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2 Stars
Overview: DNF @ 56%
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017, so color-me-disappointed.
Our protagonist is Kale:
Only probably not that healthy.
Instead, Kale is a high-school drop-out with an ability to time travel. However, he only jumps back to WWII and serves on the front lines. He suffers from PTSD as a result of a war that occurred 60 years ago. Our story starts when Harper, one of his best friends from childhood, moves back to town.
Pros:
I love, love, love this idea. It’s exceptionally creative, unlike anything I’ve read before and had an overwhelming amount of potential.
There are some really stark and nuanced discussions of PTSD and familial relationships. Though neither was explored in detail, the writing carries both very well and flows smoothly.
Cons:
It’s such a great idea, that’s somehow almost irrelevant to the book??? Kale suddenly is jumping to one location and one location only. But no one even wonders why he jumps at all? Let alone why it changed? There’s surprisingly few scenes of Kale actually going back in time, and the few that were present seemed very stereotypical of WWII scenes.
That sounds really calloused and that's not how I mean it. Kale's stories from WWII were just very... predictable. As soon as random side character shares a smoke with Kale, we know he’s going to die in Kale's arms shortly after. It's just what always happens in generic war-front stories. The very few flashbacks were all this predictable and offered surprisingly little to the conversation—though they were emotional and written well.
Harper and Kale sound exactly alike. I honestly kept forgetting whose POV I was reading.
Uncle Jasper isn’t even really a character. He’s just a stereotypical old man who works on cars and spouts questionable advice:
Seriously, everything the guy said sounded like a fortune cookie—It’s all pretty, but not very substantial.
Once I got to the part where everyone determines Kale’s time-jumping is dependent on his relationship with his father—that he really can control it, he just has to belieeeevvvveeee! --that's when I gave up.
It’s not even poorly written. It’s just not interesting.
In Conclusion:
A fantastic idea that somehow gets bogged down with a predictable narrative.
Overview: DNF @ 56%
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2017, so color-me-disappointed.
Our protagonist is Kale:
Only probably not that healthy.
Instead, Kale is a high-school drop-out with an ability to time travel. However, he only jumps back to WWII and serves on the front lines. He suffers from PTSD as a result of a war that occurred 60 years ago. Our story starts when Harper, one of his best friends from childhood, moves back to town.
Pros:
I love, love, love this idea. It’s exceptionally creative, unlike anything I’ve read before and had an overwhelming amount of potential.
There are some really stark and nuanced discussions of PTSD and familial relationships. Though neither was explored in detail, the writing carries both very well and flows smoothly.
Cons:
It’s such a great idea, that’s somehow almost irrelevant to the book??? Kale suddenly is jumping to one location and one location only. But no one even wonders why he jumps at all? Let alone why it changed? There’s surprisingly few scenes of Kale actually going back in time, and the few that were present seemed very stereotypical of WWII scenes.
That sounds really calloused and that's not how I mean it. Kale's stories from WWII were just very... predictable. As soon as random side character shares a smoke with Kale, we know he’s going to die in Kale's arms shortly after. It's just what always happens in generic war-front stories. The very few flashbacks were all this predictable and offered surprisingly little to the conversation—though they were emotional and written well.
Harper and Kale sound exactly alike. I honestly kept forgetting whose POV I was reading.
Uncle Jasper isn’t even really a character. He’s just a stereotypical old man who works on cars and spouts questionable advice:
“People don’t make mistakes,” he says, “They make decisions.”
”Some people fight through it, and some people choose not to by ignoring it. It’s up to them, and we can only support and love them. But sometimes that isn’t enough. No matter what we do.”
”Sometimes being apart can start healing before it begins.
Seriously, everything the guy said sounded like a fortune cookie—It’s all pretty, but not very substantial.
Once I got to the part where everyone determines Kale’s time-jumping is dependent on his relationship with his father—that he really can control it, he just has to belieeeevvvveeee! --that's when I gave up.
It’s not even poorly written. It’s just not interesting.
In Conclusion:
A fantastic idea that somehow gets bogged down with a predictable narrative.
This book was exactly what I wanted it to be. I love time travel books, and COLD SUMMER blended the excitement of time travel beautifully with the complexities of PTSD, war, romance, friendship, and family. It was more than just a time travel book; it had heart and emotion and depth.
I especially loved the family dynamics. There were family members who didn't act like family, and non-family members who did. I love found family, and COLD SUMMER did a fantastic job of exploring those relationships that can fill the holes in your heart made by those who are supposed to love you unconditionally, but don't.
And the writing is so contemplative, full of powerful lines like, "It's weird to miss something I'll never have and never did," and "He's only half of what he used to be, slowly learning how to become himself again."
If time travel is even the tiniest bit up your alley, you should definitely pick up this one.
I especially loved the family dynamics. There were family members who didn't act like family, and non-family members who did. I love found family, and COLD SUMMER did a fantastic job of exploring those relationships that can fill the holes in your heart made by those who are supposed to love you unconditionally, but don't.
And the writing is so contemplative, full of powerful lines like, "It's weird to miss something I'll never have and never did," and "He's only half of what he used to be, slowly learning how to become himself again."
If time travel is even the tiniest bit up your alley, you should definitely pick up this one.
3.5 stars
Kale is a time-traveller. But he has no control over when or where he is transported to. For the past few months, he has been more or less continuously returning to the same time period - 1945, as an American soldier fighting the Germans in WWII. The effects of being in a war consequently has a very detrimental effect on his everyday life, affecting not only his family relationships, but also causing him to drop out of school and so on. I thought that the many complicated and painful family dynamics were very well portrayed - not just Kale's but also Harper's. While this was no epic adventure novel, it was a new take on time-travel that I found to be an enjoyable read.
Kale is a time-traveller. But he has no control over when or where he is transported to. For the past few months, he has been more or less continuously returning to the same time period - 1945, as an American soldier fighting the Germans in WWII. The effects of being in a war consequently has a very detrimental effect on his everyday life, affecting not only his family relationships, but also causing him to drop out of school and so on. I thought that the many complicated and painful family dynamics were very well portrayed - not just Kale's but also Harper's. While this was no epic adventure novel, it was a new take on time-travel that I found to be an enjoyable read.
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Great idea, lacklustre execution.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, War
Moderate: Death
Minor: Child abuse
I'm not normally someone who likes books with a time travel element, but this one is really good for being a debut novel!
~5 billion stars!~
This is it.
This is the best book ever.
Cold Summer is, in the first place, a beautiful story about healing.
It's about getting better, about finding light in the darkness, about never giving up. It's a wonderful tale that fills you with hope, that makes you want to fight for yourself and for a better tomorrow.
Honestly, I can't even begin to describe how amazing that book is, how many emotions I felt reading it, how much it resonated with me.
It's truly a masterpiece.
This is it.
This is the best book ever.
Cold Summer is, in the first place, a beautiful story about healing.
It's about getting better, about finding light in the darkness, about never giving up. It's a wonderful tale that fills you with hope, that makes you want to fight for yourself and for a better tomorrow.
Honestly, I can't even begin to describe how amazing that book is, how many emotions I felt reading it, how much it resonated with me.
It's truly a masterpiece.
Kale Jackson has spent most of his life trying to control his ability to time travel, especially when he flits between WW11 in which he has a place as a sharpshooter and his present day where he himself lives.
Old childhood friend Harper moves back to town and Kale is reminded of the person he used to be before all of his time travelling abilities started to show. Can Kale control his abilities to gain a chance at a completely normal life, or will he die trying in the process?
Surprisingly enjoyed this novel and I'm not normally an avid reader of time-traveller fiction, but this novel was unique and amazingly executed and paid equal attention to romance and plot, which was refreshing to see!
Old childhood friend Harper moves back to town and Kale is reminded of the person he used to be before all of his time travelling abilities started to show. Can Kale control his abilities to gain a chance at a completely normal life, or will he die trying in the process?
Surprisingly enjoyed this novel and I'm not normally an avid reader of time-traveller fiction, but this novel was unique and amazingly executed and paid equal attention to romance and plot, which was refreshing to see!
Cold Summer is a captivating read that takes us through Kales's hardships and traumatic moments in time, more specifically, WWII. Always in such a disarray, living with PTSD and trying to cope with the fact that he can't control his time travel abilities. It is a painful read to go through, reliving traumatic moments with him, losing friends in battle, and knowing there is nothing that can be done about it. Then without notice being brought right back to present time and not being able to connect with anyone because of it.
"Then I'm alone. After putting it off for so long, I close my eyes and picture the place my body wants to take me I don't want to go, but I also don't want to stay. Two worlds I don't want to be a part of. Two worlds I don't belong in. And the worst part is I don't have a choice. I stand and take a step off the porch, my foot landing on snow instead of grass. Cold bites at my skin an fills my lungs. Everything changing in an instant. I don't have to open my eyes to know I'm here."
There is so much depth to this story, taking us through Kale's desire to live, to stop moving through time without warning. He is constantly worrying about the next minute, and if his following visit to the past will be his last. He wants to reunite with his family, for them to understand what is going on with him but it is a continuous cycle of denial and grief.
Then we are taken in by Harper, who has just as much going on. Trying to figure out if her decisions in life have been the right ones to make. Knowing that her relationship with her mother might never be restored, but always being able to rely on her Uncle Jasper. He is the backbone, keeping everyone sane and looking at the bright side of things.
"I feel myself splitting apart. It took me months to realize I had to let her go to get on with my life. I did because I had no choice. I couldn't hold onto the past and continue on with the future at the same time. I couldn't have have both, and I never would've done that without Uncle Jasper and Kale."
Everyone in here, the storyline, where we are transported to, is exceptionally enthralling. It is a novel that keeps you wondering and asking the questions that Kale asks himself often... Why that specific time in the past? Why can't he control his ablility? What does it all mean? And in all of this finding that family connection they have all desired to have.
Gwen Cole has done an amazing job incorporating time travel into this read as well as the family bond she has formed between them all. It may have been a little slow moving in some areas, but for the most part it kept me captivated and emotionally attached to these great characters.
***I received this copy from Sky Pony Press via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
"Then I'm alone. After putting it off for so long, I close my eyes and picture the place my body wants to take me I don't want to go, but I also don't want to stay. Two worlds I don't want to be a part of. Two worlds I don't belong in. And the worst part is I don't have a choice. I stand and take a step off the porch, my foot landing on snow instead of grass. Cold bites at my skin an fills my lungs. Everything changing in an instant. I don't have to open my eyes to know I'm here."
There is so much depth to this story, taking us through Kale's desire to live, to stop moving through time without warning. He is constantly worrying about the next minute, and if his following visit to the past will be his last. He wants to reunite with his family, for them to understand what is going on with him but it is a continuous cycle of denial and grief.
Then we are taken in by Harper, who has just as much going on. Trying to figure out if her decisions in life have been the right ones to make. Knowing that her relationship with her mother might never be restored, but always being able to rely on her Uncle Jasper. He is the backbone, keeping everyone sane and looking at the bright side of things.
"I feel myself splitting apart. It took me months to realize I had to let her go to get on with my life. I did because I had no choice. I couldn't hold onto the past and continue on with the future at the same time. I couldn't have have both, and I never would've done that without Uncle Jasper and Kale."
Everyone in here, the storyline, where we are transported to, is exceptionally enthralling. It is a novel that keeps you wondering and asking the questions that Kale asks himself often... Why that specific time in the past? Why can't he control his ablility? What does it all mean? And in all of this finding that family connection they have all desired to have.
Gwen Cole has done an amazing job incorporating time travel into this read as well as the family bond she has formed between them all. It may have been a little slow moving in some areas, but for the most part it kept me captivated and emotionally attached to these great characters.
***I received this copy from Sky Pony Press via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
Today, he’s a high school dropout with no future.
Tomorrow, he’s a soldier in World War II.
Kale Jackson has spent years trying to control his time-traveling ability but hasn’t had much luck. One day he lives in 1945, fighting in the war as a sharpshooter and helplessly watching soldiers—friends—die. Then the next day, he’s back in the present, where WWII has bled into his modern life in the form of PTSD, straining his relationship with his father and the few friends he has left. Every day it becomes harder to hide his battle wounds, both physical and mental, from the past.
When the ex-girl-next-door, Harper, moves back to town, thoughts of what could be if only he had a normal life begin to haunt him. Harper reminds him of the person he was before the PTSD, which helps anchor him to the present. With practice, maybe Kale could remain in the present permanently and never step foot on a battlefield again. Maybe he can have the normal life he craves.
But then Harper finds Kale’s name in a historical article—and he’s listed as a casualty of the war. Kale knows now that he must learn to control his time-traveling ability to save himself and his chance at a life with Harper. Otherwise, he’ll be killed in a time where he doesn’t belong by a bullet that was never meant for him.
Rating: 3.5/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: I was expecting this book to break me, and was disappointed when it didn't; time travel for the win!; well-written and (seemingly) historically accurate; endearing, adorable characters; LOVE the focus on bridging the familial gap
Huge thanks to Gwen Cole, Sky Pony Press, and Edelweiss for granting me free access to a digital galley of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
I don't want to go, but I also don't want to stay.
Two worlds I don't want to be a part of.
Two worlds I don't belong in.
And the worst part is I don't have a choice.
I stand and take a step off the porch, my foot landing on snow instead of grass. Cold bites at my skin and fills my lungs. Everything changing in an instant. I don't have to open my eyes to know I'm here.
This is what my life has come to.
I don't have a superpower.
I have a curse.
Okay, penguins. If you've read my reviews before, you know I LOVE time travel stories because they always, ALWAYS, seem to break me into about a tiny little pieces. Heading into this one, I expected absolutely nothing less than to die a thousand invisible deaths before being stitched back into some semblance of order--even if it wasn't necessarily the RIGHT order. I got to the 80% mark, bad things started happening, and then.... I was thoroughly disappointed. You see, this book? Didn't break me, and I feel just a tiny bit ripped off. Where did my heartbreak go?! Why aren't there a bunch of sad feathers piled up on my floor from being ripped out in my angst?! WHAT HAPPENED?!
That being said, I did enjoy this read quite a bit. I especially enjoyed the whole, "bridging the familial gap" moral that plays out throughout between Kale and his dad. There were so many endearing, awesome moments with Kale and his family--and they all helped to show us better who Kale, outside the time travel, was. I also found it super interesting that Gwen Cole juxtaposed the "emotional" battle Kale's in the middle of at this point in his life--the one with his dad--with the "physical" battle of the past, which Kale keeps returning to when his emotions are too overwhelming to process. I found it interesting that Kale would continue WANTING to return to a dangerous past, just to escape the dangers of the emotions he couldn't quite define.
"Do you think I made the right choice coming here?"
"Like Uncle Jasper says, 'You don't make mistakes, you make decisions.'"
I did close this book feeling as if we were a bit let down on seeing some of the other characters grow. There's so much focus on Kale and the struggles he's facing, the rest of the characters sort of fall by the wayside in terms of their own emotional arcs. Characters like Libby, and Miles, and Bryce? They felt like fillers to me--they were there, they served a purpose, but I couldn't really connect with them on a more intimate level. I couldn't SEE them, I didn't really feel anything from them. They just didn't do much for me, unfortunately.
However, this was an intriguing and fun read. While some of the characters fell a bit short for me, the others were endearing and had great arc lines. I was, however, just the TINIEST bit disappointed that this book didn't break me harder--as I'd been really looking forward to being broken (I know, I know, I'm a masochist!) I'd recommend this to lovers of science fiction, historical fiction, and time travel. Take a step into the past, penguins...but promise you'll always come back?
* I received this book from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This book was awfully sweet. I really felt for Kale because usually time-travelling in his case it was horrible. It caused him and his family a huge amount of suffering, and even once he found the courage to tell them, it seemed like they became even less compassionate. Not because they didn’t believe him, but because they didn’t understand why he couldn’t stop.
I also really enjoyed the book from Harper’s perspective. She had a hugely selfish mother, and was very lonely. I liked that this town was one where she had real friends, even if it was friends that she had made when she was just a kid. Uncle Jasper was the shining star in this story, as a side character he stood out. His wisdom and kindness even in the face of his own tragedy was pretty heart-warming stuff to read.
The plot and writing were pretty solid, although I do have many many questions left especially around Kale’s time-traveling ability. However this might be one of those books where the mystery in how it works is part of what makes the book worth reading. Overall I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2017/05/cold-summer-by-gwen-cole.html*
This book was awfully sweet. I really felt for Kale because usually time-travelling in his case it was horrible. It caused him and his family a huge amount of suffering, and even once he found the courage to tell them, it seemed like they became even less compassionate. Not because they didn’t believe him, but because they didn’t understand why he couldn’t stop.
I also really enjoyed the book from Harper’s perspective. She had a hugely selfish mother, and was very lonely. I liked that this town was one where she had real friends, even if it was friends that she had made when she was just a kid. Uncle Jasper was the shining star in this story, as a side character he stood out. His wisdom and kindness even in the face of his own tragedy was pretty heart-warming stuff to read.
The plot and writing were pretty solid, although I do have many many questions left especially around Kale’s time-traveling ability. However this might be one of those books where the mystery in how it works is part of what makes the book worth reading. Overall I’d give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
*This review was first posted to Moonlight Gleam Reviews http://moonlightgleam.com/2017/05/cold-summer-by-gwen-cole.html*