Reviews with content warning for Rape - One Summer in Savannah

Could you forgive the man who raped you? Would you be comfortable with your daughter, the result of that rape, getting to know the rapist and his family? These are some of the issues Sara faces after her father’s ill health forces her to return to her hometown that she fled eight years ago in the wake of her rape. This book never really gelled for me. The extreme giftedness of Sara’s daughter and the fact that her father could communicate only by quoting poetry distracted me from the issues I was most interested in. Additionally I felt really uncomfortable about all the praise Daniel received for his good deeds in prison. Yet there was no mention of him ever apologising to Sara, of undertaking rehabilitation or therapy. His blaming his grief over his sister’s death for his actions felt like a cop out, a way to evade accepting full responsibility. I was going to put this book aside multiple times but persevered, hoping to see genuine remorse and atonement and gain insight into how and why Sara was able to forgive. Sadly I didn’t, which probably says as much about me as it does about the book. It was not for me.

Content Warnings

caitielusbooknook's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

kyliestnsn's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

unholyreadings's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

jennifyr's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I picked this book on a whim. I listened to the audiobook and almost Dr because the narrator's lilt was so stilted and unnatural to me. I got used to it and the story pulled me through. Definitely some interesting themes of forgiveness and family told through the lenses of a child conceived from rape, parent deaths that impact their families, people dying and reckoning with those endings, a genius child, and falling in love. I wasn't a huge fan of the poetry as conversation gimmick. And some parts seemed far-fetched, but overall, if kept me engaged and I was rooting for them by the end.

Content Warnings

lisabisa01's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

annamay1021's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this book! Reading the author’s note at the start, I was extremely skeptical that I would be able to get through this book. But the author so beautifully encapsulated characters with extremely complex feelings. I couldn’t put it down!

Content Warnings

corriejn's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.75

Well-crafted story about a woman returning to her hometown after a number of years, having left shortly after a sexual assault as a teen. (While the assault is not detailed in the book, the story heavily centers around its after-effects and the choices various characters have made.) Lots of complex, dynamic characters and no easy/perfect options. There are a handful of minor narrative/geographic/timeline inconsistencies that I found slightly distracting (but not enough to impede the story overall), or it'd be 5 stars.

Content Warnings

More...