Bad Summer People

by Emma Rosenblum, Beata Hrycak (Translator)

Opowieść o niewierności, zepsuciu bogactwem i relacjach podszytych fałszem. do bólu prawdziwa!

Rodziny Jen i Lauren każdego lata wypoczywają w elitarnym gronie nowojorskich bogaczy, w miasteczku Salcombe na mierzei Long Island. Malownicze plaże, gra w tenisa i niekończące się przyjęcia, na których szampan leje się strumieniami, to ich wakacyjna codzienność.

Jason, mrukliwy mąż Lauren, zdradza ją z żoną swojego najlepszego przyjaciela, którą – tak się składa – jest Jen. Lauren jeszcze o niczym nie wie, ale już zdążyła nawiązać wyjątkowo intensywną relację z Robertem, młodym trenerem tenisa zatrudnionym na aktualny sezon…

Wszyscy popijają drinki, romansują bez skrupułów, a humor nikogo nie opuszcza. Aż do momentu, gdy zostaje znalezione ciało. Wówczas atmosfera staje się napięta. Żaden z bohaterów nie jest doskonały, ale czy ktoś z nich był zdolny do morderstwa? I czy wszystkie tajemnice Salcombe wyjdą na jaw?

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Summer, Thriller, Summer Reads, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

Emma Rosenblum is the national bestselling author of Bad Summer People, Very Bad Company, and Mean Moms. She's the former chief content officer at Bustle Digital Group, overseeing content and strategy for BDG’s editorial portfolios. Prior to BDG, Emma served as the executive editor of ELLE. Previously Rosenblum was a senior editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, and before that a senior editor at Glamour. She began her career at New York magazine. She lives in New York City, with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Dea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zero redeeming qualities. I hate having to give it even one star.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you ever wanted to know what an Erin Hilderbrand book would be like if the people were *really* unlikable (and there wasn't her gorgeous descriptions of food), this is the book for you. Compulsively hate-readable in a way that makes you hope HBO picks it up to make a limited series so the actors will flesh out the characters even just a little bit.

[Jodie | GeauxGetLit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not go into this book thinking it’s a thriller, because it’s not! It’s more of a domestic suspense, similar to The Hunting Wives

I’m not sure what it says about me, but I LOOVVVVEE a book with a bunch of women who gossip and basically hate each other behind their back, but friends with them socially.
I can’t stand drama or gossip in my own life and tend to steer clear of those who are into it, so maybe I get my thrill from the books I read.

Solcumb is a rich tennis town on Fire Island that members have been going to every summer since they were kids and now they are in there 40s and things get interesting this summer. It’s told from a ton of perspectives, so you get all sides of each story.

With suspense throughout, you knew something big was going to happen and the end twist was on point.
Thank you @macmillianaudio for my alc, opinions are my own.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one, but it didn’t work for me. The good news is it’s narrated by one of my favs, January Lavoy, and she definitely kept me listening when I thought about giving up.

To start with, my expectation was that this was a summer thriller, but this isn’t a thriller or a mystery, and I’m not sure I’d even call it a domestic suspense. It’s mostly just an over the top drama - it felt like the book version of desperate housewives and whatever real housewives show is the most OTT and dramatic. There is a murder, but it’s barely a focus, it’s mentioned in the prologue and then forgotten about until the very end. The ending didn’t work for me at all, it felt like far too much is done off page, there were many plot holes and things that left me a bit perplexed.

There are so many characters and POVs that it made it hard to keep track. Several of the POVs felt unnecessary and didn’t add to the story, and because we see the same event from various POVs it also became repetitive. There is LGBTQ rep, but it felt like a check the box character given his storyline had no impact on the main plot and was mostly forgettable.



❌❌ Spoilers Below ❌❌



Things that didn’t add up for me:

❓ Why on earth wouldn’t they have just helped Susan and called for an ambulance? None of them had any motive to hurt her, and it clearly was an accident. This was the most nonsensical plot line. And Sam feeling like he *had* to solve it to get answers for the reader felt super forced.

❓The me too plot… wtf??? So I’m supposed to believe that Sam’s boss is sexually harassing women at the office and instead of paying them off to keep quiet he *checks notes* asks them to falsely accuse other men at the company, leading to HR investigations which expose him. Sure. Makes total sense. I can totally see why he went that route. 🤦🏼‍♀️

❓ The Sam Rachel storyline was annoying and I rolled my eyes at their hookup and their cheesy dialog at the end. What was the point of this? To show he was also now a bad person?

❓The epilogue - just no. Last minute reveal by a character’s internal thoughts? Worse than a Scooby Doo villain reveal I think.

[Jolie McAdoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75!!
I had so much fun reading this. This really is giving Gossip Girl in their 40’s. Felt slightly disconnected from the characters because of the writing but I honestly think it made me like it more that way. I was removed enough for it to feel like reality tv. Definitelyyy read if you’re a fan of Elin Hildebrand

[What Angela Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to MacMillan audio for the advanced listening copy of this book.

No. Just no. I hated everything about this book. It's yet another book with a bunch of rich people that are complaining about their rich people problems. They are all sleeping with each other and manipulating each with lies and money. When one of them dies, no one even cares including the police. The narrator is great and is able to differentiate between ALL the different characters of the million POVS that this story is told by. Overall I did not like this book at all. Like at all.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

With summer soon approaching, "Bad Summer People" seemed like the perfect way to jumpstart the lazy, hazy days of summer.

Set in Fire Island, an affluent vacation community frequented by the wealthiest of families, the book began with the discovery of a dead body.

Readers are then treated to scandals, scandals, and more scandals.

Since the book focused on four couples (8 people) and many side characters (at least 6), one needed a scorecard to keep track of all of the secrets and scandals. (UGH!)

I personally prefer books with fewer characters and more in-depth characterizations and, therefore, this book failed to sizzle like the summer sun.

I listened to the audiobook read by January LaVoy, one of my favorite narrators.

As always, January LaVoy did a flawless job with the narration.

In addition to the ultra-compelling prologue and expert narration, I also loved the book's title and book cover.

The book's prologue, narration, title, and cover all helped elevate the book's star rating.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[therese · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's extremely hard to write a book about insufferable people without the book itself becoming insufferable. Bad Summer People is not trying even a little bit to combat the insufferable-ness of it's cast of characters. Pretty much everyone unequivocally sucks. There's no one to root for, and there's not even an interesting downfall for any of the shitty characters. I just genuinely couldn't find anything in here to like or grasp onto. Bad, rich people doing boring, bad things for a whole summer. Not even their misdeeds are thrilling. It's just the usual cheating, stealing, and casual disregard for anyone but yourself.

On top of that, there are about 400 POVs in this, and the timeline jumps all over the place. Some chapters are from one POV but others are from two. Certain chapters jump back in time and show you a scene you've already read about from a different POV. Maybe this could work if the events happening were remotely interesting, but instead it's just extremely tedious.

I really wasn't expecting much from this. I genuinely just wanted a fun and frothy story about rich people being devious. Something like the original Gossip Girl or Desperate Housewives or even one of the Real Housewives franchises. But this is just a boring tale of cardboard cutouts who barely feel human doing the most predictable bullshit over and over.

[Tonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich people behaving badly; I am here for every scandalous minute! This book felt like The Real Housewives of Fire Island and I enjoyed getting a glimpse inside the wealth, privilege, and bad choices. The audiobook book was the perfect summer listen! January LaVoy brought the characters to life while adding an extra dimension of mystery and intrigue. I could see this play out on Netflix and I would be hooked on each episode. Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for my audiobook.

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was bad. 😅 I’m grateful to have gotten an advance copy from a Goodreads giveaway to read and am really thankful I did not have to purchase it myself. I hated all of the characters. None of them had a single redeeming quality. And the story was extremely lacking. Mostly it was bad characters who behaved badly in a nice setting. Phew. I almost did not finish.

[Malia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy weekend read, though to be honest, I am already forgetting the details...The characters were all pretty unlikable and the plot predictable, but I wanted something that would entertain and hold my attention, which it did. All in all, it was a decent read, but I can't say it's one I would particularly recommend, I'm sorry to say.

[Mai H. · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. This is bad
2. It is summer
3. There are people

So, unlike BEACH READ, no one lied. However, this is the biggest pile of rich white people problems I have ever read.

You know how some white people get mad when another BIPOC book is written, even though it's probably 0.01% of the industry? And say they can't relate? Well, I can't relate...

🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

[Will Singleton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just confused. There didn’t seem to be any plot at all besides everyone having affairs with somebody. The murder mystery that opens the book (and, based on the blurb on the book cover, seems to be the entire plot of the book) doesn’t even get mentioned again until the very end. So there really didn’t seem to be any plot besides senseless affairs. Probably would have DNFd this if I didn’t have the audiobook and absolutely nothing else to do all day 🙃

[Talkincloud]

Następna książka z gatunku „Mogłabym być kolejnym sezonem BIAŁEGO LOTOSU”, ale właśnie dlatego po nią sięgnąłem. Wciągnąłem się. Byłem ciekaw zakończenia i mnie nie zawiodło. Polecam dla fanów historii o bohaterach z zaburzonym poczuciem moralności.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to put in my currently reading pile.

Where do I begin? Let me start with this next question. How do you get in to a story where none of the characters are likable? Do you continue reading and hope that they change? That maybe something good comes out of their character?

The book starts with a young boy finding a dead body. Who is it? Who did it? And, that is when all the characters enter the story. Gossips. Cheaters. Hypocrites. Of course, any one of them, right?

The problem for readers is that with so many objectionable characters, who really cares who died or who did it?

The author considered her work, “social satire, with a sprinkling of mystery and a dash of White Lotus escapism.” (For those who are not familiar, White Lotus was a series on HBO. It was described as a ‘platonic ideal of the island getaway. A portal to a pristine, natural world, where you can forget your cares and where you can get pineapple at McDonald’s.’)

For me this book was anything but…shallow. Boring. Little substance. Difficult to connect to because of unlikable characters. Maybe other readers will feel differently. I may be an outlier.

[Rohan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save yourself. Every single character is the absolute worst, and yet this book is still horribly boring.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich People behaving badly.. Yes please! It is always fun to read these kind of books. Even though it is winter here in Sydney, I was transported for a few hours to Fire Island in New York, where the wealthy families spend their summers. It is all about tennis, alcohol, friendship and good times. Or is it?

I would not want to be friends with any of these people!! What a bunch of entitled, spoiled grown ups. The kids were better behaved than the parents. It is a wonder only one body was found to be honest. Who’s body is under the boardwalk and how did they end up there? Well you need to read all about it in Bad Summer People. Who’s lies and secrets finally catch up to them? They all deserved to be outed for their stupidity in my mind.

Thanks so much to Penguin Books Australia for this book and the great package of cocktail accessories… can’t wait for it to warm up and use them by the pool.

[Margaux B · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐s

A perfect summer read! As long as you don’t mind frenemies. Holy moly this book smacked Fire Island upside the head. Not sure if this book has nationwide appeal with it’s insight into the inner workings of summers on Long Island but it certainly piqued this reader’s interest. I read it in one day!

Let me admit to having experience with spending summers on Fire Island during my youth, and this probably added to my enjoyment of the exaggerated characters and gossipy vibe. Although some serious points were thrown into the mix too. The story of Theo marrying into the group hints at Fire Island's real dirty little secret. Anyone with money can rent/buy a house in Southampton; Fire Island however, was a kingdom unto itself - ultra exclusive. It is extremely hard to buy a house on Fire Island. They stay within families for generations. No joke. Which builds a very insular and unique society made up of families anointing themselves local royalty, mixing with the uber wealthy, along with plenty of pretty young men & women who flock there for the summer. And here is where our story begins…

Sam and Jason are the main characters - one being raised by wealthy parents in a volatile marriage and very insecure, and the other kid becoming jealous of his friend’s wealth and privilege. We meet their eventual spouses - Jen and Lauren. Their friend network of two other acceptable couples (Brian & Lisa and Paul & Emily) along with singletons, bitter Rachel and tennis pro Robert. We also meet the local social network, consisting of the older generation (Susan and Larry), younger generation (Micah) and the rivals of our fun little backbiting crew (Beth, Jeannette, et al). It sounds like a lot to keep track of but it’s easy to follow along as each one gets to narrate and present their view of summer about the same people. It's a zippy read. The characters are stereotypes, but we all know a person who holds the power of gossip, a person who never got over their first love, one who is jealous of what others have, one who loves to call others out for trivial transgressions, and on and on. And yet, the story did not follow a formula. These little unexpected turns kept this over-the-top tale interesting instead of too much.

It would have been nice to have more “good” characters but that title warned us . . .

We learn about country club shenanigans, local pettiness, marriages imploding, affairs, and it veers into what I thought was going to be an eat-the-rich type story, but even with its reality tv type plot, this story manages to invoke some character introspection. Why do certain characters, in this awesome foursome of couples, have healthier marriages despite the same or worse issues? Is money the root of all evil? Is all cheating the same? I revised my opinion of the main four characters by the end. Also felt Micah was wasted as a character and should have been used to greater effect.

Think Bravo TV Reunion episode. Popcorn reading but with lots of half-popped kernels of truth in there too. You need to get to the end to appreciate them. Some readers might not make it, but keep going. It's worth it. The end changed everything . . . and nothing!

I recommend reading this sordid tale while poolside, with a drink. And then picking the characters apart afterward. I mean, the cover does show the characters are the target.

[lauren‎♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧ (semi-ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5💫

wooooooooowwwwww this was so DRAMA i absolutely ate this one UP.

all of these characters are insufferable and unlikable in the best way possible. i love horrible characters like these because they are so enjoyable to read about. i dont have many thoughts about this one other than these characters are so drama, messy, crazy, and entertaining.

i audio booked this one and was addicted to the story! i have bad moms by her next on my tbr that i need to read!

[Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well now, I think I might be reaching the end of my patience (or rather, current patience,) with "novels filled to the brim with unlikable people whom I want to see die horribly".


Before starting this novel, and admittedly not reading any blurb or review, I kinda hoped I'd see something like: "Oh! Let's PoV this from local tourist trade workers encountering and subsequently killing them!"

As I read the novel, I wanted to see this get the full Stephen King treatment, where we read from the PoV OF the bad summer people and watch them all pop off later in glorious ways.

As I finished the novel, I just wished anything glorious had happened. Unfortunately, at the end, it's a pretty average setup. Rich assholes in their summer homes behaving badly. Most of it was just banal. Later on, when chaos reigns, the chaos is still rather mild.

Spicy-level 1.5 out of 10. Too mild for my palate. Alas.

[Cristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adoro este género de livros, cheios de segredos, mentiras e dramas de pessoas ricas

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars A delicious romp with drama, cheating, and murder. A birdseye view satire about rich New Yorkers behaving badly at their summer homes on Fire Island. An excellent beach read!⛱️

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Welcome to Fire Island, USA. And, in the exclusive summer haven of Salcombe, you will meet a collection of truly awful, shallow people who spend every summer together. Even though they don’t like each other very much. The novel opens with the discovery of a body at the side of a boardwalk. Who does the body belong to, and what happened?

The story unfolds through multiple points of view with a multitude of superficial, highly competitive people concerned with appearances. As the story unfolds, we learn a series of deep dark secrets about almost everyone and it seems that everyone has something to hide. It wasn’t until the end, as the mystery around the body became clear that the story held my attention.

Did I enjoy it? Not really. Too many egocentric people occupying their own universes. If you are looking for an easy read to fill in a few hours, you may enjoy this. Not my world, not my people.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Better Reading Australia for sending me a copy of this book for review.

Deception is the key theme to this book. Everyone is deceiving someone in some way. Its a character driven book with a main cast of 4, Jen and Sam, Lauren and Jason. They go to Fire Island for their annual holiday. Jason and Sam are childhood friends. Tennis is a big social activity in this book. Everyone is involved if your not playing your watching. Someone dies on Fire Island and the suspect pool is big. Who ? What ? When ? How ? and Why?

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Rosenblum's debut, BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, shines with flawed adults behaving badly—full of summer scandal, island gossip, lots of drama, backstabbing friendships, infidelity, intrigue, mystery, and MURDER.

Think Red Oaks (Loved-TV Series 2014-2017 available on Prime Video) Tennis: A coming-of-age comedy set in the 80s in summer at the Red Oaks Country Club —Except in BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, it is a new fresh, and contemporary set of 30s and 40s elite New Yorkers misbehaving on Fire Island. Still full of laughs!

AUDIOBOOK: Fun and frothy, a perfect beach read! I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the fabulous January LaVoy! (a favorite). The performance was highly entertaining, with distinctive voices for all characters, and easy to keep them separated—a 5-Star performance.

Grab a favorite cocktail and dive in!

Fire Island, NY, is known for the gay set; however, the town of Salcombe is an enclave of wealthy families spending their summers with the elite, playing tennis, golfing, drinking, competing, and attending the many annual events— plus lots of gossip, scandal, and affairs.

The novel opens with a tantalizing Prologue when eight-year-old Danny discovers a body. His mom is a B-lister. The author does not reveal the identity until the end, keeping you in suspense— deciding who may be capable of murder. Everyone is suspicious— the motives are endless.

We hear from each main character over the summer, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, told from multiple perspectives.

Arrival by ferry, trouble starts the minute they embark. There are camps and nannies—to keep the kids busy. Cars are not allowed, so everyone owns a bike or golf cart to ride around the boardwalks that serve as pathways.

Main Characters:
Lauren Parker, the ice queen.
Jason Parker, her cheating husband. Private equity investor.
Sam Weinstein, lawyer, Jason's best friend, and rival.
Jen Weinstein, his cheating wife.
There is a bitter rivalry over Sam's wife, Jen, whom Jason dated first.

A handsome, down-on-his-luck tennis pro and a lonely, unmarried gossip lady are also part of the cast that offers plenty to keep you entertained!

The single friend, Rachel Woolf, is the gossip queen (42) and is looking to meet her match, whether the tennis pro or someone's husband. The tennis pro is also up to no good. The events are overseen by a 70-something widow, Susan.

Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island, every summer. They are fierce—in tennis, they manipulate to get what they want. The men measure themselves by their net worth and women by their tennis games.

In alternating POV, we get the down and dirty and everyone seems to know everyone's business. Envy and greed. Some derive pleasure from misfortunes.

The boardwalks are raised three feet and can often be dangerous if someone goes over the edge. But who is capable of MURDER? Did someone find out a secret that was to be kept hidden?

Everyone has secrets, and their lives are not as perfect as these characters would like you to believe. Darkness lurks below the surface—everyone is deceiving someone.

BAD SUMMER PEOPLE is a scandalous whodunit, fun, wickedly entertaining, darkly comic, and razor-sharp— summer sizzler! Hilarious, with a White Lotus, Big Little Lies vibe.

A smashing debut and guilty pleasure of big-time secrets —#CoverCrush! Rosenblum's book is under contract for screen adaptation, and she's been signed for an additional two books. Can't wait for more.

If you enjoyed BAD SUMMER PEOPLE, you may like The Block Party (fab debut) by Jamie Day (July 18, 2023).

Thanks to #MacmillanAudio for a gifted ALC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog Review Posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 23, 2023
My Rating: Audiobook: 5 🎾 Stars
May 2023 Must-Read Books

On a personal note: Gosh, this book reminded me of my days living at Bermuda Run Country Club when I was married (so glad I am not there now and in S. Florida). My youngest son won the golf tournaments, and my eldest son won the tennis tournaments every year. Ha, the youngest still updates me on all the scandals and gossip. The same tennis pro is still there! Now my grandson is playing tennis there.

[Brandice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a soapy, scandalous, summer drama and though full of unlikable characters, I enjoyed reading the story. ⁣
⁣
Bad Summer People follows a group of New Yorker friends/ families who head to their second homes on Fire Island for the summer. The group encompasses “Rich people behaving badly” and many of them are keeping secrets. ⁣
⁣
As the summer progresses, the drama unfolds, in their houses, at the tennis courts, in clandestine meetings at the beach, and more. I’m not sure I’ll remember details of the story, long-term, but I found Bad Summer People to be an easy, entertaining read.

[Basic B's Guide · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up. Definitely a mood read and one that would be great to add to your beach bags this summer. This debut is more domestic drama than a thriller. Don't expect any huge twists and turns.

For fans of rich people behaving badly and BIG LITTLE LIES.

The audiobook was gifted by PRH audio and narrated by the fabulous, January LaVoy.

[savannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

the writing in this was so weird and the pacing felt ?? really awkward, like you would follow the viewpoint of one character for a while, then it would switch to another character and like go through their perspective leading up to that moment, which i really did not enjoy. all the characters were also really, really unlikable, and like, yeah, bad summer people but come on please give me SOMETHING to root for. i kind of liked lauren and jen, but only sometimes and not enough to really say that i Liked them and were rooting for them. i was never rooting for any of the male characters. there are also a few sex scenes in the book but the way it's written is so...disengaging and awkward and i know this is not a steamy romance book, but it was ?? the pages should still be somewhat enjoyable to read, not make me scrunch my face up and go "what the hell".

[Weronika · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not what I was hoping for. If you like drama stories about rich people with no real plot or likable characters, you may enjoy this. I really wanted to DNF but finished the second half on audio through the library. I was bored and annoyed by all the excessive points of view, I did not care for the writing style and the book went on for way too long. One thing I do like is the cover.

[Dona's Books]

DNF @ 18% on 7.4.23.

This book has a huuuuge cast, all of whom Rosenblum throws at the reader in a blob at the beginning of the book. It's incredibly disorienting. She doesn't build any suspense or provide details for the story in all this time, so I'm not invested enough to slog through the mess of characters ahead of me.