The Summer of Us is about three very different young women, all who happen to become housemates one summer when they rent a house on Martha’s Vineyard. Gincy is a slob who doesn’t care about anything. Danielle is a well-to-do girl who’s just waiting for Mr. Right…who’s right around the corner. And Clare is getting ready to marry Win…who used to be the love of her life. Or so she thought. All 3 very different women, who would never become friends under normal circumstances, find out summer that they’re not as different as they seem, and that no matter how old you get, there’s still so much you can learn.

This was a beach/summer book and you might think I’m weird for reading it in the Fall (except it was a beautiful summer day here in Toronto) but in some ways it was perfect. It was nice to remember the feel and ease of summer by reading it in the hustle and bustle of Fall.

It took me awhile to get into this book, truthfully. Chamberlin’s writing isn’t the greatest and I had to read certain sentences a few times, before I understood what she was saying. The phrasing was a bit awkward. But once I overlooked that and kept reading, it was a fun read.

All three characters have challenges and trials they are going through, and they use the summer beach house as an escape from all of that. What I found really interesting in this book was the concept of friendship and making friends. Despite the fact that each girl was different, all three of them didn’t have any close friends. It was fun to see them grow closer and confide in each other, in a way they hadn’t done with anyone else.

Gincy annoyed me the most. Something about her tone or the way she spoke just got on my nerves. Her tone was always filled with so much attitude and disdain for everyone around her. Clare, similarly, made me want to slap her with the way she handled her relationship with Win. She knows she doesn’t love him and she knows that this is wrong, but she strung it along for a really long time before finally having the guts to say no.

But all in all, it was a good, breezy read. Nothing too serious or thought-provoking here, although there are some nice contemplations on friendship and relationships.

So for that: 3/5.

Thanks for reading.

‘Till next time,

Ikhlas