REVIEW: This Summer by Katlyn Duncan

This Summer by Katlyn Duncan

My rating: 

"I'm tired of running in the wrong direction. I've made so many mistakes and I will spend a lifetime regretting them. And if I stayed there, I'd add more to the pile. I want to run with you now. You're the only home I've ever wanted."

I would like to than the author for providing me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This Summer is a good contemporary Summer read. At first, I thought it was just going to be simple, fun read, but its not. It dealt with relationships, not just between the main characters, but also with their friends and family. It also touched the topic of forgiveness and letting go of past hurt.

THE GIST

Hadley was fine. She thought she's gotten over losing her best friend, Will. It took her a while, but after a year of nursing her brokenheart, she decided it was time, to get into a relationship with Carter. 

Before heading to college, Carter and Hadley, separated ways. Hadley thought the long distance relationship would not work. She wanted to start a new. She was finally leaving their small town, moving to her next adventure in New York for college. 

What she wasn't expecting was Will. He came back to town 2 years after he left without saying anything. It took her a year to finally get the courage to date with someone else, now after she finally got herself together, he comes back. 

Will she finally know why he left? Will she finally find closure and move on? Or will there be just more secrets?

WRITING

I gave the writing 17 points. I couldn't give it a perfect 20 because there were some parts that doesn't seem necessary to me. But all in all, I found the writing style very much my type in a contemporary novel.

PLOT

This book is not one of those books that have a very complicated plot line. It was simple, but it still tackled relationships with family, friends, and bf/gf. It started pretty good, but then I kind of felt that Will's struggle to not tell Hadley about what happened went to him on for too long. Then towards the ending, it just went all too perfectly for me.

I liked the fact that the story is not just about Hadley and Will's relationship. There's also Will's relationship with his parents, then Hadley, with her best friend, Lily.

CHRARACTERS

I loved all of them. I gave this 18 points.

Hadley: She's a great character. Very real and flawed. She's not a virgin (Thank God for that! If I ever read about a naive good girl on another book, I'm going to vomit on it first, and then throw it out the bin, where it should be!!) but she is a nice girl. She was an obedient daugher, a loving sister, and a good friend (most of the time).

I did kind of got annoyed about her reason for splitting up with Carter. She said, that since they were going to college, might as well stop this relationship now. I mean, sure, but isn't there cellphones to communicate? Isn't it why there's skype so people could get in touch from a distance?? I kind of got put off with that at first, then I realized, it was maybe because she didn't really love Carter to begin with. Her heart really belonged to Will, after all that time and she was just making some sort of excuse. That's just a maybe though.

Will: The Golden Boy, as Carter called him. I liked Will. He was the best friend, I've never had. He's good with kids, and with anyone actually. That's the reason why he came back to town, everyone was excited. He made that impression on them, that he was a good person, and he was.

I know what happened to him and his parents were not good. It was totally unacceptable. I get his anger towards his mom, and his disappointment towards his dad. I wouldn't blame him. But what I don't get it, why couldn't he tell Hadley? They've been really close ever since, but he just chose to leave without even saying anything. THAT was a VERY DICK MOVE. If I was Hadley, i probably wouldn't speak him ever again.

He totally redeemed himself towards the end though.

Secondary Characters: I wanna start with the other best friend, Lily. I really loved her, and how understanding she was with the entire thing. She's always been there for Hadley, even when Hadley wasn't for her. She had her reason for doing the stuff she did, I wouldn't judge her on that.

Then there's Carter. I hated his guts right from the first page he appeared. There was just something about him. He was the type, who would show you what you want to see. He hides his doucheness inside where no one could see, aside from the people he wanted to show it to. It's a good thing Hadley split up with him. But I could also see, he got really hurt. But still, I don't pity him too much.

UNPREDICTABILITY

I give this book 15 points. It was predictable on some parts, then most part just surprised me. I knew that stupid Savannah was going to appear at some point. Will's secret was not something I anticipated. And also what Lily did, that was a real surprise.

PACING

It was a little too slow towards the first and middle part, but then went too fast in the end. There was too much angst, on Will's part, on like 60% of the book. Everything was a bit too hurried for me, on the last part. Would have preferred it to be a little faster towards the first few parts, then a gradually slows down towards the ending, to give us a feel, on what it feels for them to finally have everything falling into place.

ENJOYABILITY

I really enjoyed it. I like bestfriend-becomes-lovers type of stories. I fell in love with my best friend too so I could really relate to what they're going through.

MY FINAL RAMBLING

All in all this book was good. I really liked the story and the characters. Like I said, I just had a bit of a problem with the pacing, and how everything just wrapped up too quickly for me. I wanted more towards the ending, not the beginning.

As I was reading this, I was listening to Ed Sheeran's Photograph and I kind of thought it fits Hadley and Will's story.

 I'll be looking forward to more of Katlyn Duncan's books in the future!

Highly recommended for people looking for a quick and moving story about two bestfriend, falling in love, losing each other, and finding their way back together.

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