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A review by stephanieluxton
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I've been meaning to read this for a couple years and I finally got to it. At first, I wasn't enjoying it and I almost stopped. I felt like the writing was telling rather than showing. It felt a little dull in the beginning. I couldn't relate very well to Percy as an adult in the start of the story because I'm good at relationships and connecting with people. I continued on for nostalgia purposes. I also went to Barry's Bay every summer growing up (it's wild that this book exists because I swear I've never even met another person who knows where that is). I also had a long distance situation with someone at Queens University. I also think Moose Tracks ice cream is way better than cotton candy.
The book got way better as it went on and we got to see why Percy is the way she is. I loved how the book jumped around in time so we could see her relationships change as she got older. I used to see the same people at the cottage every summer so it hit me right in the feels. I think the author captured the awkwardness and beauty of growing up incredibly well. I liked that the story wasn't only about Percy and Sam, but also handles the complexities of female friendships and relationships between parents and their kids well. It also beautifully tackles the highs and lows of a relationship in an authentic and realistic way.
This book reminded me of Happy Place by Emily Henry, but Every Summer After is WAYYYY BETTER because when we finally find out wtf happened to cause a rift between our main characters, it actually makes sense rather than just being a total lack of communication for no reason. I stayed up way too late finishing the last 50 pages because they were phenomenal.
The only complaint I have is that I have a very hard time believing that during their estrangement, Percy, Sam, and Charlie never creeped each other on social media or googled each other. This book makes it seem like facebook doesn't exist. Am I to believe that Sue would never have looked up Percy or even kept in contact with her parents? Oh well. It's fine.
The book got way better as it went on and we got to see why Percy is the way she is. I loved how the book jumped around in time so we could see her relationships change as she got older. I used to see the same people at the cottage every summer so it hit me right in the feels. I think the author captured the awkwardness and beauty of growing up incredibly well. I liked that the story wasn't only about Percy and Sam, but also handles the complexities of female friendships and relationships between parents and their kids well. It also beautifully tackles the highs and lows of a relationship in an authentic and realistic way.
This book reminded me of Happy Place by Emily Henry, but Every Summer After is WAYYYY BETTER because when we finally find out wtf happened to cause a rift between our main characters, it actually makes sense rather than just being a total lack of communication for no reason. I stayed up way too late finishing the last 50 pages because they were phenomenal.
The only complaint I have is that I have a very hard time believing that during their estrangement, Percy, Sam, and Charlie never creeped each other on social media or googled each other. This book makes it seem like facebook doesn't exist. Am I to believe that Sue would never have looked up Percy or even kept in contact with her parents? Oh well. It's fine.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Alcohol