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Invincible Summer

by Hannah Moskowitz (Goodreads Author)

3.58 of 5 stars 3.58 · rating details · 1,205 ratings · 300 reviews

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life fr...more

Paperback, 269 pages

Published April 19th 2011 by Simon Pulse

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Apr 27, 2011 Lyndsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: present-tense, pov-primarily-male, 1st-person, about-summertime, reviewed-2011, reviewed-4-stars, genre-young-adult, almost-cried-but-im-a-stingy-cryer, galley-grab, about-sibling-bonding-or-rivalry

Family drama.

What is it about family drama that speaks to us all so deeply? I know why it effects me. As an only child, peace and quiet was the norm for my household. I craved the hug of an older sister or the pranks of a younger brother. Craved anything. Any new and exciting family dynamic.

So I wonder - is drama essential in a large family? Is it inevitable? I have recently been privy to some of the drama of my Dad's large yet scattered family. While I yearn to know what it is like to feel the...more

34 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2013 Cory rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People Who Love Sensitive Boys and John Green

Recommended to Cory by: Phoebe

Shelves: galleygrab, coming-of-age, contemporary, young-adult

Reread on 2/11/13: It didn't hold the same charm on my second time around. Possibly because I hated the way Noah and Chase treated Melinda, and desperately wished for her to become a fully realized character. Ah well, there's only so much you can do with 50,000 words, and Moskowitz's writing is so non-minimalistic and navel-gazey, I don't think I would've stood this out for 70,000k. It's rather odd, I like Looking for Alaska more every time I read it, though I dislike The Perks of Being a Wallfl...more

15 likes · like · see review

Mar 11, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-2011, young-adult, netgalley-e-galley

Hannah Moskowtiz debut novel Break is still one of my most unforgettable reads, so I couldn't wait to see what her next book would bring. Just like I expected, Moskowitz doesn't hold back the punches!
Invincible Summer is bizarre and real and an absolutely enthralling read!

I don't even know even know where to start. I don't even know how to describe this book.
This book is about a family and running away and standing still, and Camus and sex and sisters and brothers and growing up and the fear the...more

17 likes · like · see review

May 24, 2011 Steph Sinclair rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: i-own-it, realistic-fiction, made-me-think, i-didn-t-see-that-coming, i-really-enjoyed-it, 2011-reads, original-and-creative, male-pov, young-adult, pass-me-my-tissues

NOTE: Please do not hit the spoilers if you haven't read the book. It will completely ruin the ending for you!

Summer.

It's the season of innocence, fun, laughter, all the things it means to live. For Chase McGill, summer is his constant in his ever changing life. When everything is falling apart, he feels he can always count on summer to be there. Taking place over four summers at his family's beach house, Chase finds that even his summers can not go untouched by change. It is during those summe...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Hannah added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: i-wrote-this-book

I wrote this. The girl on my cover wishes she had your body. You're awesome.

The playlist:

1) Turn Up the Sun--Oasis
2) Island In the Sun--Weezer
3) Just Like Heaven--Gatsby's American Dream
4) Bigger Than My Body--John Mayer
5) New Soul--Yael Naim
6) Across the Universe--Rufus Wainwright
7) The Boys of Summer--The Ataris
8) Slang--Def Leppard
9) City Hall--The Fray
10) The Worst Part--Motion City Soundtrack
11) Time Won't Let Me Go--The Bravery
12) Hello Hellicopter--Motion City Soundtrack
13) No One's Boy-...more

29 likes · like · see review

Mar 12, 2011 Isamlq rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3:07 AM
I just finished it.
My eyes are all puffy.
My nose is stuffed up.
Invincible Summer is a must read.

We witness Chase McGill grow up. He doesn't want to at first. And it seems, this is precisely his attraction for some. We read as he stands by while his baby sister grows (even if she does so, a little too quickly.) We read as he watches Noah, whom he idolizes continuously, run away. We witness his/their screwed up connection to their summer neighbors. We watch as his family falls apart then...more

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 15, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites, amazing-writing, made-me-cry, contemporary-fiction, favorites, male-pov, ya

Invincible Summer takes place over the course of several summers, during which the McGill family, not very put together in the first place, completely falls apart, only to reassemble itself entirely out of order, like a tile mosaic made out of pieces that don't quite fit together, in colors that don't quite match. When you think about it, the same happens to most families sooner or later, and therein lies the true strength of this book.

Invincible Summer is a quiet little book, a great example of...more Invincible Summer takes place over the course of several summers, during which the McGill family, not very put together in the first place, completely falls apart, only to reassemble itself entirely out of order, like a tile mosaic made out of pieces that don't quite fit together, in colors that don't quite match. When you think about it, the same happens to most families sooner or later, and therein lies the true strength of this book.

Invincible Summer is a quiet little book, a great example of postmodern literature heavily influenced by Camus’ existential prose. I took my time reading it, which is highly unusual for me. The McGill family was so easy to slip into, but then I’d suddenly feel the need to remove myself from their drama, run from them like the oldest brother Noah does all the time, and read something fun that has very little to do with real life.

This drama I mentioned isn’t the loud, obvious drama of soap operas. It is the quiet torture of being in a large family in which all the roles are reversed. Chase struggles with being closely connected to his large family, and yet somehow feeling isolated at the same time. His parents keep having more children, even though the oldest, Noah, is already eighteen years old and the youngest, Gideon, is deaf and requires a lot of attention, and despite the fact that they can’t seem to find common ground about anything at all. The family is full of paradoxes: they are extremely loud in everyday communication, but when they have a problem or a disagreement, they refuse to communicate. Two youngest (healthy) children, Chase and Claudia, are the most responsible ones, taking the role of parents to Gideon far too often. Noah, the oldest, feels very affectionate towards his family, but he can’t stand to spend much real time around them, so he often disappears without a trace for hours at a time.

Chase is going through his sexual awakening, suddenly aware of every girl around, especially his brother’s girlfriend Melinda. 12-year-old Claudia is drawing attention to herself by kissing waitresses in restaurants, Gideon is struggling with sign language and communicating in general, Noah is more restless than ever, and their parents are physically present, but completely absent in every way that counts.

From what I’ve read, most readers had issues with the overwhelming presence of Albert Camus in this book. He is everywhere, constantly quoted by characters and obsessed about, but he can also be found deep underneath the characters and the plot. His influence on Moskowitz herself and the structure of her novel is clearly discernible: if you think about it, the overly melancholic tone and strong sense of detachment are all reminiscent of Camus’ most famous work. Invincible Summer is very much an existentialist book. That part I didn’t mind, I’m a fan after all, but putting poor Albert in the mouths of teenage characters took away from their credibility and made me cringe several times. That is the only flaw I found, and one that is easily forgiven.

In Invincible Summer, Moskowitz did what she does best – she created characters that are impossible to forget and wrote a story that isn’t really a story at all – just a glimpse into a family’s existence: the disagreements, the tragedies, their love and connections. She’s not one for obvious drama, our Hannah, and yet, what could possibly be more terrifying than everyday life itself?
Reading this book, it is incredibly easy to forget that Hannah Moskowitz is ridiculously young. In her case, all that means is that she has many great books ahead of her. At 21 years of age, she is a force to be reckoned with.

(less)

16 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2011 Trinity rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, e-book, young-adult, hearts-a-mess, intense, contempo-casual

Argh. I have no idea how to rate this, the writing was great, it was all technically really good perhaps 4 stars? But the story, ouch the story what a horrible raw departure of innocence it feels like a bad taste in my mouth. Ack.

Later.

This book is the time you burst into tears when you realised that Christmas wasn't Christmas anymore.

This book is all those times you stood in the shower and poured over all your regrets. If only, if only, it didn't have to be that way, it shouldn't have happened...more

7 likes · like · see review

May 17, 2011 Jillian -always aspiring- rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who wants more from their beach reads

Shelves: wish-i-could-write-a-book-like-this, glad-i-gave-it-a-chance, surprisingly-liked, writing-to-which-i-aspire, best-characters, best-endings, realistic-fiction, realistic-teenage-voices, worth-every-star, 2011-reads, thought-provoking, stories-that-challenge-me, made-me-cry, soared-above-and-beyond, stories-with-a-message, couldn-t-stop-reading-it, heroes-i-love-and-respect, amazing-storytelling, ultimate-favorites, prose-envy, writer-crush, reviewed

(Actual Rating: 4.5 stars)

I turn around now, and see them laughing, but unlike Beethoven, I could already hear them. I always knew they were there. Behind me. Even this whole year, when I didn't see them, I always knew they were there.

The lack of surprise doesn't make it any less awesome. Because I get a different revelation now, better than Beethoven's. I'm in love. . .with my stupid, fallen-apart family.

Chase "Everboy" McGill lives for the summers he spends with his family in their summer home...more

15 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-books

I'm going to have to agree with the statement, "Not your typical beach read." In fact I wouldn't use the words beach read to describe this book at all. This isn't a fluffy mindless entertainment while you soak up the rays at the beach. This is a gritty and raw story of a dysfunctional family.

Hannah Moskowitz is a very talented writer, I enjoy her minimalistic style. And after reading and loving her debut novel Break, I was very excited to read her sophomore novel, Invincible Summer. Unfortunatel...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 21, 2011 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, april-2011, read-on-kindle

This book is sharp, beautiful and almost painful in places. It is the perfect beach read, not that it is light and fluffy (it isn't), but it gels perfectly with the feeling of being on the beach in summer.

I'm not quite sure how to approach this review without it devolving into a squee marathon, so let's separate off elements of this book and talk about them, okay?

The setting was one of my favourite things about this novel. Take it from someone who lives on the coast: H. Moskowitz has got it. I c...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this book a while ago and it's still stayed with me. There was so much depth to this book in the way the family members related to each other--the unofficial battle lines drawn, the way people are supposed to take care of each other, the prodigal son adored when he's around.

There's so much to love about this book...when you read it, it feels like you're sitting on a beach in Maryland. The beach is as much of a character as any of the people, and it works. Everything about it seemed real,...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 26, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, ya-contemporary, e-version, read-2011, high-expectations, male-point-of-view, lacks-fluff-or-hope, not-afraid-of-sex-in-ya

In short: I kind of liked the hero, but the family, especially the parents (so many kids but almost zero interest in them, plus "Dad hates Noah", the eldest ...), was so very weird and displayed strange dynamics. In addition the sad undercurrent carried the later crashing tragedy with it almost from the beginning like a slowly built-up tsunami which caused me flipping the pages with very little enjoyment. I am a hope-or-spark-of-hope-focused kind of reader. I need a healthy dose of it even in th...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 11, 2011 Darci rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, really-really-sad, galley-grab, favoritest-favorites, to-reread

I absolutely LOVED this book! I don't even know how to describe it. It's about Chase and his family, siblings that have taken on parental roles of each other, parents that don't really love each other anymore, yet still keep having babies, love and friendship with the other family that vacations with them every summer, and the kids trying to find their place in a family that is falling apart. The relationship between Chase and his siblings makes my heart happy. Even with shitty parents, these ki...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Vilda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Vilda by: Amanda (Letters Inside Out)

Shelves: young-adult, buddy-read, sob-fest, wanna-read-over-and-over, emotional-roller-coaster, read-in-2013, e-book

Rating: 4.5

'"You guys do okay, though. I mean, he's happy. Playing with Bella and Shannon."
"He can't talk to them. We can barely talk to him."
"What's the point of talking?"
"We're talking right now."
"But we're not saying anything."'

Invincible Summer is such a hard book to review. It's beautiful, realistic, captivating and just fantastic. I absolutely love these more realistic contemporaries and this one was definitely not an exception. I was captivated from the first few pages and it was extr...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2012 Hira rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya, cried, favorites-2011

"Primary language spoken at home." Noah makes a face. "What does this mean? Our primary language? Gideon's? That's sort of why we're here..."
"Um, it's under family, so I'm guessing ours?"
"Well..." Noah lowers his pen. The paperwork has defeated him. "What's our primary language?"
"English? ASL? Physical affection?"
"Food?" Noah says.
"Food's a good guess."
He picks up the pen. "I'm writing food, comma passive aggressive."
"Good call."

This was my first Hannah Moskowitz book, and it definitely...more "Primary language spoken at home." Noah makes a face. "What does this mean? Our primary language? Gideon's? That's sort of why we're here..."
"Um, it's under family, so I'm guessing ours?"
"Well..." Noah lowers his pen. The paperwork has defeated him. "What's our primary language?"
"English? ASL? Physical affection?"
"Food?" Noah says.
"Food's a good guess."
He picks up the pen. "I'm writing food, comma passive aggressive."
"Good call."

This was my first Hannah Moskowitz book, and it definitely won't be the last :) And don't judge this by the summary or cover. I did and i was blown away by the dysfunctional/heart wrenching family drama.

The book spans 4 summers. Chase 'Everboy' Mcgill lives for the summer. He and his family go to their house by the beach each summer, where our story takes place. There's noah, the big brother, who's always running away, no matter how much chase wants him to stay, there's claudia, the little sister who acts the oldest of them all, there's gideon their young, deaf, lovely brother, and then there's lucy, the newbaby.

I particularly loved their interactions with Gideon. It was eye opening at times, the way it was shown. I can't imagine having a deaf brother/sister, or all the troubles faced with them. Big families I do understand, however. Which was why I found it weird about the dad hating Noah, and the not learning sign language and stuff. And yeah, they regretted it later on, but how can you not 'talk' with your son at all? Don't you feel like scolding him or telling him stories or stuff at times?

There are few books i've read from a male POV, and i guess this one of maybe two in which i can actually relate to the main character (except for the whole Noah-Melinda-Chase thing, i found that pretty disgusting).

Now I'm the oldest of four kids, the youngest still a toddler. I sympathize a lot with Chase, there's so much work parents give to older kids sometimes, though not as much as the parents in the book did, i doubt my parents would leave their kids around that much.

All in all, it was a wonderful read which i'd definitely recommend!

Concerning the ending, i saw it coming, but i still cried. It was just too sad :( (view spoiler)

PS: Someone remind me to write "Food" as my language on any form from now on. Fits perfectly. (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 19, 2012 Ashelynn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: recommend

[Mind blowing. Will write review when I can think again.] Cross posted on A Gypsy Writer.

Oh. My. God. This book broke my brain. I recommend it to anybody who loves a good family story. So that blurb up there? Totally wrong. I'm not kidding--sure, there are some romantic interests in here, but it's family orientated.

And it's told from a guy's POV. The cover thinks "fun, summer romance." (Well, it made me think that.) It's not; it's a my-family-is-dysfunctional-and-I-need-to-keep-them-together-wh...more [Mind blowing. Will write review when I can think again.] Cross posted on A Gypsy Writer.

Oh. My. God. This book broke my brain. I recommend it to anybody who loves a good family story. So that blurb up there? Totally wrong. I'm not kidding--sure, there are some romantic interests in here, but it's family orientated.

And it's told from a guy's POV. The cover thinks "fun, summer romance." (Well, it made me think that.) It's not; it's a my-family-is-dysfunctional-and-I-need-to-keep-them-together-while-we-go-on-vacation. Um, yeah. It's that type of book. But if you pick up this book thinking it's a nice summer romance? Sorry to crush your dreams, but it's not that type of book. I have no problem with the cover--I think it's awesome. Does it fit the story that well? Not really, but I think it will appeal to teenage boys, which is this book's audience. (And girls too!)

The first thing I said after finishing the book (to Hannah Moskowitz): I finished IS. I sorta hate for writing such a brilliant book. But I also love you for writing it. Good god.

It's not just brilliant, it's bloody brilliant. I felt as if I was there each summer, experiencing Chase's disasters. Each summer was better, if not more disastrous. I saw each character grow with the four summers. Chase was a bit naive the first summer--or as it's called in the book "15th Summer." He's fourteen at the beginning, I get it. He's going to have a lot of growth between the off seasons, and he does.

When the 16th summer rolls around, I noticed right away that Chase grew up. And. I. Freaking. Loved. It. I fell in love with THAT Chase. Even though the 17th and 18th summer Chases weren't bad either. I loved the 16th summer, and oddly enough it's the summer that Chase spends thinking about sex . . . and finally does it. Moskowitz does an excellent job with this summer, the sex scenes, and building up the tension (!!!) Okay, Moskowitz just goes well with this book. I thought it was brilliant, amazing, and can't wait for more. I wanted to re-read it after I finished it. Good job, Moskowitz! ::claps::

INVINCIBLE SUMMER did not read slow to me at all. Sometimes I did get up and walked away from the story, but I was reading it on my computer. I needed to give my eyes a rest! But I still finished this book around five hours. It's a quick read, may seem slow at first (to some), and some may need to grab a few tissues. Frankly, I didn't, but then again I'm a little cold-hearted. It's the biggest reason I gave it four stars; it did move me, but others have said they CRIED at the ending and I didn't. It's still a great book, just if I would have cried I probably would have rated it five stars. And . . . that's weird. I'm cold-hearted, okay?

I can't wait to read more of Moskowitz. INVINCIBLE SUMMER was my first book I've read, and I'm going to get BREAK as soon as I can. Maybe one of her books will make me cry. (less)

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 11, 2011 Christie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Christie by: Around the World Tours

Shelves: read-in-2011

Chase is excited to begin another summer at the family beach house. Knowing his older brother will leave soon for college he is hoping for a summer of fun times with Noah. The neighbors who they always hang with have also returned, but things seem to be shifting as the children get older. Invincible Summer follows Chase’s life over four summers as things begin to take dramatic turns in many directions. I would love to elaborate on this, but I can’t find the words. This book has so many angles, a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2011 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Initial Thoughts after Reading:

I don't even know to say about this book... For one, it was amazing and full of raw feelings. It made me angry, sad, and happy among other things. I am not even sure how I exactly feel about it all. However, I do know one thing: Hannah Moskowitz is one heck of an author.

Official Review:

I have been hearing amazing things about Hannah Moskowitz and her books since her first book was released in '09, and while I even have that said book in my TBR pile, I had not read...more Initial Thoughts after Reading:

I don't even know to say about this book... For one, it was amazing and full of raw feelings. It made me angry, sad, and happy among other things. I am not even sure how I exactly feel about it all. However, I do know one thing: Hannah Moskowitz is one heck of an author.

Official Review:

I have been hearing amazing things about Hannah Moskowitz and her books since her first book was released in '09, and while I even have that said book in my TBR pile, I had not read anything by Hannah until Invincible Summer. And boy do I regret that now, as not only is Invincible Summer one of the grittiest, emotionally charged books of the year, if not ever, but it’s also a book that will make any reader feel a bucket full of emotions: anger, love, joy, the list goes on and on.

Invincible Summer tells the story of Chase over the course of four summers spent at the beach with his family. For Chase and his family, the best parts of their years have always been spent at the beach along with the Hathways’ (Melinda, Bella, and Shannon as well as their parents). However, this summer, Chase’s fifteenth, is nothing like the ones before. He is starting to feel things for the girl who has always been his brother’s…the one who has always made him the happiest. Worse of all, everything is changing this summer, lust will be felt, hearts will be shattered, and it will continue on for the next four summer as lives as well as faith are tested time and time again, and Chase as well as his family face the biggest challenge live has yet to through them. Will Chase overcome it? Will everything in Chase’s live change for the better or worse? Will everything in his life ever make sense again? Only more pages and time will tell in this addicting read filled with laughter and tears and hope and despair.

Looking at the sunny cover of this one, any reader would thing this is ultimately a feel-good type of book, as I did. Surprisingly enough, it’s anything but that, and that’s what made it an absolute star in my eyes, because it’s different; it’s unique; it’s one of kind; it's a book that includes the tough parts of live as well as the amazing parts. It tests faith… but I digress.

One of my favorite parts of this novel would have to be the characters, no doubt about it. Hannah creates each one with such grace to the point where they simply jump of the page and come to life with every word said aloud to the ones not said at all. Chase, the narrator, would have to be favorite out of the bunch. He is a boy who has his head on his shoulders; a boy who always wants to do the good thing, the right thing, but that's the problem, life isn’t always that way- he’s starting to find. His inner struggles over loss and love will make any reader root for him as well as well relate to him and his jokes and quotes will make readers laugh as well. Though, my favorite part of his character was his ties to his family. His family (his parents, and his siblings) play such an important role in in not only Noah’s live but the book as well. Better yet, it was hard not to simply adore ever one of them, even with their faults.

Adding to his, the plot of this was always a high point. I really enjoyed the way it was told over four summers, as not only did it make it suspenseful, but also it allowed for just the right amount of the story to be told. More importantly, I loved all the twists and turns to the story. I don't think I ever knew just how everything was going to end until the very end, which made me love this book even more.

Lastly, Hannah Markowitz…she’s one heck of an author. I know that for sure. She just gets the feelings teens feel down pat in her characters, in my opinion. She brings to life their problems, strengths, and weakness with her lyrical writing, and she never shies away from the hard parts of live, making her a very valuable author, in my opinion.

Full of emotions and fantastic and lively characters and events, Invincible Summer is one book you simply must not pass up. It is spectacular, gritty, and a worthwhile contemporary read. I can only hope you will love it as much, if not more, than I did.

But word of warning: you're going to need a few tissues.

Grade: A+ (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 11, 2011 Lynossa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: egalley, wishlist, read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Chase and the rest of McGill family (his parent, his older brother Noah, his younger sister Claudia, and his younger deaf brother Gideon) always spend summer at the beach together with the Hathaway family. Noah always had a summer fling with Hathaway's oldest daughter, Melinda, and Chase always be the one who act like oldest brother. But things doesn't always stay the same and as they grew older, more problems starting to show up: ranging hormones, puberty, school, and parents. Trying to keep hi...more Chase and the rest of McGill family (his parent, his older brother Noah, his younger sister Claudia, and his younger deaf brother Gideon) always spend summer at the beach together with the Hathaway family. Noah always had a summer fling with Hathaway's oldest daughter, Melinda, and Chase always be the one who act like oldest brother. But things doesn't always stay the same and as they grew older, more problems starting to show up: ranging hormones, puberty, school, and parents. Trying to keep his brother Noah stayed with their family, helping his parent took care Gideon, keeping eye on the more-mature younger sister, Claudia, while pressing his sexual interest toward Melinda, Chase took the changes in one huge gulp and felt devastated by it. This is not a book about romance, this is about a boy who grew up in somewhat dysfunctional family, forced to be mature before his age, and finally learned that no matter what happened, family always comes first.

The cover and the blurb were misleading. I thought it was a summer romance story, but I was mistaken. I was completely blown away by the ending and ended up giving this book 5 stars at Goodreads, however after I remember all the details and my reading progress, I have to drop one stars. That doesn't mean the book sucks though, quite the contrary, this book is awesome. The characters are interesting; the connection between them were real although the bromance between Noah and Chase made me lift my eyebrow a bit. I felt in love with Gideon, Chase's deaf brother, half-amused half-cringed by Claudia's attitude, and curious about what would happened between Chase, Noah, and Melinda.

However, as much as I love this book, there are some parts that bores me; one of that was Camus quotation. One or two sentences would be fine, but I felt like they practically remember every bit of the book. It was hard to believe that three teenagers who are not a bookworm capable of doing that. The best part must be toward the end on the book. It torn my heart into pieces and it made me cried. The author did a great job in exploring the tragedy; one moment I was reading casually and the next moment my heart was thumping heavily and then, when my fear was confirmed, tears were falling from my eyes. The emotional turmoil that happened within the family was almost unbearable. I could felt the sadness and anger in Chase's heart and the guilt that hanging over Noah's head.

This is a must-read book for those who love family stories and coming-out-of-age stories. Don't be discouraged by the label tragedy; you'll miss some interesting stories.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 19, 2011 Amanda (GoodChoiceReading) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley-grab

There's something about a character driven plot that's remarkably refreshing after paranormal after paranormal.

Invincible Summer is not what I expected. (Nothing is ever what I expect, I really have to stop judging books by their cover.) I thought it would be this light, fun read. Light? Definitely not. Fun? Not the word I'd use.

The problem is, I'm not sure what I can really say about it. I loved it, but I can't find the words to tell you why.

Oy.

Another misconception the cover gave me was the po...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Amber rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had seen on a lot of my favorite blogs that people were just eating this book up. Chase's story is told over four summers, and I'll be honest - I found it kind of boring at first. I didn't really see what the big deal was, but Moskowitz's writing is so free flowing and has this way of grabbing you where even though you may, like me, kind of be meh about it at first, you don't want to put it down. I'm glad I didn't because this story just completely stole me away.

I thought this was going to be...more I had seen on a lot of my favorite blogs that people were just eating this book up. Chase's story is told over four summers, and I'll be honest - I found it kind of boring at first. I didn't really see what the big deal was, but Moskowitz's writing is so free flowing and has this way of grabbing you where even though you may, like me, kind of be meh about it at first, you don't want to put it down. I'm glad I didn't because this story just completely stole me away.

I thought this was going to be more of some torn romance, and I guess in a way it was. Melinda, the girl both brothers are kind of "with" has a lot to do with the story. I never liked her. Never grew to like her, but what really stuck out to me was the family dynamics. You had the oldest brother who no one ever knew if he was coming or going. The little sister who was stuck between still being a child and wanting to be a woman. A younger brother who was deaf and how everyone in the family coped with it. Then there was NewBaby mixed in with these parents who are there, but never really "there"....and they were....wow. The only word I can think of how to describe this family is: Strange. It's the kind of strange that sticks with you a couple days after you read it. There was a couple of times where the boarder line incest freaked me out. Was it because the parents weren't really around in the sense so they all relied on each other so much? I have a sister who I'm really close with, but not the way these kids were.

It's really hard to write a review for a book like this because even though I read it (almost in one sitting), it's kind of like I'm still not for sure what I read. Chase's story is very, very raw. Moskowitz does not shy away from any feelings or words. Sometimes over bluntness in books (and repeated ones too) kind of pushes me away, but with Chase's story, it had to be that way. There were so many moments where you could see him and his family just being broken and it just punched me. By the third summer came around - I was in shock. I can't remember the last time I literally stared at the end of a chapter for a few minutes wondering what the hell just happened.

I hope this review makes sense. After reading other people's, this one is either a hit or miss. Obviously for me, it was a hit. The kind of realistic read that is so screwed up yet it is so beautiful and powerful I just want to read it again because I know I missed something. So if you've been thinking about not reading this one because you've read a bad review, I really suggest going ahead and getting it yourself just to see. And if you were thinking for one second this was some beach read - think again. Definitely one for older teens due to all the language and sex.

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Apr 17, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Such a great read! I didn't know what to expect and at first I wasn't so sure but I grew to love the characters and the story behind it. I was significantly confused in the beginning with all the different characters and for a few pages thought Gideon was the family dog lol don't know how I got that but still. If you think your going to just get a light fluffy read out of this book you're in for a suprise. While parts of this book are laugh out loud funny, there are also some difficult issues an...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first got this book, I was expecting a good summer romance. It was nothing like that. What I got, was even better! This book is told from Chase's point of view in all the summers of his teen years. I like that. As an avid reader, you really don't get to read many books from a male pov, so I was excited to do so. I have never seen summer so dramatic (in a good way!).

What I like most about this book is the dynamic plot it has. Yes, dynamic. It's explosive, the bomb diggity, da bomb! I was...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4point5-stars

Wow. Shitdamn.

(I think those two words sum up this book perfectly, but if you want to read a full review go here.)

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Jun 18, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Sarah by: some magic gay fish

Also posted here, on my blog:)--> http://sarahs-bookshelf.blogspot.com/...

I'll start off by saying that Hannah is one of my favorite authors right now. I've only read Gone, Gone, Gone and Invincible Summer but I loved them. They both touched my heart and gave me a lot to think about. I'm excited to get Break soon, and read Zombie Tag!

Back to Invincible Summer. I adored the characters. We only got to see them for the summers but I felt like they showed their true selves when they came "home" t...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Emily May rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-na, romance

This book is okay if you want 4 identical cheesy stories of summertime romance. Some people will love it undoubtedly but I got bored fairly quick.

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2011 Morgan F rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, not-yet-released, 2011, galleygrab, e-book, goodreads-author, realistic, romance, favorites, its-a-boy, ive-got-issues, medium-sized, pretty-covers, read-2011, summer

This song has been stuck in my head the whole time I was reading this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq-yP7...

Review to come :)

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Pixie/PageTurners(Amber) C. marked it as to-read

This was a tour book, that I didn't get to finish. I was loving it up until I had to mail it out - cant wait to finish the book.

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2010 Dani marked it as to-read

Shelves: cover-love, catch-up

Yay its finally up on GoodReads! :)

3 likes · like · see review

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About Hannah Moskowitz

Hannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. She was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA's 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. She is a student at The University of Maryland.

I rate emotionally more than intellectually. 5 stars means I loved it, not that it was...more

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