were some huge twists that I never would have guessed. I was shocked when I read of those, but it worked for the story. The conclusion was fragile but satisfying. It made me want to do a slow reread of the book again.
All in all, I loved this book. I loved the characters, the family dynamics, and the story. 4.5 stars,
****&1/2*
galaxies's review against another edition
I'm honestly not sure which rating to give. At this point I'm very confused by it all and annoyed by the Camus quotes which I just didn't get.
shadei's review against another edition
1.0
Bittersweet and Bewildered.
This book was just so confusing!! In every way...the characters, how they would act, Their emotions, and my emotions towards the book.
I don't know how to explain this book....
The main character, who's a guy, whined like a girl!
Okay, I gave this book three stars.... Because I liked how real if felt with the situations and circumstances.
But in general.. I was just confused on how to feel about this book. I usually cry in the sad parts, but I wasn't attached to the characters to cry.
Either ways, it's still a decent book that's easy to read.
This book was just so confusing!! In every way...the characters, how they would act, Their emotions, and my emotions towards the book.
I don't know how to explain this book....
The main character, who's a guy, whined like a girl!
Okay, I gave this book three stars.... Because I liked how real if felt with the situations and circumstances.
But in general.. I was just confused on how to feel about this book. I usually cry in the sad parts, but I wasn't attached to the characters to cry.
Either ways, it's still a decent book that's easy to read.
gladiator_fox's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I both liked and had problems with this book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Rape