The Summer After You and Me

14 Apr, 2017 by in 2015, YA fiction Leave a comment

The Summer After You and Me

The Summer After You and Me

by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on May 5, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
three-half-stars
Source: Bought
Buy the BookGoodreads
Sunbathing, surfing, eating funnel cake on the boardwalk—Lucy loves living on the Jersey Shore. For her, it's not just the perfect summer escape, it is home. And as a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in over Memorial Day weekend, crowding the shore and stealing moonlit kisses, only to pack up their beach umbrellas and empty promises on Labor Day. Lucy wants more from love than a fleeting romance, even if that means keeping her distance from her summertime neighbor and crush, Connor.

Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?

I was really excited to read this one because I visited the New Jersey coastal towns after hurricane Sandy. Our roots are from the area, and when the author mentioned the small town in her story it made it all worth it. The descriptions of  the town and venues give the book a local summer flavor. There were a few sketchy things for me as a reader, however.

-the relationship between Lucy and her friends as well as her brother Liam. It seems she was left alone quite a bit and her best friends and family pick the wrong side.

-the “F” word is thrown in and is out of place. The story could have been told without language

-Main interest Connor needs some more redeeming qualities besides being cute and charming. I found his character lacking

-The point of view switched too much form past to present for readers to really catch up and understand what happened between Connor and Lucy

The good?

-Lucy wants to be a marine biologist. She is smart, studies and is writing a thesis on marine animals. She’s down to earth and works hard

-Volunteer work is highlighted and encouraged

-The geography and scenery of New Jersey is woven in

-Not too heavy for a summer beach read that can be finished in one day.

 

Content: drinking, swearing

 

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