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battyaboutbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- 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? No
3.0
🦇 Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler Book Review 🦇
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
❝ "Just because you're telling a good story doesn't mean it's the right story. And I think it's really important to tell the right story. ❞
❓ #QOTD What song is your summer anthem this year? ❓
🦇 For three years of high school, Larissa had extreme heart-eyes for Chase Harding; the sweet, popular, football star any girl would die to date. After returning from summer break, Chase finally seems to notice her, but it's not Lara's stylish blonde bob that catches his attention: it's the newfound confidence she gained over the summer. A summer spent with an enigmatic, too-cool photographer, Jasmine, whom Lara spent all summer beside...and, on more than one occasion, kissing. The girl Lara can't stop thinking about. The first time Chase flirts with her, Jasmine walks through the doors, only to reveal they're completing their senior year together--and that she has no interest in picking up where they left off last summer. Everything about Lara's senior year appears perfect—supportive friends, the most popular boy in school at her arm...so why can't she get Jasmine and their summer together off her mind?
⚠️ Spoilers Ahead! ⚠️
💜 Cool for the Summer is a light-hearted, quick summer read with definite queer Grease vibes. The story's sweet, relatable sapphic spin is bound to hook you from the get-go. Lara is a first-generation Russian Ashkenazi Jew who thought she'd spend the summer working at an indie bookstore, only to travel to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her mother instead. While staying at her mother's boss's beach house, she bonds with seemingly stand-offish Jasmine. The two bond in little moments we see through flashbacks; snippets that demonstrate even a summer is enough to discover real, life-changing love. Larissa's character development, especially as she steps out from behind the shadows her friends have cast, is a beautiful example of how one moment can trigger metaphoric self-discovery and growth. Though her time with Larissa triggered that development, we see the continuous ripple effect it causes.
💜 Adler doesn't shy away from topics rarely explored in YA, including positivity regarding masturbation and sex. However, I do wish she'd explored some of the emotions behind those moments. Since Lara internalizes a lot of what she's thinking and feeling, there was no real discussion that would have added depth to those scenes. However, I do wish I'd had this story growing up; it possibly could have changed everything.
💜 I can't stress quite how relatable this story was for me. Everything from the three-year-long unreciprocated crush to one summer of stolen moments and unexpected feelings that ultimately led to newfound self-awareness and -discovery were all pieces of my own bisexual coming-out story. Sometimes, the ever-after we write in our heads isn't the ever-after we end up wanting; a realization Lara almost has too late.
🦇 This story was an opportunity to shatter a great number of bisexual stereotypes, especially since Lara is in a relationship when she realizes her feelings for Jasmine. There's a brief comment, made by Chase, that almost delves into and defies those stereotypes of bisexuals "not being able to choose," but Lara bites back her anger and brushes by it too quickly. While I'm beyond grateful that we're getting more bisexual and overall queer stories, I do wish we could have opened that discussion. At the very least, it should have been a conversation Lara had with herself— her constant internalizing provided the perfect opportunity for it.
🦇 Anyone who's read one of my previous reviews knows my biggest rom-com trope pet peeve is miscommunication. The entirety of this story feeds off the miscommunication between Lara and Jasmine. While that fear and confusion are real and relatable (I've lived through it myself), I do wish there was at least ONE attempt from either of them to try, long before that miscommunication escalates the conflict between them.
🦇 With how short this story is, there's definitely room to explore the emotions behind certain scenes in-depth. Again, Lara internalizes almost everything instead of using a friend as a sounding board, leaving this story with more "telling" than "showing."
💜 This quintessential summer read is ideal for lovers of YA, happily-ever-afters, and stories of self-discovery. It's also perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Alice Oseman. Happy reading!
✨ The Vibes ✨
☀️ Summer Love
💜 Bisexual (Questioning) and Aroace Rep
✡️ Jewish (Ashkenazi and Sephardi) Rep
🔎 Self-Discovery
⌛ Past/Present Timeline
🩷 Happily Ever After
💕 Love Triangle
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Brief Biphobia, Underage Alcohol Consumption, Parental Divorce
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
❝ "Just because you're telling a good story doesn't mean it's the right story. And I think it's really important to tell the right story. ❞
❓ #QOTD What song is your summer anthem this year? ❓
🦇 For three years of high school, Larissa had extreme heart-eyes for Chase Harding; the sweet, popular, football star any girl would die to date. After returning from summer break, Chase finally seems to notice her, but it's not Lara's stylish blonde bob that catches his attention: it's the newfound confidence she gained over the summer. A summer spent with an enigmatic, too-cool photographer, Jasmine, whom Lara spent all summer beside...and, on more than one occasion, kissing. The girl Lara can't stop thinking about. The first time Chase flirts with her, Jasmine walks through the doors, only to reveal they're completing their senior year together--and that she has no interest in picking up where they left off last summer. Everything about Lara's senior year appears perfect—supportive friends, the most popular boy in school at her arm...so why can't she get Jasmine and their summer together off her mind?
⚠️ Spoilers Ahead! ⚠️
💜 Cool for the Summer is a light-hearted, quick summer read with definite queer Grease vibes. The story's sweet, relatable sapphic spin is bound to hook you from the get-go. Lara is a first-generation Russian Ashkenazi Jew who thought she'd spend the summer working at an indie bookstore, only to travel to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with her mother instead. While staying at her mother's boss's beach house, she bonds with seemingly stand-offish Jasmine. The two bond in little moments we see through flashbacks; snippets that demonstrate even a summer is enough to discover real, life-changing love. Larissa's character development, especially as she steps out from behind the shadows her friends have cast, is a beautiful example of how one moment can trigger metaphoric self-discovery and growth. Though her time with Larissa triggered that development, we see the continuous ripple effect it causes.
💜 Adler doesn't shy away from topics rarely explored in YA, including positivity regarding masturbation and sex. However, I do wish she'd explored some of the emotions behind those moments. Since Lara internalizes a lot of what she's thinking and feeling, there was no real discussion that would have added depth to those scenes. However, I do wish I'd had this story growing up; it possibly could have changed everything.
💜 I can't stress quite how relatable this story was for me. Everything from the three-year-long unreciprocated crush to one summer of stolen moments and unexpected feelings that ultimately led to newfound self-awareness and -discovery were all pieces of my own bisexual coming-out story. Sometimes, the ever-after we write in our heads isn't the ever-after we end up wanting; a realization Lara almost has too late.
🦇 This story was an opportunity to shatter a great number of bisexual stereotypes, especially since Lara is in a relationship when she realizes her feelings for Jasmine. There's a brief comment, made by Chase, that almost delves into and defies those stereotypes of bisexuals "not being able to choose," but Lara bites back her anger and brushes by it too quickly. While I'm beyond grateful that we're getting more bisexual and overall queer stories, I do wish we could have opened that discussion. At the very least, it should have been a conversation Lara had with herself— her constant internalizing provided the perfect opportunity for it.
🦇 Anyone who's read one of my previous reviews knows my biggest rom-com trope pet peeve is miscommunication. The entirety of this story feeds off the miscommunication between Lara and Jasmine. While that fear and confusion are real and relatable (I've lived through it myself), I do wish there was at least ONE attempt from either of them to try, long before that miscommunication escalates the conflict between them.
🦇 With how short this story is, there's definitely room to explore the emotions behind certain scenes in-depth. Again, Lara internalizes almost everything instead of using a friend as a sounding board, leaving this story with more "telling" than "showing."
💜 This quintessential summer read is ideal for lovers of YA, happily-ever-afters, and stories of self-discovery. It's also perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Alice Oseman. Happy reading!
✨ The Vibes ✨
☀️ Summer Love
💜 Bisexual (Questioning) and Aroace Rep
✡️ Jewish (Ashkenazi and Sephardi) Rep
🔎 Self-Discovery
⌛ Past/Present Timeline
🩷 Happily Ever After
💕 Love Triangle
⚠️ Trigger Warning: Brief Biphobia, Underage Alcohol Consumption, Parental Divorce
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia and Alcohol
graceless_grace's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Biphobia
infjkiki's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Moderate: Sexual content
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.0
first off, this cover is GORGEOUS!! i love everything about both covers. my girl lara was going through bi panic, and i was sooo here for it all. i liked the then/now perspective, but i wish we had gotten more moments between jasmine and lara in both perspectives. i felt like we were more told what happened between them especially in the then perspective than actively experiencing it. i think this was a great upper YA story and definitely recommend!
⚠️: biphobia, abandonment
⚠️: biphobia, abandonment
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Biphobia
fluffily's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
cute bi story<3 it did pretty well with different bits of rep, and the romance was decent. and having the mc’s workplace at Books & Beans?? amazing, love it.
however.
a) the writing style. i dislike it, it seemed cringy to me in places and was overall kinda off, but it wasn’t horrible.
b) i disliked jasmine, her toxic behaviors were not solved by the ending in my opinion
however.
a) the writing style. i dislike it, it seemed cringy to me in places and was overall kinda off, but it wasn’t horrible.
b) i disliked jasmine, her toxic behaviors were not solved by the ending in my opinion
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
jessereadsthings's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Fun and cute, but not anything super new to me.
Content Warnings
Minor: Biphobia
btwnprintedpgs's review
hopeful
reflective
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia
Underage drinking, parental divorcedwoht's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.0
someone recommended me this book by saying that "it's the best representation of a horny teenager i've ever seen." which i disagree, because although there are sex scenes, and yes the MC is almost always horny, i don't find the scenes explicit. and that's something that i really liked about this book. i also liked lara's relationship with her mom, it's so sweet.
i just feel frustrated about some things with this book. given that this book is about our MC lara. i feel like her friends or the side characters are one dimensional. sometimes it feels like they only exist in this story for lara to have friends. i wish the author explored their friendship more!
the ending is also frustrating!why would you let us spend reading an entire book pining about lara and jasmine only for them to not have romance scenes at the present time!!! the flashbacks are great but WHY DIDNT THEY GET TOGETHER SOONER. i hate when books do this, when they have the characters only get together at the very end and show little of the main characters relationship that you’ve been rooting for the entire time. and it's such a cliffhanger and i wanna demand a book 2 but i know that's not possible lol. they spent more time apart than they are together.
all in all, i really enjoyed this book. it's a quick read and i wish it was longer. and i might read more books from dahlia adler :)
i just feel frustrated about some things with this book. given that this book is about our MC lara. i feel like her friends or the side characters are one dimensional. sometimes it feels like they only exist in this story for lara to have friends. i wish the author explored their friendship more!
the ending is also frustrating!
all in all, i really enjoyed this book. it's a quick read and i wish it was longer. and i might read more books from dahlia adler :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
Larissa found herself over the summer, along with starting to figure out her sexuality with her moms bosses daughter Jasmine. They partied, they kissed they….
Just like that it’s back to reality and senior year where qb Chase finally starts noticing Larissa after she has come into herself during the summer months. She’s had a crush on him since she could remember. But senior year isn’t going to be that easy. Because first day of school who should walk in the front door, Jasmine. And all the memories from the summer come flooding back. Will Larissa choose the qb she’s been dreaming about since middle school or the beautiful Jasmine who opened up her world over the summer?
I thought this was an adorable coming of the age novel. As an adult though it was tough reading teen characters because the miscommunication trope was in this one lol. So I was screaming at the book a bit. I really enjoyed seeing Larissa figure out what she wants and who she is. Coming of the age books have become my bread and butter. I love them so much. Not only is it coming of the age it’s about young love and friendships.
Rep
Bi, pan, Jewish, Russian, non-binary side character
Cw
Biphobia
Toxic friendship
Alcohol
Mild sexual content
Just like that it’s back to reality and senior year where qb Chase finally starts noticing Larissa after she has come into herself during the summer months. She’s had a crush on him since she could remember. But senior year isn’t going to be that easy. Because first day of school who should walk in the front door, Jasmine. And all the memories from the summer come flooding back. Will Larissa choose the qb she’s been dreaming about since middle school or the beautiful Jasmine who opened up her world over the summer?
I thought this was an adorable coming of the age novel. As an adult though it was tough reading teen characters because the miscommunication trope was in this one lol. So I was screaming at the book a bit. I really enjoyed seeing Larissa figure out what she wants and who she is. Coming of the age books have become my bread and butter. I love them so much. Not only is it coming of the age it’s about young love and friendships.
Rep
Bi, pan, Jewish, Russian, non-binary side character
Cw
Biphobia
Toxic friendship
Alcohol
Mild sexual content
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
thefatpaperback's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia and Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual content