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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
pipipops's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this book. A beautifully written book about growing up set in the Isle of Wight - a place close to my heart!
libwithattitude's review against another edition
3.0
I remember the summer of 76, I was 11 and the hot weather seemed to last forever. Unfortunately I found this tale of swinging parents, unrequited lust & friendship a bit lacklustre. A quick read, but not really to my taste.
leelee77's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked the easy reading style of this and the plot was something different.
elliemcc11's review against another edition
3.0
This story set on the Isle of Wight covers the very hot summer of '76 & the sex scandal of one neighbourhood. Although not a true story it's based on keyring parties popular in the 70s & the aftermath from one of them. It was an entertaining enough story - not sexually explicit - although it didn't seem to go very far & I was more interested in Martin's back story than the actual story.
faithtutton's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
nicola_tyrrell32's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
katheastman's review against another edition
4.0
I believe it entirely possible that Isabel Ashdown is capable of conjuring up a heatwave. She does just that within the pages of Summer of ’76. Met Office reports at the start of every chapter give us the raw temperatures but its her deft prose that really makes you feel the heat of that long hot summer and how everything and everyone suffered, browned and some others even unravelled under it. I think I drank more (water!) while reading this book than I’ve ever drunk for any other book. And Summer of ’76 made me thirsty in other ways. I found it almost impossible to put the book down once I started it and managed to read it in what was an incredibly busy weekend for me.
To read the full review posted on my blog, go to the Nut Press
To read the full review posted on my blog, go to the Nut Press
sarahgb's review against another edition
2.0
I was 18 in the summer of '76 and took my A'levels on one of the hottest days of the year. It was so hot we were allowed to have water to drink to stop us from passing out. I had high hopes for this but unfortunately it doesn't quite hit the mark. storylines are started, developed briefly and then cut off. It feels like there should be a whole lot more but sadly there isn't.
stephaniekhani's review against another edition
3.0
Originally reviewed on my blog: http://stephinlondon.com/2013/06/17/advance-read-summer-of-76-by-isabel-ashdown/
Before reading Ashdown’s forthcoming Summer of ’76 I thought it would be best to read something else by her to get an idea of her writing style and such. Lucky for me I’d purchased an e-version of Hurry Up and Wait a few months back and this seemed like the perfect chance to give it a read. I’m glad I did because I got a very good sense of how Ashdown writes and constructs her characters and storylines. Summer of ’76 and Hurry Up and Wait are two very similar books in that they’re slow burners and both have a sort of twist at the end.
I did enjoy Summer of ’76 though there were points where I wished things would speed up a bit or where I felt like more could have been happening. Even so, Ashdown’s writing style is lovely and easy to read and she’s very good at capturing the nuances of the time in her writing (the 80′s in Hurry Up and 70′s in Summer). I must say that I loved how the opening of Summer of ’76 held its own but actually made loads of sense by the conclusion of the novel. Swinger party (keys in bowl)? I’m there!
I’m eager to give her debut novel Glasshopper a read and can only imagine it will be just as emotionally intense as her other two books.
Before reading Ashdown’s forthcoming Summer of ’76 I thought it would be best to read something else by her to get an idea of her writing style and such. Lucky for me I’d purchased an e-version of Hurry Up and Wait a few months back and this seemed like the perfect chance to give it a read. I’m glad I did because I got a very good sense of how Ashdown writes and constructs her characters and storylines. Summer of ’76 and Hurry Up and Wait are two very similar books in that they’re slow burners and both have a sort of twist at the end.
I did enjoy Summer of ’76 though there were points where I wished things would speed up a bit or where I felt like more could have been happening. Even so, Ashdown’s writing style is lovely and easy to read and she’s very good at capturing the nuances of the time in her writing (the 80′s in Hurry Up and 70′s in Summer). I must say that I loved how the opening of Summer of ’76 held its own but actually made loads of sense by the conclusion of the novel. Swinger party (keys in bowl)? I’m there!
I’m eager to give her debut novel Glasshopper a read and can only imagine it will be just as emotionally intense as her other two books.