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Summer Sisters

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 41,824 ratings · 2,196 reviews

No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume. Now, from the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Wifey" and "Smart Women," comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening--an unforgettable story of two women, two families, and the friendships that shape a lifetime.
When Victoria Leonard answers the phone in her Manhattan office, Caitlin'...more No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume. Now, from the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Wifey" and "Smart Women," comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening--an unforgettable story of two women, two families, and the friendships that shape a lifetime.
When Victoria Leonard answers the phone in her Manhattan office, Caitlin's voice catches her by surprise. Vix hasn't talked to her oldest friend in months. Caitlin's news takes her breath away--and Vix is transported back in time, back to the moment she and Caitlin Somers first met, back to the casual betrayals and whispered confessions of their long, complicated friendship, back to the magical island where two friends became summer sisters.
Caitlin dazzled Vix from the start, sweeping her into the heart of the unruly Somers family, into a world of privilege, adventure, and sexual daring. Vix's bond with her summer family forever reshapes her ties to her own, opening doors to opportunities she had never imagined--until the summer she falls passionately in love. Then, in one shattering moment on a moonswept Vineyard beach, everything changes, exposing a dark undercurrent in her extraordinary friendship with Caitlin that will haunt them through the years.
As their story carries us from Santa Fe to Martha's Vineyard, from New York to Venice, we come to know the men and women who shape their lives. And as we follow the two women on the paths they each choose, we wait for the inevitable reckoning to be made in the fine spaces between friendship and betrayal, between love and freedom.
Summer Sisters is a riveting exploration of the choices that define our lives, of friendship andlove, of the families we are born into and those we struggle to create. For every woman who has ever had a friend too dangerous to forgive and too essential to forget, Summer Sisters will glue you to every page, reading and remembering.
Judy Blume's twenty-one books have sold over sixty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty languages. She spends summers on Martha's Vineyard with her family.(less)

Mass Market Paperback, 416 pages

Published July 25th 2006 by Dell (first published January 1st 1998)

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Jan 02, 2008 Cora rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this book at the library, and since I loved Judy Blume as a child, I wanted to test one of the books she wrote for adults. I never could have expected a story so involving and complex. The characters come to life on the pages, and the storyline is brilliant in its commonness.

Summer Sisters follows the lives of Caitlyn Somers and Victoria Leonard, two unlikely girls from different social backgrounds. Caitlin invites Victoria to stay the summer with her and her father who lives in Martha'...more

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Oct 28, 2008 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 26, 2008 Nola rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: someone very interested in sex

One thing I really enjoy doing is rereading kids books. I checked out Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and zoomed through it in about two hours. I have reread many other classics and enjoyed them. I think my next big kids read will be the infamous Harriet the Spy which I loved and totally identified with as a child.

One of the greatest regrets of my life (in terms of small scale regrets, anyway) is that I sold off my Sweet Valley High books. Now, granted, SVH isn't all that 'classic', but I so...more One thing I really enjoy doing is rereading kids books. I checked out Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and zoomed through it in about two hours. I have reread many other classics and enjoyed them. I think my next big kids read will be the infamous Harriet the Spy which I loved and totally identified with as a child.

One of the greatest regrets of my life (in terms of small scale regrets, anyway) is that I sold off my Sweet Valley High books. Now, granted, SVH isn't all that 'classic', but I so loved the storyline and always identified with Elizabeth. I used to own every book up past a hundred, and all of the special editions (summer, winter, etc) they had out. It took me years to collect. Now I have about three of them at home. I have been checking used bookstores but apparently they aren't that popular anymore. And no wonder. I don't think Jessica, the 'wild' twin, ever got beyond some passionate kissing. Which is why I'd love to have them around for my daughter when she gets older. So if you want to just box up all you have and send them to me...

But one of the biggest shocks I had in kids books came this weekend. While scouring paperbacks at the library, I came across a Judy Blume book for grownups, Summer Sisters. Now, Judy Blume was a crazy favorite of mine; I read pretty much everything she wrote. So of course I had to check out this novel. I had grown up; time to see if Judy did.

One of the things I enjoyed as a kid was Blume's realism and frankness. Although Ramona Quimby (age 8) was cute and adorable, she wasn't exactly realistic. Although Matilda was brilliant and could read by age 2 and move things with her mind...well, let's just say I identified with her except for that whole reading by age 2 and moving things with her mind. But Blume's characters were real kids with real problems.

The same is true of what I read in Summer Sisters I suppose. We have two girls experimenting with sex, naturally curious, and putting together one of those 'odd' relationships. However, in searching for realism, I felt Blume overdoes it. Sure, teenagers are sex crazed, but oh my goodness, I didn't know you could pack that much sex into so few pages. The novel was just too much for me, and so, although the storyline was interesting, I finally gave up and closed the pages for good when the girls started discussing their experiments with oral sex.

The characters were realistic and credible, but I guess just too nitty gritty for me. I also had a problem with the seven or eight point-of-views tried throughout the book, while the majority was told in the first person. I seem to be hitting a lot of that lately, and it has been driving me nuts. If nothing else, it breaks the flow of the story.

So I think I'm going to keep my mind uncluttered. I'll head back to one of my childhood favorites by Blume, Blubber and avoid the remainder of her adult novels. She's a great writer, but I guess I have another 10 or 20 years to go before I'm that grown up. (less)

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Jun 28, 2007 Huntie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: chicks everywhere

I loved this book when I read it because it reminded me so much of the weird relationship I had with my best friend growing up. We spent numerous summers together at her parents' cottage having the requisite summer flings with out of town boys who we would never see again (until the next summer), and this book made me very nostalgic for those times.

What I liked was how Judy Blume told the story not only from a generic narrator's perspective, but also from the perspective of each character in the...more

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Nov 09, 2007 Jeremy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, read-at-work, library-book-sale

All the presumably well-intentioned messages and general nostalgic goodwill notwithstanding, the fact remains that Judy Blume is the Larry Clark of young adult fiction, and her trashy "adult" novels belie this. Without the hassle of having to walk twelve-year-olds through puberty, Blume is free to make a beeline for the sweaty, grunting raunch. I have little to no problem with this. It's kind of a steaming clod, but you could easily read it on the beach while inadequately supervising your sister...more

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Jun 26, 2007 Clare rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book every summer, mostly because it does such a great job of capturing the essence of the season. (I actually prefer to read it when it's still a little cold outside so I can be transported to warmer weather, but for the past few years it's been so hard to find time to get it in!) Anyway, if you define a favorite book as one you want to read again and again, this is definitely one of my favorites. I guess I'm not really surprised--Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret had the same h...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Amra Kolenovic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Judy Blume's, Summer Sisters is an amazing portrayal of two girls trying to figure out how to grow up in this crazy world and what true friendship entails. Victoria and Caitlin are two girls from two very different worlds. Victoria is a reserved and smart girl who grew up in a large family taking care of her disabled brother, while Caitlin is the youngest of two who went back and forth, from parent to parent getting anything and everything she wanted in between. Somehow they end up together an...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Ðɑηηɑ rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Girls curious about he-she relationships

Shelves: young-adult, 2-stars, female-author, usa, romance, paperback, pub-1990s, female-protagonist, friendship

It's hard to say that I liked this book, because a small part of it I did but about 60% I did not, due to filthy scenes and discussions...

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Jul 14, 2008 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book starts with Victoria receiving an invitation from Caitlin to her wedding. Then Victoria flashes back...
Cat (Caitlin) and Vix (Victoria) in their preteens and follows them all the way into adulthood. Cat is rich with divorced parents, Vix comes from a poor family. Vix is invited out to Martha's Vineyard with Cat's father, brother, and step mother every summer. Although once in awhile Vix's family will be mentioned in the book, the main story is the summers on Martha's Vineyard.
Cat and V...more

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Apr 23, 2008 Polly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory

Another great book from Judy Blume, the Summer Sisters discusses the issue of two girl’s life. Caitlin and Victoria (Vix) who spends almost every summer together developed a strong relationship. Even though they are very close to each other, when I read more of the book I realize the deep secrets they have in their heart. Also they seem to have an opposite life. Vix live in a poorer family than Caitlin needs to earn her money to college and future. Caitlin lived in a rich family with supportive...more

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Mar 09, 2008 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: girls, women, teenagers, readers

I am in love with Sharkey. With this book, with Judy Blume, with summer sisters.

Last night my friend and I, sprawled on her bed, compaired childhood books and the sex scenes that were or were not so explicit in them. Their evolution from "he lay with her" and euphemisms to graphic drawn out details that made us blush and turn the page quickly when we were 12 and 13 year olds reading what our parents didn't think to screen. She told me about this book she read when she was 12 that she'd /loved/,...more

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May 13, 2008 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume. Now, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wifey and Smart Women, comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening--an unforgettable story of two women, two families, and the friendships that shape a lifetime.

When Victoria Leonard answers the phone in her Manhattan office, Caitlin's voice catches her by surprise. Vix hasn't talked to her oldest friend in months. Caitlin's news takes her breath away--and Vix is...more No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume. Now, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wifey and Smart Women, comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening--an unforgettable story of two women, two families, and the friendships that shape a lifetime.

When Victoria Leonard answers the phone in her Manhattan office, Caitlin's voice catches her by surprise. Vix hasn't talked to her oldest friend in months. Caitlin's news takes her breath away--and Vix is transported back in time, back to the moment she and Caitlin Somers first met, back to the casual betrayals and whispered confessions of their long, complicated friendship, back to the magical island where two friends became summer sisters.

Caitlin dazzled Vix from the start, sweeping her into the heart of the unruly Somers family, into a world of privilege, adventure, and sexual daring. Vix's bond with her summer family forever reshapes her ties to her own, opening doors to opportunities she had never imagined--until the summer she falls passionately in love. Then, in one shattering moment on a moonswept Vineyard beach, everything changes, exposing a dark undercurrent in her extraordinary friendship with Caitlin that will haunt them through the years.

As their story carries us from Santa Fe to Martha's Vineyard, from New York to Venice, we come to know the men and women who shape their lives. And as we follow the two women on the paths they each choose, we wait for the inevitable reckoning to be made in the fine spaces between friendship and betrayal, between love andfreedom.

Summer Sisters is a riveting exploration of the choices that define our lives, of friendship and love, of the families we are born into and those we struggle to create. For every woman who has ever had a friend too dangerous to forgive and too essential to forget, Summer Sisters will glue you to every page, reading and remembering.

Judy Blume's twenty-one books have sold over sixty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty languages. She spends summers on Martha's Vineyard with her family.
(less)

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Aug 28, 2009 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: women, friends

Shelves: chick-lit, 2008

What shall I say... this book is candid. I am enjoying it thus far and I am 100 pages in. It is a hard book to put down because you want to know what happened back then. This book is a look back at the lives of two young women together. At the very beginning Vix gets a call from Caitlin that Caitlin is getting married to Bru. This means nothing to the reader, but as you can imagine, the story starts to take form and things just aren't always what they seem. Vix and Caitlin spend the summer at Ca...more

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Aug 20, 2012 Caroline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ah.......the rich are so different, or are they? One of my favorite books in my permanent collection.

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Jan 07, 2009 Antof9 rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2004-read, americana, depressing, made-me-cry, unfulfilling

Read this on the plane from Denver to Seattle. It was a little odd, in that I haven't ever read any of her stuff for grownups. I was a HUGE fan of Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret -- so much that I recently bought another copy :) Anyway, this book was ok. Not exactly a romance novel, but definitely fits into that category, I think.

The "summer sisters" are Vix and Caitlin, who are best friends and "sisters" every summer on The Vineyard, but not during the school year. Caitlin's family has th...more

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May 16, 2013 E. Jayne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From Blue Butterfly Books.

I have a disclaimer. I read this is a hurry. My friend let me borrow her copy and I needed to finish it before I went to visit her, so most of this was read on a plane. I'm pretty sure I would have different feelings if I was just sitting in my favorite reading spot, reading this slowly and digesting it all, but I think reading this on a plane and in a rush the couple days before I left made me not enjoy it as much as I would have. So, just keep that in mind.

In case any...more From Blue Butterfly Books.

I have a disclaimer. I read this is a hurry. My friend let me borrow her copy and I needed to finish it before I went to visit her, so most of this was read on a plane. I'm pretty sure I would have different feelings if I was just sitting in my favorite reading spot, reading this slowly and digesting it all, but I think reading this on a plane and in a rush the couple days before I left made me not enjoy it as much as I would have. So, just keep that in mind.

In case anyone's wondering, I've never been a huge Judy Blume fan. Not because I didn't like her books, but because I didn't read many of them growing up. Though the ones I did read, I loved. So I didn't go into this with much expectation from Blume, only from my friend who listed this as her favorite book ever. Thinking back, I just can't tell if I liked this or disliked it. In some ways, I liked it, but in others I was extremely bored or annoyed or confused.

My main issue lied with the characters. There were far too many for me. I think it would have been all right if the characters had distinct personalities, but they didn't. Blume alternated points of view, which I found to be incredibly pointless. I got frustrated with the short shifts and it took me out of Vix's head as soon as I'd begin to get into it. So I never felt for any of them, not really. Vix sometimes, and those sometimes would be the points in the story that made me like the book. But if you asked me the names of all the major and supporting characters, I probably couldn't even list all of them. And this could be due to my airplane focus, but so many times I felt like a random character popped up and I couldn't remember where they came in at or who they even were. Just thinking about the characters gets me upset because I feel like if this had stayed in Vix's point of view or maybe hers and one of character, I would have connected on a much deeper level with this.

As for the plot, overall I liked it. There were some things I didn't find too believable, but then again, I didn't grow up in this time and my childhood/teenage years were incredibly different, so I just found it hard to connect to some of the things. I did very much enjoy the relationship between Caitlin and Vix. It was complex and interesting, and though I wanted to "feel" their relationship more at times, I liked following them from their preteen years to adulthood, seeing where life took them and how their relationship really didn't evolve. While I have few friends who I've had a long time, the ones I do, it seems like the relationship doesn't change, even when I don't talk to them after months or even years.

What I didn't like about the plot was that it felt jumpy and sporadic at times. Blume brushed over parts I would have actually liked to read in depth about instead of having it be a line. The narration bothered me quite a bit. I didn't care of its choppiness. It took me out of the story and kept me from connecting with it completely.

It seems like I didn't care for much about this book at all, but it did keep me reading on an airplane, which rarely happens and the times I did connect with it, I found myself enjoying it. There were some disturbing parts, but they were balanced with emotional and fun scenes pretty well, and the thing I liked most was how Blume portrayed Caitlin and Vix's relationship, which was the most important part to me. I recommend giving this a try. It'd be a good summer read, methinks.(less)

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Apr 29, 2013 Hayley Charnock rated it 4 of 5 stars

In this novel full of friendship, love and betrayal, Judy Blume depicts the lives of two best friends. From the very first summer together, Victoria and Caitlyn become best friends- summer sisters. Each summer, Victoria is able to escape from her dreary, difficult life, and spend it at the Vineyard with Caitlyn and her father. She learns many important life lessons, and finds her first love at the Vineyard. When the friends grow up, they are separated by distance, and difference in lifestyles. T...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Chesra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books

This is my first Judy Blume book but it's definitely not going to be my last! I've been wanting to read her stuff because she's a very well-lauded YA/children's author, and I've been dying to read "Forever..." and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" for a long time now. I saw this book on sale at a secondhand book store and I definitely don't regret the purchase.

Blume crafts fantastic and believable characters, and I love how intricate her female characters are. Of course, the protagonist, Vi...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Gretchen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Meh. The first half the book starts out promising enough. 12 year old Caitlin Somers, a wealthy child of divorce, invites Victoria Leonard, a middle class girl, to spend the summer with her on Martha's Vineyard. Victoria (Vix)'s parents reluctantly agree to the trip, which begins a relationship that spans decades.

The story might have been more intriguing if each and every character had not been a stereotype. By the middle of the book, I could almost predict the actions of the characters. Caitli...more Meh. The first half the book starts out promising enough. 12 year old Caitlin Somers, a wealthy child of divorce, invites Victoria Leonard, a middle class girl, to spend the summer with her on Martha's Vineyard. Victoria (Vix)'s parents reluctantly agree to the trip, which begins a relationship that spans decades.

The story might have been more intriguing if each and every character had not been a stereotype. By the middle of the book, I could almost predict the actions of the characters. Caitlin's divorced mother is, of course, distant and aloof and abdicates most maternal responsibility. Caitlin, therefore, grows up without sufficient guidance and grounding. Caitlin's father, Lamb, marries Abby, another divorcee with her own son. Of course, the kids are resentful and bitter and spoiled. (Because every wealthy "trust fund" child is, right?) Bru and Von are brought into the picture as potential love interests for Vix and Caitlin. The prologue pretty much gives away the storyline regarding this foursome.

Interspersed throughout the book are brief passages written supposedly from different points of views of some of the lesser characters such as Lamb, Abby, Vix's mother and Caitlin's mother. While somewhat interesting, these points of view add nothing to the depth of the plot, which is predictable and boring. Blah, blah, blah, Caitlin spends her college money jet-setting around the world while Vix toils tirelessly in college, finally realizing that she doesn't want a relationship with a blue collar guy like Bru, who can't discuss books with her. (Yawn...) Caitlin beds every guy she can (and some girls) and eventually settles down and has a child, which she, in keeping with her character, abandons to the child's father, Bru. Oh, Caitlin finally does end up marrying Bru, much to the dismay of Vix. The reasoning behind this sudden romantic attraction is never explained.

I had a difficult time getting past the stereotypes in this book. Vix's roommate, Maia, is a New Jersey Jew who worries about everything. Tawny, Vix's mother, is a hardened, "stiff upper lip" woman who didn't marry for love and has now found herself trapped in a life she never wanted. Vix's sister, Lanie, ends up getting pregnant at 17 and has two kids by a slacker who smokes pot and now lives in a trailer park. (Ho, hum - I'm just picturing the guy wearing a wife beater and guzzling Budweiser) Almost every single character in the book is miserable due to their life circumstances. Boo, hoo, I'm rich and beautiful but don't like myself. Waaah, I struggle to make ends meet and hate everyone who has it better than I do. I'm blue collar, drink beer, don't read, but of course, I'm good-hearted. I couldn't find much of anything redeeming or remotely interesting about any of them.

I read on, hoping that by the end, the characters would do something out of character. I won't give away the end, but it seemed that the author just kind of gave up on Caitlin's character. She could have done something besides indulge herself, search for the meaning of life in a bottle or in a bed, but she didn't. She remained the spoiled little girl until the end. (less)

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Jan 08, 2013 Lisa Louie rated it 3 of 5 stars

On the same beach trip in which I read Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, I tarried at the local library and found Summer Sisters by Judy Blume, a book which, on the surface, has many of the same plot attributes. The story is told from the view of Vix, the economically-challenged child of parents who eventually get divorced. Through school Vix becomes friends with Caitlin whose parents are already divorced, but whose father owns property on Martha's Vineyard. Caitlin is vivacious and popular, an...more On the same beach trip in which I read Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, I tarried at the local library and found Summer Sisters by Judy Blume, a book which, on the surface, has many of the same plot attributes. The story is told from the view of Vix, the economically-challenged child of parents who eventually get divorced. Through school Vix becomes friends with Caitlin whose parents are already divorced, but whose father owns property on Martha's Vineyard. Caitlin is vivacious and popular, and Vix is studious and shy, but once Caitlin invites Vix to come with her to the Vineyard over the summer when they are both twelve, they form an intense and close bond, doing all manner of things silly, flirting with the local boys including one “Bru” and exploring their sexuality together. Year after year, Vix returns to the Vineyard, growing ever closer to Caitlin's stepmother, and dating Bru while Caitlin dates Bru's best friend. Caitlin's stepmother uses her influence to help Vix get into Harvard, and the resulting class distance between Vix and Bru becomes insurmountable. Meanwhile, Caitlin drifts from place to place, and soon she announces her engagement to Bru, violating the universal girl rule that best friends should not marry, let alone hook up with former boyfriends. Thus Vix returns to the Vineyard for their wedding and comes to terms with how Caitlin and their summers together has made her who she has become.

This is a far more emotionally complex book than Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, and in my view, a more nuanced portrayal of girl world. In both stories, one best friend violates the girl rule, but because the narrative is conscious of the class differences and emotional connections among mothers and daughters at play in the dynamic between the two central characters, the moral implications of this violation are not as pronounced nor as strident. In Blume's book, the point is not the romance between a man and a woman, but between the two best girlfriends in an idyllic setting that makes their unlikely friendship possible. The early scenes in which Vix and Caitlin bond over having fun, comparing pubic hair, kissing their pillows and crushing on boys feel refreshingly honest and true-to-life, which of course, is Judy Blume's forte. (I was pleased to rediscover that her writing still works its charms on me so many years and books later.) But once the girls cross the threshold into womanhood through sexual experience and academic matriculation, the account of their friendship becomes thinner. When the less socially privileged of the two ascends to Ivy League status and breaks off her romantic involvement with her Vineyard boyfriend, the story's narrative voice seems to drift away as if assuming a hazy distance in order to manage the prickliness of shifts in power. At the end of the novel, though they shared so many formative experiences, the two central characters become strangers to each other, as if to suggest that the kernel of true friendship is elusive after all.(less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Michelle Smith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Like so many of the other reviewers, I was a huge Judy Blume fan growing up. I really responded to her honest portrayals of teenaged girls and boys, and of the complex relationships they have with each other, their friends, and their parents. So I picked up 'Summer Sisters' with a mixture of trepidation (I didn't want to 'ruin' my love affair with Ms. Blume and all my memories of her past books) and excitement (what if she had managed to pull it off, and had written a book for all her 'grown-up'...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: catarina, editorial-presença

Em primeiro lugar gostaria de agradecer às Edições ASA a possibilidade de ler Judy Blume em português. Devo dizer que era uma autora sobre a qual estava bastante curiosa, mas que não sabia bem por qual pegar. Ao lançar este livro, a ASA tornou real a minha possibilidade de ler algo diferente, mas curiosamente, Judy Blume era exactamente o que eu esperava (e ao mesmo tempo algo totalmente inesperado).
Talvez por ler bastante literatura juvenil, quando pego num livro para adultos, sinto que estou...more Em primeiro lugar gostaria de agradecer às Edições ASA a possibilidade de ler Judy Blume em português. Devo dizer que era uma autora sobre a qual estava bastante curiosa, mas que não sabia bem por qual pegar. Ao lançar este livro, a ASA tornou real a minha possibilidade de ler algo diferente, mas curiosamente, Judy Blume era exactamente o que eu esperava (e ao mesmo tempo algo totalmente inesperado).
Talvez por ler bastante literatura juvenil, quando pego num livro para adultos, sinto que estou a entrar em terreno completamente desconhecido. Apesar do receio original, decidi arriscar, até porque a capa do livro era e é lindíssima. E da pergunta inicial "Meu Deus, o que virá aí?", deparei-me com uma história que me deixou de boca aberta e olhos arregalados.
Apesar da autora recorrer à técnica dos vários pontos de vista, acaba por não abusar desta, criando uma história rica e diversa em perspectivas, não se tornando no entanto impositiva. Vix, Victoria de nascença, é sem dúvida a nossa personagem principal e o ponto de união entre todas as outras personagens. Aos doze anos, a vida de Vix muda radicalmente quando Caitlin a convida para passar o verão com a sua família. Convidada de Caitlin na Vineyard, uma ilha paradisíaca para onde as famílias ricas fogem no verão, Vix começa a tornar-se um elemento essencial na dinâmica da família, sem no entanto se aperceber disso, tomando para si um lugar na família Somers e ligando o seu destino e vida para sempre ao deles.
Contando-nos a sua história pouco a pouco, Vix vai-nos revelando o mundo de Caitlin, e é com ela que conhecemos a família Somers e os restante habitantes da ilha. É também ao longo das várias épocas balneares que passam que descobrimos como este mundo e amizade vão acabar por influenciar toda a vida de Vix e a sua maneira de se correlacionar com o mundo e com as pessoas que a rodeiam.
Esta é uma história sobre primeiras descobertas, primeiros amores e primeiras incertezas. É uma história que acontece ao longo de vários anos e deixa marcas profundas tanto em Vix como em Caitlin.
A escrita de Judy Blume é cativante e é a grande custo que uma pessoa pousa o livro para completar as tarefas que tem pendentes, pois o que apetece é lê-lo de uma assentada. Num passe de mágica, a autora transporta-nos no tempo para uma América onde as coisas nos fazem eco dos filmes e séries mais antigas.
A história cativa-nos e não custa muito imaginar a mesma como um filme antigo. É fácil imaginar as pessoas, as roupas, as casas, quase que conseguimos ouvir as músicas típicas dos anos 60 a encherem o ar. As "irmãs" são na realidade fãs dos ABBA, entre outras bandas, e o livro tem bastantes referências musicais, o que acaba por criar uma espécie de banda sonora dentro da nossa cabeça.
Por estar habituada a uma leitura juvenil, devo confessar que as cenas de cariz sexual me apanharam desprevenida. Achei fora do comum a maneira como Judy Blume contou esse amadurecer sexual, no entanto, o mesmo encontra-se repleto com os sentimentos associados às idades em que o mesmo acontece.
Nada foi deixado ao acaso nesta história, e para mim, Judy Blume revelou-se a contadora de histórias que eu imaginava que fosse pela quantidade de comentários positivos que li a seu respeito. Sei que a autora tem diversos livros juvenis que são bastante amados na América e sobre os quais estou agora ainda mais curiosa do que estava para ler.
Tudo somado dá uma leitura quatro estrelas e que sem dúvida recomendo para os amantes de romances e que será ideal para ler durante o verão. Assim sendo, e se puderem, peguem nestas "irmãs" e divirtam-se com elas este verão. - Catarina
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Nov 03, 2012 Alexa rated it 1 of 5 stars

This story has so many elements that should make it an easy success. The senitmentality of childhood summers, first love, finding and defining family, a rags-to-riches tale, your first best friend, lost love, betrayal... But it just failed so hard!

None of the characters were believable; all were flat caricatures. The Saintly Martyred Poor Girl who worships Spoiled Socialite Girl, then lives with New York Jew and Southern Belle. The fathers are Emasculated Pushover and Hippy Mellow. Younger guys...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Jordan Mierek rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ah, Judy Blume. SUMMER SISTERS, another book purchased in the used bookroom of the public library. They have such treasures…and such crap; however, yes, we were excited to find this. It’s not a treasure by any means. It is crap. I expected the usual Judy Blume trash from it, but since it is an adult book, I also expected a little something more. Yeah, no. As a note, I felt depressed by the time I finished reading it.

Flat characters. They all blended together. The moms, the dads, the random char...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Anny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

I can't decide what to say about this book. When I started reading it I thought it would turn out to be a really silly book with little to no interesting story line (at least for me). In the end, I actually enjoyed reading about the girls growing up, and the more they grew up, the more I could relate to them. Probably a good thing since I'm not 12 anymore.

The only thing that made me react was their somewhat messed up way of looking at sex, the whole Energy thing and such. I'm not American so I d...more

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Jul 22, 2012 A.M. rated it 2 of 5 stars

To be entirely honest, I've never been enchanted by the way Judy Blume writes.

However, I've also never been able to deny that she has a special talent which I truely enjoy. It's simple: I like her because she makes a certain brand of adult incredibly uncomfortable. Not only that but in the past a portion within that percentage has become full-blown angry. And all this over children's books. Or should I say, Y.A. Fiction targeted at girls.

For those of you out there who are familiar with the typi...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Lisa Christen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting story. Not sure how I feel about it, though. I think this is because it is a story about, what to me, is a very one-sided friendship. The story begins during the summer of 1977, when Victoria Leonard (Vix) is asked to spend the summer with the most popular and prettiest girl at school, Caitlin Somers. Vix, coming from a less than well to do family and one that is not loving or carefree, is shown a world of privilege at Martha's Vineyard where the two girls become "summer sisters." Ea...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Evangeline rated it 3 of 5 stars

The characters were very realistic and though I couldn't really identify with Victoria until the college stage, I imagine that a lot of other people can. I probably haven't ever had such a deep and extensive friendship as Caitlin and Vix's, and neither have I experienced betrayal of this nature. What I didn't like about this book was that there was too much sex. Perhaps it happens often enough in Western culture but I can't see something like that (two young girls messing around with their boyfr...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Sandy Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I laughed, I cried, I mourned the death of my own relationship of my "summer sister". My summer sister is still around but we lost contact and we grew apart. I think that is what life gives you.
I remember reading Judy Blume books as a child (but those were her books that were ment for children to read) and she was one of my favorite authors back so so many years ago. Like a summer friend, I find her again through the connection of this book.

So many memories were brought back to me by just readin...more

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Oct 29, 2011 Andy Gavin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Continuing on the Judy Blume theme. This is a the first adult novel I've read by Blume. It's longer than her YA fare, but it still shows the same skill at paintingfascinatingcharacters. Summer Sisters is the tale of a girl, Vix, who joins her "wild friend," Caitlen, for a whole summer on Martha's vineyard (in 1977) and ends up with thissurrogatefamily every year after. It follows them from 12 to about 30. The POV is present tense, but flips around between everyone in the story except for Caitlen...more

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About Judy Blume

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fu...more Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 80 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-one languages. She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.
Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel.
Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.(less)

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Books by Judy Blume

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Fudge, #1)

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Fudge #2)

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Quotes from Summer Sisters

“Not everything has to have a point. Some things just are. ” — 112 people liked it

“You've never been in love," she said. "You don't understand."

"If being in love means giving up your freedom, not to mention your opportunities," Caitlin said, "Then I haven't missed anything.” — 88 people liked it

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