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reykohl's review
3.0
objectively this book is 3 stars. the writing is meh
but i think about this book literally all the time so it’s 5 stars for me emotionally.
but i think about this book literally all the time so it’s 5 stars for me emotionally.
indigoivee's review
2.0
A super cute summer read that I could almost it put down.
If the sisterhood of the travelling pants had cousins, this would be them. Four girls from different backgrounds with different lives, are united by their mothers strong friendship. They learn to love and be there for one another in a way that makes me want my own group of girlfriends.
It’s filled with secrets, trust, love and true bonds.
Absolutely lovely.
Favourite quote: “The air in here smells like sunscreen and old wood, but there’s something else. A feeling I can’t shake. It feels like possibilities.”
If the sisterhood of the travelling pants had cousins, this would be them. Four girls from different backgrounds with different lives, are united by their mothers strong friendship. They learn to love and be there for one another in a way that makes me want my own group of girlfriends.
It’s filled with secrets, trust, love and true bonds.
Absolutely lovely.
Favourite quote: “The air in here smells like sunscreen and old wood, but there’s something else. A feeling I can’t shake. It feels like possibilities.”
allibruns's review
2.0
I tried with this, I really did. The parenting in this book was so awful that me it made me rage. I realize this may come off as super nit-picky but I just could not get past it.
hellomadalyn's review against another edition
4.0
Reading this book felt like a warm hug. There was something so comforting and home-y about it. It’s a love letter to female friendship, and to growing up and growing into yourself. Loved the representation, loved the character growth, loved the summer-y lake house vibes. Highly recommend picking this one up in May!!
communistbatman's review
2.0
I really love books that bring an unlikely group of friends together for a short time together. I especially dig the whole "our moms were best friends" trope, and I think this book did a pretty good job at slowly developing the group's bond. Overall, I'd recommend this book. It's an easy summer read and it's still pretty good despite my criticisms that follow. In short, I'm glad I read it - it was fun.
So, there are four main characters and only two are really written well. Scarlett and Skyler, I'd say, are the main characters. They are twins, yet have enough depth that they don't feel like polar opposites, nor are they completely similar. I don't want to include spoilers but I thought the scenes when they'd recall the same event through their own perspectives was really interesting and executed well.
Ellie and Amelia Grace, however, were done a complete disservice. Ellie's arc was noticeably more boring than the twins, but Amelia Grace's was way worse; she was pretty much reduced to Lesbian Church Girl who was Shunned. Her storyline is pretty much just a discussion about being gay in a conservative church community which is just such an overused narrative. The book also didn't bring anything new to the conservation that made it feel worthwhile. When she wasn't thinking about church, Amelia Grace was infatuated with her love interest who seemed to show no interest in her until the very end. If you are looking for a cute sapphic summer romance, you are not going to find that in this book. It was bad. The characters had very little scenes together and no chemistry.
For a book about female friendship, I wish we had seen the dynamics between each character rather than just how Ellie felt about Skyler and Scarlett. If you read the book you'll know what I mean.
To sum it up, this book has a great premise. It just doesn't measure up to what it could've been.
So, there are four main characters and only two are really written well. Scarlett and Skyler, I'd say, are the main characters. They are twins, yet have enough depth that they don't feel like polar opposites, nor are they completely similar. I don't want to include spoilers but I thought the scenes when they'd recall the same event through their own perspectives was really interesting and executed well.
Ellie and Amelia Grace, however, were done a complete disservice. Ellie's arc was noticeably more boring than the twins, but Amelia Grace's was way worse; she was pretty much reduced to Lesbian Church Girl who was Shunned. Her storyline is pretty much just a discussion about being gay in a conservative church community which is just such an overused narrative. The book also didn't bring anything new to the conservation that made it feel worthwhile. When she wasn't thinking about church, Amelia Grace was infatuated with her love interest who seemed to show no interest in her until the very end. If you are looking for a cute sapphic summer romance, you are not going to find that in this book. It was bad. The characters had very little scenes together and no chemistry.
For a book about female friendship, I wish we had seen the dynamics between each character rather than just how Ellie felt about Skyler and Scarlett. If you read the book you'll know what I mean.
To sum it up, this book has a great premise. It just doesn't measure up to what it could've been.
shannonsnextchapter's review
4.0
Read my full review on the Shannon A. Jade Books blog!
My The Summer of Impossibilities Top 3:
- Representation! (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, juvenile arthritis, toxic relationships, mental
health/self-harm, LGBTQI+)
- Character-driven
- Power of positive female friendships
My The Summer of Impossibilities Top 3:
- Representation! (Judaism, Islam, Christianity, juvenile arthritis, toxic relationships, mental
health/self-harm, LGBTQI+)
- Character-driven
- Power of positive female friendships
z_reads4's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
A fun, sweet book with lots of soul. Allen handles a great many topics with sensitivity and warmth, while never dropping the pace, or the lighthearted tone. A great, easy read that just flies by. My favorite laugh-out-loud bit was when Ellie scheduled 'all five prayers' for 10.00 pm and 'Party!' for 10.30. Cracked open the genius of this book or the ridiculousness. I cannot decide which, but it's a good time either way.
heyitskai's review
4.0
4 ⭐
I really liked this book. I think the problems it talked about are very valid and some aren't talked about enough. I related to quite a few things in this book and just, the storyline overall was very good as well.
This is the first book I've read that has a character with chronic pain and it's so nice to see people talk about it. A lot of people suffer in silence, whether it's because no one just listens to them or they've just tried once too many times and haven't gotten any help. It was nice seeing Skyler finally get the help she needs and deserves, that help her do things that make her happy and just live a more pain free life.
I really liked this book. I think the problems it talked about are very valid and some aren't talked about enough. I related to quite a few things in this book and just, the storyline overall was very good as well.
This is the first book I've read that has a character with chronic pain and it's so nice to see people talk about it. A lot of people suffer in silence, whether it's because no one just listens to them or they've just tried once too many times and haven't gotten any help. It was nice seeing Skyler finally get the help she needs and deserves, that help her do things that make her happy and just live a more pain free life.