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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Big Summer is a solid blend of friendship drama and unexpected mystery, perfect for anyone who’s ever been the plus sized friend navigating toxic relationships and self worth. Jen Weiner does a great job of capturing the emotional rollercoaster of reconnecting with someone who once made you feel small both literally and figuratively. The plot takes a surprising turn into a murder mystery that kept me turning pages, and I appreciated the deeper themes around self esteem, forgiveness, and finally knowing when to let go. It’s a reminder that just because someone asks back into your life doesn’t mean they deserve a spot. A good, enjoyable read with a twist I didn’t see coming.
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
mysterious
slow-paced
It started better than how it ended. As other reviews said, it wanted to be everything at once which made it messy. The "coming back to the family" theme always works, I guess. Yes, it's kinda shallow, but it's a chick-lit. 2/3 way thru the book I was definitely ready to be done with the book. Overall, it's alright.
mysterious
medium-paced
This book had chick-lit potential in the start, but it took a strange, unexpected turn around the halfway mark, randomly becoming a murder mystery. There were quite a few rushed red herrings that could have possibly have murdered Drue, but the ultimate murderer seemed laughably random and petty. The main character herself was completely shallow and hypocritical. Constantly Daphne talks about how everyone judges her for being fat, but then is describing people as homely, bald, and scrawny. Her relationship with Drue had potential, but the timeline of their friendship seemed confused at times. Daphne's relationship with Nick was a complete and total eye roll. He has a six pack...seriously? Major eye roll. I also really hated Daphne's roommate. Basically, I just wanted to tell everyone to get therapy and to get over the bullying Drue did. I mean, should you really hold on to things that happened in high school for the rest of your life?
Listened to on audiobook.
Listened to on audiobook.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one! I feel like a better title would have been “big weekend” since it was not a summer-long story. It was set over a few days, so there is limited opportunity for character development but the author did a nice of job examining the MC’s 10 year relationship with her “frenemey” as new information comes to light in the wake of her wedding.
One thing I really enjoyed was how the MC’s relationship with her size completely dominated the first half of the book when she was attached to her social media. But once she put her phone down for the second half of the book, her size almost never came up! Although she used her influencer status as a way to reclaim her fat positivity, it seemed that it became more of a compulsion- “feeding the beast” that actually chained her to her plus-size status instead of freeing her. It was a great light read with a very loveable and relatable MC! My favorite thing was her Sunday Suppers with her dad- I want to do this in Philly with my kids after pandemic!
One thing I really enjoyed was how the MC’s relationship with her size completely dominated the first half of the book when she was attached to her social media. But once she put her phone down for the second half of the book, her size almost never came up! Although she used her influencer status as a way to reclaim her fat positivity, it seemed that it became more of a compulsion- “feeding the beast” that actually chained her to her plus-size status instead of freeing her. It was a great light read with a very loveable and relatable MC! My favorite thing was her Sunday Suppers with her dad- I want to do this in Philly with my kids after pandemic!
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me awhile to get into but once it turned into a murder mystery, it was much better. I liked Daphne as a character but did not love how she was always so negative about her body image. Not very uplifting and even at the end, I expected more of a 180 in terms of her ability to accept herself for who she is. I thought Drue had an interesting storyline and appreciated her character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Murder
Minor: Suicide
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes