Scan barcode
A review by thefirstbookkeeper
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
2.0
2.5 stars for the book that made me want to pull my hair out. This is the cliche story of a girl meeting someone on holiday and being attracted to them, they spend the holiday together and bond and fall for each other and when she returns home they guy she was in love for, for the past few years, asks her on a date. Roll love triangle between main character, childhood crush and mysterious girl from OBX.
Thai book was... Boring. To say the least. There wasn't much character development, or any actual relationship between the main character and her friends, and there was just so much damn miscommunication I felt like throwing my phone across the room. Like honestly, not worth it to read at all.
I felt kind of annoyed that there was so little interaction between Larissa and her friends, like you don't really see their dynamic and what makes them best friends because all that they seem like is school friends. They only ever hung out outside of school like 2 times in the whole story.
We didn't really get any understanding of other characters either but I think that's expected when it's a first P.O.V. story.
Her are some thoughts I had when reading the book:
"But then, Chase being an incredible big brother is one of the things that’s always made my heart pitter-patter in the first place. "
Ummm ma'am your basically implying you got a crush on your crush when he acted like a big brother to you... Idk how I feel about that bestie. I now realize she's talking about him being a good brother for his siblings. Got it. But you know what he is cute towards his siblings. Super supportive. I would want him as a big brother. I would Not Crush on him tho. He's basically the blue print of every football playing, popular guy in a YA contemporary... Or Wattpad stories.
" “We’re in English together” is all I offer, and I watch as Jasmine takes in my answer, takes in that I haven’t told my friends about her."
Oh my god these two need to talk properly. Like actually communicate. I mean they already have each other's numbers might as well just start talking.
" She’s trying to pretend we were never friends—don’t ask me why."
Maybe if you guys talked (like actually talked) you could've sorted stuff out
Larissa keeps splattering how horny she is throughout the book and I'm wondering, "is this how teens usually think?" Because that usually doesn't happen. Like Larissa thinks about smutty stuff with Jasmine almost all the time and I'm just thinking 'this didn't add to anything of the plot, maybe add some of these words towards character development in your other characters instead. Also all those side characters, who were people of colour, were there as brownie points. There was barely any mention of them besides their ethnicity and then moving on from it. It felt like the different ethnicities and sexualities were there just because the author wanted brownie points.
" “Slightly,” she says with a laugh, dealing another hand. “I’m a gaming nerd. "
Who just says they're a gaming nerd. No one says that. Ever. This dialogue is trying to be #relatable but really it's just cringy.
"The person I assisted? She was amazing. She did all this photography and web stuff, and I feel like I learned that there are more things to do with your life than, like, doctor or lawyer or accountant or whatever else every kid from here does. I don’t know, it just got me feeling … open. And optimistic. "
Girl do you know the internet? Instagram? Any form of social media where people talk about their lives? It's not like the only careers you hear about are ones from your town. It's not the 1900s/early 2000s you could have easily done research yourself. This is clearly meant for the cliche "manic pixie girl" type thing the author is trying to put on jasmine
There's a point in the story where Lara and jasmine have a food fight of sorts with avocado and all I could think was "Every love story/ cheesy rom com always has like a food fight (usually flour) and I just never see it as fun (or am I just boring?). Rich people I guess
Thai book was... Boring. To say the least. There wasn't much character development, or any actual relationship between the main character and her friends, and there was just so much damn miscommunication I felt like throwing my phone across the room. Like honestly, not worth it to read at all.
I felt kind of annoyed that there was so little interaction between Larissa and her friends, like you don't really see their dynamic and what makes them best friends because all that they seem like is school friends. They only ever hung out outside of school like 2 times in the whole story.
We didn't really get any understanding of other characters either but I think that's expected when it's a first P.O.V. story.
Her are some thoughts I had when reading the book:
"But then, Chase being an incredible big brother is one of the things that’s always made my heart pitter-patter in the first place. "
Ummm ma'am your basically implying you got a crush on your crush when he acted like a big brother to you... Idk how I feel about that bestie. I now realize she's talking about him being a good brother for his siblings. Got it. But you know what he is cute towards his siblings. Super supportive. I would want him as a big brother. I would Not Crush on him tho. He's basically the blue print of every football playing, popular guy in a YA contemporary... Or Wattpad stories.
" “We’re in English together” is all I offer, and I watch as Jasmine takes in my answer, takes in that I haven’t told my friends about her."
Oh my god these two need to talk properly. Like actually communicate. I mean they already have each other's numbers might as well just start talking.
" She’s trying to pretend we were never friends—don’t ask me why."
Maybe if you guys talked (like actually talked) you could've sorted stuff out
Larissa keeps splattering how horny she is throughout the book and I'm wondering, "is this how teens usually think?" Because that usually doesn't happen. Like Larissa thinks about smutty stuff with Jasmine almost all the time and I'm just thinking 'this didn't add to anything of the plot, maybe add some of these words towards character development in your other characters instead. Also all those side characters, who were people of colour, were there as brownie points. There was barely any mention of them besides their ethnicity and then moving on from it. It felt like the different ethnicities and sexualities were there just because the author wanted brownie points.
" “Slightly,” she says with a laugh, dealing another hand. “I’m a gaming nerd. "
Who just says they're a gaming nerd. No one says that. Ever. This dialogue is trying to be #relatable but really it's just cringy.
"The person I assisted? She was amazing. She did all this photography and web stuff, and I feel like I learned that there are more things to do with your life than, like, doctor or lawyer or accountant or whatever else every kid from here does. I don’t know, it just got me feeling … open. And optimistic. "
Girl do you know the internet? Instagram? Any form of social media where people talk about their lives? It's not like the only careers you hear about are ones from your town. It's not the 1900s/early 2000s you could have easily done research yourself. This is clearly meant for the cliche "manic pixie girl" type thing the author is trying to put on jasmine
There's a point in the story where Lara and jasmine have a food fight of sorts with avocado and all I could think was "Every love story/ cheesy rom com always has like a food fight (usually flour) and I just never see it as fun (or am I just boring?). Rich people I guess