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1.66k reviews for:

The Summer Pact

Emily Giffin

3.3 AVERAGE


It was cute. It had a lot more plot twists than a typical romance book. A decent poolside read.
emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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
funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds. Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama. Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C. Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest, and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. I really really loved this book. Lainey that’s my gurrlllllll. So real. Not exactly a romance but it was there. Each character felt like people. Nothing felt booky. However the author did lay in on thick with Tyson being a black guy. Nothing crazy, but also needing to remind the reader that he’s black was ehh. 

Thank you to the person who called this book “woke”—you’re the reason I picked it up and read it all the way through. And guess what? It wasn’t “woke.” It was thoughtful. It was reflective. It explored real social issues that exist in the world around us. If that made you uncomfortable, maybe it’s worth asking why.

Sure, the book had its flaws. No story is perfect. But dismissing it simply because it presents perspectives or experiences that challenge your worldview says more about the reader than the book. If you’re not open to stories that make you think or help you learn something new, then what’s the point of reading?
dark emotional lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
challenging emotional inspiring sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
lighthearted medium-paced

Next up, Emily Giffin - well done, Queen! If you haven’t read this one, please do. But be warned, there is a trigger. This book explores the dynamics of friendships, loss, and relationships. 

⭐️ Rating: 4.5
adventurous emotional

This book was all over the place. It's about a strong friend group hit by tragedy, but that is all introduced very quickly and then goes forward 10 years. Although there are some flashbacks to their college years, I felt like I couldn't connect to the characters, especially Summer's character. I also could not understand a lot of their decisions. The constant references to current trends/memes was really cringe.