Tag: coming of age

Coming of age story I enjoyed this summer: Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler @StMartinPress #BookLovers #lqbtq

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler book cover 2021

GIFTED / Today I am happy to bring you my review for a book I had such a fun reading, and I hope you will enjoy it too. It is coming of age story with love triangle in it. Maybe it sounds cheezy, but trust me, it is good!

Cool for the Summer came out on May 11th and it has 272 pages. I want to thank St. Martin Press, Wednesday Books, for providing me a copy via Netgalley.

ribbon

About a book:

FROM GOODREADS / Lara’s had eyes for exactly one person throughout her three years of high school: Chase Harding. He’s tall, strong, sweet, a football star, and frankly, stupid hot. Oh, and he’s talking to her now. On purpose and everything. Maybe…flirting, even? No, wait, he’s definitely flirting, which is pretty much the sum of everything Lara’s wanted out of life.

Except she’s haunted by a memory. A memory of a confusing, romantic, strangely perfect summer spent with a girl named Jasmine. A memory that becomes a confusing, disorienting present when Jasmine herself walks through the front doors of the school to see Lara and Chase chatting it up in front of the lockers.

Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she’s finally got the guy, why can’t she stop thinking about the girl?

Cool for the Summer is a story of self-discovery and new love. It’s about the things we want and the things we need. And it’s about the people who will let us be who we are. 

ribbon

Review:

Cool for the Summer was maybe the best book I read this summer and definitely one of my favourite ya contemporaries I read this year.

It is coming of age story done well, with lead character discovering who she is and what she wants and doesn’t want in her life, and how dreams coming true don’t guarantee happiness.

With wild cast of lgbtq+ characters that are, from my point of view, ,represented right, Adler deserves to be a new voice of ya contemporaries.

The story was good and easy to read.
I read in other readers reviews how they didn’t like that the main character was naive and didn’t ask questions she should have had.
I do agree that there was miscommunication that could have easily been resolved with just talking, and the characters acted little immature when it comes to them, but if I’m being honest, I didn’t mind them, because I feel like without them there wouldn’t be a story.
At least not this one.

I also want to mention how I really liked Jasmine and if I was younger, she would probably be my book crush.
I 100% understand why everyone wanted to be near her, and the way Lara talked about her really described the love she had for her. The chemistry was also written well.

The book has two parts:
“THEN” that talk about summer (which were my favourite) and
“NOW” set during school year.
I wish we got more of THEN.

The novel is written in first person, following Lara’s POV.

Overall, really good coming of age novel with diverse cast.
I highly recommend it to ya contemporary lovers.

four hearts

The one with intelligent humour: Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton (Book Review) #BookReview #ComingOfAge #YoungAdult #Contemporary #BookLovers

Title: Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe
Author: Preston Norton
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date: May 22nd, 2018
Pages: 410
Format: eARC
Source: from Publisher for a review

Review:

Warning: This novel contains strong language and touches the topic of suicide.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe is the one novel I feel like I had on my kindle app for the longest time. I got it unsolicited from the publisher (which I’m very thankful for) way before it was published, and then at first I saved it so I could read it closer to it’s releasing day, but then life got in a way, I hit that blogging and reviewing slump, and this book was one of the victims of the mental state I was in.

As Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe was on many bloggers lists of favorite books of 2018, I decided it was the time for me to read this book myself, and now when I finished it, I only feel sorry I didn’t get this book a chance sooner, because it was amazing!

The story follows Cliff who is known at school as Neanderthal because of his height. He got into fight with a popular boy at school, Aaron Zimmerman, and he is on his mission to get revenge.
However, after nearly death experience Aaron comes back to school claiming that God spoke to him, and gave him the list to make their high school a better place, and Cliff is the chosen one to help him complete the list.
From there we watch a new friendship being born and follow our main characters on their adventure to discover life.

First of all, this book is really funny. It talks about serious topics like poverty and suicide, but it still has that intelligent humour that never came over board. I really appreciate it for that.
Second, the way serious topics and problems were talked about made me appreciate this novel even more, because it touches important things, but never loses that light tone.

I think that I’ve read that this novel is perfect for fans of John Green and I agree, but also I have to stress out that there is something unique that Preston Norton gave to this story, something that is entirely his.

I know, in my reviews, I usually say that I want to read author’s other books, but this time I’ll say I know I will read Norton’s next novel, because there is no way I’m going to let myself miss it. I will probably read it as soon as it comes out!

As you probably guessed, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe impressed me, and if I read it last year, it would probably on my list of favorites too, but there is a big chance it shows up on my 2019 favorite lists.

If you like ya contemporary and coming of age stories, trust me, you do not want to miss this one!