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97th out of 297 books
—
495 voters
Still Summer
Mitchard's 'Still Summer' plunges into terror
By Carol Memmott, USA TODAY
Secure your life preserver. Tie yourself to the mast. It's late August, but it's still summer, and Jacquelyn Mitchard is taking you on a thrill ride you won't forget.
Mitchard made her mark in the literary world in 1996 when "TheDeep End of the Ocean" was chosen as the first pick for Oprah Winfrey's...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
August 23rd 2007
by Warner Books
(first published August 1st 2007)
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I just read (or reread) this book without putting it down. I may have read it during a stressful period before or maybe I had just read a summary of it. I like the other books I have read by Jacquelyn Mitchard. I found this a very well written book but one of the scariest I have ever read, given that it isn't in the magical/vampire fiction category. The relationships among the 3 women and 19 year old adopted daughter of one, Camille, the daughter of Tracy Kyle, as they take what should have been...more
I've met the author of this book and she's a nice person but I'm afraid my review is lukewarm at best. I really liked Deep End of the Ocean and haven't read anything else she's written except her column in the local paper. This book gets off to a slow start. I almost gave up because I really wasn't getting into it. Then when the action started when they were on the boat and bad things kept happening I REALLY got into it and could NOT put it down. Here are these three friends from high school wit...more
Until the action began, when the women finally get out sailing, I was really struggling to keep with it. Glad I stuck it out because it did get quite good. This book is an interesting mix of chick lit kind of girl-drama and suspense/ adventure.
Very good read, but minus one star for the slow beginning and a few areas that could have been tied together a little more neatly.
I read this via audiobook. As the reading most definitely affects the enjoyablility of a book, I feel it only fair that the r...more
Very good read, but minus one star for the slow beginning and a few areas that could have been tied together a little more neatly.
I read this via audiobook. As the reading most definitely affects the enjoyablility of a book, I feel it only fair that the r...more
I'd give it no stars if I could. I didn't read this book exactly, as I had it on audiobook. I listened to it on the way to my sister's house.
This was a horrible book. The author got so caught up in the description at times that I forgot what the point of the whole scene was. There was too much profanity and ugliness in a book that sounded like it would be a good chick book. Four friends get together for a cruise, one can't make it so they take the 19-year-old daughter of one of the others instea...more
This was a horrible book. The author got so caught up in the description at times that I forgot what the point of the whole scene was. There was too much profanity and ugliness in a book that sounded like it would be a good chick book. Four friends get together for a cruise, one can't make it so they take the 19-year-old daughter of one of the others instea...more
I enjoyed the characters in the book and how they are interacted with each other. Tracy, Holli, Janis & Olivia have such different personalities, but they seem to complement each other-- except for Olivia. I was appalled at her. They're all starving on the yacht and anxiously hoping to be rescued, and Olivia is secretly stashing power bars all for herself-- along with other selfish things. I had a hard time comprehending how someone could be so obnoxiously selfish. The fact that Tracy slappe...more
I think of domestic drama (as it is sometimes called) as the genre that-dare-not-speak-its-name, because it flies under the radar of the litcriterati. A genre written mostly by women and read mostly by women -- one that doesn't get trivialized or bashed (for the most part) -- that's something to nurture. The bigger names (Jodi Picoult and ELinor Lipman, for example) get serious reviews in the big name places. And that's good. In fact, that is excellent.
Jackie Mitchard is one of my favorites in t...more
Jackie Mitchard is one of my favorites in t...more
When I listen to an audiobook, I have found that I really need all elements to work together in harmony for me to stay focused on the story. Still Summer fit the bill perfectly for me as it had elements of romance, action, and an emotional storyline that had my eyes tearing up at the end. The story begins as four friends plan on renting a yacht for a tropical vacation, with the most strenuous work planned being to put a lawn chair away at the end of the day if necessary. Olivia, Tracy, Holly, an...more
I listened to this on audio and while it wasn't the best book I've ever read, nor the worse, it kept my interest. I found myself wondering whether or not the four would be rescued, hoping they would be, and speculating on how they might be found. The scenes with the pirates were very well done, suspenseful, and among the best in the book (I thought the outcome would be different.) Also, I know very little about boats and sailing, but it seemed as if Mitchard either did considerable research into...more
After reading Cage of Stars by Jacqueline Mitchard and not being able to put it down, I had very high expectations for this book and Jacque. I found the beginning painstakingly slow and the character set-up confusing, trying to keep everyone straight. Although the plot did get better, with more suspense and action, I found it a little disappointing knowing what the author is capable of. I was just hoping for more...
I picked this book up at the bookstore clearance sale and Wow! The info in the jacket talked about three high school friends who reunite after one of their husband dies. The interesting twist was that the three women met and included one of their daughters. Having the multigenerational component added to and complicated almost everything they faced.
I guess I didn't read the jacket thoroughly, because this was not your typical chick flick. There was mystery and thriller type drama. This book kep...more
I guess I didn't read the jacket thoroughly, because this was not your typical chick flick. There was mystery and thriller type drama. This book kep...more
Jacquelyn Michard's books usually hold my attentiona nd it is no different with this book. SHe takes 3 friends and the daughter of one on a journey they will remember for the rest of their lives. 4 best friends from HS get together 20 years later to console one who just lost her husband. They decide to take a trip to the Islands on a private boat captained by Lenny and Michel. One friend backs out when her husband needs minor surgery...she's the lucky one! Tracy takes Cammie her 17 year old daug...more
Easy read - read it in one day BUT left me feeling very irritated with myself for staying up late to finish it! I thought it was going to be a story about friendship and adventure (and of course a deep dark secret was going to be revealed) but, it was pretty much none of those things. The secret was a no brainer from the get go,the "adventure" and explanations (or lack there of) for how it all tied up was ridiculous, and there were so many characters introduced that were never really developed t...more
Not my favorite Mitchard novel, but an enjoyable book. The story concerns 4 high school friends and their vacation on a luxury sailboat in the Caribbean. I kept confusing two of the characters – Holly and Tracy. Maybe it was just my own state of mind as I read this book. I did like this passage. “She was not afraid of dying. She was afraid of missing the knowledge of how things turned out. Quietly, with firm certitude, she believed in the survival of the soul. But she could not envision herself...more
The Deep End of the Ocean must be one of the best books EVER! because I actually enjoyed this book. The reviews have been pretty harsh. Everyone who has read Deep End has thought this one was nothing close.
This is a story about a group of women who decide to go on a private cruise in the Caribbean. When tragedy strikes, their history pulls them together? or pulls them apart?
Reading this book, I thought the focus was truly on the plot, not the characters. It was a bit difficult to keep them all...more
This is a story about a group of women who decide to go on a private cruise in the Caribbean. When tragedy strikes, their history pulls them together? or pulls them apart?
Reading this book, I thought the focus was truly on the plot, not the characters. It was a bit difficult to keep them all...more
I didn't read the jacket of this one before I started it. I just put it on the ipod and went on my merry way. So when it was time to start a new book, I put it on. At first it seemed fun. A summer traveling story. I listened to it while puttering around, doing errands.
But while I was driving out of town this weekend and listening to it, it took a dark turn. The light, happy summer story turned dark and tragic. It was full of danger, murder and heartbreak. More than once it made me cry. It haunt...more
But while I was driving out of town this weekend and listening to it, it took a dark turn. The light, happy summer story turned dark and tragic. It was full of danger, murder and heartbreak. More than once it made me cry. It haunt...more
I liked The Deep End of the Ocean - I thought it was well-written and it drew me in. Still Summer reads like a rough draft, a very rough draft, lots of dialogue added here and there and nothing ever edited out. Ms. Mitchard wasn't able to put two thoughts together in a coherent way. The conversations these women have while they are undergoing attacks, starvation, and death are incredibly inane. I kept thinking it would surely get better but it got worse. I skimmed through to the end, not able to...more
I was disappointed by this book; I had higher hopes for it because I really liked her book "Cage of Stars" a few years ago. As a copy editor I can say that I think this book needed some major editing before getting published. It was hard to keep all of the various characters straight; the narrative at times was confusing, abrupt, and random with boring details that didn't really matter; certain elements of the plot were really unrealistic; there was an unnecessarily high amount of profanity and...more
This book is for one of the book clubs to which I belong. The story is about four childhood friends who decide to experience the joys of a sailboat in the Caribbean. One lady must stay home with her husband, and the daughter of another lady replaces this member. So, the voyage gebins under a shadow. Of course, ill fortune must soon follow; but this will reveal the true character of each of the four females. Many of the scenes were very predictable. The characters are well developed, and the stor...more
I really liked this book because it was an adventure! What seems like a relaxing vacation on a yacht for 3 friends and one daughter turns out to be completely opposite. As the story unfolds it just gets better and better. I especially enjoyed the transformation for the daughter from young, innocent and spoiled to brave, clever and grateful yet tainted after such events. I would recommend this book to my friends. With only reading a couple of Jacquelyn's books before this one I am now a big fan a...more
I probably shouldn’t have made Still Summer my first book by Jacquelyn Mitchard because it sure didn’t make me want to run out and acquire any more of her work. I could never figure out what the story was supposed to be.
Is it a thriller? If it is, it isn’t very thrilling. The plot meanders along for the entire first half of the book, setting up for a “terrifying storm” and its aftermath. But the storm never felt threatening and instead of feeling for the characters and wondering how they would...more
Is it a thriller? If it is, it isn’t very thrilling. The plot meanders along for the entire first half of the book, setting up for a “terrifying storm” and its aftermath. But the storm never felt threatening and instead of feeling for the characters and wondering how they would...more
I had no expectations going into this book as I'd never read anything by Jacqueline Mitchard before and didn't remember what it was about from when I'd originally downloaded the audiobook. I was pleasantly surprised. This was a very well written story with many levels. It was very entertaining and kept me interested from beginning to end.
Four women go on a ten day yacht cruise with plans to soak in the sun and explore the Carribean Islands. It starts out as an awesome vacation for the group. Th...more
Four women go on a ten day yacht cruise with plans to soak in the sun and explore the Carribean Islands. It starts out as an awesome vacation for the group. Th...more
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I haven't read any other Jacquelyn Mitchard books, but I think this must be a departure from her other works based on the comments from other reviewers here and in the Table Talk discussion she joined a few weeks ago. Because reviews were lukewarm, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I liked it. I think jumping into the middle of the story might have been a better way to start the book, and some of the structural/plot stuff could have been smoother, but I thought she did a good job with tone and a...more
From the author of The Deep End of the Ocean, Still Summer examines what happens to the bonds of friendship between four old high school buddies when they take a summer cruise together in the Caribbean (actually, only three do, one gets stuck home taking care of her wimpy husband so one brings along her stunning, adopted 19 year-old daughter) that goes horribly awry.
I'm critical of several parts of Mitchard's story. I like the idea of examining what everyday people might do and become under ext...more
I'm critical of several parts of Mitchard's story. I like the idea of examining what everyday people might do and become under ext...more
this wasn't one of my favorites of Jacquelyn's. She's one of my favorite authors, and I especially loved CAGE OF STARS. For some reason, and I'm not quite sure why, this book fell a little short for me. I just didn't care for the characters as I usually do. I found Olivia the worst kind of bitch, and I didn't really feel she got her comeuppance at the end. Still, Mitchard is a talented storyteller, and although this one didn't grab me like most of her other books, I still found it a good read.
I have enjoyed this author in previous writings, but at first, this one strikes me as a chore. She seems to work too hard at every subtle nuance, phrase, turn of the verb, etc. and thus there is not much pleasure in following her. It begins as though you are reading an English teacher's writing displaying her brilliance for her classes.
After she is done setting her scene, her writing improves with the action, thus the second half of the book reads more smoothly, and the story line is very good.
After she is done setting her scene, her writing improves with the action, thus the second half of the book reads more smoothly, and the story line is very good.
When four female friends set out for a sailing vacation in the Caribbean, none can imagine the chain of events that will lead to them being stranded alone on the sailboat with no sails, no motor and no captain or crew aboard. Days later, they are relieved to be hailed by another boat, only to find as they are boarded that these modern-day pirates have very sinister plans for the women. A very intense read for those who love the disaster/adventure genre of women's fiction.
I found the book a little hard to get into at first but perseverance paid off. The characters began to emerge as real people with real reasons to survive, so that when the drama escalated and their lives were put in danger, it was possible to care. Sometimes the action moved a little slowly, but the romance aspect kept it going. Most memorable for me were the scenes that took place in the water, which is perhaps where the author manages to generate the greatest tension and dread.
I'm giving two stars here because I couldn't really relate to any of the women characters, and much of the conversation read like chick lit. When their life-threatening crisis first struck, the women didn't seem really focused on getting rescued; instead they revisited petty memories from high school. One character seemed too selfish to be believable, although some members of my book club assure me they have known women like that! The basic plot, though, was realistic, two of the characters foun...more
This had to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I've done some sailing in the Caribbean, as these four friends (and a daughter) were doing, and their actions defy reality. Not one thing rang true -- not the scenario, not the dialogue, not the emotions, not anything. It was so bad that I couldn't continue reading it, skipped to the end to see what happened and called it good. Well, I really called it bad. Don't read.
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| Friendship | 1 | 7 | Apr 03, 2008 11:16am |
Jacquelyn Mitchard’s first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years – second only to the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (but second by a long shot, it must be said.)
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film p...more
More about Jacquelyn Mitchard...
The Deep End of the Ocean was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film p...more
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Aug 27, 2008 05:25am