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278th out of 674 books
—
1,009 voters
That Summer
by
Sarah Dessen (Goodreads Author)
The more things change...
For fiteen-year-old Haven, there's just too much going on. First, there's her father's wedding to Lorna Queen, the local television "Weather Pet." Then her sister Ashley's wedding to boring Lewis Warsher, who doesn't seem to suit Ashley at all. And Haven can't ignore the fact that she's nearly six feet tall and still growing. Haven can barely figur...more
For fiteen-year-old Haven, there's just too much going on. First, there's her father's wedding to Lorna Queen, the local television "Weather Pet." Then her sister Ashley's wedding to boring Lewis Warsher, who doesn't seem to suit Ashley at all. And Haven can't ignore the fact that she's nearly six feet tall and still growing. Haven can barely figur...more
Paperback, 198 pages
Published
May 11th 2004
by Speak
(first published October 1st 1996)
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That Summer wasn't my favorite Dessen novel. Most of her books are pretty life changing, and I lay awake just thinking about them for several nights in a row. This book wasn't like that. I suppose it was enjoyable, and the main character was kind of relatable, but a lot of things really bugged me.
A million things are happening around Haven and too her family, but she kind of does nothing thoughout the book, besides freaking out and throwing a show at some lady and bolting. I just felt like the...more
A million things are happening around Haven and too her family, but she kind of does nothing thoughout the book, besides freaking out and throwing a show at some lady and bolting. I just felt like the...more
15-year-old Haven has always thought of the past with fond memories. She continuously retreats to favorite memories, not realizing that they might be jaded from reality. With Haven's father getting remarried and her sister, Ashley's marriage looming in the distant future, something snaps in Haven and she feels like she can't go on. It's only when an unexpected person, Ashley's old boyfriend, Sumner pops back into her life, does she start to think that maybe things will go back to the way they we...more
Dec 05, 2012
Alexis
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-did-not-finish,
own-in-hardback
I decided to not finish this book because of too many reasons I could not avoid.
First- The storyline was boring.
Second- The characters were boring.
Third- The writing wasn't all that great. Very repetitive.
Fourth- I found no story progression and only 80 pages in I was just skimming through the pages hoping it would end soon.
You can definitely tell this was Sarah's first book, because I have really liked all her other books and this one just put me to sleep, as sad as I am to say that. I do no r...more
First- The storyline was boring.
Second- The characters were boring.
Third- The writing wasn't all that great. Very repetitive.
Fourth- I found no story progression and only 80 pages in I was just skimming through the pages hoping it would end soon.
You can definitely tell this was Sarah's first book, because I have really liked all her other books and this one just put me to sleep, as sad as I am to say that. I do no r...more
12 likes · like · see review
Dec 02, 2010
Ana705
added it
who, would like this book???? bored, people who want to listen to boring stuff? okay, i know a lot (A LOT!) of people who enjoyed this book but, it doesn't speak at, all to me. this is not my style of book, and type. sorry.
11 likes · like · see review
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4 likes · like · see review
I’ve recently just read the book That Summer by Sarah Dessen. I’ve read many of Sarah’s books and this one is at the top of my list. This is just one of her many outstanding books. This book is about a girl whose life is going through many changes. She is not your typical teenage girl. She is fifteen and almost six feet tall! This book is how one thing can change the rest of your life.
Haven, an almost six foot giant, is the reason I loved this book. She is just like me, except I am more on the...more
Haven, an almost six foot giant, is the reason I loved this book. She is just like me, except I am more on the...more
After reading Someone Like You and finding out there was a movie for it combining it with That Summer, I decided to pick it up. I have found Sarah Dessen books to be extremely relatable as they are generally based upon young girls just trying to get through high school and the experiences they go through, good and bad. That Summer is about Haven, a teenager girl uncomfortable in her own skin as she is already six feet tall. Havens summer is trapped between her fathers and her perfect sister, Ash...more
I have read plenty of Sarah Dessen books, so I was just like "OMIGOSH I'M READING HER DEBUT NOVEL!" Wow I was disappointed. First. This girl, Haven, is totally like self conscious and too fricken tall that she just has to complain about it. I hate main girls that just complain. Then when she is done talking about her height she goes on to complain about how her life is ruined by her sisters dating history. What the crap? That doesn't even make sense.
Second. All the author can obsess over in thi...more
Second. All the author can obsess over in thi...more
I really liked this book, not only because it reminded me of my family but also because it has a common theme with my life right now which is change. Some of us are afraid of it and some seek and crave it. the ending of the book made me think of me and my sister in the future.
Summary:
Starts with our main character Havan she's fifteen and her life is changing WAAAY to fast. She cant keep up with it all. In one summer she faces her parents divorce, her dad remarrying, her sister getting married, s...more
Summary:
Starts with our main character Havan she's fifteen and her life is changing WAAAY to fast. She cant keep up with it all. In one summer she faces her parents divorce, her dad remarrying, her sister getting married, s...more
Sarah Dessen's first novel. Haven is such a great character. She's 15, and she has a crappy job at a children's shoe store, and her father and older sister are both marrying people she's not sure are right for them. Her best friend Casey returns from 4H camp with a long-distance boyfriend and a smoking habit. Haven's mother is thinking of selling her childhood home. With all the changes happening in the people Haven once relied on, she fixates on a particular time: a trip to Virginia Beach her f...more
A pleasant, quick and easy read. I think that the book was well written for a relaxing read without being trashy - it definitely had potential to be longer and for things to be more detailed. To be better, there could've description and history of the parents break up and Sumner's character and story could've certainly been developed more. There was certainly no depth to this book, but it was still a good read for what it was.
3 likes · like · see review
Sarah Dessen is one of my favorite authors, and since I hadn't read this one yet, I just had to.
The essence of teenage life is captured beautifully. Haven was not a really fascinating character, but definitely relatable.
This book was much more revolved around her family more than friends and boys. Maybe that is a little bit why it was not as exciting as other Sarah Dessen books, but it still hit the spot. It ended well, although kind of suddenly.
It is a great first novel, and I think the stor...more
The essence of teenage life is captured beautifully. Haven was not a really fascinating character, but definitely relatable.
This book was much more revolved around her family more than friends and boys. Maybe that is a little bit why it was not as exciting as other Sarah Dessen books, but it still hit the spot. It ended well, although kind of suddenly.
It is a great first novel, and I think the stor...more
Things are changing fast for fifteen year old Haven as her parents divorce, her father marries a younger woman, her sister is getting maried and moving out, and Haven just can't ignore the fact that she is nearly six feet tall and still growing. To shield herself from everything thatis happening, Haven starts clinging on to the memory of a summer vacation when her parents were still together, her sister was dating Sumner Lee, and when everything was great and perfect.
At least thats what Haven th...more
At least thats what Haven th...more
This was the first book I read of Sarah Dessen, my ex-boyfriend gave me the movie tie in edition of How to Deal where it came That Summer and Someone Like You. After I finished reading it, I knew that Sarah Dessen was about to become one of my favorite authors.
I want to believe that this specific story has a special meaning to everyone. For me is about changes. Haven is 15 years teenager who’s life is being put upside down and in the moment Summer Lee, her older sister boyfriends, appears in her...more
I want to believe that this specific story has a special meaning to everyone. For me is about changes. Haven is 15 years teenager who’s life is being put upside down and in the moment Summer Lee, her older sister boyfriends, appears in her...more
This book was okay. Nothing special really. It was Sarah Dessen's first novel and since she's super popular now, I'm sure she's gotten better. The things I liked about this book was that it wasn't about a teenage girl finding the cutest boy, the bestest friends or the cutest clothes. It was about a pivotal time in a teenage girls life where everything is changing around her and is totally out of her control. Divorces, babies, marriages, growth spurts, moving, these are all things that when you'r...more
Haven is a 16 year old monster. (Not really) she's just really tall which in her case makes her feel like a monster. But thats just on the outside, Haven can't stand the fact that his father just got a divorce and married in a time spand of 2 months. Haven can't stand the look on her moms facve everytime she sees her dad. then there Ashely her perfect sister with a perfect life, who is as well getting married, but in Haver's case to the wrong guy. Why is Haven so admamant about the "small" detai...more
I was so disappointed with this book but I guess that’s why this is her first book.
What I don’t like about this book is that Haven doesn’t fall in love with someone. I thought she would find someone-anyone to go out with like in all of her other books but nothing like that happens. Also that the message in this book is clear at times but fuzzy at others, I wish Sarah Dessen was consistent like how she is with her more recent novels. But more importantly, this book was a huge let down for me beca...more
What I don’t like about this book is that Haven doesn’t fall in love with someone. I thought she would find someone-anyone to go out with like in all of her other books but nothing like that happens. Also that the message in this book is clear at times but fuzzy at others, I wish Sarah Dessen was consistent like how she is with her more recent novels. But more importantly, this book was a huge let down for me beca...more
One of my friends from school loves Sarah Dessen, however I was still on the fence. When I found this book, never read, in my bookshelf when I was sorting through it. I decided to give it a try because I had heard many good reviews about this author's books.
That Summer which was published in 1996 was Sarah Dessen's first novel. The story is based on fifteen old protagonist Haven McPhail over the span of one summer. However, this summer appears different as Haven has to deal with everyone around...more
That Summer which was published in 1996 was Sarah Dessen's first novel. The story is based on fifteen old protagonist Haven McPhail over the span of one summer. However, this summer appears different as Haven has to deal with everyone around...more
Hmm, interesting. I enjoyed reading this, but there’s a sense of…insubstantiality to it. Not because it’s Shallow, as I don’t read Dessen for her philosophy on life, but more like it feels dreamy and vignette-like. Enjoyable in the moment, but I’ll probably have a hard time remembering much about it. There technically is plot, but it feels like nothing happens to or because of the protagonist. There’s the weak subplot about her annoying caricature of a best friend having her first boyfriend. Her...more
Changes happen All the Time: A book review of That Summer
That Summer Penguin Group., 2004, 224pp., $9.99
Sarah Dessen ISBN-13: 9780142401729
Have you ever felt like an abnormal person anytime during your life? Or have you ever been compared into another siblings? In this book, That Summer; Haven, a fifteen year old teenage girl have to go through many events. At the age of fifteen, Haven is nearly six feet tall, she thinks this is a negative part of her. Haven and her sister, Ashley are very close...more
That Summer Penguin Group., 2004, 224pp., $9.99
Sarah Dessen ISBN-13: 9780142401729
Have you ever felt like an abnormal person anytime during your life? Or have you ever been compared into another siblings? In this book, That Summer; Haven, a fifteen year old teenage girl have to go through many events. At the age of fifteen, Haven is nearly six feet tall, she thinks this is a negative part of her. Haven and her sister, Ashley are very close...more
I decided to read "That Summer" because i was looking for a book that was more on the shorter side and when I saw that this book was by Sarah Dessen, I had to get it. "That Summer" is about a girl named Haven, who's going through the toughest summer ever. Her dad is getting remarried, her sister's getting married with some boring guy, that's not like any of her past boyfriends, her mom's turned into some weird, peppy person, and above all she's self-conscious about how tall and skinny she is. To...more
THAT SUMMER is about an insecure 15 year old girl named Haven who is having a hard time dealing with her dad's remarriage and her sisters marriage. She has learn how to let go and move on or she will never be happy. She realizes that life goes on and although thing may never be the same that doesn't mean they will never get better.
Haven is the one character I can really relate to. She's insecure about her height and the way she looks. She would rather live in the past when things were perfect...more
Haven is the one character I can really relate to. She's insecure about her height and the way she looks. She would rather live in the past when things were perfect...more
I know I bagged on the last Sarah Dessen book I reviewed but I am really a fan of this one. It was Sarah Dessen’s first novel, and probably one of her best. This character, Haven, she just seems so real! I can totally relate to her, and to me that’s important in a book. Often Sarah Dessen’s characters are sort of wild and crazy, and you can’t help but get annoyed with them because they’re all throwing one big pity party for themselves it seems. But not with this book. Haven is more or less just...more
While I very much enjoyed Just Listen, my first Sarah Dessen book, That Summer did not really impress me as much. However, I do realize that this is Dessen's first book, so it is to be expected that her work would improve over time.
Thankfully, Dessen's writing has improved vastly since That Summer. With this book, I found myself not really drawn into the story as much--it was written in first person from Haven's point of view, and much of it was reading Haven's rambling thoughts, while dialogues...more
Thankfully, Dessen's writing has improved vastly since That Summer. With this book, I found myself not really drawn into the story as much--it was written in first person from Haven's point of view, and much of it was reading Haven's rambling thoughts, while dialogues...more
I am working through Sarah Dessen's book and this one happened to be my next choice (mainly as it was short and I wanted a quick read, and at only 212 pages, this was perfect!)
Haven's life has been turned upside down, her parents got divorced, her dad is now getting married again, her sister is also getting married, and her best friend went away to Summer camp as a shy, sensible girl and came back boy obsessed. Haven can't help but think back to what she remembers as the perfect summer, her fam...more
Haven's life has been turned upside down, her parents got divorced, her dad is now getting married again, her sister is also getting married, and her best friend went away to Summer camp as a shy, sensible girl and came back boy obsessed. Haven can't help but think back to what she remembers as the perfect summer, her fam...more
“I woke up the next morning to a wedding crisis… I could sense one from miles off, but I didn’t have to go that far thanks to the vent in my bathroom and the fact that all major family confrontations seem to take place in our kitchen below.”
Haven is fifteen years old, and her summer is bookended with her father’s second marriage at the beginning, and her older sister’s wedding at the end. Participating in these weddings is slightly complicated by the fact that Haven is going through a growth spu...more
Haven is fifteen years old, and her summer is bookended with her father’s second marriage at the beginning, and her older sister’s wedding at the end. Participating in these weddings is slightly complicated by the fact that Haven is going through a growth spu...more
That Summer was my first Sarah Dessen book, and won't be my last. As a new Young Adult (YA) writer myself, I enjoy the part of the research phase of my job, including reading other YA authors. I've followed Sarah Dessen on Twitter, and greatly enjoyed her sense of humor, so looked forward to reading some of her fiction. I loved this book and her writing.
Fifteen-year-old Haven's world falls apart in one summer, while she continues to reflect back on the summer she remembers as the best in her lif...more
Fifteen-year-old Haven's world falls apart in one summer, while she continues to reflect back on the summer she remembers as the best in her lif...more
I rate "That Summer" an undefiled five stars. Half-a-day read! Quickie!
I had this book just laying around
This book is about a girl named Haven whose mother and father get a divorce and whose sister is getting married. But her sister is marrying a very boring man who doesn't seem to fit her sister's personality. Could things just get worse for Haven?
Then something sparks Haven and reminds her of when her mother and father were happy together and her sister was perky and carefree. What was that t...more
I had this book just laying around
This book is about a girl named Haven whose mother and father get a divorce and whose sister is getting married. But her sister is marrying a very boring man who doesn't seem to fit her sister's personality. Could things just get worse for Haven?
Then something sparks Haven and reminds her of when her mother and father were happy together and her sister was perky and carefree. What was that t...more
Blah. This book was well-written, but dull.
Everything is changing in 15-year-old Haven's life. She suddenly 5'11. Her dad marries a 26 year-old weather girl. Her 21 year-old sister gets married a month later. Her mom is now a divorcee with a crazy bestfriend who goes to ladies night every Thursday. Haven's own bestfriend comes back from camp with a cigarette addiction and the boy-crazies.
Sumner and all of his jobs was hilarious. He might have been the highlight of the book, (That and Haven's po...more
Everything is changing in 15-year-old Haven's life. She suddenly 5'11. Her dad marries a 26 year-old weather girl. Her 21 year-old sister gets married a month later. Her mom is now a divorcee with a crazy bestfriend who goes to ladies night every Thursday. Haven's own bestfriend comes back from camp with a cigarette addiction and the boy-crazies.
Sumner and all of his jobs was hilarious. He might have been the highlight of the book, (That and Haven's po...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| SPSV Mrs. Rodgers...: Immanuel Bustos | 1 | 4 | May 18, 2012 12:55am |
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“Maybe not," she said as we came to the car. "But maybe that isn't so bad. You can't love anyone that way more than once in a lifetime. It's too hard and it hurts too much when it ends. The first boy is always the hardest to get over, Haven. It's just the way the world works.”
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367 people liked it
“It’s funny how one summer can change everything. It must be something about the heat and the smell of chlorine, fresh-cut grass and honeysuckle, asphalt sizzling after late-day thunderstorms, the steam rising while everything drips around it. Something about long, lazy days and whirring air conditioners and bright plastic flip-flops from the drugstore thwacking down the street. Something about fall being so close, another year, another Christmas, another beginning. So much in one summer, stirring up like the storms that crest at the end of each day, blowing out all the heat and dirt to leave everything gasping and cool. Everyone can reach back to one summer and lay a finger to it, finding the exact point when everything changed. That summer was mine.”
—
123 people liked it
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Apr 13, 2012 07:27pm