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slimepuppy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The characters are all extremely flawed, but I was still able to relate to their anguish - it definitely helps that all of them feel and sound very young, and that the dialogue is well written and the setting well established.
The only reason I can't give this book a 5 star rating is because the different narrators did sound a little same-y. I think Chelsea and Kennedy were different enough, but Emily was way too similar to both of their voices, and I was craving some change by that point in the book. Emily came across very differently when seen through Kennedy's eyes, and I wish her POV carried more of her earlier portrayal.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Medical trauma
throwback682's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying and Blood
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
swedishfrisk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
hollyk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, and Classism
grichmond's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Animal death
simplyammee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The "Haunting of Hill House" bit in the blurb is a bit too on the nose that it makes everything kind of obvious...
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
_courtney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Alcohol
bookedandbusy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The problem is that the living and the dead aren't meant to mix.
The problem is that I think the line has begun to blur.
Summer's Edge was pitched to me as "The Haunting of Hill House meets I Know What You Did Last Summer", and let me start off by saying that's actually an excellent pair of comps for this title. The book has the same "secret individual seeks revenge for a death with a suspicious story" vibes as the latter, with the bizarre, topsy-turvy feel of the former, all set in a lake house that often feels as though it has a mind of its own. If you're looking for an eerie YA thriller/horror tale this summer, Summer's Edge has you covered, and I think a lot of readers are going to be very enraptured by the twists and turns within these pages.
Unfortunately for me, there were a lot of elements of this story that did not work for me, with most of them boiling down to the writing and editing. I read an eARC of this, so hopefully these issues were fixed by the time the final edits went to print, but I found some glaring continuity errors (such as a character destroying an item on one page, and then having it in his hands, unharmed, two pages later) and there were some unlikely scenarios that I couldn't quite suspend my disbelief for. While some of those scenarios are somewhat explained later, avoiding tying up those loose ends struck me as incomplete and a missed opportunity to make this book a lot more solid than it was.
While I won't give any spoilers for the twists or the ending, I will say that I saw it coming, and while it was a trope I've enjoyed in many other pieces of media, I didn't love its execution here. That said, there were some redeeming qualities in a few of the characters and many quotable, creepy lines that I enjoyed (especially in the "in-between" short chapters in the first half of the book), and the atmosphere of the lake house was immaculate. Overall, Summer's Edge wasn't a story to write home about and I was a little relieved when it was over, as I think it dragged on a bit too long, but I'm still happy I read it and think it will be a big hit with a lot of summer thrill-seekers!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Chelsea is bi/pan (not specific); Kennedy is sapphic (unknown if lesbian or bi/pan)
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt
lisacanteven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Read if you like:
>We Were Liars
>Pretty Little Liars
>I Know What You Did Last Summer
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Toxic friendship