A review by cassroberts89
Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don't even know the last time I read a more accurate portrayal of adolescence: all the preteen awkwardness and desire to fit in; the teenage angst, raging hormones, and sexual tension; first love. It all felt so real. It could have been me (if, you know, my family had had a lake house up in the beautiful northeast...)

I read this book in, what, two days? Could not put it down, reading into the wee hours of the night/early morning. Percy and Sam are perfect, messy, flawed, and just so dang sweet. I will say that I enjoyed the younger chapters much more than the present-day timeline. That bit was slightly less believable, but I rooted for them anyway. The one teeny, tiny thing that was pretty off-putting was the almost complete ignorance of Percy's parents. I know first-hand how parents can miss things, but they were portrayed as being so utterly clueless almost every time they were mentioned. While it wasn't exactly a major theme of the novel, I think showing their relationship with Percy in slightly more detail would have added another layer of depth to her as a character. 

That's really my only minor criticism though. I enjoyed this so much and can't wait to see what else Carley Fortune comes up with!