Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

26 reviews

kshertz's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Any book that makes me stay up until 1 am because I just have to finish it is an automatic 5 to me. I got invested in this love story and these characters immediately. I loved them as teenagers and then trying to find their ways back to each other. It felt real and it felt hopeful. At times I was like, “ this would all be solved with one long conversation. “ but then again, they were kids for at least most of the book. I think it’s definitely worth the read but be forewarned: it’s totally addictive and you can’t put it down. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Persephone “Percy” Fraser and Sam Florek spend almost every summer of their teens together as best friends (and briefly more) before a series of events tear them apart. Twelve years later, Percy is back in town—but can time really heal all wounds and put back together something she has long believed is permanently broken?

I’m 90% sure I was the last person left who hadn’t read this one (shoutout to my book club for getting me to finally dive in!) and I’ve heard such good things from so many people, so I went in with pretty high expectations. There was definitely a lot to love about this book—the setting is atmospheric and nostalgic (wish I could head off to a lakeside vacation right now, thanks) and the writing is beautiful and engaging.

That said, I ultimately had a bunch of problems with the ending of this book (and the choices of one of the characters—but probably *not* the one you think, if you’ve read this!) that kept me from rounding up to the full 4 or even 4.5 stars I initially anticipated. I also saw the twist coming from the first chapter, and while that’s usually fine with me for a romance novel, I eventually found myself wishing for a bit more from the plot.

Still, is a really cute and fun summer and/or vacation read, and I know a *lot* of people have loved it, so give it a try if it sounds good to you! And, since I doubt this is the last we’ve heard from Carley Fortune—I’ll still definitely give a try to whatever she writes next.

Recommended, especially if you like: friends-to-lovers; second chance romance; nostalgic dual timeline settings.

CW: Death of parent; grief; panic attacks/anxiety; some mentions of childhood bullying.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

whatripsusapart's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hopefulromanticreads's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Every Summer After is told from the POV of Percy, the female main character, and alternates between present day in Toronto and the past summers spent in Barry’s Bay. 

It’s a summer-themed romance that allows you to revisit the magical feeling you got as a kid when you made a new friend on vacation or holiday, the excitement of a first crush, and the crushing heartbreak many of us have experience for various reasons. 

This would’ve been a five star book for me, but I had an issue with the main conflict between our 2 MCs (which I’ll detail below behind a spoiler tag). 

When I finished this book, I was left thinking about the fact that love is about choices, and sometimes about timing too. It’s about being imperfect and finding someone who loves and accepts your imperfections. Someone who fits perfectly with you. It also had me thinking about betrayal, guilt, and what I personally could or could not forgive. And above all, it left me with the warm embrace of nostalgia. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

riella_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 I really thought I was going to love this one, and I still enjoyed my time with this but not as much as I thought. I think this was heavily due to me knowing what the big "conflict" was that didn't come out until the last 15% of the book. I unfortunately saw a spoiler review before reading this. However, I really enjoyed the summer I turned pretty vibes and I would love to read what this author writes in the future! 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cepbreed's review against another edition

Go to review page

lighthearted fast-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

5.0

I fell in love with this book. My most favorite feeling is receiving a book from a person that I love and my best friend loaned me Every Summer After in all of its water damaged glory. I spent the first half of the book beach side and the second curled up in bed, and each setting was perfect. I fell in love with Sam alongside Percy and I felt her everything, her pain, happiness, frustration and confusion, to my core. She's a mess and I relate to her HEAVILY. Flawed protagonists, specifically ones that begin all innocent before their mistakes are revealed, are my favorite. By the climax I need to want to scream in their face and this accomplished exactly that. It's honestly kind of therapeutic, I see myself in Percy and therefore being angry at her is cathartic. I am angry at myself all the time, but having a vessel with similar yet different experiences is way more fun. 

I was really shocked when she became friends with Delilah again, though girls friendships do kind of work that way. I was shocked further by how much I came to love her character, her genuine advice and well timed quips. The final shock was the fact that they never rekindled their friendship in the book, I'd like to think they do after the ending. Percy was hurt, but that is never an excuse to treat someone who had done nothing wrong that poorly.


Songs: 
  • august - Taylor Swift 
  • 21 - Gracie Abrams 
  • WYD Now? - Sadie Jean 
  • seven - Taylor Swift

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mallory10100's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

i LOVED this book and especially loved how canadian it is!!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nina_readsbooks's review

Go to review page

emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

dianaschmidty's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings