Summer Reads: That Summer
Author: Sarah Dessen
My Goodreads Review: 4 Stars
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Synopsis (via Goodreads):
The more things change…
As far as Haven is concerned, there’s just too much going on.
Everything is changing, and she’s not sure where she fits in.
Then her sister’s old boyfriend shows up, sparking memories of the summer when they were all happy and everything was perfect…
But along the way, Haven realizes that sometimes change is a good thing.
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My Review:
Overall I liked this book a lot. It was a a great beach read, especially because it is less than 200 pages and was the perfect length book for me to buy at Barnes & Noble and finish on my last day of vacation.
I will say it isn’t exactly like the other Dessen books I’ve read and what I was expecting for this story. It didn’t have the typical summer romance love story that is usually in Sarah Dessen novels.
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However, by the end I saw that there was so much more to the storyline and the character, Haven. A summer fling is not what Haven needed that summer. She needed to grow and learn. So I think Dessen’s ability to craft a story like That Summer so well that it didn’t need your typical summer-romance-novel-brooding-boy was key to this book. I think Dessen’s writing voice was perfect for this story and she wrote the character of Haven very well.
This book was much deeper than most summery reads out there. This book focused on family and the challenges life throws at you and how to get through it all.
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The ending of the book was real and raw and brought together all of the feelings and beliefs Haven had throughout the book.
Sometimes our memories are not exactly how we remember them…
In That Summer, Haven learns this lesson.
Overall, this book was really well-written (as all Sarah Dessen books are!) and it made me take a minute to think about life and have some perspective.
I definitely recommend this book!
Happy Reading and Happy Summer!
~Nadette Rae
