By Ann Brashares
Release Date: April 25, 2017
Source: Publisher
Sasha’s dad was once married to Ray’s mom, and together they had three daughters: Emma, the perfectionist; Mattie, the beauty; and Quinn, the favorite. But the marriage crumbled and the bitterness lingered. Now there are two new families—and neither one will give up the beach house that holds the memories, happy and sad, of summers past.
The choices we make come back to haunt us; the effect on our destinies ripples out of our control…or does it? This summer, the lives of Sasha, Ray, and their siblings intersect in ways none of them ever dreamed, in a novel about family relationships, keeping secrets, and most of all, love.
When I saw Ann Brashares was coming out with a new YA book, I was so excited. I grew up on the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books and I was ready for another book that explored family and friendship. In the end, though, I was not a fan of the writing style or characters in this book.
Sasha and Ray have shared everything pretty much their whole lives. They've shared books, sweatshirts, toys, and even a room. Too bad they've never met. Part of a torn family, Sasha's dad and Ray's mom were once married but split apart, leaving three daughters between them, three sisters that Sasha and Ray share. They've managed to stay apart, but this summer is going to be different than the rest. This summer, lives will change and even the smallest decisions will have the biggest impacts.
Oh man. I barely give books a one star but I could not stand this book. First thing that just did not mesh with me was how this book was written. There are so many characters and such a strange family tree and this story is told in third person omniscient. The story switched between characters so often and I had such a hard time connecting with someone since we barely had time with them before we were yanked away to someone else. Out of all of them, I didn't even have a favorite character. I didn't care about anyone and didn't really buy into their loving relationships with one another.
Since I didn't enjoy any of the characters, this book was so hard to get into. There was so much time spent on inner monologues and I felt like not a lot of actual character interaction and dialogue happened. And some parts I had to reread because I wasn't sure if what happened had actually happened [like what happened at the end between Sasha and Ray? Did what I think happened happen? Because that's just weird and makes no sense at all]. Once I hit about the halfway mark I found myself skimming through a lot of parts because I just didn't care. I was so disappointed that I just couldn't connect with the writing, the characters, or the story in general.
There were so many moments that held potential with these characters and the issues they were facing. Sadly, because there were so many characters, these issues could not be fleshed out and it felt very surface level. And that ending just didn't mesh with me at all. In the end, this book just wasn't for me.
Sasha and Ray have shared everything pretty much their whole lives. They've shared books, sweatshirts, toys, and even a room. Too bad they've never met. Part of a torn family, Sasha's dad and Ray's mom were once married but split apart, leaving three daughters between them, three sisters that Sasha and Ray share. They've managed to stay apart, but this summer is going to be different than the rest. This summer, lives will change and even the smallest decisions will have the biggest impacts.
Oh man. I barely give books a one star but I could not stand this book. First thing that just did not mesh with me was how this book was written. There are so many characters and such a strange family tree and this story is told in third person omniscient. The story switched between characters so often and I had such a hard time connecting with someone since we barely had time with them before we were yanked away to someone else. Out of all of them, I didn't even have a favorite character. I didn't care about anyone and didn't really buy into their loving relationships with one another.
Since I didn't enjoy any of the characters, this book was so hard to get into. There was so much time spent on inner monologues and I felt like not a lot of actual character interaction and dialogue happened. And some parts I had to reread because I wasn't sure if what happened had actually happened [like what happened at the end between Sasha and Ray? Did what I think happened happen? Because that's just weird and makes no sense at all]. Once I hit about the halfway mark I found myself skimming through a lot of parts because I just didn't care. I was so disappointed that I just couldn't connect with the writing, the characters, or the story in general.
There were so many moments that held potential with these characters and the issues they were facing. Sadly, because there were so many characters, these issues could not be fleshed out and it felt very surface level. And that ending just didn't mesh with me at all. In the end, this book just wasn't for me.
About the Author
Ann Brashares is the #1 New York
Times bestselling author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, The
Here and Now,
3 Willows, The Last
Summer (of You & Me), and My Name Is Memory. She lives in New York City with
her family. Visit Ann’s website at AnnBrashares.com and follow on Twitter
@AnnBrashares.
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What a bummer! I loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and even some of Ann's other books but did not enjoy her last book. I was hoping that this one would a return to her roots and it doesn't sound like it was. Not liking the characters is tough. I am more of a plot driven reader but if I am not invested in the characters it makes everything else not as enjoyable. Great review!
ReplyDeleteCassi @ My Thoughts Literally