bacchusvines's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders
irezende's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
breadedbookpages's review against another edition
5.0
This isn't my first Julian Winters book. Matter of fact, his fall releases are a spotlight of my year. Last year, we had How to Be Remy Cameron, which focused a lot on identity.
This year, we have The Summer of Everything a book that focuses a lot of on friendship, the future, and family.
I liked TsoE a lot and I feel it showcases Julian Winters' progress as a writer and a storyteller.
We have Wes, a recent high school graduate, who's coming back from a trip to Italy with restauranteur (is this a word?) father and author mother, who want to know what Wes is planning for his future, what his five years plan is, and what is going to major in. Wes knows none of the answers. And would rather spend his summer simply figuring out a way to confess his crush to his best friend Nico. My heart fluttered so badly whenever Wes and Nico interacted, how their chemistry as both best friends and a potential couple shined off the page. They had history, compassion for one another, and so much tenderness. Even from Wes's perspective alone, we can feel Nico's mutual pining. Hell, y'all will want to hug the guy. Because Nico deals with his own grief of losing his father 2 years ago (sophomore year) and has everything planned to be a future doctor so he can save many others like his dad.
There's also the matter of the bookstore where Wes sees a future. Except the bookstore itself might not have one. So, with the help of Anna (gentle), Elle (emo), Cooper (EXCITED), Nico (<3), Zay (chill), and Lucas (darling) they try and save it from being absorbed by the evil badly named coffee house.
You'll also love reading about Wes' brother Leo and his fiance Leeann. And her competing maids of honor. (Can't she have two?)
This book is queer, joyful, heartbreaking, and honestly, a must-read.
This year, we have The Summer of Everything a book that focuses a lot of on friendship, the future, and family.
I liked TsoE a lot and I feel it showcases Julian Winters' progress as a writer and a storyteller.
We have Wes, a recent high school graduate, who's coming back from a trip to Italy with restauranteur (is this a word?) father and author mother, who want to know what Wes is planning for his future, what his five years plan is, and what is going to major in. Wes knows none of the answers. And would rather spend his summer simply figuring out a way to confess his crush to his best friend Nico. My heart fluttered so badly whenever Wes and Nico interacted, how their chemistry as both best friends and a potential couple shined off the page. They had history, compassion for one another, and so much tenderness. Even from Wes's perspective alone, we can feel Nico's mutual pining. Hell, y'all will want to hug the guy. Because Nico deals with his own grief of losing his father 2 years ago (sophomore year) and has everything planned to be a future doctor so he can save many others like his dad.
There's also the matter of the bookstore where Wes sees a future. Except the bookstore itself might not have one. So, with the help of Anna (gentle), Elle (emo), Cooper (EXCITED), Nico (<3), Zay (chill), and Lucas (darling) they try and save it from being absorbed by the evil badly named coffee house.
You'll also love reading about Wes' brother Leo and his fiance Leeann. And her competing maids of honor. (Can't she have two?)
This book is queer, joyful, heartbreaking, and honestly, a must-read.
pagesofglory22's review against another edition
5.0
Can I give a book a million stars?
So this might just be a contender for my favourite book of 2020 so far. It was perfect. PERFECT. I could literally not find a single thing wrong with it. I might ramble a bit in this review because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS so just stick it out, okay?
We'll start with the plot. Wes works at a bookstore with his friends, including Nico, his best friend and crush. It's the summer between high school and college, and Wes feels trapped in that awkward stage of his life where he's not a kid anymore, but also not ready to be an adult. It feels like everyone has their life planned out, except for him. The only thing that he has planned out is that it's his last chance to tell Nico how he feels before Nico goes away to Stanford.
The characters: You guys. YOU GUYS. They stole my heart. I just wanted to crawl into the book and join their banter. And there was SO. MUCH. REPRESENTATION. Ahhhhhhhhhhh I love diverse books so much!!!!
General thoughts: I'll reiterate - this book is perfect. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions the human body is capable of feeling.
(e-ARC provided by Edelweiss and publisher in exchange for an honest review)
So this might just be a contender for my favourite book of 2020 so far. It was perfect. PERFECT. I could literally not find a single thing wrong with it. I might ramble a bit in this review because I have SO MANY THOUGHTS so just stick it out, okay?
We'll start with the plot. Wes works at a bookstore with his friends, including Nico, his best friend and crush. It's the summer between high school and college, and Wes feels trapped in that awkward stage of his life where he's not a kid anymore, but also not ready to be an adult. It feels like everyone has their life planned out, except for him. The only thing that he has planned out is that it's his last chance to tell Nico how he feels before Nico goes away to Stanford.
The characters: You guys. YOU GUYS. They stole my heart. I just wanted to crawl into the book and join their banter. And there was SO. MUCH. REPRESENTATION. Ahhhhhhhhhhh I love diverse books so much!!!!
General thoughts: I'll reiterate - this book is perfect. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions the human body is capable of feeling.
(e-ARC provided by Edelweiss and publisher in exchange for an honest review)
canonicallychaotic's review against another edition
4.0
books are an escape. they’re a trapdoor into emotions and feelings and how the smallest events can be the most life-changing.
The Summer of Everything is Julian Winters’ third novel, and also the third one I’ve read from him. He’s really done it again bringing us a fun, joyful, light-spirited story with an ensemble cast and a charmingly geeky lead character. We love to see Black joy and queer kids sticking together. It combines some familiar ideas from his last two books; with Running with Lions’s ensemble cast, and How to be Remy Cameron’s journey to find your place in the world. I don’t have a lot to say about it other than I had so much fun reading it.
I just wish I could tell Wes that I, a college grad in her twenties living through a pandemic, also have no idea how to adult. None of us do buddy. And that’s okay! And what I would give for someone to tell me that at eighteen. I always say that I am thankful that these books with these messages exist for kids and teens today, and I’m thankful that these books can star queer kids of color for queer kids of color. It shows that these messages are for them, too.
Also, in high school I applied to work at a Barnes and Noble a couple times and never got it so the jealousy I experienced reading this was palpable.
Bonus quote:
the smile in his voice is wes’s favorite song.
anyaemilie's review against another edition
5.0
The SLOWEST slow burn but so worth it!!!
A perfect summer read with lovable side characters, a killer soundtrack, and the sweetest friends to lovers story
A perfect summer read with lovable side characters, a killer soundtrack, and the sweetest friends to lovers story
catladyreba's review against another edition
2.0
I was lucky enough to meet Julian Winters at a conference, and he really was the loveliest human. Add to that admiration a novel set in a bookstore, with shades of 90's music and allusions to Empire Records, and a perfect locale, and a super diverse cast, what's not to love? But I feel awful that this kind of fell flat for me. Maybe I am harboring some jealously that is coloring my reading experience. I spent my youth and high school career as a huge bookworm and spent so much time in the library, and never, not once, was I able to get a job at a local, indie book store. Has any actual teenager lived this life? And, I just finished All Our Worst Ideas, which has a similar plot line, but with music instead of books, and cis main characters, but the way too hip jobs, the obsession with the 90's? I work with teenagers and high schoolers all day and they really don't care about 80/90's movies, TV, or music. These books remind me of something I heard on the Teen Creeps Podcast about how books aimed at teens are 20 years behind the publishing date in content. Granted that was more early YA, but sometimes that assessment feels spot on. I think the representation in this story is wonderful, and the characters are fantastic, but it just didn't gel for me.
wildflowerz76's review against another edition
5.0
Wes is back from a month spent in Italy with his parents and he has two month to enjoy his job at an indie book store and finally confess his feelings to his best friend Nico before he starts at UCLA in the fall. But the book store looks like it's in trouble and coming clean with his friend is a lot harder than it seems.
After finally reading Remy Cameron recently, I was excited to dive right into another book by Julian Winters. I loved reading about this crazy, diverse cast of characters and all their idiosyncrasies. We've all been Wes at one point or another!
After finally reading Remy Cameron recently, I was excited to dive right into another book by Julian Winters. I loved reading about this crazy, diverse cast of characters and all their idiosyncrasies. We've all been Wes at one point or another!
ckkurata529's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 I read this right after Right Where I Left You and I think it was too soon because they seemed strikingly similar. I would have liked it more on its own, outside of the shadow of the other novel.