SUMMER DAYS AND SUMMER NIGHTS edited by Stephanie Perkins!
I have a review of the book, broken down by individual story, for you guys, so I hope you enjoy! But first, let's learn more about the book...
SUMMER DAYS AND SUMMER NIGHTS
Edited by: Stephanie PerkinsSource: eARC via the Publisher
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: May 17, 2016
Rating:4.5/5 stars
Summary:
Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.
Featuring stories by Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E. Smith.
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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories that was edited by Stephanie Perkins so when I saw there was going to be a summer anthology, I squealed with joy. I love beach-y summer reads that have a good aspect of romance so I was ready and willing to take this book in.
But I was a bit disappointed. While individually there were some good stories I didn't feel like they all fit together under the theme of "Summer Romance." They were definitely love stories and I definitely enjoyed them, but I did not get the "summer vibe" from a lot of them and that left me a little sad. But some of these stories are flipping fantastic and I wish I had a lot more of them than just the little taste we got, especially Jennifer E. Smith's and Lev Grossman's stories. They were both SO GOOD.
*Also, there are two stories that have trigger warnings for suicide, so please be cautious as you read this one!*
Here's a breakdown of my rating...
Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo: 3.5*
I thought this one was good. It was magical realism but also very summer-y. I felt the heat both in the air and between the characters and found myself engrossed in this story. I really didn't want it to end, so Leigh should write a full story of this. Just saying.The End of Love by Nina LaCour: 4.5*
I really liked this one. I liked the way the relationship between the two girls evolved and that there was more to this story than just love. The camping trip was the epitome of summer to me. This story was pretty much the epitome of the anthology for me.Last Stand at the Cinegor by Libba Bray: 2*
I should preface this by saying that I am not a fan of Libba Bray's paranormal writing. This one started off really good: I liked the idea of a crappy summer job, feeling stuck in one spot, and wanting to take a risk with someone. But the demon thing was iffy at best for me. I just wasn't feeling it and it felt like it was randomly thrown in there and I just couldn't get behind it.Sick Pleasures by Francesca Lia Block: 2.5*
This one was actually so weird. I had a really hard time with it because there were no names, just first initials. Also the story was paced really awkwardly and I wasn't a fan. But it felt like summer in this one more than some of the others.In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins: 5*
STEPHANIE PERKINS IS A GODDESS.Souvenirs by Tim Federle: 5*
Literally so good. I already really wanted to read THE GREAT AMERICAN WHATEVER, but now I am running to the bookstore to buy it. Federle's writing and voice is incredible and I loved this story. I also loved how real it was and that it didn't end with anything other than what was promised. I really like when characters make choices and stick to them, but I also really liked the journey our MC took in this story. For like 20 pages, this is probably one of the best coming of age stories I have read.Inertia by Veronica Roth: 3*
Also, trigger warning in this one for suicide mentionI did not get the summer vibe or really the romance vibe from this one at all. It felt like a weird dystopian and I was put off immediately and then never really connected with the story. But I did like that the MC had issues and thought maybe she should get some help for them.
Love is the Last Resort by Jon Skovron: 4*
This one was different. I liked it, but it was different. I wasn't a huge fan of how it was written, but I also liked it. I did think that one of the couples that got together was a bit quick to be declaring love but that is my only complaint. I really liked that all these kids and their parents had been coming to this resort year after year and knew each other as well as they did. It was so intriguing!Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert: 4*
Also, trigger warning in this one for suicide mentionI enjoyed this one. I felt a little meh about it until the end but it made me want to play bocce so I guess that is one for the win coloumn.
Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare: DNF
I got like 3 pages in and stopped. I am just not really a fan of Cassie's writing and I figured it would probably be for the best if I didn't read this one.A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E Smith: 5*
I love love love Jennifer E. Smith's writing. She is a queen of writing summer romances, in my opinion. And I loved this story. I loved how hard our MC tried to get to know Noah and she was so patient with him. I also really liked the representation in this one. Ugh this story just stomped on my heart in the best of ways.The Map of Tiny Perfect Things by Lev Grossman: 5*
This was probably my favourite story for like two reasons. One being that our MC was stuck in an infinite time loop and decided the best use of his time would be to read all the Sci-Fi and Fantasy books in the library which I would also do if I was on an infinite time loop. The second being the ending. I loved that all the tiny perfect things were so summer related and that they were minute things that every reader could agree were tiny perfect things. Now I want to go hunt out some of these things. Like if I could just have an expansion on this story, everything would be right in the world.
Stephanie Perkins has always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. She's the author of the international bestsellers Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, as well as Isla and the Happily Ever After. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories is her first anthology. Stephanie and her husband live in the mountains of North Carolina.
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