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A review by amber_hastings
Summer's Dream by Cathy Cassidy
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This has been my first entry into the Chocolate Box Girls series. It's the third book, but the blurb struck me the most of them all, so I started here. I'm sure the other books are great, but it will be hard to beat this one. Summer's story is beautiful and heartbreaking. She felt very relatable: not just from the eating disorder, which arose out of her ballet obsession, but the need for control when life feels chaotic, the perfectionism and negative self-talk, the meanness that comes out from jealousy. I couldn't help but feel like Summer's life is going to be very hard after this. She's going to beat herself up for not achieving her dreams. But I do love that the book emphasised mental strength being a necessity for an athletic career.
As this was the first I've read in the series, I can't quite grasp what exactly in Summer's life caused her to seek such perfectionism, but I got the gist. Her dysfunctional family life (no matter how loving her mum and stepdad and grandma are) and trying to establish herself as her own person, and not just a twin, definitely feel like triggers.
I think what I loved the most was when Sunner had a Billy Elliot moment in her audition. The fact she couldn't really say much to the questions was very relatable. It's not just shyness but lack of preparedness and lack of guidance on what you should expect from your life. I really related to Summer when she couldn't say why dancing was her dream.
Something I thought was done beautifully is how Summer's joy begins to fade away as she becomes more and more self-isolated. She goes from laughing and being surrounded by friends and being happy plans to shutting everyone out. Thank goodness for Alfie, as he's the only person who really tries to understand her. (Though his interest in her romantically might be seen as a bit problematic now?)
The only criticism I have is the pace of the eating disorder. Summer becomes anorexic in a matter of weeks, with noticeable weight loss and a need for medical intervention after those few weeks. And she is already on the path to recovery by the ending, with her dance school ambitions dashed in favour of her recovery. Everything that occurred between start and finish felt realistic, but the timing was a bit squished!
What I like about Cathy Cassidy is that her early teen characters don't feel young. They're independent, feisty, interested in romance, and in various states of emotional maturity. They sometimes feel too mature for their age, but at the same time I feel like this demonstrates respect for them as people, not kids.
As this was the first I've read in the series, I can't quite grasp what exactly in Summer's life caused her to seek such perfectionism, but I got the gist. Her dysfunctional family life (no matter how loving her mum and stepdad and grandma are) and trying to establish herself as her own person, and not just a twin, definitely feel like triggers.
I think what I loved the most was when Sunner had a Billy Elliot moment in her audition. The fact she couldn't really say much to the questions was very relatable. It's not just shyness but lack of preparedness and lack of guidance on what you should expect from your life. I really related to Summer when she couldn't say why dancing was her dream.
Something I thought was done beautifully is how Summer's joy begins to fade away as she becomes more and more self-isolated. She goes from laughing and being surrounded by friends and being happy plans to shutting everyone out. Thank goodness for Alfie, as he's the only person who really tries to understand her. (Though his interest in her romantically might be seen as a bit problematic now?)
The only criticism I have is the pace of the eating disorder. Summer becomes anorexic in a matter of weeks, with noticeable weight loss and a need for medical intervention after those few weeks. And she is already on the path to recovery by the ending, with her dance school ambitions dashed in favour of her recovery. Everything that occurred between start and finish felt realistic, but the timing was a bit squished!
What I like about Cathy Cassidy is that her early teen characters don't feel young. They're independent, feisty, interested in romance, and in various states of emotional maturity. They sometimes feel too mature for their age, but at the same time I feel like this demonstrates respect for them as people, not kids.