finesilkflower's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
If "The Summer I Turned Pretty" is the perfect summer book, this is a perfect bummer book. (Has anyone else made that witty pun?) Much of the book is devoted to the characters' grief in the immediate aftermath of the death of a beloved family member. While it's realistic that the characters would be devastated by this, it's an awfully heavy topic for a summer beach read, without the redeeming qualities of being profound and life-affirming that you would want or expect in a book about death. Rather, family member death is used mainly as an excuse for teens to be angsty. The light romance elements that defined the first book not only take a backseat, but also feel unsatisfying and unappealing to me.
I think this wants to be a series with two viable main love interests so that readers can align as either #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah, but it just doesn't work because the author has stacked the deck for the guy she's interested in and the other guy never has a chance. This should be the book that makes a clear case for #TeamJeremiah, but it does a worse job than the first book did. While the first book showcased Jeremiah's emotional intelligence and sense of fun - qualities that were never going to win against a complicated bad-boy but which were at least enjoyable - this book simply casts him as a toxically conflict-avoidant doormat. Also, the fact that he continues to pine after Belly despite being clearly rebuffed in the first book gives him a "nice guy" sex pest feel that totally destroys what appeal he had built. Meanwhile, the book invests a lot more in Conrad, but only by having people talk about how great he is - all his actions continue to be repellent.
Belly is also not developed in this book, as her main role is to stand around and watch boys do things.
I think this wants to be a series with two viable main love interests so that readers can align as either #TeamConrad or #TeamJeremiah, but it just doesn't work because the author has stacked the deck for the guy she's interested in and the other guy never has a chance. This should be the book that makes a clear case for #TeamJeremiah, but it does a worse job than the first book did. While the first book showcased Jeremiah's emotional intelligence and sense of fun - qualities that were never going to win against a complicated bad-boy but which were at least enjoyable - this book simply casts him as a toxically conflict-avoidant doormat. Also, the fact that he continues to pine after Belly despite being clearly rebuffed in the first book gives him a "nice guy" sex pest feel that totally destroys what appeal he had built. Meanwhile, the book invests a lot more in Conrad, but only by having people talk about how great he is - all his actions continue to be repellent.
Belly is also not developed in this book, as her main role is to stand around and watch boys do things.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Alcohol
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Vomit
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I wanted to read this book because I loved Jenny Han’s To All the Boys I Loved Before series and with this being picked up by Amazon Prime, I was interested to see what was going to happen in the next series. I didn’t enjoy the first book and didn’t have a lot of hope for this book and I'm glad I didn’t because this book was disappointing and made me want to gouge my eyes out.
This book is still based on Belly, who we met in the first book. She is now sixteen years old. She used to count the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But this year, she isn’t looking forward to it. Her and Conrad have broken up and not talking anymore and Susannah, the boy’s mum has recently passed out. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing that summer would never come. However, one night, Jeremiah rings Belly to tell her that Conrad has disappeared. Belly knows what she must do to make things right and it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this is the last summer, it should end the way it started – at Cousins Beach.
You know when you rely on a minor character to bring the comedic effect or just save the book – this book didn’t have any of them. I didn’t realise how much Susannah saved the first book until you read this book and there is no Susannah. Every single one of these characters absolutely annoyed the shit out of me. Belly didn’t learn her lesson from the last book and life in general of “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all” - she spends half of the book being unjustifiable mean and then the other half just feeling guilty and trying to apologies. Jeremiah and Conrad both need a slap in the face for letting a girl get in between especially when it’s Belly. Like I love a love triangle in tv shows, but they never seem to work in books, and this was one example of one. Steven was just jealous and was only needed to move the story along. Taylor was right to be upset but didn’t need to dismiss Belly’s feelings about Conrad so much. “Badass” Laurie lives up to her name in the last 2 out of 5 chapters and then again, she’s hiding for most of the book. Belly and Steven’s dad whose name I can’t remember isn’t even in this and Mr Fisher just shows up again to stop us listening to how Belly is feeling guilty or wanting to be in the centre of attention.
The only reason I didn’t DNF this book or give it a one star because there was an additional POV from Jeremiah, I would have preferred it to be Conrad but oh well. I don’t know if I should or would pick up the last book in the series and let’s hope the TV show is better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Cancer
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse and Cursing
emey_reading07's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Cancer
elizareign's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
There's so many chapters you could take out of this book and it wouldn't affect the plot whatsoever but then you probably wouldn't have enough chapters to make a book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol
kotroby's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I have to say, I was expecting the second book in this series to be a slight letdown, but it was actually just as fun and lovely as the first! Our main cast of characters is back, with the heartfelt exception of Susannah, and they're as entertaining as always. No one can call this book a masterpiece but for what it's worth its incredibly entertaining and felt every bit as exhilarating and watching it in a tv series format, perhaps because of the audiobook format (which, by the way, I love that they keep adding actors from the series as narrators!) Such a complex love triangle, very well done! Heart-wrenching to not know how it'll end tho! :) Team Jeremiah all the way.
Spoiler
So. The love triangle. I. Have. Thoughts. Since the first book I'd hoped she would end up with Conrad, it's felt right from the beginning like that was what the author obviously wanted for her, and his character seems to have loved her since forever, even if he doesn't show it. He's very fragile and seems like he has deep layers of emotions cursing through him. However he has become more and more annoying over time, constantly pretending his feelings aren't there, treating Belly like she means nothing, telling her as much, and then coming back with one sentence about liking her all along as if that makes up for it. Jeremiah has been so sweet with her this whole entire time, has stood by as the love of his life constantly, embarrassingly simps for his brother and remained by her side nonetheless. He has never judged her for it and never let her down, and has always been open and honest about his feeling. I've never read a book or series where I'm so uncertain as to who she'll end up with, or who she should end up with, but I think the right choice is Jeremiah. For all the reasons I've already said he deserves this, and she deserves to be loved by him, something Conrad seems devoted to not giving her. He has become such an annoying character to me, and the fact Belly seems to still, after all this, be lost in love with him is extremely annoying. For the next book I truly hope she and Jeremiah can end up happily together, they both deserve to be happy, I think Belly should take a step back and realise she has the perfect man right in front of her. Conrad has time and time again fumbled the bag and he doesn't deserve Belly, however emotional the broken boy trope might be he doesn't deserve her. However I have a strong feeling they will end up together as that seems to be implied throughout the whole series, so if that's the case I surely hope the author gives him so serious character development to make him earn it, and please don't heart Jeremiah, he doesn't deserve any pain.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer
samanderson24's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Death of parent
rebecca_arielle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Cancer, Alcohol, and Death of parent
saramcaps's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Much darker and more emotional than the first book, but it encapsulates grief and how it can affect young relationships realistically. I think this is the most well-written out of the series.
Hard to read for the Conrad girlies, but there are some bright spots like Christmas in Cousins❤️
Hard to read for the Conrad girlies, but there are some bright spots like Christmas in Cousins❤️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol
amberlfaris's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol
gcoulsxn's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Cancer
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Injury/injury detail