emjrasmussen's review against another edition
Another hit from Jessica Brody! Here's what I loved most about Boys of Summer:
-It spotlights male friendship! (which is entirely too uncommon in YA)
-It takes place in a beach town, but not every character is an uber-rich tourist. Some of the characters are locals, and economic struggles play a key role in the storyline.
-Not every character chooses to attend a four-year university after high school—the characters have diverse career ambitions, all of which are treated as equally valid choices.
-It's different from Brody's previous contemporary novels (it deals a bit more with heavy, hard-hitting emotions), but she pulls it off well. I'm a huge fan of her writing, and Boys of Summer further cemented my appreciation.
-It spotlights male friendship! (which is entirely too uncommon in YA)
-It takes place in a beach town, but not every character is an uber-rich tourist. Some of the characters are locals, and economic struggles play a key role in the storyline.
-Not every character chooses to attend a four-year university after high school—the characters have diverse career ambitions, all of which are treated as equally valid choices.
-It's different from Brody's previous contemporary novels (it deals a bit more with heavy, hard-hitting emotions), but she pulls it off well. I'm a huge fan of her writing, and Boys of Summer further cemented my appreciation.
nlevesque27's review against another edition
I really liked this book. Quick read that didn't take too long, and I think that the character development throughout the book (while it wasn't the best) made me like the characters more and more.
Book 46/50 (2017)
Book 46/50 (2017)
charmaineac's review against another edition
2.0
This book was so ANGSTY. These three guys really didn't treat each other well at all, let alone like "best friends."
Here's the thing. We all grow up, make new changes, and grow apart. I'd hate to think that something like the (major climactic moment) would suddenly bring everyone back together again. And even if it did, how long could such a fragile relationship last? I know you can point to the boys' long history of friendship, but we all change. We grow up and we grow apart. Heck, Grayson mentioned it himself — the person you are at 12 has no idea what you'd want at 18. I've read that every cell in your body gets replaced within 7 years. That means 7 years down the line, you're not even made up of the same cells that make you who you are.
I don't like how two things solve everything: violence or love. When problems are that deep, a punch isn't the answer. A kiss isn't the answer. No one knows how to communicate properly, and I have a major issue with that.
Ian also ground my gears immensely. A death does not give you a free pass to do ANYTHING. Why would Grayson get beat up, but Ian get a free pass? The circumstances are somewhat different, and I guess that would make Grayson a hypocrite if he went after Ian, but still — I thought there would be some payout there. Ian's mom is truly excruciating to read about. Actually, Grayson's mother is pretty awful too. I thought there'd be a strong Hidden Meaning in her case, i.e. a history of domestic abuse or something. But no, these parents are pretty much just self-absorbed and worn down. The only happy ones seem to be Mike's parents, but they have their own struggles.
Julie dear. You're so sweet and kind. And honestly, you deserve better than freaking MIKE. Jasper and Jake though, they can stay with you.
Overall, this book was a little angsty for my taste. I didn't care much for the characters, and the denouement went a little too long. There were also too many loopholes (e.g. why would Whitney get on a ferry while Grayson was still there?). Oh well.
Here's the thing. We all grow up, make new changes, and grow apart. I'd hate to think that something like the (major climactic moment) would suddenly bring everyone back together again. And even if it did, how long could such a fragile relationship last? I know you can point to the boys' long history of friendship, but we all change. We grow up and we grow apart. Heck, Grayson mentioned it himself — the person you are at 12 has no idea what you'd want at 18. I've read that every cell in your body gets replaced within 7 years. That means 7 years down the line, you're not even made up of the same cells that make you who you are.
I don't like how two things solve everything: violence or love. When problems are that deep, a punch isn't the answer. A kiss isn't the answer. No one knows how to communicate properly, and I have a major issue with that.
Ian also ground my gears immensely. A death does not give you a free pass to do ANYTHING. Why would Grayson get beat up, but Ian get a free pass? The circumstances are somewhat different, and I guess that would make Grayson a hypocrite if he went after Ian, but still — I thought there would be some payout there. Ian's mom is truly excruciating to read about. Actually, Grayson's mother is pretty awful too. I thought there'd be a strong Hidden Meaning in her case, i.e. a history of domestic abuse or something. But no, these parents are pretty much just self-absorbed and worn down. The only happy ones seem to be Mike's parents, but they have their own struggles.
Julie dear. You're so sweet and kind. And honestly, you deserve better than freaking MIKE. Jasper and Jake though, they can stay with you.
Overall, this book was a little angsty for my taste. I didn't care much for the characters, and the denouement went a little too long. There were also too many loopholes (e.g. why would Whitney get on a ferry while Grayson was still there?). Oh well.
pwbalto's review against another edition
3.0
HUGE UP-SIDE: Nobody gets raped.
Seriously, looking at this cover, I was SURE somebody was going to get raped. I've just gotten sucker-punched too many times by the idyllic cover and the title that could mean anything, and then there's a party and it's Veronica Mars walking home with her shoes in her hand all over again. But not here. So whew!
Gr 8-Up -- It’s gearing up to be another perfect summer in Winlock Harbor, the only town on a tiny Northeastern resort island. Grayson, Ian, and Mike are looking forward to their last carefree summer before Grayson heads off to Vanderbilt to play football, Mike moves to New York City with his girlfriend, and Ian sets off into the world armed only with his guitar. But each of the boys is secretly hobbled by loss, injury, or heartbreak - and while they’re great at hanging out, talking smack, and watching TV, they’re each totally unable to express their sorrow or pain to each other, or to ask after one another’s feelings. Luckily, each boy begins a new romance with a girl, and they eventually begin to access their emotions as they each are forced to think about these new relationships. A great setting, lots of kissing, and a diverse cast of characters are pluses, but it can be hard to distinguish the voices of each boy, and the depiction of shut-down masculinity is a bit depressing. —Paula Willey
Seriously, looking at this cover, I was SURE somebody was going to get raped. I've just gotten sucker-punched too many times by the idyllic cover and the title that could mean anything, and then there's a party and it's Veronica Mars walking home with her shoes in her hand all over again. But not here. So whew!
Gr 8-Up -- It’s gearing up to be another perfect summer in Winlock Harbor, the only town on a tiny Northeastern resort island. Grayson, Ian, and Mike are looking forward to their last carefree summer before Grayson heads off to Vanderbilt to play football, Mike moves to New York City with his girlfriend, and Ian sets off into the world armed only with his guitar. But each of the boys is secretly hobbled by loss, injury, or heartbreak - and while they’re great at hanging out, talking smack, and watching TV, they’re each totally unable to express their sorrow or pain to each other, or to ask after one another’s feelings. Luckily, each boy begins a new romance with a girl, and they eventually begin to access their emotions as they each are forced to think about these new relationships. A great setting, lots of kissing, and a diverse cast of characters are pluses, but it can be hard to distinguish the voices of each boy, and the depiction of shut-down masculinity is a bit depressing. —Paula Willey
jshettel's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book featuring three guys who've been beach-friends forever. This summer though feels different to all of the guys for different reasons and they have trouble figuring out how to grow up but not grow apart. I loved the multiple viewpoints as each chapter is told in alternating first-person perspective from each of the teens - Ian, Mike and Grayson.
booksforlosers's review against another edition
5.0
after reading the hell that was “Stealing Snow”, this book provided me with much relief . I know I’ve always loved Jessica Brody, but the last book I read by her, MY Life Undecided, felt somewhat juvenile to me and didn’t go into much depth. This book was much better, the characters were well thought out and the plot flowed somehow perfectly between the three characters, which seems would be hard to do or difficult to read but ended up working really well .
typedtruths's review against another edition
emotional
3.0
Boys of Summer was a breezy and mostly enjoyable summery contemporary but the major problems I had with two of the protagonists stopped me from enjoying the book as a whole.
Grayson: I wish I had liked Grayson more than I did but I struggled to empathise with him. He was responsible for so many of his own terrible decisions that it was hard to feel sorry for him, especially when he kept lying to his friends when he knew that waiting to tell them would make it worse. I just wanted him to stop his nonsense and admit that he was not helping his situation or reaching out to his friends for help but by the end of the book, he was still self-involved.
His characterisation also relied too heavily on the typical Tragic Jock trope. You know the one where the womanising star quarterback is *gasp* actually a boy with feelings who is not really interested in football and is having a hard time because his mum is dead/abandoned him; then he meets a girl who shows him he can be more than what everyone else wants from him so the book ends with a big, dramatic confrontation with his hyper-masculine father about dropping out of his football scholarship… you get the point. It is a commonly used trope in American YA contemporaries and it is getting really old. It is literally just the plotline of The Cinderella Story and that movie was my childhood so nothing stands the chance of topping it.
Harper I was a little bit disappointed by how much Harper’s character was underdeveloped. I still don’t quite know why she used Mike as she did or whether her feelings for Grayson were even sincere. Her backstory felt very shallow and glossed over. I don’t know if that was because she was meant to be a minor character but it came across like the author meant her to be a personified plot device more than an actual character. I didn’t really get much from her and what I did, I didn’t like. She was just so selfish!
Ian: What a dickhead! I don’t have any other words to describe him. I know that grief manifests in different ways for different people and some people respond to it in extreme manners but his flashbacks show us that Ian has been acting like a dickhead for the majority of his life (so he cannot use his grief as an excuse). I hated that he slut-shamed Whitney and that he continued to act surprised when she is seen wearing glasses - because, let’s remember, glasses have nothing to do with people’s eyesight, they are an indicator of people’s intelligence and Whitney is not supposed to be smart - and is caught reading. He seemed to have the impression that girls aren’t capable of having an interest in something like shopping or fashion and books… because fashion-loving females are too vapid, shallow and dumb to read. Obviously. *eye roll*
Whitney: If you know me at all by now, you’ll know that slut-shaming and poor female characterisation is one of my biggest pet peeves. I would take a million love triangles over a book with a problematic female character rep… and unfortunately, Whitney - Grayson’s sister and Ian’s romantic interest - was a perfect example of what can go wrong. To set the scene, Whitney is a conventionally gorgeous girl but because she was constantly called pretty as a child, Whitney grew up thinking that her one strength in life was that she was pretty. In her thirteen-year-old head, this meant it was her responsibility to always look good for the guys which she would meet or bump into if she went out; and to Whitney, looking ‘good’ meant she had to dress in “slutty” clothes. At first, I was excited that this book was going to bring up some social commentary about how society over-sexualises tween girls and the effect this has on their self-esteem (especially when Whitney initially confronted Ian) but as you can imagine, it did not quite play out that way.
Instead of the author letting Whitney realise that she can dress however she wants to and have her rock her own particular style by the end of the story, she decides to take a really nasty route. She makes Whitney grow up and ‘realise’ that worrying about fashion made her stupid. Her friends - who were still into fashion and cosmetics - were labelled vapid and shallow. This was not because of their materialism or the fact that they were genuinely shallow as individuals but simply because they cared about fashion. The author completely and utterly shamed anyone who showed an interest in shopping, clothes or makeup.
After her realisation, Whitney stops straightening her hair/wearing makeup and starts to feel comfortable enough to wear her prescription glasses and ‘casual’ clothing… and suddenly, magically, Ian finds her hot. He suddenly finds it worth his time to talk to her and is consequently shocked to find out she enjoys reading just like him. In fact, Whitney has read classics that Mighty Ian himself has not. It is obvious that Ian did not even consider the possibility that Whitney could be interested in both fashion and reading. No. How could she? People - and by people, he means girls - who like fashion are too dumb to be able to read! I had to put the book down during this part.
I know some readers will think that I am overreacting to all of this but I have read so many misogynistic books this year that I no longer have an ounce of patience for it. I understand that the author was (probably) trying to be empowering by telling girls they don’t have to wear makeup or dress in particular ways to succeed in life but she did this in the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with being passionate about fashion/cosmetics, enjoying shopping or caring about what you wear. Telling people - girls, in particular, in this case - that they don’t have to only care about their appearance is a good message but going as far as to shame people who do wear makeup and care about fashion is the opposite of helpful. This book portrayed Whitney as a person who was not worth knowing until she stopped caring about fashion and I think this is harmful. This book was not empowering and I was not okay with how Whitney’s character was written.
Mike: Mike was honestly the only main character who I wholeheartedly enjoyed. He was such a realistic and well-fleshed-out protagonist. A few of the decisions he made seemed a little bit dicey but I adored him as a whole. I loved that we explored his familial relationships and his growing relationship with Julie was sweet and well-paced. I liked that it was developed slowly and built on an actually genuine friendship between the two of them. I was shipped it a lot and would have much preferred to have had this entire book focused on them.
Overall?
This was a most enjoyable contemporary read that could have been great if the author had focused on Mike and Julie. The problematic female characterisation had been in a rage for the majority of the book and Grayson's trope-ridden subplot really dragged the story down. I did like the setting and the overall atmosphere so I would consider reading a future Brody story. I was just not impressed with Whitney, Grayson or Ian’s characterisation.
Grayson: I wish I had liked Grayson more than I did but I struggled to empathise with him. He was responsible for so many of his own terrible decisions that it was hard to feel sorry for him, especially when he kept lying to his friends when he knew that waiting to tell them would make it worse. I just wanted him to stop his nonsense and admit that he was not helping his situation or reaching out to his friends for help but by the end of the book, he was still self-involved.
His characterisation also relied too heavily on the typical Tragic Jock trope. You know the one where the womanising star quarterback is *gasp* actually a boy with feelings who is not really interested in football and is having a hard time because his mum is dead/abandoned him; then he meets a girl who shows him he can be more than what everyone else wants from him so the book ends with a big, dramatic confrontation with his hyper-masculine father about dropping out of his football scholarship… you get the point. It is a commonly used trope in American YA contemporaries and it is getting really old. It is literally just the plotline of The Cinderella Story and that movie was my childhood so nothing stands the chance of topping it.
Harper I was a little bit disappointed by how much Harper’s character was underdeveloped. I still don’t quite know why she used Mike as she did or whether her feelings for Grayson were even sincere. Her backstory felt very shallow and glossed over. I don’t know if that was because she was meant to be a minor character but it came across like the author meant her to be a personified plot device more than an actual character. I didn’t really get much from her and what I did, I didn’t like. She was just so selfish!
Ian: What a dickhead! I don’t have any other words to describe him. I know that grief manifests in different ways for different people and some people respond to it in extreme manners but his flashbacks show us that Ian has been acting like a dickhead for the majority of his life (so he cannot use his grief as an excuse). I hated that he slut-shamed Whitney and that he continued to act surprised when she is seen wearing glasses - because, let’s remember, glasses have nothing to do with people’s eyesight, they are an indicator of people’s intelligence and Whitney is not supposed to be smart - and is caught reading. He seemed to have the impression that girls aren’t capable of having an interest in something like shopping or fashion and books… because fashion-loving females are too vapid, shallow and dumb to read. Obviously. *eye roll*
Whitney: If you know me at all by now, you’ll know that slut-shaming and poor female characterisation is one of my biggest pet peeves. I would take a million love triangles over a book with a problematic female character rep… and unfortunately, Whitney - Grayson’s sister and Ian’s romantic interest - was a perfect example of what can go wrong. To set the scene, Whitney is a conventionally gorgeous girl but because she was constantly called pretty as a child, Whitney grew up thinking that her one strength in life was that she was pretty. In her thirteen-year-old head, this meant it was her responsibility to always look good for the guys which she would meet or bump into if she went out; and to Whitney, looking ‘good’ meant she had to dress in “slutty” clothes. At first, I was excited that this book was going to bring up some social commentary about how society over-sexualises tween girls and the effect this has on their self-esteem (especially when Whitney initially confronted Ian) but as you can imagine, it did not quite play out that way.
Instead of the author letting Whitney realise that she can dress however she wants to and have her rock her own particular style by the end of the story, she decides to take a really nasty route. She makes Whitney grow up and ‘realise’ that worrying about fashion made her stupid. Her friends - who were still into fashion and cosmetics - were labelled vapid and shallow. This was not because of their materialism or the fact that they were genuinely shallow as individuals but simply because they cared about fashion. The author completely and utterly shamed anyone who showed an interest in shopping, clothes or makeup.
After her realisation, Whitney stops straightening her hair/wearing makeup and starts to feel comfortable enough to wear her prescription glasses and ‘casual’ clothing… and suddenly, magically, Ian finds her hot. He suddenly finds it worth his time to talk to her and is consequently shocked to find out she enjoys reading just like him. In fact, Whitney has read classics that Mighty Ian himself has not. It is obvious that Ian did not even consider the possibility that Whitney could be interested in both fashion and reading. No. How could she? People - and by people, he means girls - who like fashion are too dumb to be able to read! I had to put the book down during this part.
I know some readers will think that I am overreacting to all of this but I have read so many misogynistic books this year that I no longer have an ounce of patience for it. I understand that the author was (probably) trying to be empowering by telling girls they don’t have to wear makeup or dress in particular ways to succeed in life but she did this in the wrong way. There is nothing wrong with being passionate about fashion/cosmetics, enjoying shopping or caring about what you wear. Telling people - girls, in particular, in this case - that they don’t have to only care about their appearance is a good message but going as far as to shame people who do wear makeup and care about fashion is the opposite of helpful. This book portrayed Whitney as a person who was not worth knowing until she stopped caring about fashion and I think this is harmful. This book was not empowering and I was not okay with how Whitney’s character was written.
Mike: Mike was honestly the only main character who I wholeheartedly enjoyed. He was such a realistic and well-fleshed-out protagonist. A few of the decisions he made seemed a little bit dicey but I adored him as a whole. I loved that we explored his familial relationships and his growing relationship with Julie was sweet and well-paced. I liked that it was developed slowly and built on an actually genuine friendship between the two of them. I was shipped it a lot and would have much preferred to have had this entire book focused on them.
Overall?
This was a most enjoyable contemporary read that could have been great if the author had focused on Mike and Julie. The problematic female characterisation had been in a rage for the majority of the book and Grayson's trope-ridden subplot really dragged the story down. I did like the setting and the overall atmosphere so I would consider reading a future Brody story. I was just not impressed with Whitney, Grayson or Ian’s characterisation.
katdowney's review against another edition
3.0
Cover: 2.5
Characters: 3
Writing: 3.5
Plot: 3
Swoon: 2
Overall: 2.8
I loved the premise of this book and knew it was something I wanted to read as soon as I heard about it. I really liked Ian and Whitney so much. I also really like Mike’s new friend but there were times she was just too good to be true.
It took me a while to get into this book. I found myself shaking my head so many times while reading. The bromance wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. Majority of the book these best friends are all going to painful lengths to hide from one another. I couldn’t really get on board with the relationships, other than Ian’s. Grayson lying about his injured arm was so frustrating because everyone would know as soon as it came time for him to play ball at university. Also thought Grayson was a pretty sleezy friend.
So this book wasn’t really for me but if you’re a big fan of YA contemporary you might love it.
Characters: 3
Writing: 3.5
Plot: 3
Swoon: 2
Overall: 2.8
I loved the premise of this book and knew it was something I wanted to read as soon as I heard about it. I really liked Ian and Whitney so much. I also really like Mike’s new friend but there were times she was just too good to be true.
It took me a while to get into this book. I found myself shaking my head so many times while reading. The bromance wasn’t quite what I was hoping for. Majority of the book these best friends are all going to painful lengths to hide from one another. I couldn’t really get on board with the relationships, other than Ian’s. Grayson lying about his injured arm was so frustrating because everyone would know as soon as it came time for him to play ball at university. Also thought Grayson was a pretty sleezy friend.
So this book wasn’t really for me but if you’re a big fan of YA contemporary you might love it.
makenna's review against another edition
4.0
The only reason I did not enjoy this book as much as I wanted was because it was changing point of views. I don't think that changing POV was wrong for this book, in fact it was needed, I just personally always seem to enjoy a book less when there is changing POV. Because it changed every chapter, I felt like I did not connect with the character as much as I wanted to, but also I felt like I did not get enough when the relationships were developing.
I did really like the fact that each guy had something that made them different from each other, usually I have trouble remember who everyone is when there are a bunch of characters thrown in at the beginning, but I could remember who was who pretty quickly which was nice.
I did really like the fact that each guy had something that made them different from each other, usually I have trouble remember who everyone is when there are a bunch of characters thrown in at the beginning, but I could remember who was who pretty quickly which was nice.