Monday, October 21, 2013

Book Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer
Morgan Matson
YA Contemporary
Published: May 2013

image: Goodreads
I love a good summer book (and am planning to draft one for NaNoWriMo 2013!). This book was just what I expected. Second Chance Summer fits in with the Sarah Dessen, Jessi Kirby, Jenny Han lexicon of Young Adult contemporaries, girls navigating life and their damaged families.

When Taylor's dad is diagnosed with terminal cancer with only a few months to live, her parents decide she and her siblings' busy, over-scheduled lives will stop in order to spend the summer together at their old cottage in the Pocanos.

It's been five years since Taylor's family spent the summer at their cottage, where Taylor left abruptly, causing a fracture with her best friend and with Henry, her first boyfriend. Neither are stoked to see Taylor return, but living in a small community means she bound to keep running into them both. As the summer progresses, friendships are mended, and new relationships formed, but all while her father's health deteriorates, and her family tries to cope.

This is a sweet book that doesn't shy away from the more difficult aspects of grief and terminal illness. Overall, it is hopeful and full of moments that show the characters evolving. Great summer (or early fall) read!

4 comments:

  1. You had me at Sarah Dessen. I'm in need of a good, character-driven book and this sounds like it would be a fit. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. It's definitely YA-appropriate, not too heavy but more than surface. :)

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  2. I enjoyed this one too -- and I loved Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, which is by the same author and sort of a grief book meets a road trip book.
    Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics


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