Second Chance Summer

HELLO WORLD! 

I read this book about a week ago, and oh my, how I cried! This book was so wonderfully written, and it was so gripping. 

The plot: 

After receiving probably the worst news ever, Taylor’s dad insists on a summer at the lake house. But there, is Taylor’s ex-best-friend, Lucy, who is far from forgiving her, and her ex-boyfriend from when they were little, who happens to live next door and is much cuter at seventeen than he was when they were younger! 

(My words) 

My response 

*crycrycrycrycrycrycry* it was such a great book, I couldn’t stop crying and laughing at the same time! 

I really like how it was an easy read, but not overly simple. I think that if there were loads of complex words it would have lost the feel of a contemporary book that actually was contemporary and would have felt too formal. 

The Plot + Pace: 

I thought that the plot was really well thought through, as there wasn’t a moment when nothing was happening. 

I found the story as a whole really touching, and I found that it wasn’t one of those books that could never happen in real life. There were some aspects that I thought, “hmm, maybe not” but, on a whole, there weren’t many parts like that. 

The pace was good, it was slowed down a little by the flashbacks, which. I actually really enjoyed and didn’t find myself scanning though to get back to the story every time! 

The Characters: 

Taylor was a great character. I think that her relationship with her dad was lovely, but I felt that, from quite early on, that her moth didn’t pay as much attention to her as Taylor’s older brother and Taylor’s younger sister. 

Taylor’s Dad was a key part to the book and I absolutely loved it. I think that there were two focuses to the book, her home life, and Taylor’s social life. But I think that the main focus was her homelife. Taylor’s dad was funny and always joking, and I also think that the downhill progression of his health was really realistic though the book. I LOVED how he still went out with his kids in the beginning, and still made jokes when he was really ill. 

Warren was The Know It All in the family. He was funny, at times, and I think made a larger impact in the book than some people may realise. He was quirky, which I liked, and focused, and I love how he was completely thrown off course by a girl. I laughed so much at Warren and his girl struggles, that I sort of felt bad for laughing afterwards 😂

Gelsey was the little sister who was adored by their mother and I think that she was a little bit babied by her too. She was the Golden Child. She was a little annnoying in the beginning, but I think that as the sibling grew throughout the book and became closer, she grew up a lot. 

Taylor’s Mum seemed really strict, and the beginning it seemed like she favourited Gelsey and Warren because they were so driven. But I think that under all her strictness was worry, and knowing that she couldn’t stop what was happening. 

Lucy was a great character. I didn’t really get to know her without the flashbacks, but a lot more was reveiled as the book progressed. At first she seemed a little bitchy, quite fun too. 

Henry was really reserved in the beginning, like Lucy, and I loved the flashbacks of when he was younger. He was so well described that you could actually imagine him as a person in real life. He was a great character, as he wasn’t too hostile in the beginning towards Taylor. 

(SPOILERS SPOILERS — IF YOY HAVENT READ IT OR DO NOT WANT TO READ THE SPOILERS, GO TO THE END!!) 

I loved how the family became closer towards the end of the book, it added an extra something to the book, which I love about Morgan Matason’s books. 

Obviously I cried loads, and the diner scenes when it was just Taylor and her dad were so heartwarming. 

When he died it was so sad, but I thought it was beautiful the way that they got to watch the the stars and Taylor got to say that she loved him. 

I really liked how when Taylor broke up with Henry we were given the flashback of them introducing themselves to each other for the first time. 

I don’t like that she broke up with him. I get why she did, but I just didn’t like it as the same thing happened in The Unexpected Everything. I was SO HAPPY when the got back together though. 

I wish that she hadnt used him as a distraction, and though that she could have opened up to him a bit more. 

The letters were so sweet, and I’m glad that we got to read it as it captured so much of her dad in it. As he was always catching her out on things, especially sneaking back in after the fireworks, and then again in the letter saying that she needed to open up to people. 

In a nutshell, this book was pretty brilliant. 

Sorry it took me so long to write this review after finishing it, 

GWR X