Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - The Summer of Bitter and Sweet

PLEASE READ THIS!!
As an asexual Canadian teenager this book meant the world to me (The main character is demisexual living in Saskatchewan). It talked about love, sex, race, and family in a way I've never seen before. This book was emotional in a slow, warm way, and the author poured so much love into the pages it shines through clearly. It's the perfect summer read, with long muggy days and delicious ice cream. Lou's journey is about accepting herself and her culture, and the relationships with the people around her- but it' so much more than that. This is a story that will stick with me.

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mullisla's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

2.75

Non Spoilers: This book was very nesessary and it had a really good message to promote. With that being said, I didn't really like the book. Not that the book is bad, but that it wasn't for me. Which makes me really sad because the book had such a good theme\message to it. Lou's journey of self-discovery, forgiveness and growthbwas really compelling, I just didn't like the execution.
I do recommend the book to everyone though. I can see lots of people really liking the book and connecting with it. Give it a read if you can.
***SPOILERS***

I was really confused in this book. I felt that some of the things that happened felt off with previous chapters, established character traits and the book in general.
Maybe it was mentioned in the book, but I was really confused to why Florence was working in Lou's Uncle's icecream shop in the summer, when she lives in Ireland. How does she know Lou? Also as an Irish person, I can confirm that we don't end every sentence with 'love' or 'pet'. That is only Granny's. We do use the terms sometimes, but not as often as Florence.
Peter England is so random. Why does he care so much if Lou says he is her biological Father anyways? I am really sad that there are actual arseholes liks him actually living in the world currently.
Lou really couldn't admit anything to herself. 'Nobody feels the way I do', girl, there is an entire community of people who feel the same as you. Thank you King for telling her that she is ace.
The 3 dates thing with King. I know she did actually like him, but it felt like a tease. Very Netflix teen tv show\movie of her.
There wasn't enough about Tyler. She just floated in and out of the story and I felt that I didn't know that much about her.
I do like this book, but I just don't know if this is the best version of it. The message was so good and the social problems that it tackled and highlighted were so well done. I just wish that the narrtive to accompany it was as good.

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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This own voices story features a biracial, Indigenous Métis and asexual/demisexual main character. Lou spends the summer sorting through complicated feelings around sexuality, race, her history of trauma, her family, and her predatory rapist father reappearing in her life. It was well-told with vibrant imagery and characters you couldn't help but feel attached to.

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paperbackparker's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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kindredbooks's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated

4.5

I received a copy of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.

There is a lot of trauma within these pages of The Summer of Bitter and Sweet - something that even the author notes from the start of the book - to allow readers to make the choice of whether or not to pick up the book. And within all the trauma is also a story about family, strength, resilience, and surviving against all odds in a system that is designed to keep you down. We enter the story as Lou is entering a summer of transition - her mother is going to travel this summer, she's got a boyfriend who is pressuring her into things that she doesn't enjoy, and her white biological father is out of prison and is reaching out. This is a story about a Métis girl who is still trying to figure out who she is, caught as she is between identities and the pressures of wanting to blend in and fit in. The story truly is one that is bitter and sweet - the reality and trauma behind Lou's story and the hope that endures that the world and its people can be changed for the better when we are able to find the right people around us to face and fight the injustices.

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agathecadieux's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

ARC from Harper Collins Canada/HCC frenzy

I loved this book. Such a beautiful, even if hard, story and loving characters. I don't know how a book can possibly give more in terms of beauty, complexity and ice cream! I totally recommend. Look out for TW before reading.

J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre. Une histoire vraiment magnifique, bien que difficile, et des personnages incroyables. Je ne sais pas comment un livre pourrait être mieux en termes de beauté, de complexité et de crème glacée. Je recommande totalement. Faites attention aux TW avant de lire.

Thanks to the publishers and author for this ARC !

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fromjuliereads's review against another edition

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challenging informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

** Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for an advanced e-arc in exchange for my honest opinions.**

NOTE: I cannot speak to the representation in this book. Please read reviews from Indigenous and/or Indigenous reviewers in the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

I have been trying to put my thoughts together since finishing this novel. I had thought the premise sounded so interesting, and when I heard that it was an Indigenous LGBTQIA+ novel set in Canada, I was sold. I absolutely loved getting to hear Jen Ferguson speak at an HCC Frenzy event as well.

There were a few things I really liked about the book:

The exploration of friendship, and how different friendships can look or function differently. Some are easy to continue or go back to, while others take a lot of work. And just the dynamics of friend groups, one-to-one friendships, and how they change over time. I like that the friendships were just as important as family in the novel.
The family relationships. They aren't perfect, they are more realistic than most novels make them seem. Families argue, struggle, but stay close and important.
The depictions of racism, especially anti-Indigenous racism, was dealt with well in the novel. There were the difficult pieces, the difficult conversations, people coming together to support, falling apart because of it, and the persistence of it in a small community. So many people think that racism isn't something that happens in Canada, but it is. And to see it in a novel is a reminder that it is as big of an issue here as it is in other places.
I absolutely loved all of the Canadian references, terms, places. Mentions of Timmies, bunnyhugs, the Royal Tyrrell Museum - all of it! There are so rarely books set in Canada, and I am always so excited when I find ones that talk about places I know, things I recognize immediately. Ordering a double double and vanilla dip at Timmies? Hells yes. My Canadian heart is happy haha.

The two pieces that I struggled with, though, were very large and integral parts to the story - I think that's why I couldn't rate this any higher. It made my enjoyment dampen a bit.
There is so much lying, deceit, anger, secrets. While teenagers have secrets, and I could never speak to the issues and difficulties that Lou has faced, I really struggled with the lies and secrets. They were so prevalent and big, they overtook the story in a way. I understand that part of it was the fallout of keeping secrets, but it seemed like that was thrown out multiple times in the story before things started to get better. And the biggest fallout about secrets happened before this book even takes place, something we are only given hints to.
The bigger one that I struggled with though was the acephobia. It was really hard to read, since it was both internalized and external. I understand that is common and acephobia is so prevalent in today's world, but it was really hard to read it. It's not even discussed in more detail until the very very end of the novel. I wish it had been discussed sooner because it felt almost like a "convenient" wrap-up - and I hate saying that, but things were kind of quickly discussed and worked through VERY quickly at the end, after being a major issue through the whole book.

I think I was just definitely not the audience for this book. And that's okay. I did take a lot away from reading it, but there are others who this book might be better for.

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