Scan barcode
izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition
2.0
2/5
Agh man I wanted to enjoy this book but I found the characters aggravating. I loved the plot but I just wasn’t as into it as I thought it would be.
Agh man I wanted to enjoy this book but I found the characters aggravating. I loved the plot but I just wasn’t as into it as I thought it would be.
ladytiara's review against another edition
4.0
I am not the biggest fan of YA contemporaries, but when I read the description of The Summer of Us by Cecelia Vinesse, I jumped at it. What's not to love about a book about five recent high school graduates traipsing across Europe with lots of drama?
Best friends Aubrey and Rae are embarking on a two-week trip to Europe, with their friends Jonah (Aubrey's boyfriend), Clara (Rae's secret crush), and Gabe (who Aubrey kissed three weeks earlier). Aubrey and Rae are both having a pre-college freakouts. Aubrey is going to go to school in New York with Jonah, but she's worrying if she made the right decision. She's also wondering why Gabe has been avoiding her since their unexpected kiss, and she's worried that she and Rae are growing apart.
Rae has decided to move to Australia for college, thinking that she needs to escape from her current life and her seemingly hopeless feelings for Clara. She and Aubrey usually share everything, but Rae hasn't confided in Aubrey about her crush. Aubrey told Rae about the kiss with Gabe, but she's keeping quiet about her uncertainty about her future. These secrets are driving a wedge between the friends and they have to figure out whether their friendship will continue.
I identified with Aubrey, who's anxious and a planner, and has every detail of the trip mapped out (something her friends occasionally mock her for, but without her, they'd probably be missing a lot of trains). The transition from high school can be a hard one, and The Summer of Us really captures the uncertainty of this time. All of the characters are struggling a bit, wondering if they've made the right choices for their future. I really liked that there's just as much emphasis on friendships as there is on romance.
This book is really adorable, and it's the perfect fun fast summer read (maybe for your summer vacation in Europe if you're lucky). It's a solid 3.75 stars for me (rounded up to 4).
I received an ARC for review from Amazon Vine.
Best friends Aubrey and Rae are embarking on a two-week trip to Europe, with their friends Jonah (Aubrey's boyfriend), Clara (Rae's secret crush), and Gabe (who Aubrey kissed three weeks earlier). Aubrey and Rae are both having a pre-college freakouts. Aubrey is going to go to school in New York with Jonah, but she's worrying if she made the right decision. She's also wondering why Gabe has been avoiding her since their unexpected kiss, and she's worried that she and Rae are growing apart.
Rae has decided to move to Australia for college, thinking that she needs to escape from her current life and her seemingly hopeless feelings for Clara. She and Aubrey usually share everything, but Rae hasn't confided in Aubrey about her crush. Aubrey told Rae about the kiss with Gabe, but she's keeping quiet about her uncertainty about her future. These secrets are driving a wedge between the friends and they have to figure out whether their friendship will continue.
I identified with Aubrey, who's anxious and a planner, and has every detail of the trip mapped out (something her friends occasionally mock her for, but without her, they'd probably be missing a lot of trains). The transition from high school can be a hard one, and The Summer of Us really captures the uncertainty of this time. All of the characters are struggling a bit, wondering if they've made the right choices for their future. I really liked that there's just as much emphasis on friendships as there is on romance.
This book is really adorable, and it's the perfect fun fast summer read (maybe for your summer vacation in Europe if you're lucky). It's a solid 3.75 stars for me (rounded up to 4).
I received an ARC for review from Amazon Vine.
ellaunrau's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
zandile_ngwenya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sophieroseobooks's review against another edition
1.0
DNF
Too many characters I don’t care about and confusing it was hardly a travel romance more just romance that could have taken place anywhere. No description of the places. The kids despite having lived in London seemed very american and it confused me. The comment about being able to drink at eighteen nearby everywhere in Europe was weird too. I know there are odd exceptions for buying alcohol but it just seemed strange comment. Everyone regards Europe where everyone can drinks at eighteen (was this written by an American?)
Too many characters I don’t care about and confusing it was hardly a travel romance more just romance that could have taken place anywhere. No description of the places. The kids despite having lived in London seemed very american and it confused me. The comment about being able to drink at eighteen nearby everywhere in Europe was weird too. I know there are odd exceptions for buying alcohol but it just seemed strange comment. Everyone regards Europe where everyone can drinks at eighteen (was this written by an American?)
simoneandherbooks's review against another edition
3.0
You know when you're a kid, there's this transition you need to make from being dependent on your parents to being dependent on yourself. In The Summer of Us, Cecilia Vinesse explores this transitional period through five teens traveling through Europe together.
Ok, when I was a kid I did get a chance to travel with some fellow youngsters through a different part of the world. I was only 15 when it happened and I feel like it dramatically changed the person I was into the person I am today. I feel like that's exactly what happened here for Aubrey, Rae, Clara, Gabe, and Jonah.
This book was cute and if you're looking for something that will ease your mind from the stresses of adult life, then this might be the book for you. It's extremely light with the most conflict being that someone made out with someone else in front of their significant other.
There's a lot of themes around friendship and how dynamic it can be and change throughout our lives. The biggest change can happen in that first year of college. Those friendships you had when you were growing up may not last through college, which is exactly what happened to me.
For the five kids in this book, everyone is going to a different college in a different part of the world. I thought that was strange since they were so close to each other in high school. I'm just surprised that they didn't go to the same school or even go to schools in the same city together. But dreams are dreams and some of those dreams need to be fulfilled elsewhere.
I also loved that this book was written in the third person than in the first. Usually with YA, if the book is in the first person, then you get a lot of slang and youthful talk that comes off immature and unsophisticated. However, choosing to do the third person allows the author to speak in a language they're most comfortable in without going overboard on a younger person's speech.
I think it was a little strange that the young people weren't on their phones as much. Perhaps it's because it's a European group of kids that they're not as attached to their phones, but there were instances where I felt like the natural inclination of a young person would be to look it up on their phone. For example, Rae leaves her camera at the hostel while they go sightseeing. She tried to remember the things she saw so that she can draw it later in her sketchbook. Why didn't she think to just take out her phone to take photos and reference later?
It's a nuanced issue, but something that can separate the author from the book a little especially when they're writing about people much younger than them.
Overall, cute novel! I wouldn't expect this book to get super heavy on you and honestly you will probably read it in a day. However, it'll get you in a good mood and perhaps you'll get bitten with the travel bug.