A review by cakt1991
The Summer of Broken Rules by K.L. Walther

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I read K.L. Walther’s most recent book last year, and mostly liked it, and while I didn’t initially plan on reading more from her, I saw that one of her prior books, The Summer of Broken Rules was also being marketed as Taylor Swift-inspired. And while there’s a growing number of books that include Swiftie references, sometimes to a ridiculous degree even for me, I like that Walther wears her inspiration on her sleeve in a subtle way, so that those who may not be up on Swiftie lore can still enjoy it for what it is (provided the marketing doesn’t turn them off first!), and it’s a very appropriate easter egg hunt for fans who are interested in this sort of thing. And ultimately, just like any body of work from TS, even beneath the references, Walther delivers a fun, yet moving story about teen girlhood, from grappling with loss to falling in love. 

Meredith is an incredibly sympathetic heroine, and I love how her relationship with her recently deceased sister is described, and how she’s still grappling with that loss while trying to reconnect with the world.

As for the fun stuff, I love that the Fox family has a tradition of playing Assassin. While it’s not something I’ve personally experienced in real life, it’s definitely a unique tradition, especially for a wedding, and I love the spirit of friendly competition among the family as they’re still grieving, even in anticipation of the wedding of another of their relatives. It also being a way for Meredith to honor Claire further extends the theme of grief and closure. 

And the romance is quite cute. Wit is absolutely adorable, and I love how unconditionally he supports Meredith. She’s still very vulnerable, but he’s very attuned to what she needs. 

My one (minor) issue is that the pacing here is a little uneven. I had a similar issue with Walther’s other book, which also took place over a shorter period of time. The timeline issues aren’t as odd here, as there’s a purely linear timeline, but this is one of those books where the sense of time passing felt a little different to the timeline as established, as it was rather slow-paced, despite only taking place for about a week. The one benefit is that it meant the romance felt well-fleshed out, in spite of them not having known each other all that long in “real life” time. 

 This was a fun, yet heartfelt read, and I would recommend it if you’re interested in YA contemporaries.