Book Review : Invincible Summer

Book: Invincible Summer
Author: Hannah Moskowitz

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date Published: April 19, 2011
Pages: 269
Source: e-galley
Date Read: April 18, 2011

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

Not your typical beach read.

Summary Taken from Goodreads

Yani's Review:

I really wanted to like this book. It seemed like my cup of contemporary tea. But excuse my language here, this book was just fucked up. I don't know how else to explain the lack of cohesiveness, despite that it is coming from, what you can tell, is an amazing writer. At first this book reminded me of the Summer I Turned Pretty, except in the boy's point of view and with less dialogue. It was really honest and sarcastic, different then other books.

Then it just started getting a little too deep, and weird for me. So in short I am just going to write what I liked and what I didn't like, as I have no other way to describe the mess that is in my head regarding this book. (Warning: contains spoilers)

What I liked:

• Felt like I was in the Chase's head - good writing
• talk of college - I could relate to the feeling that in the beginning college was the big dream, the first step into the future and when its done you are just left a cynical mess with dreams dashed by office life reality.
• the plight of the deaf brother - it was really honest who sometimes they resent him and other time adore him
• the ending was beautiful

What I didn't like:

• Chase obssession with his older brother - borderline creepy
• Claude obsession with older brother (Chase) - past the borderline of creepy... I mean she wanted her brother to catcher her 12 yr old self making out with a waitress??
• The Camus quotes - I get it, your inetllectual
• A 20 year old girl having sex wither her pseudo-bf's 16yr old brother
• What type of family splits up their kids permanently when getting a divorce??
• Feels like I am running a marathon with the way the story jumps - ehh writing

Like I said I really wanted to like this book and I did REALLY LIKE some parts of it. And, for the most part, all the negatives had potential to be positives. I  like witty and smart writing, I like deep books about families and dysfunction, and I love brotherly love triangles. But for some reason this book (as a whole) just didn't work for me. I did finish it though just because I really wanted to know how it would end, but I can't lie and say I didn't skip some pages.

(This part added days later)

Looking back now, I have been thinking about this book a lot. So I have changed my review from two to a three star rating. I don't think I would buy this book or ever read it again, but I definitely think it is a book everyone should read and make their own opinions of.

Ratings:

Plot: 2/5
Writing Style: 3/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 3/5