Bringing the Summer

Aug 10, 2012 Steve lovell rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book pushes all the correct buttons for the YA reader. Said reader would presumably be only of the female persuasion as no cool young man would go for such a cover as this title bears, mores the pity. This old male, though, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Green’s writing here is very accessible in terms of its language and flow, providing little to tax the pre-18s target audience. The ‘nasty business’ that commences the story is kept at arm’s length, as are the self-destructive reasons for the young...more This book pushes all the correct buttons for the YA reader. Said reader would presumably be only of the female persuasion as no cool young man would go for such a cover as this title bears, mores the pity. This old male, though, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Green’s writing here is very accessible in terms of its language and flow, providing little to tax the pre-18s target audience. The ‘nasty business’ that commences the story is kept at arm’s length, as are the self-destructive reasons for the young person involved making the choice she did – and the story spirals onwards from that incident with it having a dramatic effect on the two main protagonists, Freya and Theo. The former, already having her life weighed down by a family death, becomes deeply curious about the reason for the sad incident on the railway line – an similar occurrences are getting some traction in our news bulletins these days. This eventually draws here into the world of Theo, a ‘much’ older lad. He has a more intimate connection with the victim.
Green’s novel handles, in a gentle manner, the issue of often troubled, or socially inept, twenty something males preying on vulnerable young fifteen/sixteen year old school girls, so naive as to be flattered by the attention of an ‘older man’. This leads many blossoming young ladies, with the world at their feet, to much narrower horizons. Five or so year’s difference in the adult world is nothing, but at this stage such relationships can be horribly destructive – many examples being witnessed over my long teaching career. Freya, though, seems a tad savvier than the average example of the above, but she is none the less drawn into Theo’s web. Will she pull back from total entanglement in time? ‘Bringing in the Summer’, as well, touches on the social problem that mental disease in young people is becoming, and the difficulties faced by having family members so afflicted. Green’s softly, softly approach is commendable as many try to attack the problem with sledgehammers, and in the end hers may be the way to go as the tougher manner can reek of preaching – and our teensters cannot abide that!
I really enjoyed Green’s projections of the ways the two families involved in her novel dealt with the respective ‘baggage’ they both carried, and I would certainly be interested in reading more of her oeuvre.
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May 14, 2012 Pamela Todd rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, romance, ya-mg

Freya loves spending summers with her grandparents, but as the hot days draw to a close, Freya must return home. But her journey is not uneventful. A fatal accident changes everything for Freya and a part of her wants desperately to know what caused the events of that dreadful day.

What she discovers is Gabe, a boy who also goes to her college. He draws her in and welcomes her into his large and warm family. Their home is the embodiment of everything Freya has craved since her own brother died....more

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May 02, 2012 Carly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

Bringing the Summer is the first Julia Green book I have read and if it is anything to go by I have been seriously missing out. The storyline is kept fairly light while still tackling darker issues brilliantly. Julia Green writes beautifully and I was fully engaged in the story from the first chapter. I really didn't expect to love Bring the Summer quite as much as I did, so I am extremely happy with how everything turned out.

Frey's brother died in a boating accident about two years ago, so that...more

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Mar 07, 2013 Rebecca- Books rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted here: http://rebecca-books.blogspot.co.uk/2...

After the craziness of Divergent and Insurgent, I decided to go with something more contemporary next, something I thought would make a nice relaxing and easy read.
I saw this book a couple of times at the library but was never sure about it, it looks too frivolous and the whole love triangle, something my friend would define as typical teen literature. But for some reason, when I was at the library the other day, I picked this up be...more Originally posted here: http://rebecca-books.blogspot.co.uk/2...

After the craziness of Divergent and Insurgent, I decided to go with something more contemporary next, something I thought would make a nice relaxing and easy read.
I saw this book a couple of times at the library but was never sure about it, it looks too frivolous and the whole love triangle, something my friend would define as typical teen literature. But for some reason, when I was at the library the other day, I picked this up because I was interested in what the outcome would be reading the blurb. To say the least, this was completely different from what I was expecting.

Synopsis: On returning from a summer at the beautiful island of St Allia where her brother died two years previously, the train Freya is on hits a young girl killing her instantly.
Soon, she is brought into contact with a handsome and friendly Gabe who comes with a family that Freya could only dream of having herself. She visits their rural house often and embarks on a friendship with Gabe. His older brother, Theo, starts showing an interest in Freya after their initial meeting. But he is different to Gabe - dark, moody and unpredictable - forcing Freya to make difficult choices about what she really wants.

Review: A few days before I started this book, I was watching an old episode of Heartbeat (it was this soap from the 1990's set in 1960's Yorkshire about this police station in Yorkshire). In the episode, this girl had been kidnapped. Until the last few minutes, I had no idea who the kidnapper was but it turned out to be his young guy who worked at the baker that one of the policemen had talked to earlier in the episode. The guy has been a little obsessed with this girl since they were 12 years-old and she sent him a Valentines Card, he thought she was in love with him like he was with her, and she was just waiting for the right moment to tell him. He took her to this derelict house and said it would be their house to live in forever and no-one would break them apart etc until the police found them. He was pretty obsessed with her.

I started this novel with the assumption from the blurb and cover that this would be the typical, easy beach read to calm me after Insurgent and before I started The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. The novel starts with Freya on the island taking one last swim before leaving her grandfather and his wife to go home before college starts. I was thinking 'Oh love triangle set at an English college, I can deal with this'. And for the most part, the novel is true to that as we're introduced to the host of characters and Gabe' family, wondering whether Gabe does like Freya in that way...all until Theo comes into the story. Theo was an unusual character, he is troubled to say the least having been close to the girl that killed herself, he is quiet and emotionless at times while also extremely passionate about things be it literature, a place or in this case, a person - and it's here my Heartbeat anecdote comes into play. Theo reminded me of the disillusioned, obsessed guy who desperately wanted this companionship despite what the female thought or the consequences and for that, I ended up disliking Theo because of how scary he becomes.
Despite my dislike for Theo, the rest of the cast of characters were well-written and engaging especially Gabe (although I still cringe at the name).

The only other book I've read by Julia Green was Drawing With Light which I thought was okay but the writing was a little rushed and predictable. In BRINGING THE SUMMER, the writing was so vivid and imaginative that I could imagine in my head Freya hiding in a bush when they play a game, the amazing Christmas dinner scene that portrays a heart-warming and traditional Christmas lunch that I wanted to join in with. I especially loved the scenes at the Fielding house with the descriptions of the nature around Freya, the homely, old feeling of the cottage and the way Green shows the house bursting with life and actions that comes across on the page. There are a whole host of characters but thankfully, it never got confusing.
The only thing I would say about the writing was that the relationships for me didn't feel realist, they were formed too fast for my liking especially with Theo. However, considering this is a short book, the relationships did become likable by the end but initially, they didn't seem genuine or real for me as a reader.

This is a good read and I did enjoy this book by the end. It took a while for the narrative to really get going and there were many times where I was like 'No don't do that Freya!' but I was left a little stunned by the ending. The book is powerful especially in highlighting the issue that isn't seen much in literature of obsession be it romantically or not. I had to read a book, Enduring Love by Ian McEwan, last year for English about two guys that are involved in a ballooning accident and one of them becomes obsessed with the other, starts stalking him and threatening the guy's girlfriend (for the record, this would be the last book I would recommend to anyone, it's that bad) but the way obsession is shown is terribly scary but thrilling in a way. That is like BRINGING THE SUMMER where I was both annoyed and scared by Theo and the extent of which he could ruin Freya's formed life after the death of her brother. As I said earlier, this book deceives you to think it will be a light read, one of those pink and fluffy time books, but actually there is a dark and threatening undertone running throughout that dissolves way too quickly than I would have liked at the end.

This is a part sequel to Julia Green's Breathing Underwater but having not read that, I perfectly understood what was happening as I'm guessing what happened in that book is summarised throughout this one. So don't let that put you off this book. Although I sound negative, I did enjoy this book despite my surprise at finding this dark tone to the novel. It's a lovely book for amazing characters and a twisted plot line topped off with a wonderful protagonist.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5
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$Faye {Daydreaming_Star}$

May 09, 2012 Faye {Daydreaming_Star} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rhcb-brunch

This review was first published on my blog, here

In all honesty, not only have I never read a Julia Green book before, I had also never heard of Julia Green before and now that I have read Bringing the Summer, I am incredibly disheartened by this fact and I am extremely glad that she is now on my radar. This was a novel that really grabbed at me around the heart and pulled me into the story. I loved the words on the page, I loved the characters that came alive around me and I just loved the story...more This review was first published on my blog, here

In all honesty, not only have I never read a Julia Green book before, I had also never heard of Julia Green before and now that I have read Bringing the Summer, I am incredibly disheartened by this fact and I am extremely glad that she is now on my radar. This was a novel that really grabbed at me around the heart and pulled me into the story. I loved the words on the page, I loved the characters that came alive around me and I just loved the story that entered my mind and opened up into something new and inspiring. It was such a great read and I cannot wait to pick up another Julia Green book to find out that all of her books are full of such magic and talent.

To begin with, I found this novel a little hard to really get into. It was powerful and interesting to read and I liked the character but I wasn’t completely pulled into the storyline. I’m not entirely sure why, I can’t really pinpoint it down to one thing but I persevered and was glad that by the third chapter I was almost completely hooked. I wanted to know what was happening, where the story was leading and what, eventually, it all would mean. I think, one thing to make note of is that while this story is a great story and a good read, it is also a story that doesn’t really seem to have a point until the end. This was unlike other books I’ve read recently where the characters are driven by action, this was simply the story of a girl who was affected by an event in her life and how that event led her to a new family. It’s not fast-paced, it’s realistically slow, and just is. And I think this is what really brings the message home, a message that I truly loved; don’t take for granted what you have right in front of you.

Freya was an amazing character. I really felt in line with her, could connect and sympathise with her. She’s a teenager, boys are on but not fully on her radar, and she’s still in that ‘growing up’ stage of her life. So when she starts lying to her best friend and parents, she can’t really understand what’s really going on and I truly loved this. She didn’t want to be told that what she was doing wasn’t right and so she lied about it and it just felt so realistic and truthful. We go through so many things as teenagers, we grabble about and aren’t really sure how to fit in and this is really seen through Freya and I found it really inspiring.

Theo was another character that I truly loved. He was troubled. He had hidden problems from his past and he just wanted to fit in. He was the dark boy in the story and I have to admit that I was smitten. He was the perfect bad boy because he wasn’t particularly bad at all. He tried to be good, but he was just an obsessed boy who wanted to see more of Freya. I did really like him and I really like the effect he had on Freya too. I liked that she cared about him and wanted to help him and that this was something he realised when none of his family really cared for him. I like that they weren’t just a happy couple but that they were full of baggage as it just made the story feel that much more real.

On the other hand, I didn’t really like Gabe. I did to begin with. I thought he was interesting and I was inspired by how much he liked Freya but then something just changed in him, and I found myself not liking him. It didn’t bother me in the slightest how Freya was around him because I personally didn’t feel that great about him as a character. Even at the end, I still felt that I had lost all connections and ties with him. A little voice in my head telling me that if I met this guy in real life, I would never trust him. Which was a little sad as he was so kind and genuine and caring and really you should just want to hug him and feel sorry for him. I adored Gabe’s family though. They were all so friendly and lovely and I could see how overwhelmed and yet interested Freya was in all of them. Admittedly I did get a little confused about who was who a few times but once I really remembered them all, it got a lot easier!

The writing style of this novel was brilliant. It was easy to read, emotional and really pulled you in. I loved how it flowed and I just loved hearing everything from Freya’s perspective as well. She was a flawed character and it really came across in her POV narrative that really just drew me into the story. Like I said before, this wasn’t exactly an action-driven novel but this is truly what gives this book its charm. By being so realistic, it sets the story out like a girl just trying to write down the events that have happened to her recently that have changed her, and changed her they did. I liked that style of the novel and is something that I look forward to reading again.

Bringing the Summer is a quick, brilliant, inspired read that will really hook you in and take you on an interesting journey. It will make you think and appreciate what you have in life, it’ll make you acknowledge the things you forget you have and make you want to hug every person in sight (or perhaps that’s just me?). It was a great read that really made me feel happy and I just absolutely loved it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice YA novel that isn’t complicated, but is light and serious all at the same time. It hits the shelves in the UK tomorrow, so go and pre-order or grab your copy tomorrow! You won’t regret it!

** I received this novel from Bloomsbury in return for an honest review **(less)

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May 15, 2012 Vivienne Serendipity Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-review

I didn't realise this book was part of a series until I read the interview with the author at the end, so this book can be read easily as a standalone.
The book follows the autumn and winter of Freya's life and is told from her perspective. Over the past couple of years she has seen a lot of changes occur since the death of her brother, and it is quite obvious that she is looking for something to fill the void. Her home life has become non existent and she develops a friendship with Gabe, it is...more I didn't realise this book was part of a series until I read the interview with the author at the end, so this book can be read easily as a standalone.
The book follows the autumn and winter of Freya's life and is told from her perspective. Over the past couple of years she has seen a lot of changes occur since the death of her brother, and it is quite obvious that she is looking for something to fill the void. Her home life has become non existent and she develops a friendship with Gabe, it is clear that his home life appeals to her more than he does. It also doesn't take her long to fall for the dark charms of Theo, one lost soul reaching out to another. Both have lost and grieved but Freya doesn't realise at first how much it is affecting Theo. It takes her a while to lift off her rose tinted glasses to see that Theo desperately needs more than she can give him.
The lingering presence of Birdy, hangs around the book like a veil of unhappiness. Theo and Freya are affected quite dramatically by her death, but in different ways. It is obvious that her memory needs to be put to rest and Freya goes to great lengths to do this for Theo. By the end of the book, you see her shutting another chapter of her life as she moves onto another one.
I loved Gabe's family! They seemed to colour the pages of the book as soon as they entered the story. I could see why Freya was so attracted to their home and wanted to be part of her life. The author did a fantastic job in contrasting the two different lifestyles occurring. The cold, emptiness in Freya's home in comparison to the warmth and vibrant life in Gabe's home. The description of Christmas Day was just beautiful and definitely how I would love to celebrate it.
I did struggle to identify with and warm to Freya. I am not sure why, but I didn't find her voice very strong in the novel. The people around her appeared vibrant and colourful, so it may have been the way the author wanted to portray her. I was often surprised by her parent's reactions to her overnight stays - I can't imagine being this vacant as to my children's whereabouts at sixteen, although I could be labelled as an overprotective parents.
I am going to look at getting hold of the first book in the series, Breathing Underwater, as I would like to know more about Freya's back story.

This book was brilliant at examining grief and learning to cope with it; finding a way to live with it and move on.
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May 07, 2012 Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, arc-or-review, young-adult, realistic-fiction, really-good, read-in-2012, better-than-expected, drink-and-drugs, mental-health

To be honest, I hadn't really heard of Julia Green before I received this book for review, but after reading it, I sincerely hope that this isn't the last that I hear of her! Bringing the Summer is a wonderfully written story that should appeal to teenagers and adults alike. On first examination, with its bright cover and shortish length, I thought that it was just going to be a quick, fun summer read, but it actually felt like so much more. Whilst the storyline is kept quite light and interesti...more To be honest, I hadn't really heard of Julia Green before I received this book for review, but after reading it, I sincerely hope that this isn't the last that I hear of her! Bringing the Summer is a wonderfully written story that should appeal to teenagers and adults alike. On first examination, with its bright cover and shortish length, I thought that it was just going to be a quick, fun summer read, but it actually felt like so much more. Whilst the storyline is kept quite light and interesting, the characters also have some really quite dark issues.

Bringing the Summer is a story centring around Freya's life, at the start of her A-levels. She is still dealing with the loss of her brother when she witnesses a railway accident, which conjures up many questions in her mind. When at school, Freya meets Gabes, a friend of the girl who was killed during the accident, Bridie, and from thereon in, Freya gets to know more about Gabes, his large family including his enigmatic brother, Theo, and of course the mysterious Bridie.

Despite the relatively short length of this book, I was very pleasantly surprised with the depth behind it. I wasn't expecting to learn so much about the majority of characters, but I managed to connect with them very easily. It is clear that Freya has had a difficult and eventful past before Bringing the Summer. I believe that Freya's past is explored more in Breathing Underwater, but it wasn't actually necessary to know every detail - her relationship with her parents and her internal thoughts certainly helped us to learn about her and how she dealt with things. There were quite a lot of issues discussed in this book, but rather than feeling overwhelming, it just gave us a better ability to know what the characters were feeling.

I adored everything about the Fielding family - I thought that their house was extremely well described and the scenes that took place there were very vivid in my imagination. I was well immersed into the setting and the Christmas scenes felt magical. The Fielding family was pretty big, but it didn't get confusing and everyone was well developed. Each member of the family had their own thing going on and they were different, yet connected, personality wise. Green has made a fantastic job of personalising her characters. Gabe was just lovely, I would love to have a friend like him. Theo was explored in an interesting way and he was very intriguing. He was dark and mysterious. There was something about him that made me feel uncomfortable, yet wanting to know more about him - he certainly wasn't a flat or uncomplicated character. I thought that learning about the Fielding family's relationship with Bridie was interesting, but I actually thought that it was the good writing, the settings and the characters, rather than the plot, that stole the show.

There wasn't anything significant that I disliked about this book, it was well rounded. I loved the authenticity of the characters and the fact that they had realistic worries - everything was covered by Green. As you can tell, I was really impressed with this book and I would really recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great UK based, reasonably quick read. (less)

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Feb 26, 2013 Ni rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you like smooth flowing prose and true-to-life drama this book will appeal. Freya puts herself at risk by fearlessly pursuing a chance experience on a train. Julia's themes: changing seasons, adolescent turning points and idyllic family life are explored at a deeper level than in her previous novels. Wonderful glimpses: the attraction of the older brother, is my family the worst in the world? provide the reader with a constant flow of surprises and reasons to read on. Julia succeeds in creati...more

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May 18, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I will admit that this is the first book I have read by Julia Green, and although Bringing The Summer follows on from Breathing Underwater it is able to stand alone as an individual book.
Bringing the Summer follows Freya as she is still learning to cope without the presence of her brother, her family are also mourning their loss, but in mourning are also distancing themselves from Freya, who often comes home to an empty house or parents busy working on things.
After a railway accident Freya finds...more I will admit that this is the first book I have read by Julia Green, and although Bringing The Summer follows on from Breathing Underwater it is able to stand alone as an individual book.
Bringing the Summer follows Freya as she is still learning to cope without the presence of her brother, her family are also mourning their loss, but in mourning are also distancing themselves from Freya, who often comes home to an empty house or parents busy working on things.
After a railway accident Freya finds herself in the company of Gabe and his enchanting family and soon realises that Birdy, from the railway accident, had ties with Gabe, Theo and their family.

I really enjoyed Bringing The Summer and found myself looking forward to meeting more of Gabe's family. There is never a dull moment with Gabe and his family around, they are active and there is always something going on in their home. I think this is what pulls Freya into their homestead, it gives her a break from the stillness and loneliness of her own family life and home. I adore their Mum and I love how she is raising the children and she has a huge garden where she grows a lot of her own food. She is also able to see right into the middle of any situation but offers advice if needed and doesn't stick herself in to try to fix everything.
When I first met Gabe I thought he was the perfect person for Freya to get to know, but as the story unfolds and he becomes distant and I could see their bond disintegrating I disliked what he was doing to Freya and how he was making her feel.
Theo on the other hand I disliked. I didn't like his attitude and to me he felt like he was better than everyone else and was not afraid to make sure people knew this, but as we learn more about him you realise he is just putting up a front to protect himself. Although both Freya and Theo are mourning thier own losses and they slowly start to form a friendship it is not until Theo acts out that Freya realsies he is not a perfect as he originally seems, and sets a plan in motion to help him begin to mourn propperly and let the past go in order to build a better friendship between them both.

Bringing The Summer is a quick read that I finished in a couple of hours but thoroughly enjoyed. Julia has woven in the right emotions to make the characters likeable and believable. Things like love, friendships, loss and family values are touched upon in the pages. After finishing Bringing The Summer I intend to not only buy Breathing Underwater to be able to read these books in order, but also other books Julia has wrote. (less)

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Jul 14, 2012 Liz rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.75/5

Bringing the Summer was a thoughtful read about life and love and friendship. It was actually the sequel to the book Breathing Underwater, which I hadn’t read, but I had no problems following the storyline and so I think Bringing the Summer could definitely work well on its own as well a part of a series.

Freya was just starting her A-levels and had a particular interest in art, which was how she met Gabe, who was doing an Art Foundation course. Though Freya lost her brother two years ago,...more 3.75/5

Bringing the Summer was a thoughtful read about life and love and friendship. It was actually the sequel to the book Breathing Underwater, which I hadn’t read, but I had no problems following the storyline and so I think Bringing the Summer could definitely work well on its own as well a part of a series.

Freya was just starting her A-levels and had a particular interest in art, which was how she met Gabe, who was doing an Art Foundation course. Though Freya lost her brother two years ago, she tried to be positive and optimistic, and I admired her positive nature and her desire to help other people. You could tell Freya was also a nice, genuinely caring person, and while I did like this about her, she sometimes felt like a background character rather than the main character, despite the fact the story revolved around her (i.e. though it was her story, the other characters took the limelight). I think it was because she had a quieter personality that stood out less in comparison to other characters. For example, I loved Gabe in his family because they were so, I don’t know, colourful and lively. It was great to see a family that was close and fun, yet like most other families, had its problems too. Gabe and Theo, the two brothers, were especially interesting, but I also loved Gabe’s mother Maddie and his sister Beth who each treated Freya as if she were a member of their family and made her feel so welcome.

Gabe was a great guy and I think he was really kind and accepting not to get really angry over the situation with Theo (obviously he was a bit upset, but I think he dealt with everything really well). I liked how he and Freya spent their time together and thought he was a very good friend who looked out for her. It was also interesting to see the relationship he shared with his brother – they were closer than I thought but it was definitely a complex relationship.

Theo was completely different – cynical, mysterious and a bit broken. He could be very obsessive and couldn’t get past the death of a girl he knew called Bridie. He compared everything to her and was constantly living in the past. He wasn’t really in the right emotional state to be in a relationship, but he could also be fun and sweet and I think the time he spent with Freya changed him, even if only a little.

The plot was mainly character driven, with Freya trying to decide what to do and with stories from Gabe and Theo’s pasts. It was well paced and I finished the book it one sitting (though it was relatively short, there was quite a lot packed in there). I loved the setting (I have always wanted to sit on Lyra and Will’s bench in Oxford) and really enjoyed all the descriptions. The ending, though bittersweet (for me!), was probably what was best for Freya and I think I agreed with her decision. She was quite wise for a sixteen year old (yet sometimes as playful as a child as well) and as the book was left sort of open (everything was resolved, but there was room to imagine some more) I think I know what I’ll be imagining for Freya’s future.

Overall, Bringing the Summer was an engaging, pensive novel and I would recommend it to all contemp fans! (less)

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Sep 10, 2012 TheBookAddictedGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: All Contemp Lovers

Shelves: arc, for-review, in-my-mailbox, british-fiction, contempory, mental-health, read-2012, psychological-suspense, real-to-life-fiction, romance, ya, mystery

Freya's about to start her A levels, but she's still trying to cope with her brother's death. She's just begun to think she's ready for a new start.
And then a railway accident leads her to Gabes - gorgeous, sweet Gabes abd his big, bubbly, warm family.
Soon Freya is falling in love - but not really with Gaves, but with his family.
But then Gabes' brother Theo shows up - mysterious, dangerous Theo.
As she gets closer to Theo, Freya has to question what she really wants.
Byt us she ready to make...more Freya's about to start her A levels, but she's still trying to cope with her brother's death. She's just begun to think she's ready for a new start.
And then a railway accident leads her to Gabes - gorgeous, sweet Gabes abd his big, bubbly, warm family.
Soon Freya is falling in love - but not really with Gaves, but with his family.
But then Gabes' brother Theo shows up - mysterious, dangerous Theo.
As she gets closer to Theo, Freya has to question what she really wants.
Byt us she ready to make the difficult choices?
I loved Julia Green's Drawing With Light, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. From the cover - and blurb, actually - I thought this would be a light read. And while it was fun and quick, it also tackled some really tricky issues. I just love everything about Julie's books, loved how complex her main characters were and how she made a clichéd idea into something new and amazing and beautiful. Also, I so wanna be a Fielding!!
The characters were all so amazing and varying and believable. Freya was really sweet and strong, but broken over her brother's death. She was really clever and sensitive and observational, was mature for her age and sensitive too. What I really loved about her was that she wasn't perfect. She made mistakes. But she was so sweet and genuine that you had to love her. Gabes was so sweet and cute and arty. I’d love to have him as a friend. He was simple and straight forward and so cute, just so not-complicated and warm and genuine. I just wanted to hug him! Theo was quite, mysterious, dark and broody. I loved how we slowly got to see beneath the arrogance to see the sensitive, vulnerable boy within. He was dark and dangerous - the kind of boy you know you shouldn't get involved with but intrigues you anyway. And the Fielding family - oh how I adored them all! They were so big and cheerful and close. And their house - I wish I'd lived there! It was so wonderfully describes, so lived in and homely. They were all so bubbly and fun and real. My family's big and fun and close... but I still want a Fielding family!! I especially loved their Christmas - loved it to pieces - loved them to pieces!
I loved all the characters, how padded out they were. As I mentioned before, I adored the Fielding family and all of them in the family! I also loved Freya's grandparents and friend from the island, Danny. Danny seemed really sweet and I felt he was a character who could have been added to - just 'cause he seemed so darn cute!
The writing was beautiful - as Green's writing always is! Green has this wonderfully simple and beautiful way of writing that always leaves me wanting more. There's magic there. You can see everything, feel everything. The plot was one I guess you’d call self-discovery. I should have been against it - two brothers, one girl is kinda cliché - but in this it just... wasn't. While the plot is incredible and addictive, the writing and Fielding family just stole the show for me. But I must admit, I had no idea where the plot was going and at some points I was actually scared! And I loved how through the Fieldings, we slowly got to know about Bridie, who she was before she died. As for the ending, it was perfect.
Green tackled some tricky issues in this book, but like everything she does so effortlessly. She doesn't make light of them but instead balances them with a light plot. Also, it's message was so subtle you didn't really get it til the end. It wasn't... obnoxious, like other books.
One girl, two brothers, one huge happy family and a dead girl who bought them all together... Bringing the Summer was a beautiful, edgy, fun read, one I couldn't put down. It just grabbed me from the word go; Julia Green has this way of bringing a story and characters to life through her words, characters that just get inside your head. I must get my hands on Breathing Underwater and I am seriously desperate for whatever Julia brings out next! I loved the book: it had strong themes, but left me feeling all happy inside, warm. It wasn't as hard hitting as some of the other books I've read this year, but I loved it and it was a great read. (less)

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May 08, 2012 SJH (A Dream of Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, young-adult

I haven't read anything by Julia Green before but although this is the first of her books I've tried it certainly won't be the last. 'Bringing the Summer' features the character of Freya who first appeared in Green's earlier novel 'Breathing Underwater'. Freya is now sixteen and with her parents is trying to move on with life after her brother's death.

An unexpected and shocking event at the very start of the book connects all the events which follow, leading to Freya meeting Gabes and through hi...more I haven't read anything by Julia Green before but although this is the first of her books I've tried it certainly won't be the last. 'Bringing the Summer' features the character of Freya who first appeared in Green's earlier novel 'Breathing Underwater'. Freya is now sixteen and with her parents is trying to move on with life after her brother's death.

An unexpected and shocking event at the very start of the book connects all the events which follow, leading to Freya meeting Gabes and through him his wonderfully big, lively and welcoming family at Home Farm. She immediately feels welcomed into the fold and Gabe's family life is presented as a huge contrast to her own home which feels empty and lonely without her brother Joe. She is having to adjust and adapt to now being an only child with parents who seem to be living their own lives without her.

I really enjoyed Julia Green's writing style in this book. Images are painted so vividly that scenes, settings and characters just leapt off the page. I could imagine perfectly Gabe's bustling family with it's matriarch Maddie at the helm and assorted brothers and sisters always present. It was very easy to see what attracted Freya to them so much. I have to admit though that I wasn't a big fan of Gabe's older brother Theo who enters the picture part way through the story. He's rather enigmatic and mysterious at times but yet again however he presented another contrast, the dark to Gabe's light and sunny personality.

Freya is a fabulous heroine because she's so positive in her outlook to life. Things do get her down sometimes which is only normal and to be expected but she's a naturally upbeat person and wants to experience everything life has to offer. I loved this short quote from her Grandfather when she tells him this, "If you want to see a lot, standing still in one place is a good way to do it".

I initially thought that this was going to be quite a light read but I soon found that the story dealt with much deeper issues. Much of the book is about how people deal differently with influential and pivotal events in their lives and how they cope in the aftermath of a bereavement.

In Julia Green I've found a new British author who I only wish I'd discovered before. Her writing is a real treat and I'm excited to get hold of her previous works now.
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Sep 23, 2012 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy-read, books-i-own

Check out my review below:

Debra's Book Cafe

Debs :-)

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May 17, 2012 Laura YA indie princess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, from-publisher, finished-copy

Review to come.

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May 20, 2013 Dunja marked it as to-read

May 13, 2013 Beth marked it as to-buy

May 06, 2013 Jenni rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: british-author, contemporary, ya

May 02, 2013 Lucy Albert marked it as to-read

Apr 27, 2013 Crystal marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-i-want-to-read

Apr 27, 2013 Patricia Weleff marked it as to-read

Apr 25, 2013 Larissa marked it as to-read

Apr 23, 2013 Bkepub added it

Shelves: contemporary, young, adult

Apr 17, 2013 Diya is currently reading it

Apr 05, 2013 Sandra marked it as to-read

Mar 30, 2013 Natalia Antunes marked it as to-read

Mar 30, 2013 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Mar 18, 2013 Fufei added it

Mar 14, 2013 Joana rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

Mar 12, 2013 Hamna marked it as to-read

Shelves: waiting-for-ebook

Feb 26, 2013 Den marked it as to-read

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Bringing the Summer

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