295 books
—
616 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls” as Want to Read:
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls
by
One summer will challenge everything the Garrett sisters thought they knew about themselves—and each other.
Kat lands the lead in the community theater’s summer play, but the drama spills offstage when her ex and his new girlfriend are cast too. Can she get revenge by staging a new romance of her own?
Bea and her boyfriend are heading off to college together in the fall, jus ...more
Kat lands the lead in the community theater’s summer play, but the drama spills offstage when her ex and his new girlfriend are cast too. Can she get revenge by staging a new romance of her own?
Bea and her boyfriend are heading off to college together in the fall, jus ...more
Get A Copy
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
June 5th 2018
by Sourcebooks Fire
(first published June 1st 2018)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
Nadhira Satria
Remington Hollow. A small town in Maryland
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls
This was just a joy to read. A perfect summer book! I'd describe it as Gilmore Girls meets Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets modern Little Women! I thought getting perspectives from four sisters would get confusing, but they're all so different and have their own unique voice. I feel like I got to know each one very well, and fell in love with each of them in different ways. This book is also way more diverse than some of the stories it can be compared to. The girls are all proud to be con
...more
Very sweet and cute and totally see lots of Gilmore Girls parallels, if Stars Hollow had queer people and more than one person of color and everyone talked at normal speed.
The Garrett sisters are pretty used to the routine of their lives in their small town. Des, 19, is caretaker of her sisters and Arden, the bookstore left behind by their late parents. Their seventy-year-old Gram counts on her to take care of things--even more so since her knee surgery. Bea, 18, is smart, ambitious, and heading to Georgetown in the fall, along with her longtime boyfriend, Erik. Kat, 16, is their theatrical diva, whom no one really takes seriously; she recently broke up with her b
...more
DNF at 35%
This is a case of my seeing Jessica’s name and not reading the synopsis before requesting. If I would have done that, I would have known it wasn’t for me.
What I liked: that the girls were named after Shakespeare characters, that there was a bookstore in the family, that there was a lot of diversity and representation.
What I didn’t like: 4 POVs that all sounded the same to me, that the current topics and pop culture references felt really forced.
I’m choosing not to rate this because ...more
This is a case of my seeing Jessica’s name and not reading the synopsis before requesting. If I would have done that, I would have known it wasn’t for me.
What I liked: that the girls were named after Shakespeare characters, that there was a bookstore in the family, that there was a lot of diversity and representation.
What I didn’t like: 4 POVs that all sounded the same to me, that the current topics and pop culture references felt really forced.
I’m choosing not to rate this because ...more
This review originally appeared on Novel Ink.
*3.5 stars*
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a lovely, summery contemporary that follows a family of four sisters navigating their last summer together in their small, coastal town. Since the book features four perspectives, it feels like you’re reading four companion novels that involve the same setting and sam ...more
*3.5 stars*
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a lovely, summery contemporary that follows a family of four sisters navigating their last summer together in their small, coastal town. Since the book features four perspectives, it feels like you’re reading four companion novels that involve the same setting and sam ...more
The one word that perfectly sums up The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls?
ADORABLE!
Honestly, if this isn't the perfect start of summer read, I don't know what is!
My favorite thing about this book? The Garrett Girls of course! I'm always a little leery of books with multiple POVs; however, Jessica did a fantastic job of not only alternating between the girls but also making their voice's sound distinctive and completely originally. I loved that each sister was so different.
Des, the oldest, hol ...more
ADORABLE!
Honestly, if this isn't the perfect start of summer read, I don't know what is!
My favorite thing about this book? The Garrett Girls of course! I'm always a little leery of books with multiple POVs; however, Jessica did a fantastic job of not only alternating between the girls but also making their voice's sound distinctive and completely originally. I loved that each sister was so different.
Des, the oldest, hol ...more
5 stars.
Oh my gosh!! I don't even know how to articulate how much I enjoyed this book. It's one of the cutest and sweetest contemporaries I've ever read. 💓
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is such an adorable, heartwarming book about sisters, family, friends, change, and stepping out of one's comfort zone. It's told in the POVs of the four Garrett sisters, and each sister has such a unique & distinct voice. (Oh, and they were all fiercely feminist & had feminist shirts. I LOVED THAT, and how ...more
Oh my gosh!! I don't even know how to articulate how much I enjoyed this book. It's one of the cutest and sweetest contemporaries I've ever read. 💓
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is such an adorable, heartwarming book about sisters, family, friends, change, and stepping out of one's comfort zone. It's told in the POVs of the four Garrett sisters, and each sister has such a unique & distinct voice. (Oh, and they were all fiercely feminist & had feminist shirts. I LOVED THAT, and how ...more
This honestly has SO MANY elements that I look for in a contemporary, so I was kinda super excited. I’m a sucker for family stories - especially sibling relationships!!! So a story about 4 sisters last summer all together at home before they start moving on with their own futures had my name written all over it. Unfortunately, the story didn’t really wow me - I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. Though I do think it’s a perfect “between book” to read, especially in the summer.
Things I Liked
Gu ...more
Things I Liked
Gu ...more
All the heart eyes for this one!
A lovely story about four sisters in the summer before everything in their life in a small coastal town changes for them. The four girls are very distinct, with great character arcs. The writing is evocative, and the world-building and character development is very Sarah Dessen like.
There are tons of cats, dogs, and BOOK REFERENCES GALORE because one of the settings is a bookstore. There are all kinds of pop culture references, a fan fiction writer, an actress, ...more
A lovely story about four sisters in the summer before everything in their life in a small coastal town changes for them. The four girls are very distinct, with great character arcs. The writing is evocative, and the world-building and character development is very Sarah Dessen like.
There are tons of cats, dogs, and BOOK REFERENCES GALORE because one of the settings is a bookstore. There are all kinds of pop culture references, a fan fiction writer, an actress, ...more
My love for family stories is endless, and The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was one that combine so many wonderful elements to yield a thoughtful, fun, and heartwarming story of four sisters, who experience cataclysmic changes over the course of a summer.
• Pro: Sister stories are always so wonderful, and these sisters are closer than close due to losing their parents when they were younger. The bond between them was unquestionable, and there were some fabulous scenes where that sisterly lov ...more
• Pro: Sister stories are always so wonderful, and these sisters are closer than close due to losing their parents when they were younger. The bond between them was unquestionable, and there were some fabulous scenes where that sisterly lov ...more
May 21, 2018
Megan (thebookishtwins)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
diversity,
lgbtqia,
own,
2018-releases,
contemporary,
netgalley,
read-in-2018,
standalone,
reviewed,
romance
Disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls follows four sisters for their last summer together as a family before Bea goes off to college. I enjoyed The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. It is the perfect summer read full of romance, self-discovery, and family. I’ve seen a lot of people say it’s Little Women meets Gilmore Girls and yeah that pretty much sums this one up. It follows four sisters – Des, Bea, Vi, and Kat ...more
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls follows four sisters for their last summer together as a family before Bea goes off to college. I enjoyed The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. It is the perfect summer read full of romance, self-discovery, and family. I’ve seen a lot of people say it’s Little Women meets Gilmore Girls and yeah that pretty much sums this one up. It follows four sisters – Des, Bea, Vi, and Kat ...more
I'm torn between rating this two or three stars.
It was an okay read, I would have rated it higher but Bea was just too annoying. I don't stan cheaters. ...more
It was an okay read, I would have rated it higher but Bea was just too annoying. I don't stan cheaters. ...more
I really liked this book about four sisters who are all one year apart and who in the midst of great change in their lives and told from four separate POVs. About ten years before, both of their parents died in a car crash, so they’re being raised by their grandmother, and each of them have secrets that they’re keeping from all of the others. Secrets that will lead to a lot of drama.
Beyond the sisters, one of whom at 15 is an out lesbian who reads tons of queer YA novels, there is a pretty dive ...more
Beyond the sisters, one of whom at 15 is an out lesbian who reads tons of queer YA novels, there is a pretty dive ...more
Alright, it's time to fangirl. I LOVE Jessica Spotswood's books, and this one is just...everything. Each sister is so wonderful and unique--and sure maybe I love them all because they're all feminist book girls, but I think it's a testament to Jessica Spotswood's writing that they're all relatable in various ways, even though they're so different. The friendships and relationships are so well written, too. I loved all of their storylines, whether they were about first love, that friend who chang
...more
This arc was provided to me for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
4 STARS
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was a light summer read that provides a tale of 4 sisters trying to navigate their last summer together. Each sister is going through something different and the story follows each one of them as they let go of the past and find themselves and new love.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a nice summer read. The Garrett girls will keep you on ...more
4 STARS
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was a light summer read that provides a tale of 4 sisters trying to navigate their last summer together. Each sister is going through something different and the story follows each one of them as they let go of the past and find themselves and new love.
I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a nice summer read. The Garrett girls will keep you on ...more
Rep: bi side character, lesbian mc
uh i feel like i need a little rant over this book so if this review makes no sense, sorry, it's essentially a list of all the times i got irritated over this book
- four povs is honestly way too much for a book this short there's not enough time to actually develop any of the storylines properly so everything feels rushed and a few times i lost track of when things were supposed to be happening
- afaik, the author is straight so i really wasn't comfortable with h ...more
uh i feel like i need a little rant over this book so if this review makes no sense, sorry, it's essentially a list of all the times i got irritated over this book
- four povs is honestly way too much for a book this short there's not enough time to actually develop any of the storylines properly so everything feels rushed and a few times i lost track of when things were supposed to be happening
- afaik, the author is straight so i really wasn't comfortable with h ...more
This might be one of the best books I've read this year? a LOT of reviews have said this is Little Women meets Gilmore Girls, which it sounds like was actually the author's concept and you know what, it is DELIGHTFUL.
In another world this might have been a series: four books, one for each sister, but I really enjoyed all the stories being intertwined and happening at the same time. You get Des worrying about Bea, and Kat worrying about Des, and all of them seeing Vi's crush and it's just woven t ...more
In another world this might have been a series: four books, one for each sister, but I really enjoyed all the stories being intertwined and happening at the same time. You get Des worrying about Bea, and Kat worrying about Des, and all of them seeing Vi's crush and it's just woven t ...more
Jan 07, 2021
Meghan
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
disappointments,
read-in-2021
When I picked up this book, I was in a Barnes & Noble where it was recommended to me by a bookseller, claiming this book was like a modern day Little Women. I wish I still lived where I used to because I have a thousand questions for that bookseller now, after having read this book. The main one though would be HOW COULD YOU COMPARE THIS BOOK TO A MODERN DAY LITTLE WOMEN?!? I really do not see where she got that connection from. But regardless, I had plenty of other issues when it came to this b
...more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was the perfect summer read! Jessica Spotswood has successfully made me want to buy a boat and live near a marina. Just the idea of laying on the deck and watching fireworks makes me smile! It sounds so relaxing and fun. One of the sisters, Bea, makes a comment about it being like a tiny house on the water, which would definitely force me to be a minimalist.
The Last Summer of the Garrett ...more
This was the perfect summer read! Jessica Spotswood has successfully made me want to buy a boat and live near a marina. Just the idea of laying on the deck and watching fireworks makes me smile! It sounds so relaxing and fun. One of the sisters, Bea, makes a comment about it being like a tiny house on the water, which would definitely force me to be a minimalist.
The Last Summer of the Garrett ...more
My full review for this book (along with character aesthetics) can be found on my blog, here.
I absolutely loved this book! What a perfect summer contemporary.
Things I liked
+ The characters! You have Des, the oldest who's super organized and keeps a bullet journal (!!) and feels like she needs to do something for herself for once. There's Bea, who's about to leave for college with her boyfriend but is second-guessing their relationship. Next is Kat, who's into acting and recovering from an ea ...more
I absolutely loved this book! What a perfect summer contemporary.
Things I liked
+ The characters! You have Des, the oldest who's super organized and keeps a bullet journal (!!) and feels like she needs to do something for herself for once. There's Bea, who's about to leave for college with her boyfriend but is second-guessing their relationship. Next is Kat, who's into acting and recovering from an ea ...more
I went into this book hoping for a cute and fun summer contemporary, and what I got out of it was a lot of drama and poorly written characters.
I don't even know where to begin with this review, so if there's a lot of hoping back and forth, I apologize. In all honesty, there are about four plots happening in this novel because there are four sisters and a perspective for each one. The problem when doing a short book with 3+ perspectives is that there is a chance that one may not be fully fleshed ...more
I don't even know where to begin with this review, so if there's a lot of hoping back and forth, I apologize. In all honesty, there are about four plots happening in this novel because there are four sisters and a perspective for each one. The problem when doing a short book with 3+ perspectives is that there is a chance that one may not be fully fleshed ...more
3.5 stars
I received a Netgalley of The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into with this one. It was enjoyable. I laughed out loud a few times, found myself on the verge of crying a few times. It was heartfelt, all-encompassing, and fun to read. There's plenty of pop culture and YA shoutouts (Riverdale and Reign of the Fallen, what up?!) which when done in the right way, can be a lot of fun. TLSOTGG bordered on reference overkill, but it wasn' ...more
I received a Netgalley of The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into with this one. It was enjoyable. I laughed out loud a few times, found myself on the verge of crying a few times. It was heartfelt, all-encompassing, and fun to read. There's plenty of pop culture and YA shoutouts (Riverdale and Reign of the Fallen, what up?!) which when done in the right way, can be a lot of fun. TLSOTGG bordered on reference overkill, but it wasn' ...more
Full review is up on From Jen's Bookshelf!
I recieved an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley. While this is going to be a brief review there will be a longer one posted on my blog soon!
I was drawn in by the plot of this book right. Especially as someone who has a sister. I understood the complicated relationships that sisters often have. But I think even people who do not have sisters will still be able to relate to the characters because they were all so unique. I was able to see a part o ...more
I recieved an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley. While this is going to be a brief review there will be a longer one posted on my blog soon!
I was drawn in by the plot of this book right. Especially as someone who has a sister. I understood the complicated relationships that sisters often have. But I think even people who do not have sisters will still be able to relate to the characters because they were all so unique. I was able to see a part o ...more
This was cute - a very adorable story with the perfectly imperfect sisters who learn things over the span of a summer. It's very after-school-special but it's YA and this isn't always bad in a book. Sometimes it's nice to be pretty sure the story is going to end with smiles and sweet moments. And there are sweet moments and very realistic situations.
My only complaint would be about there being so many popculture references. There are book and author and tv show references. Already, just a few a ...more
My only complaint would be about there being so many popculture references. There are book and author and tv show references. Already, just a few a ...more
Rating: 4 stars
"Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen" is the perfect way to describe this book. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the girls' voices and stories, unique as they were. There was a ton of diversity in this book, as well as tons of figuring out who you are. Each character basically went through a metamorphosis throughout the course of the novel, and I loved it!
This was such a fun, sweet book to read. I highly recommend it as a summery beach read :) ...more
"Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen" is the perfect way to describe this book. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the girls' voices and stories, unique as they were. There was a ton of diversity in this book, as well as tons of figuring out who you are. Each character basically went through a metamorphosis throughout the course of the novel, and I loved it!
This was such a fun, sweet book to read. I highly recommend it as a summery beach read :) ...more
Lovely.
This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I added The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls to my TBR about 2 years ago and then promptly forgot all about it. But then I decided to scroll my TBR list for a challenge I gave myself in 2020 and I came across it again and back on the radar it went. And in the end it was really good. I know 3.5 stars doe ...more
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I added The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls to my TBR about 2 years ago and then promptly forgot all about it. But then I decided to scroll my TBR list for a challenge I gave myself in 2020 and I came across it again and back on the radar it went. And in the end it was really good. I know 3.5 stars doe ...more
This post was originally posted at Paperback Princess.
~ Paperback Princess Blurb ~
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood is four stories interwoven into one. It's a story of four sisters navigating their own lives whilst trying to remain as one family unit, during their potentially, last summer all together.
~ Paperback Princess Review ~
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is four stories rolled into the one book. It's a beautifully written YA contemporary novel perfect for a ...more
~ Paperback Princess Blurb ~
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood is four stories interwoven into one. It's a story of four sisters navigating their own lives whilst trying to remain as one family unit, during their potentially, last summer all together.
~ Paperback Princess Review ~
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is four stories rolled into the one book. It's a beautifully written YA contemporary novel perfect for a ...more
This was a quick and easy read fit for a sunny day at the pool. But it was also something I could have lived without reading.
The Last Summer of Garrett Girls was a cute and fast story that focuses on four sisters. Although I haven't seen Little Women in years, and I've never seen Gilmore Girls, it's very easy to see why it's compared to those. The description says it takes place over the summer, but really the story only covers about the three weeks before the Fourth of July. It's a brief window ...more
The Last Summer of Garrett Girls was a cute and fast story that focuses on four sisters. Although I haven't seen Little Women in years, and I've never seen Gilmore Girls, it's very easy to see why it's compared to those. The description says it takes place over the summer, but really the story only covers about the three weeks before the Fourth of July. It's a brief window ...more
Reviewed on my blog, Becky on Books, on 6/17/18.
Oh, goodness. Such a cute story-- Little Women meets "Gilmore Girls" by way of Sarah Dessen, indeed! (And it only took me until the "about the author"section at the end to remember why her name seemed so familiar--we met her at the Rochester Teen Book Festival a few years back--duh!)
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is told in alternating POVs--each sister gets a turn, from oldest to youngest, which was fun even if it did sometimes feel like ...more
Oh, goodness. Such a cute story-- Little Women meets "Gilmore Girls" by way of Sarah Dessen, indeed! (And it only took me until the "about the author"section at the end to remember why her name seemed so familiar--we met her at the Rochester Teen Book Festival a few years back--duh!)
The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is told in alternating POVs--each sister gets a turn, from oldest to youngest, which was fun even if it did sometimes feel like ...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Jess is the author of the historical fantasy trilogy The Cahill Witch Chronicles and the contemporary novels Wild Swans and The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. She is the editor of the anthologies A Tyranny of Petticoats and The Radical Element, and co-editor (with Tess Sharpe) of Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft. Jess lives in Washington, DC, where she works for the DC Public Libr
...more
Related Articles
This June, as we observe LGBTQ Pride—the annual celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning communities—we...
207 likes · 73 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
