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Cold Summer was one of the most unique books I have ever read. I was pretty sure I was going to love this book because it has time travel in it and it involves WWII. I'm so glad to say I was right because I did end up loving the story. I want more books like this!
I just want to say that I totally adored Harper. I love that she was a gamer, I love her style and I love how she was written. Also, kudos for the mention of Doctor Who (I'm a huge Whovian!).
Kale was a little bit harder to connect to but I warmed up to im in no time. I really felt bad for him with what he went through when he travels to WWII + his struggle with PTSD. But I loved his relationship with Harper and how she helped him with everything.
The book had a magical realism feel to it, which I loved so much. The ending left me wanting more, though. And I felt like I didn't get to know some of the characters well enough since it was a pretty quick read.
The secondary characters made the book extra special. My favorite was Harper's uncle Jasper because I loved him for helping Kale as much as he could. I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me on that one. Uncle Jasper was the best!
Overall, Cold Summer by Gwen Cole was an amazingly touching time travel romance. Simple and yet complex at the same time, it is now one of my favorite stories ever.
I just want to say that I totally adored Harper. I love that she was a gamer, I love her style and I love how she was written. Also, kudos for the mention of Doctor Who (I'm a huge Whovian!).
Kale was a little bit harder to connect to but I warmed up to im in no time. I really felt bad for him with what he went through when he travels to WWII + his struggle with PTSD. But I loved his relationship with Harper and how she helped him with everything.
The book had a magical realism feel to it, which I loved so much. The ending left me wanting more, though. And I felt like I didn't get to know some of the characters well enough since it was a pretty quick read.
The secondary characters made the book extra special. My favorite was Harper's uncle Jasper because I loved him for helping Kale as much as he could. I'm sure a lot of people will agree with me on that one. Uncle Jasper was the best!
Overall, Cold Summer by Gwen Cole was an amazingly touching time travel romance. Simple and yet complex at the same time, it is now one of my favorite stories ever.
Good, but not as good as it could be. 3.5 out of 5 stars for this one
Gwen Cole handles the concept of time travel well by simplifying the mechanics of it and reducing it to an easily understandable phenomena. She manages to tell a compelling story without resorting to theory or paradoxical claims and instead focuses mostly on the characters and how they are affected by Kale's time traveling ways.
While I was not entirely convinced by Kale and Harper's connection, I thought their relationship was sweet and fairly innocent. Still, I needed a few more flashbacks of their childhood together to make me believe in their closeness that carried through to their teenage years.
Also, I felt as if I didn't know much about Harper. Her narrative wasn't as interesting as Kale's and I found the subplot concerning her estranged mother ineffective and under-developed. Also, both Harper and Kale sounded alike. Harper didn't much stand out as an individual character with a specific and memorable personality. Kale, on the other hand, most certainly did.
Kale's point of view was filled with anger and sadness and I could easily sympathize with him while he dealt with a multitude of issues including a forced need to time travel, PTSD, and familial tension between him and his father, as well as his brother. Although, I wasn't satisfied with how Kale's father came to accept his time traveling, as it felt anticlimactic. He spent so many chapters agonizing over how he could possibly make his father believe in time travel, only to have their moment of reconciliation initiated not by Kale, but by someone else entirely. It kind of took away from the gravity of the situation and shied away from a real, emotion-filled conversation between Kale and his Pops. On a completely different and somewhat random note, I also thought the war scenes were brief, generic and not present enough.
Despite all these issues I had with the book, I sincerely enjoyed it! I know it doesn't sound like it, but trust me, it was a good book.
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Initial Thoughts: More like 3.5ish stars???
I thought it was a pretty good YA time travel book, but I don't think it lived up to its fullest potential??
I dunno. Got to think on this one a little bit more...
Gwen Cole handles the concept of time travel well by simplifying the mechanics of it and reducing it to an easily understandable phenomena. She manages to tell a compelling story without resorting to theory or paradoxical claims and instead focuses mostly on the characters and how they are affected by Kale's time traveling ways.
While I was not entirely convinced by Kale and Harper's connection, I thought their relationship was sweet and fairly innocent. Still, I needed a few more flashbacks of their childhood together to make me believe in their closeness that carried through to their teenage years.
Also, I felt as if I didn't know much about Harper. Her narrative wasn't as interesting as Kale's and I found the subplot concerning her estranged mother ineffective and under-developed. Also, both Harper and Kale sounded alike. Harper didn't much stand out as an individual character with a specific and memorable personality. Kale, on the other hand, most certainly did.
Kale's point of view was filled with anger and sadness and I could easily sympathize with him while he dealt with a multitude of issues including a forced need to time travel, PTSD, and familial tension between him and his father, as well as his brother. Although, I wasn't satisfied with how Kale's father came to accept his time traveling, as it felt anticlimactic. He spent so many chapters agonizing over how he could possibly make his father believe in time travel, only to have their moment of reconciliation initiated not by Kale, but by someone else entirely. It kind of took away from the gravity of the situation and shied away from a real, emotion-filled conversation between Kale and his Pops. On a completely different and somewhat random note, I also thought the war scenes were brief, generic and not present enough.
Despite all these issues I had with the book, I sincerely enjoyed it! I know it doesn't sound like it, but trust me, it was a good book.
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Initial Thoughts: More like 3.5ish stars???
I thought it was a pretty good YA time travel book, but I don't think it lived up to its fullest potential??
I dunno. Got to think on this one a little bit more...
This was actually pretty underwhelming in my opinion. I hate to say that since I've been looking forward to this book and the idea is extremely interesting. I just was expecting a lot more to happen. 🙈 I also noticed a ton of grammatical errors and missing words which just kind of annoyed me.
3 stars
This is an odd book that can't make up its mind on what kind of book it is.
This is an odd book that can't make up its mind on what kind of book it is.
Trigger warning: PTSD (including flashbacks)
This review will contain spoilers. I will try and mark major spoilers, but minor ones may not be. You have been warned.
First things first, the only positive thing I can think of for this book: The author's writing style. It was honestly the only thing that kept me reading, because it was very easy to read. And the only reason this book is not getting 1 star.
And now onto the rest of the review:
I'll just get right to it: this was one of the most frustratingly disappointing reads I've ever read.
Now, I'll admit that I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this book, but I was still hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I was not.
It started out alright, but just kept getting cringier and cringier as it wore on. Everything was SO melodramatic (remember that word, it comes up a lot in this review) and cliched, it's unbelievable. And quite frankly the whole book felt like shadow-puppets on a wall.
The characters especially were melodramatic, bland shells of people, with only like 2 "personality" traits. And those were just the MAIN CHARACTERS! The side characters weren't as lucky, acting more like placeholders for characters than actual PEOPLE.
Speaking of our protagonists though, they both annoyed me SO MUCH. The main female was just so quirky and perfect. The only person more perfect would be our "incredibly hot" male protagonist who goes by the attractive moniker Kale. (Yes, that is his actual name)
There was a great deal of TELLING and not SHOWING in this novel (don't even get me started on the amount of conveniences that were stacked on top of one another), and I do think it suffered because of that. Because while we were in Harper and Kale's heads, we didn't really get much of a sense of who they were as people beyond the cliche's they embodied.
And honestly, the characters were just passive, wet-blankets, just waiting for something to happen so they could react to it. And I pretty much just want to punch them all in the face and move on with my life, but first I need to finish this review lol
(Also, a side-note: there is legitimately one instance where the name Harper is compared to Kale in terms of weirdness. Just let that sink in for a moment)
And can we just talk about how this important plot point which is mentioned IN THE SYNOPSIS isn't even a thing until about 85% of the way through the book?!
I was expecting the WWII scenes to be... more, I guess. As well as thinking that we would be trying harder to figure out WHY he's traveling to that point in the past but literally all the characters just accept it as a fact of life, and basically the entire book just felt like it was simply a way for the author to write about PTSD, by way of Kale, which I swear was his whole raison d'être.
And as for the representation itself, as I don't have PTSD I can't comment on whether or not it was accurate or harmful. It certainly seemed like the author put more effort into describing the PTSD than anything else in the novel if that tells you anything.
There were also several instances of missing words, and it was obvious where certain edits had occurred. One instances of this is on page 314 "I pull my shirt quick".
These just kept happening REPEATEDLY throughout the novel, and these moments really served to take me completely out of the story.
And let me just say that I was also having an incredibly difficult time suspending my disbelief with this story. Not only can he randomly time-travel, but he can also heal incredibly fast. For some reason. Which is also not explained. Does it factor in with his time-traveling? Does traveling in time change your body or something? We're just supposed to accept this but I'm not falling for your tricks, book. I'm onto you!
Anyway, it's then established that was the one who wrote this important plot-related article detailing how Kale "died" saving his life. And then nothing else is mentioned about him. What was so important about that warranted sending a 17 year old to save his ass in the past? Was it just so his bloodline would endure? Who did go on to become if he was so important that Kale was forced to return to the past repeatedly for MONTHS? I thought that they were leading up to this reveal about , or his grandchildren, that perhaps they proved to be instrumental in some capacity. But that didn't happen, and it just feels like one of many missed opportunities in this book.
Also, side-note, how come when Kale goes to the past he appears always in the same moment he left, but for the present he's gone for days at a time?? There were just weird time-traveling rules. As well as the fact that Kale can't control his time-traveling, knows zero to nothing about it, yet he is able to explain it to people? If I found myself randomly traveling back in time, I would NOT be able to explain logistics, yet Kale is able to explain it to Harper.
"I don't think there's anyone in the world who could have been through what you have and came out stronger in the end."
It just came across as insensitive to me. And while I admit it could have just been that I took it wrong, it just didn't sit well.
Overall, it was a very melodramatic, disappointing read and let's just say I am glad I'm done.
This review will contain spoilers. I will try and mark major spoilers, but minor ones may not be. You have been warned.
First things first, the only positive thing I can think of for this book: The author's writing style. It was honestly the only thing that kept me reading, because it was very easy to read. And the only reason this book is not getting 1 star.
And now onto the rest of the review:
I'll just get right to it: this was one of the most frustratingly disappointing reads I've ever read.
Now, I'll admit that I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this book, but I was still hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I was not.
It started out alright, but just kept getting cringier and cringier as it wore on. Everything was SO melodramatic (remember that word, it comes up a lot in this review) and cliched, it's unbelievable. And quite frankly the whole book felt like shadow-puppets on a wall.
The characters especially were melodramatic, bland shells of people, with only like 2 "personality" traits. And those were just the MAIN CHARACTERS! The side characters weren't as lucky, acting more like placeholders for characters than actual PEOPLE.
Speaking of our protagonists though, they both annoyed me SO MUCH. The main female was just so quirky and perfect. The only person more perfect would be our "incredibly hot" male protagonist who goes by the attractive moniker Kale. (Yes, that is his actual name)
There was a great deal of TELLING and not SHOWING in this novel (don't even get me started on the amount of conveniences that were stacked on top of one another), and I do think it suffered because of that. Because while we were in Harper and Kale's heads, we didn't really get much of a sense of who they were as people beyond the cliche's they embodied.
And honestly, the characters were just passive, wet-blankets, just waiting for something to happen so they could react to it. And I pretty much just want to punch them all in the face and move on with my life, but first I need to finish this review lol
(Also, a side-note: there is legitimately one instance where the name Harper is compared to Kale in terms of weirdness. Just let that sink in for a moment)
And can we just talk about how this important plot point which is mentioned IN THE SYNOPSIS isn't even a thing until about 85% of the way through the book?!
I was expecting the WWII scenes to be... more, I guess. As well as thinking that we would be trying harder to figure out WHY he's traveling to that point in the past but literally all the characters just accept it as a fact of life, and basically the entire book just felt like it was simply a way for the author to write about PTSD, by way of Kale, which I swear was his whole raison d'être.
And as for the representation itself, as I don't have PTSD I can't comment on whether or not it was accurate or harmful. It certainly seemed like the author put more effort into describing the PTSD than anything else in the novel if that tells you anything.
There were also several instances of missing words, and it was obvious where certain edits had occurred. One instances of this is on page 314 "I pull my shirt quick".
Spoiler
And another on page 295 "Perkins is already crouched into front of me, pressing his hands over the right side of my chest".These just kept happening REPEATEDLY throughout the novel, and these moments really served to take me completely out of the story.
And let me just say that I was also having an incredibly difficult time suspending my disbelief with this story. Not only can he randomly time-travel, but he can also heal incredibly fast. For some reason. Which is also not explained.
Spoiler
A bullet wound heals in 3 days for crying out loud! As well as Jasper was able to steal the bullet he was shot with, stuff like that. Things that would just NOT happen in the real world.Anyway, it's then established that
Spoiler
PerkinsSpoiler
PerkinsSpoiler
PerkinsSpoiler
PerkinsAlso, side-note, how come when Kale goes to the past he appears always in the same moment he left, but for the present he's gone for days at a time?? There were just weird time-traveling rules. As well as the fact that Kale can't control his time-traveling, knows zero to nothing about it, yet he is able to explain it to people? If I found myself randomly traveling back in time, I would NOT be able to explain logistics, yet Kale is able to explain it to Harper.
Spoiler
I want to put a bit of a disclaimer in here for this mention as I could have just misinterpreted this, but this sentence rubbed me the wrong way. At the end of the novel, Kale and his dad are driving home from the hospital, and they pull over and have a heart to heart. Nothing wrong with that, except that Kale's father says this:"I don't think there's anyone in the world who could have been through what you have and came out stronger in the end."
It just came across as insensitive to me. And while I admit it could have just been that I took it wrong, it just didn't sit well.
Overall, it was a very melodramatic, disappointing read and let's just say I am glad I'm done.
DNF at 65%. Teenagers do not talk or act like this. These characters are stilted and undeveloped to the point where half way through the book, I have no idea what any of them even look like. The constant mention of Harper being into video games and having an OverWatch shirt got on my nerves a bit like it was the only trait the author could think of to make her "unique" or "weird" in some way. Girls can be into XBox games and still have friends and into sports all at the same time, it's not worth constantly mentioning.
The author also used divorce and death of parent figures in a strange way, and as a lazy plot device. Every family unit in this book has experienced a divorce or death within a few years which seems unbelievable plus you're not quite sure which parents are dead and which are just gone, and there's no mention of the reason why or how. We're mostly told about Aunt Amy's death but I couldn't tell what happened between Kale's parents or if Harper's dad was dead. It just seemed overdramatic and overshadowed the fact that Kale is a time traveler - which should be the main point of this book.
It just feels like this author saw The Time Traveler's Wife and decided to write a book.
The author also used divorce and death of parent figures in a strange way, and as a lazy plot device. Every family unit in this book has experienced a divorce or death within a few years which seems unbelievable plus you're not quite sure which parents are dead and which are just gone, and there's no mention of the reason why or how. We're mostly told about Aunt Amy's death but I couldn't tell what happened between Kale's parents or if Harper's dad was dead. It just seemed overdramatic and overshadowed the fact that Kale is a time traveler - which should be the main point of this book.
It just feels like this author saw The Time Traveler's Wife and decided to write a book.
In Cold Summer by Gwen Cole, a teen's time-traveling ability endangers his life and puts him at odds with his family.
Kale Jackson began time-traveling at seven years of age and recently his "trips" have begun to occur with alarming frequency. His recent travels take him back in time to World War II where his skills as a marksman put him in harm's way. Kale's brother Bryce and sister Libby have always been his staunch supporters, but with Bryce ignoring him as he prepares to leave for college and Libby spending the summer with their mother, Kale has little reason to remain in the present. Adding to his stress is his increasingly fractured relationship with his father, who makes no effort to hide skepticism for his son's inexplicable disappearances.
Until six years ago, Harper Croft spent her summers with her Uncle Jasper. She, Kale and Libby were inseparable during her visits but in recent years, she is only in touch with Libby. Now moving in with her Uncle Jasper permanently due to her mother's recent move, Harper is looking forward to renewing these friendships. Although she is aware of Kale's disappearances, she has no idea why he periodically vanishes. Despite her alarm over his unhealthy appearance and his apparent unhappiness, Harper keeps her promise she made to him long ago. But when she discovers shocking information about his visits back to World War II, will Harper convince to Kale to try to figure out how to control his unusual ability?
In theory, time travel sounds like an exciting adventure, but as Kale knows all too well, not everyone is willing to believe he travels into the past. Although his siblings and best friend Miles never doubt his stories about his adventures, he has given up trying to convince his father he is telling the truth. Kale is quickly sinking into despondency when he thinks about his future since his unexplainable absences caused problems with school and extracurricular activities. With everything in the present turning into a unhappy mess, Kale is only slightly troubled by his frequent trips back to World War II. At the same, the situation with his dad is spiraling out of control but Kale stubbornly refuses to provide him with irrefutable proof he is telling the truth. Will he make the same mistake when his relationship with Harper turns romantic?
Harper knows she made the right decision to move in with her Uncle Jasper but she cannot help but wish things were different between her and her emotionally (and now physically) absent mother. Making the best of her new circumstances, she tries to be understanding about Kale's frequent absences but she is fairly assertive as she tries to persuade him to try fix his relationship with his father. With her concern over his health growing with each of his trips back to World War II, she eventually forces him to tell her the truth about what is going on with him. Once their friendship deepens into romance, will Harper convince Kale to figure out why his travels have become more frequent? And when she learns the truth about what happens to him during World War II, will Kale try to change the outcome?
Cold Summer is a very clever and enjoyable young adult novel with an interesting premise. Gwen Cole does a fantastic job with the time travel element of the story while at the same time gently delivering an important message to her readers. Although flawed, the characters are appealing and sympathetic. The storyline is engaging and quite interesting. The glimpses of Kale's wartime experiences provide insight into both his need to go back in time to help comrades in arms and his struggles with PTSD in the present. All in all, a riveting young adult novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend to readers of all ages.
Kale Jackson began time-traveling at seven years of age and recently his "trips" have begun to occur with alarming frequency. His recent travels take him back in time to World War II where his skills as a marksman put him in harm's way. Kale's brother Bryce and sister Libby have always been his staunch supporters, but with Bryce ignoring him as he prepares to leave for college and Libby spending the summer with their mother, Kale has little reason to remain in the present. Adding to his stress is his increasingly fractured relationship with his father, who makes no effort to hide skepticism for his son's inexplicable disappearances.
Until six years ago, Harper Croft spent her summers with her Uncle Jasper. She, Kale and Libby were inseparable during her visits but in recent years, she is only in touch with Libby. Now moving in with her Uncle Jasper permanently due to her mother's recent move, Harper is looking forward to renewing these friendships. Although she is aware of Kale's disappearances, she has no idea why he periodically vanishes. Despite her alarm over his unhealthy appearance and his apparent unhappiness, Harper keeps her promise she made to him long ago. But when she discovers shocking information about his visits back to World War II, will Harper convince to Kale to try to figure out how to control his unusual ability?
In theory, time travel sounds like an exciting adventure, but as Kale knows all too well, not everyone is willing to believe he travels into the past. Although his siblings and best friend Miles never doubt his stories about his adventures, he has given up trying to convince his father he is telling the truth. Kale is quickly sinking into despondency when he thinks about his future since his unexplainable absences caused problems with school and extracurricular activities. With everything in the present turning into a unhappy mess, Kale is only slightly troubled by his frequent trips back to World War II. At the same, the situation with his dad is spiraling out of control but Kale stubbornly refuses to provide him with irrefutable proof he is telling the truth. Will he make the same mistake when his relationship with Harper turns romantic?
Harper knows she made the right decision to move in with her Uncle Jasper but she cannot help but wish things were different between her and her emotionally (and now physically) absent mother. Making the best of her new circumstances, she tries to be understanding about Kale's frequent absences but she is fairly assertive as she tries to persuade him to try fix his relationship with his father. With her concern over his health growing with each of his trips back to World War II, she eventually forces him to tell her the truth about what is going on with him. Once their friendship deepens into romance, will Harper convince Kale to figure out why his travels have become more frequent? And when she learns the truth about what happens to him during World War II, will Kale try to change the outcome?
Cold Summer is a very clever and enjoyable young adult novel with an interesting premise. Gwen Cole does a fantastic job with the time travel element of the story while at the same time gently delivering an important message to her readers. Although flawed, the characters are appealing and sympathetic. The storyline is engaging and quite interesting. The glimpses of Kale's wartime experiences provide insight into both his need to go back in time to help comrades in arms and his struggles with PTSD in the present. All in all, a riveting young adult novel that I absolutely loved and highly recommend to readers of all ages.
I really enjoyed this. I liked the time travel concept and the fact that he was going back to WWII. My reason for the 3.5 stars as apposed to 4 or 5 is because although I enjoyed it, there were about 100 pages in the middle that I felt were very slow until we find out how the other half of the story is going to start to flesh out and I had to push myself through that. But it started and finished strong. Enjoyable read.
Kale Jackson has an exciting special ability, but it is one that he is beginning to think is not quite so exciting anymore. He travels through time. That might sound fascinating to many people, but Kale cannot control it. Though he can usually tell when he's likely to travel shortly before he does, he can't stop it or force it to happen. And with his recent travels taking him back to World War II, fighting on the front lines as a sharpshooter, the danger has taken much of the fun out of the whole experience. Of course there's also the fact that he cannot explain to most people why he disappears for days at a time without any notice. They would never believe him--including his own father.
But one person who has always believed Kale is Harper, a childhood friend who used to live next door. And when Kale finds out she's returned for the summer, he has the smallest glimmer of hope that quickly fades. In the years that have gone by Kale has changed. But so has Harper. Although she promised she would never ask Kale where he travels, she is more assertive and insistent that Kale not resign himself to being alone. The two quickly reforge a friendship that has the potential to become something more. That is, until Harper looks up Kale's involvement in World War II online. What she finds has the potential to change everything.
This is a wonderfully written young adult science fiction story that doesn't rely on all of the tropes that are so common these days in the genre. Yes, there's angst and a budding relationship, but they don't drive the story. Instead we see Kale, a young man who feels very much at the mercy of this thing he can't control or explain, finding his way back to feeling like he has some agency over his life. And we see Harper, a young woman who has recently claimed her own agency, working to feel comfortable with her choices while trying to help Kale do the same. And everyone will have to love Uncle Jasper. Definitely recommended reading!
[Disclaimer: This review is based on an advance review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.]
But one person who has always believed Kale is Harper, a childhood friend who used to live next door. And when Kale finds out she's returned for the summer, he has the smallest glimmer of hope that quickly fades. In the years that have gone by Kale has changed. But so has Harper. Although she promised she would never ask Kale where he travels, she is more assertive and insistent that Kale not resign himself to being alone. The two quickly reforge a friendship that has the potential to become something more. That is, until Harper looks up Kale's involvement in World War II online. What she finds has the potential to change everything.
This is a wonderfully written young adult science fiction story that doesn't rely on all of the tropes that are so common these days in the genre. Yes, there's angst and a budding relationship, but they don't drive the story. Instead we see Kale, a young man who feels very much at the mercy of this thing he can't control or explain, finding his way back to feeling like he has some agency over his life. And we see Harper, a young woman who has recently claimed her own agency, working to feel comfortable with her choices while trying to help Kale do the same. And everyone will have to love Uncle Jasper. Definitely recommended reading!
[Disclaimer: This review is based on an advance review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.]
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book because the main character’s name is Kale. Kale. Like that icky faux lettuce your mom tells you to eat.
But, this Kale can time-travel, and I can’t pass up a time-travel story. So, here we are. Reading about Kale.
Harper and Kale were best friends before they lost touch. They reconnect after Harper’s mom moves overseas, and Harper decides to move in with her uncle. Kale isn’t like Harper remembers. He’s quiet, distant, and sometimes disappears for days. Harper eventually discovers that Kale is a time-traveler. When he disappears from the present, he becomes a sniper in WWII. Curious, Harper Googles Kale’s name and learns that he dies during the war. Can Kale figure out how to thwart his own death?
First, let’s take a moment to appreciate the cover. That’s one of the prettiest book covers I’ve seen in a long time. The inside of the book is beautifully designed, too. (Too bad about the typos. There are quite a few typos.) Still, it’s a stunning book.
The story alternates points-of-view with Kale narrating some chapters and Harper narrating others. This keeps the pace moving quickly and builds suspense. Kale is trying to hide his time-traveling secret; Harper is trying to uncover it. They’re both romantically interested in each other, but they’re rarely on the same page with their relationship. I think this is realistic for a teenage romance. They care about each other. They’re just not the best at communicating their feelings.
I like both narrators, which is unusual for me. They’re sweet kids who’ve had difficult lives. I didn’t even mind their romance (which is also unusual for me). I was hoping that they’d get past their problems so they could be together. I was thrilled when they finally (FINALLY!) started communicating. Kale has mental health problems, but Harper is understanding and does her best to help him when he struggles.
I think I’m predisposed to love time-travel stories. I love contemporary fiction, and I love historical fiction, so time-travel gives me the best of both worlds. The WWII parts of the book are intense, but I wish they had been better developed. I wanted to know more about how time travel works. I wanted to know more about Kale’s soldier friends. I wanted to know more about everything. There just isn’t enough time travel in the book for me.
There is plenty of angst, though. Most of it is pointless angst that could have been solved with a few conversations. Honestly, it got on my nerves. All this avoiding each other, and being silent, and running away, and characters feeling sorry for themselves. It probably takes a ton of mental energy for the characters to keep this up. Why couldn’t they just talk about their problems? Talking would be so much easier than angsting. (Angsting is totally a word. Not something I made up. I swear.)
Neither of the kids gets along with their families (mostly because they refuse to talk to their families). It was too much family angst for me. I especially got annoyed at Kale’s relationship with his father. Kale’s father doesn’t believe that Kale is a time-traveler. He thinks Kale is a lazy kid who likes to run away. Kale can solve this argument by disappearing in front of his father, but he refuses to do it because he’s stubborn. Just . . . why? This argument causes nonstop drama, and it’s such an easy argument to solve. Why don’t you want to solve your problems, Kale?
Overall, I enjoyed Cold Summer, but I would have liked it more if it had been longer and less angsty. There is a lot of stuff happening in this story. More pages would have given the author the space necessary to flesh out all the characters, events, and world-building. But, if you like time-travel stories, this is a pretty good one. I recommend it.
But, this Kale can time-travel, and I can’t pass up a time-travel story. So, here we are. Reading about Kale.
Harper and Kale were best friends before they lost touch. They reconnect after Harper’s mom moves overseas, and Harper decides to move in with her uncle. Kale isn’t like Harper remembers. He’s quiet, distant, and sometimes disappears for days. Harper eventually discovers that Kale is a time-traveler. When he disappears from the present, he becomes a sniper in WWII. Curious, Harper Googles Kale’s name and learns that he dies during the war. Can Kale figure out how to thwart his own death?
“Sometimes when you go through things, you bottle them up inside and try to act like everything is fine. Because you want to forget they ever happened. But you have to trust me when I say that doesn't work. In order for you to move on, you have to let them out.” – Cold Summer
First, let’s take a moment to appreciate the cover. That’s one of the prettiest book covers I’ve seen in a long time. The inside of the book is beautifully designed, too. (Too bad about the typos. There are quite a few typos.) Still, it’s a stunning book.
The story alternates points-of-view with Kale narrating some chapters and Harper narrating others. This keeps the pace moving quickly and builds suspense. Kale is trying to hide his time-traveling secret; Harper is trying to uncover it. They’re both romantically interested in each other, but they’re rarely on the same page with their relationship. I think this is realistic for a teenage romance. They care about each other. They’re just not the best at communicating their feelings.
I like both narrators, which is unusual for me. They’re sweet kids who’ve had difficult lives. I didn’t even mind their romance (which is also unusual for me). I was hoping that they’d get past their problems so they could be together. I was thrilled when they finally (FINALLY!) started communicating. Kale has mental health problems, but Harper is understanding and does her best to help him when he struggles.
“Some people fight through it, and some people choose not to by ignoring it. It's up to them to get through it, and we can only support and love them.” – Cold Summer
I think I’m predisposed to love time-travel stories. I love contemporary fiction, and I love historical fiction, so time-travel gives me the best of both worlds. The WWII parts of the book are intense, but I wish they had been better developed. I wanted to know more about how time travel works. I wanted to know more about Kale’s soldier friends. I wanted to know more about everything. There just isn’t enough time travel in the book for me.
There is plenty of angst, though. Most of it is pointless angst that could have been solved with a few conversations. Honestly, it got on my nerves. All this avoiding each other, and being silent, and running away, and characters feeling sorry for themselves. It probably takes a ton of mental energy for the characters to keep this up. Why couldn’t they just talk about their problems? Talking would be so much easier than angsting. (Angsting is totally a word. Not something I made up. I swear.)
Neither of the kids gets along with their families (mostly because they refuse to talk to their families). It was too much family angst for me. I especially got annoyed at Kale’s relationship with his father. Kale’s father doesn’t believe that Kale is a time-traveler. He thinks Kale is a lazy kid who likes to run away. Kale can solve this argument by disappearing in front of his father, but he refuses to do it because he’s stubborn. Just . . . why? This argument causes nonstop drama, and it’s such an easy argument to solve. Why don’t you want to solve your problems, Kale?
Overall, I enjoyed Cold Summer, but I would have liked it more if it had been longer and less angsty. There is a lot of stuff happening in this story. More pages would have given the author the space necessary to flesh out all the characters, events, and world-building. But, if you like time-travel stories, this is a pretty good one. I recommend it.