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lindiis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
erinlcrane's review against another edition
2.0
I kind of hated this by the end. š Iām not sure what the point was. Bad thing after bad thing with such a weird ending in terms of a ālessonā if thatās what it was.
I can see why others would like the writing. Itās very lyrical with lots of unique figurative language. I can appreciate some of it but it takes over the book and overwhelms the story, such as it is. I was very very VERY tired of it by the end.
The story felt like a trauma porn checklist as well as a huge stereotype of country people. All the phobias, slurs, and social issues touched on here. Itās supposed to be the 80s but besides the mention of AIDS it felt like the 50s or earlier.
There isnāt any plot - just a long sequence of mostly bad things happening and people doing awful things in this town. I donāt really know what the author was trying to do with this as a story. Teach me that people can be awful to each other and do bad things for reasons? Got it.
One of the lowest moments for me was when Fielding talked about laying down with warm bread to feel like he was being hugged. š Stop it.
I can see why others would like the writing. Itās very lyrical with lots of unique figurative language. I can appreciate some of it but it takes over the book and overwhelms the story, such as it is. I was very very VERY tired of it by the end.
The story felt like a trauma porn checklist as well as a huge stereotype of country people. All the phobias, slurs, and social issues touched on here. Itās supposed to be the 80s but besides the mention of AIDS it felt like the 50s or earlier.
There isnāt any plot - just a long sequence of mostly bad things happening and people doing awful things in this town. I donāt really know what the author was trying to do with this as a story. Teach me that people can be awful to each other and do bad things for reasons? Got it.
One of the lowest moments for me was when Fielding talked about laying down with warm bread to feel like he was being hugged. š Stop it.
skynet666's review against another edition
4.0
They chose a good narrator for this audio book. I really enjoyed it and the author did a wondeful job of presenting a view of the world using a a unique setting and cast of chatacters. The story has a message and is filled with fables, some religious and some not. So not sure it would appeal to everyone.
unnecessairie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
theatretenor's review against another edition
5.0
What a powerful book! I can't believe this is the authors debut novel!! SO much to think about. I will be recommending this book to everyone. I think this story will stick with me for a long time and I see a reread in my future!
marcosbedbooks's review against another edition
3.0
The Summer That Melted Everything takes place in the 1980s in Ohio during the hottest summer ever known. We follow Feilding who lives in the town when one day a black boy comes into the town claiming he is the devil.
The characters were off. We mostly follow children in this book, and they act and talk as if they're 25 years old. It was pretentious and got under my skin. Especially Sal. I could not stan the way he was written in this book.
There were way to many metaphors in this book. I swear there was one every single paragraph and it was tiring.
Then there was the ending, which really bothered me. It was predictable and wasn't even done in an interesting way. Many characters were killed off by the end, but the writing had made them weak so I ended up not even caring.
The characters were off. We mostly follow children in this book, and they act and talk as if they're 25 years old. It was pretentious and got under my skin. Especially Sal. I could not stan the way he was written in this book.
There were way to many metaphors in this book. I swear there was one every single paragraph and it was tiring.
Then there was the ending, which really bothered me. It was predictable and wasn't even done in an interesting way. Many characters were killed off by the end, but the writing had made them weak so I ended up not even caring.
kristins3's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Incredible book. I canāt believe this was a debut. Tiffany McDaniel particularly writes sibling love and relationships well - these parts hit the biggest emotional spots for me and I will definitely be reading more by her
I also thought it was an interesting incorporation of the devil scare stuff from the 80s. I basically only know about that from books set in the 80s, but it does seem to come up a lot
There were places where I hated Sal myself, particularly when he shot Granny (I know itās a mercy kill but I have a really hard time with dog death justified or not) and when he explained what heād said to Grand. I know heās just a kid and didnāt mean for that to happen, but I somewhat irrationally blamed him in part for the death of a character I particularly loved.
The final scene with Sal was absolutely brutal and made even more tragic in light of the possible backstory that was revealed later. I donāt understand how Autopsy defended the mob, even if he did believe in representation for all. Tbh I doubt the court would have allowed it anyway given his relationship to Sal
I appreciated the ambiguous ending and thought it matched the tone of the book well
Vibes: To Kill a Mockingbird and A Prayer for Owen Meany
I also thought it was an interesting incorporation of the devil scare stuff from the 80s. I basically only know about that from books set in the 80s, but it does seem to come up a lot
There were places where I hated Sal myself, particularly when he shot Granny (I know itās a mercy kill but I have a really hard time with dog death justified or not) and when he explained what heād said to Grand. I know heās just a kid and didnāt mean for that to happen, but I somewhat irrationally blamed him in part for the death of a character I particularly loved.
The final scene with Sal was absolutely brutal and made even more tragic in light of the possible backstory that was revealed later. I donāt understand how Autopsy defended the mob, even if he did believe in representation for all. Tbh I doubt the court would have allowed it anyway given his relationship to Sal
I appreciated the ambiguous ending and thought it matched the tone of the book well
Vibes: To Kill a Mockingbird and A Prayer for Owen Meany
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Hate crime, Racism, Suicide, and Murder
erickibler4's review against another edition
I bailed. There were a few sentences in the beginning that seemed pretentious but meaningless. I guess if people are still reading it in 10-20 years, maybe I'll come back again and see what all the fuss was about.
annie_reads_books's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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