Scan barcode
kindleandilluminate's review against another edition
4.0
The Drowning Summer combines an engaging, propulsive story with a concept I, at least, haven't encountered before - the effect of climate change on a paranormal world. I found the blending of the supernatural with the wholly natural a fascinating, cleverly executed conceit, and fortunately it's served well by the compelling story of two girls investigating a six-year-old mystery, handling ghosts and demons, dealing with family trauma, and falling in love along the way. The writing is sometimes a bit clumsy (Evelyn's oceanographical analogies might be accurate, but they're still pretty laughable), but it's a thoroughly enjoyable story nevertheless. Recommended for fans of Erica Waters, Shea Ernshaw, and Taylor Swift's song "Betty."
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
ishouldreadthat's review
3.0
Check out more book reviews and content here!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I'm a big fan of Christine Lynn Herman's Devouring Gray doulogy and was really excited to pick up The Drowning Summer. This was a fine read, but I didn't end up loving it as much as I would have hoped.
I'm always here for witches, especially in contemporary fantasy, and throw in a murder mystery and ghosts? Yes please. I really loved the way that Herman created the medium magic that is so pervasive throughout this book - give me a magic system with rules and structure, and I will eat it up! The mystery of the murdered teens and the paranormal aspects of the book were well done as well.
However, I had some really mixed feelings about the writing. It felt incredibly clunky at times -Mina is always going on about ocean metaphors and Evelyn is comparing everything to the environment in her mind. I understand wanting your characters to feel three dimensional, but literally no one talks like this. This, in part, led to the characters feeling incredibly flat. They didn't really have any life to them, unlike the characters in The Devouring Gray, and they didn't seem very bright. I just wanted to grab them both by the shoulders and shake them at times, however in their defense, I am more than twice their age. They aren't really meant to relate to me!
The Drowning Summer had a lot of promise, but the most important aspects of the book (i.e. the writing) fell flat for me. I will, however, keep an eye on her future books.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
CW: biphobia
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I'm a big fan of Christine Lynn Herman's Devouring Gray doulogy and was really excited to pick up The Drowning Summer. This was a fine read, but I didn't end up loving it as much as I would have hoped.
I'm always here for witches, especially in contemporary fantasy, and throw in a murder mystery and ghosts? Yes please. I really loved the way that Herman created the medium magic that is so pervasive throughout this book - give me a magic system with rules and structure, and I will eat it up! The mystery of the murdered teens and the paranormal aspects of the book were well done as well.
However, I had some really mixed feelings about the writing. It felt incredibly clunky at times -Mina is always going on about ocean metaphors and Evelyn is comparing everything to the environment in her mind. I understand wanting your characters to feel three dimensional, but literally no one talks like this. This, in part, led to the characters feeling incredibly flat. They didn't really have any life to them, unlike the characters in The Devouring Gray, and they didn't seem very bright. I just wanted to grab them both by the shoulders and shake them at times, however in their defense, I am more than twice their age. They aren't really meant to relate to me!
The Drowning Summer had a lot of promise, but the most important aspects of the book (i.e. the writing) fell flat for me. I will, however, keep an eye on her future books.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
CW: biphobia
bookswithbibi's review against another edition
2.0
Started off slow but engaging, and while I enjoyed bits and pieces of it, it ultimately fell flat for me.
leolikesbooks's review against another edition
TW: biphobia
This was okay, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
Based on the blurb I expected a darker story, and this wasn't nearly as dark as I'd hoped it would be.
For a book about witches, there's also not a lot of witching. I feel like there should've been so much more focus on magical rituals etc.
The characters and their romance were lackluster. I didn't really get any chemistry between the mcs.
Something that stood out to me was the way characters were introduced. The author would usually write something like "Character A entered the room. She was Mexican American." or "Character B's boyfriend is a Japanese American guy". It’s great that there was diversity, but I felt like it was written a little clumsily.
Now another thing that threw me off was the comparison to The Great Gatsby. I did not get any Gatsby vibes. At all. The one similarity I could find was a character being named "Nick", and I was really grasping at straws there.
Now to what I liked: the pet snake.
So overall I'd say this was an okay read, but my expectations going into the book were rather high and it couldn't live up to them.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
This was okay, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
Based on the blurb I expected a darker story, and this wasn't nearly as dark as I'd hoped it would be.
For a book about witches, there's also not a lot of witching. I feel like there should've been so much more focus on magical rituals etc.
The characters and their romance were lackluster. I didn't really get any chemistry between the mcs.
Something that stood out to me was the way characters were introduced. The author would usually write something like "Character A entered the room. She was Mexican American." or "Character B's boyfriend is a Japanese American guy". It’s great that there was diversity, but I felt like it was written a little clumsily.
Now another thing that threw me off was the comparison to The Great Gatsby. I did not get any Gatsby vibes. At all. The one similarity I could find was a character being named "Nick", and I was really grasping at straws there.
Now to what I liked: the pet snake.
So overall I'd say this was an okay read, but my expectations going into the book were rather high and it couldn't live up to them.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
p_ivy's review against another edition
2.5
“I’m starting to wonder if making impossible choices is part of being a medium”
I needed more from this book! It was slightly interesting but not enough that it could keep my focus for long periods of time. I was able to read the entire thing without giving up so I guess that counts for something but I honestly couldn't wait to finish it.
I needed more from this book! It was slightly interesting but not enough that it could keep my focus for long periods of time. I was able to read the entire thing without giving up so I guess that counts for something but I honestly couldn't wait to finish it.
koipond's review against another edition
4.0
ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this early in exchange for an honest review!
So, it took me a while to get around to this book as I was in the middle of moving, but once I started it I got sucked in and finished it in two sittings!
This was an extremely engaging blend of murder mystery, paranormal investigation, and coming of age story. Two girls who haven't talked since they did something unspeakable as kids get wrapped up in the investigation of a lifetime in their seaside community in an attempt to set things right and solve the mystery of the three teenage murders that took place six years ago.
I won't lie, I did struggle a bit connecting with the two main characters regarding their romance, and so many of their issues and the way they went about things were so Teenagey, but I'm in my twenties and they're 16 and I know in my heart that's not a fault of the book, but just part of growing up LOL. Sure, I cringed when they talked about bi pride eyeshadow and the over-attention to how each other looked and dressed all the time, but it's very teenager. Very teenage sapphic.
The plot itself was very fun. Never quite spine-chilling enough to be YA horror, but a solid mystery that blends true crime and the paranormal. I enjoyed watching them struggle with their powers and I genuinely loved trying to figure out the mystery with them— and was pleasantly surprised by some of the twists that added some depth to it!
I think if you're an adult reading this, it's important to remember this is YA and try and put yourself back in teenage you's shoes for some parts of this, but ultimately I enjoyed myself.
And I know that this book would've been EVERYTHING to me as a sapphic teen, and I hope sapphic teens now find some solace reading a genuinely engaging mystery and paranormal story about two sapphic teenagers.
Well worth a try :) And what a GORGEOUS cover!
So, it took me a while to get around to this book as I was in the middle of moving, but once I started it I got sucked in and finished it in two sittings!
This was an extremely engaging blend of murder mystery, paranormal investigation, and coming of age story. Two girls who haven't talked since they did something unspeakable as kids get wrapped up in the investigation of a lifetime in their seaside community in an attempt to set things right and solve the mystery of the three teenage murders that took place six years ago.
I won't lie, I did struggle a bit connecting with the two main characters regarding their romance, and so many of their issues and the way they went about things were so Teenagey, but I'm in my twenties and they're 16 and I know in my heart that's not a fault of the book, but just part of growing up LOL. Sure, I cringed when they talked about bi pride eyeshadow and the over-attention to how each other looked and dressed all the time, but it's very teenager. Very teenage sapphic.
The plot itself was very fun. Never quite spine-chilling enough to be YA horror, but a solid mystery that blends true crime and the paranormal. I enjoyed watching them struggle with their powers and I genuinely loved trying to figure out the mystery with them— and was pleasantly surprised by some of the twists that added some depth to it!
I think if you're an adult reading this, it's important to remember this is YA and try and put yourself back in teenage you's shoes for some parts of this, but ultimately I enjoyed myself.
And I know that this book would've been EVERYTHING to me as a sapphic teen, and I hope sapphic teens now find some solace reading a genuinely engaging mystery and paranormal story about two sapphic teenagers.
Well worth a try :) And what a GORGEOUS cover!
keeksisreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
emmaf1989's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
leolikesbooks's review against another edition
TW: biphobia
This was okay, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
Based on the blurb I expected a darker story, and this wasn't nearly as dark as I'd hoped it would be.
For a book about witches, there's also not a lot of witching. I feel like there should've been so much more focus on magical rituals etc.
The characters and their romance were lackluster. I didn't really get any chemistry between the mcs.
Something that stood out to me was the way characters were introduced. The author would usually write something like "Character A entered the room. She was Mexican American." or "Character B's boyfriend is a Japanese American guy". It’s great that there was diversity, but I felt like it was written a little clumsily.
Now another thing that threw me off was the comparison to The Great Gatsby. I did not get any Gatsby vibes. At all. The one similarity I could find was a character being named "Nick", and I was really grasping at straws there.
Now to what I liked: the pet snake.
So overall I'd say this was an okay read, but my expectations going into the book were rather high and it couldn't live up to them.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]
This was okay, but it wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be.
Based on the blurb I expected a darker story, and this wasn't nearly as dark as I'd hoped it would be.
For a book about witches, there's also not a lot of witching. I feel like there should've been so much more focus on magical rituals etc.
The characters and their romance were lackluster. I didn't really get any chemistry between the mcs.
Something that stood out to me was the way characters were introduced. The author would usually write something like "Character A entered the room. She was Mexican American." or "Character B's boyfriend is a Japanese American guy". It’s great that there was diversity, but I felt like it was written a little clumsily.
Now another thing that threw me off was the comparison to The Great Gatsby. I did not get any Gatsby vibes. At all. The one similarity I could find was a character being named "Nick", and I was really grasping at straws there.
Now to what I liked: the pet snake.
So overall I'd say this was an okay read, but my expectations going into the book were rather high and it couldn't live up to them.
[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]