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

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

this is a super entertaining summer read with well written if a little cliché family dynamics, a wholesome romance and a comforting setting. you've most likely read this if you happen to read this review but if you haven't, make sure the check to trigger warnings because grief and loss are big themes in this one.

romance aside, i would say the main thing i enjoyed about the summer of broken rules is the assassin game which most of the book's plot surrounds. it kept me constantly excited to pick up along with the romance, but when the assassin game concludes and the romance starts to lose its novelty, i started reading it much less frequently and was less motivated to pick it up.

by the time the book wrapped up, i didn't really feel satisfied with how everything was laid out at the end even though i also didn't really want more either.

overall, it was still a fantastic book that i would definitely recommend, but i would also say it only lived up to about 80% of its potential which is great but disappointing considering how a few tweaks and changes could've greatly improved the novel.

also screw her dad and uncle brad aka the middle aged brothers who never stopped acting like little boys. they could've been in squid game, they were so unserious and had a concerning lack of skill in reading the room and desperately needed to work on their basic empathy skills in general to be completely honest. i know they're literally side characters in a romance novel for teenagers but don't even get me started on those two.
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