dawnshaee's reviews
179 reviews

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

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hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

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lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

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funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

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dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Holler, Child: Stories by LaToya Watkins

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Paper Names by Susie Luo

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challenging hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

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funny lighthearted 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

3.5

Sing Her Down by Ivy Pochoda

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

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dark funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris

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challenging reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

more often than not, bad or reckless decisions are attributed to the heat of summer. frivolous actions and risky behavior… but they’re all choices at the end of the day. in the humidity, in the shivers gifted by a cold front — it’s all done in the name of choice. and I have chosen to read books lately that portray other’s choices that I know would be different from my own to challenge me to think beyond WWDD? (what would Dawnshaeé do)

every book you read probably won’t leave you contemplating on its themes and message for days or weeks after, but One Summer in Savannah is one that will. it would make for a favorable book club pick (and I’m kind of upset I didn’t read it with my fellow eclectics.)

I rambled about it quite a bit already on my stories, but I wanted to share my thoughts here as well. one of the most obvious aspects of the story I fought to make amends with is Sara and Jacob’s “love story” — searching for their connection beyond the trauma bond, leaving space for love to fill in the gaps. I would’ve preferred to see their intimacy displayed outside of the bedroom/sexual tension, especially considering Sara being a survivor of r*pe (and Jacob being her rapist’s identical twin) and having slight discomfort with the only other two sexual partners she had prior. but I think the way they showed up for one another in the most mundane ways were a way of recognizing the intimacy in the most every day, borderline trivial gestures (caring for one another while sick, Jacob showing up for her family, etc.) 

with themes like grief, forgiveness, guilt, and self-preservation, brought on by life-changing events, the discussion for this summer read is endless. seriously I’ve already talked about it with over 10 people (who haven’t read it lmao).

what I wanted more of/struggled with: the belief that these main characters where in their 20s, felt distant and not modern. not in a make or break way, but considering that “time” was so heavily mentioned in the story I wanted to feel more connected to Sara and Jacob, as a 20-something year old. I would’ve liked more of a balance between the poetry and astrophysics, the love of poetry overshadowed Jacob’s passion for science. Jacob’s mother — in short, he needed to stand up for Sara wayyyy more.