Review: We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER
By: Jenny Han
Published By: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: April 26, 2011
Series: Summer (#3)
Pages: 291
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Note: This is the third book in the Summer trilogy, following The Summer I Turned Pretty and It's Not Summer Without You. The following summary may contain spoilers.

Goodreads Summary: It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.



I really enjoyed the first two books in the Summer trilogy, finding them to be much more than just lighthearted, quick summer reads. Because of that, I was excited to read this book and see how everything ended. However, as I was reading it, I found myself somewhat disappointed in the characters and their choices.

Even though Belly always thought she liked Conrad, she's now dating Jeremiah, and she knows they're good together. But then something happens that changes everything. Suddenly Belly is questioning what she thought she knew and making choices that she knows will affect the rest of her life. And yet she still has to make the biggest choice of all - will she stay with Jeremiah, or is she really in love with Conrad?

It's hard to say much about this book without risking spoilers. However, I felt that this book differed greatly from the other two. Gone were the sweet romance and the deeper emotions that tugged on your heartstrings. In this book, I felt as though there was a disconnect with both Belly and Jeremiah, and even though the book was still a quick read, I found myself mostly wanting to finish so that I could know who Belly ended up with. That being said, Conrad redeemed himself in this book after the previous two. I really enjoyed the chapters from his point of view and felt that he finally became less of an enigma. Finally, the last few chapters of this book did seem to recapture the emotional impact of the other two books and left me with a smile.

For most of the trilogy I did enjoy Jenny Han's writing style, and I will look forward to reading more from her in the future. I know that I'm in the minority for not loving the last book of this trilogy, so here are several reviews from people who did:

Reading Lark
Katie's Book Blog
Confessions of a Bookaholic

Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

SECOND CHANCE SUMMER
By: Morgan Matson
Published By: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 480
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: TLA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Taylor’s family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then they get news that changes everything: Her father has pancreatic cancer, and it’s stage four – meaning that there is basically nothing to be done. Her parents decide that the family will spend his last months together at their old summerhouse in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is suddenly around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they’ve ever been before. But all of them very aware that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love.



I haven't read Morgan Matson's first book, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, but after reading Second Chance Summer I know that I need to move that book up on my to-read list. Second Chance Summer is, in a word, beautiful.

For the past several years, Taylor has spent her summers away from home, and she thought this one would be no exception. But when her dad gets the news that he has stage four pancreatic cancer, his one request is that the family spend their last summer together at their lakehouse in the Pocono Mountains. Reluctantly Taylor and her siblings make the trip along with her parents, but Taylor dreads this summer even more than her siblings. While Gelsey will only miss ballet classes and Warren can study anywhere, Taylor has a lot of history at the lake, history that she would rather not relive. However, the past always has a way of catching up with you, especially in a small town. Taylor has to confront her old friends, which also means confronting her own faults. At the same time, she realizes she is only now beginning to know her father, and their time is running out. Soon Taylor learns that if you're lucky enough to have a second chance, you have to make the most of every moment...

Reading books in which the outcome is easily surmised can sometimes be hard, disappointing, or even boring. Second Chance Summer was none of those things. In fact, this book, with its unassuming yet somehow still profound writing, suspended time, and while I was reading it, I forgot about everything else. I loved the setting of Lake Phoenix - it was the perfect atmosphere for this story (and also made me want to go to the mountains). Along with the setting, the characters truly came to life. I felt like I knew them all, from Gelsey's passion for dance to Warren's penchant for reciting facts to Taylor's dad's puns. Taylor herself was quite real and relatable - even though she was not always able to express her emotions, I was always able to feel them. Through flashbacks scattered in the novel we learn what happened between Taylor, her former best friend Lucy, and her first boyfriend Henry. Even though these three were young at the time, the story speaks to the power and depth of childhood friendships and first loves.

So many emotions and relationships were portrayed in this novel. We saw joy and sorrow, tears and laughter, aspects of parent-child and sibling relationships, friends, and even romance. Because of that, this book is the total package. In addition, Taylor's emotional journey gives a great message of courage and strength. I loved who she became by the end of the novel. This story really tugged on my heartstrings and had me tearing up in a few places. The story might have been hard to read sometimes, but it is one of the best books I have read so far this year.

I said this earlier and I will say it again: Second Chance Summer is beautiful and a book that I know will stay with me a long time. I am eager to see what Morgan Matson writes next!

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

WITHER
By: Lauren DeStefano
Published By: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Series: The Chemical Garden (#1)
Pages: 358
Genre: Dystopian
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary: By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape–before her time runs out? (From Author's Website)



For a long time I heard great things about Wither, but for some reason I still didn't pick it up until recently. I don't know what I was waiting for! Wither is an original and compelling dystopian novel that had me intrigued at the very beginning with its premise but kept me reading for the characters.

A genetic experiment gone awry resulted in all women dying at age 20 and men at 25. The first generation, the first attempt to make a perfect race, will live for a long time, but each subsequent generation suffers from early mortality. Because of this, young women are kidnapped or taken from orphanages and sold as brides to wealthy young men, in the hopes that a new generation will produce a cure. When Rhine is kidnapped, she and two other girls all become brides for the rich young Linden. Rhine immediately resents Linden and longs to escape and find her way back to her brother Rowan. Yet with Housemaster Vaughn controlling everything, escape seems improbable. As Rhine continues to search for an opportunity, she grows closer to her sister wives and to the servant Gabriel. And eventually Rhine comes to learn that not everything is as black and white as she thought.

Even though dystopian novels seem to be filling the market, so many of them manage to stand out because of their excellent writing and compelling story or characters. And Wither was no exception. Even though there was not always much action in this book, I loved watching the different relationships develop. Rhine becomes friends with her sister wives, and I think that Jenna's strength was something to be admired. I think this strength helped Rhine as well, and it was touching to see the ways they could help each other. Then there was Gabriel, the servant that Rhine comes to like. I wish they had had more time to be together - they had some sweet moments and there is much more to be told here. Finally, there is Linden. I have to admit that I am intrigued by where his part of the story will go. He seems to be a victim as well and I cannot help but wonder what will happen if he ever learns the truth of everything.

This book was tough to read at times because of the situation Rhine, Jenna, and Cecily found themselves in. I wasn't spared feeling for them at all, nor are we spared the evilness of the man that is Housemaster Vaughn. Wither is emotional to say the least. Because of that, although at times I wanted the plot to move forward a bit or wanted even more from the characters, I stayed completely invested in the story.

Wither may have have the same action-driven story of other dystopians, but don't let that stop you from reading it. With Rhine close to her twentieth birthday and with Housemaster Vaughn being who he is, I can only imagine what is in store for Fever. The Chemical Garden will be a trilogy not to be missed!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER
By: Michelle Hodkin
Published By: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Release Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Series: Mara Dyer (#1)
Pages: 450
Genre: Paranomal / Mystery
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: BEA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.



This has to be one of the most hyped books of the year, as well as one of the most controversial. Needless to say, I couldn't wait to read it. Once I started it, if I could have read this book straight through, I would have. It's that engrossing, and when I was reading, all I cared about was figuring out the question we've all seen: Who is Mara Dyer?

After surviving a horrible accident, Mara wakes up in the hospital with no memories of how she got there. Once her parents tell her that her best friends all died while she survived, she begs to move away. The family moves to Miami, where Mara and her older brother Daniel attend private school. There Mara meets Jamie, the token best friend, and the beautiful and intriguing Noah Shaw. And then strange things start happening. Mara is eager for her memory to return, hoping that she will start to understand everything, but each piece of the puzzle only leaves her more confused. Not only does she have to fight to stay relatively sane, but also she has to fight her growing attraction for Noah, about whom she has been warned. But Noah seems different to her, and he could just be her key to unlocking the mystery surrounding her.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a perfect blend of mystery and romance, with a dash of the paranormal. But even without the "great mystery," as it were, I think this book would still be incredibly good. Michelle Hodkin definitely has a way with words. The quality of writing and the depth of the story made me forget about everything else. The characters were so intriguing that I didn't mind reading about their day-to-day activities. They each had their own baggage and their own stories to tell, which in some books can be overkill, but here it only made me care about them all more. And Noah Shaw...he is swoon-worthy. It's almost impossible not to fall in love with him. Learning about him was just as exciting as learning about Mara. These are two characters that actually complement each other very well.

If you've read other reviews of this book, then what I'm about to say will come as no surprise. About three quarters of the way through the book, things start changing. I'll say it: Things get downright weird. There were times I was confused. My questions weren't answered by the end of the book. BUT. This book is a mystery. It's told in first person, so we only know what Mara knows. Mara doesn't understand everything, so how could we? I definitely wanted more explanations, but I believe that they will come in the next book. In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy speculating what else Michelle has in store for us in this highly inventive, obviously very complex story.

This is a book that deserves its hype and then some. The overall mystery is so intricately weaved, and with the addition of unforgettable characters, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a fabulous debut novel. I am already eagerly awaiting the sequel!