Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Book Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer
By Morgan Matson 
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Source: Own Copy
Summary: Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

Review: I have been hearing the best things about Morgan Matson's books. I have owned two of her books for about four months now and new that it was about time to pick one up and see what all of the fuss was about!

Taylor Edwards knows that she doesn't have the perfect family. She's not close with her brother and sister and they all do their own thing. But when something happens to her father, he decides that they must spend the summer at their lake house that they haven't been back to since Taylor was 12. Back at the lake house, though, Taylor is forced to confront her old best friend and first boyfriend after she did something horrible and left without a word five years ago. As Taylor spends the summer at the lake again, she is forced to confront her mistakes and grow with her family in ways she never has before. 

Wow, so this book. Definitely a serious book. First off, you find out something very tragic at the beginning of the novel that tears Taylor's world apart. To add onto that, Taylor now has to spend the summer where she may run into the two people who she had completely betrayed 5 years ago. We don't figure out what exactly Taylor had done to Henry and Lucy so there was this suspense built that I feel wasn't quite lived up to when the secret was finally revealed. Taylor's past actions sort of fell flat and I was disappointed that THAT was what she was so freaked out about. 

As for the romance, I thought it was just okay. I wasn't super in love with the romance between Taylor and Henry but I did love Taylor's growth in her relationship with her siblings and her dad. Her siblings are definitely unique characters and I actually really liked her brother and his endless amount of random facts. There is some serious emotion among Taylor's family that left me in such a somber mood, but in a good way. Wow. It really makes you look at your own life and your own relationships with your family. Morgan Matson definitely knows how to pull on those heart strings and bring out the serious stuff. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable novel that had a serious and emotional edge to it, but I had expected a bit more from the hype I have been hearing.


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