Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
Belly's last summer at Cousins Beach ended on a bittersweet note. On the one hand, the love of her life, Conrad, finally noticed her in a romantic way. On the other hand, they find out that Conrad and Jeremiah's mother Susannah's cancer has returned. Everyone takes Susannah's passing hard, but perhaps none more so than Conrad, who disappears halfway into his summer college session. Jeremiah asks Belly to help him find Conrad, which Belly agrees to--with reservation, for she has no idea how he feels about him, whether or not they'll ever work out.
When they catch up to Conrad, however, they realize that something big is at stake, and it may require all of them to lay aside their turbulent feelings for one another in order to save summer as they know it.
I find it very hard to describe why, exactly, I love this series so very much, as I found myself effortlessly lured into Bellys world in this second book in the series. IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU made me laugh, tear up, and swoon, and it is every bit as good as the first book, if not better.
It was impossible for me not to get emotionally invested in these characters. Jenny Han has created marvelously nuanced characters, flawed or troubled or just plain not nice...and yet all endearing. IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU has a gorgeous blend of family/parental tensions, vivid flashbacks, and your plain old-fashioned love triangle done right. The book is dotted with quietly emotional scenes that made me cry or cringe; the scenes are agonizing, and thus addicting. You don't want to look away even in the most painful of moments.
With IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU, Jenny Han cements herself as a supremely talented writer who can avoid the second-in-a-trilogy book slump and make readers fall hard for the characters. Fans of the first book will adore this one, and if you haven't yet read the first, you should definitely do so as soon as possible, preferably on a night when you want to feel emotionally alive.
When they catch up to Conrad, however, they realize that something big is at stake, and it may require all of them to lay aside their turbulent feelings for one another in order to save summer as they know it.
I find it very hard to describe why, exactly, I love this series so very much, as I found myself effortlessly lured into Bellys world in this second book in the series. IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU made me laugh, tear up, and swoon, and it is every bit as good as the first book, if not better.
It was impossible for me not to get emotionally invested in these characters. Jenny Han has created marvelously nuanced characters, flawed or troubled or just plain not nice...and yet all endearing. IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU has a gorgeous blend of family/parental tensions, vivid flashbacks, and your plain old-fashioned love triangle done right. The book is dotted with quietly emotional scenes that made me cry or cringe; the scenes are agonizing, and thus addicting. You don't want to look away even in the most painful of moments.
With IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU, Jenny Han cements herself as a supremely talented writer who can avoid the second-in-a-trilogy book slump and make readers fall hard for the characters. Fans of the first book will adore this one, and if you haven't yet read the first, you should definitely do so as soon as possible, preferably on a night when you want to feel emotionally alive.
Jennifer W. (GeniusJen) reviewed It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, Bk 2) on + 5322 more book reviews
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU is the second installment in the series by Jenny Han, following THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY. The story picks up after the summer.
Belly relates her history with Conrad and what has happened since they kissed at the end of summer. She knew he would call in the fall, and eventually he does. The two have a tenuous relationship, but that all falls apart when Conrad's mother, Suzanne, dies.
Suzanne was the bond that kept the two families close. Each summer, they would be together at the house at Cousins' Beach. Now, with Suzanne gone, the threads are unraveling.
Belly receives a call a few months after the funeral from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah. Conrad has gone missing from summer school at Brown. He asks Belly to help him try to find Conrad. Without telling her mother, Belly and Jeremiah set off to find Conrad.
They quickly figure out that he is at the beach house. At first, Belly and Jeremiah think Conrad is running away from everything. But soon they learn that Mr. Fisher, Conrad and Jeremiah's father, plans to sell the house. The kids can't let that happen. But with little hope, they throw one last party to remember their summers at the beach.
IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU is a bittersweet novel of loss and love. Belly has loved Conrad since she was a small child and everyone knows it. But Conrad is so different from Jeremiah and wants to be left alone. They are all grieving for Suzanne in different ways, but join as one to save the only thing that has brought them together every year and has made them a family.
Don't expect this novel to have all the answers, though! The ending leaves the reader eagerly anticipating the follow-up; WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER is due out in May 2011.
IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU is the second installment in the series by Jenny Han, following THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY. The story picks up after the summer.
Belly relates her history with Conrad and what has happened since they kissed at the end of summer. She knew he would call in the fall, and eventually he does. The two have a tenuous relationship, but that all falls apart when Conrad's mother, Suzanne, dies.
Suzanne was the bond that kept the two families close. Each summer, they would be together at the house at Cousins' Beach. Now, with Suzanne gone, the threads are unraveling.
Belly receives a call a few months after the funeral from Conrad's brother, Jeremiah. Conrad has gone missing from summer school at Brown. He asks Belly to help him try to find Conrad. Without telling her mother, Belly and Jeremiah set off to find Conrad.
They quickly figure out that he is at the beach house. At first, Belly and Jeremiah think Conrad is running away from everything. But soon they learn that Mr. Fisher, Conrad and Jeremiah's father, plans to sell the house. The kids can't let that happen. But with little hope, they throw one last party to remember their summers at the beach.
IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU is a bittersweet novel of loss and love. Belly has loved Conrad since she was a small child and everyone knows it. But Conrad is so different from Jeremiah and wants to be left alone. They are all grieving for Suzanne in different ways, but join as one to save the only thing that has brought them together every year and has made them a family.
Don't expect this novel to have all the answers, though! The ending leaves the reader eagerly anticipating the follow-up; WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER is due out in May 2011.
Really liked book
