corriejn's review against another edition
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.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Cancer, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Death, Classism, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Car accident, and Rape
jennabeck13's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
About 440 pages
TW: Rape
Eight years ago, Sara left Savannah and vowed to never return. She left after her life was torn apart by the Wyler family when she accused one of their sons, Daniel, of rape. When Sara discovered she was pregnant after the rape she wanted to make sure her daughter was protected from the people who went after her so she moved far away to Maine. However, her father’s health is now rapidly declining which forces her to come back. Her return is contingent on the assurance that she won’t run into the Wyler family, as she doesn’t want them to know her daughter, Alana, exists. Daniel is in prison, his father is dead, his twin brother no longer lives in town, and his mother mainly keeps to herself. As luck would have it, the brother, Jacob, comes back to town around the same time Sara does. Despite her determination to hate him, Sara can’t help but feel a connection to Jacob, and Jacob can’t help but want to make amends for the trouble his family caused. One summer in Savannah may change both of their plans forever.
I love reading debut novels! Though they can be hit or miss, when they are good they just hit differently. I think it’s because an author’s first novel is such a passion project and so much time is spent on it that everything evokes such strong emotions… So obviously this is a rave review! I loved everything about this book. The author excellently tackled the topics of forgiveness, accountability, emotional intelligence, and many other deep themes. I loved Sara and Jacob’s characters including how they approached their relationship, Jacob’s family, and Alana’s future. I was glad the author chose to write from both of their perspectives as it was definitely a value add. My only complaint was all the poetry in the book, as someone who isn’t a big fan of poetry I didn’t love how that was the only way one character communicated.
If this isn’t on your summer reading list, you need to add it IMMEDIATELY💜
Favorite Quote: “Forgiveness, I’ve learned, is like a door. You can open yourself up to it or close yourself off from it at any time. We can’t rewrite history or change the outcome. Life is a series of choices. And we live in and with those choices we make.”
Moderate: Cancer, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicide
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