It's Not Summer Without You (Summer #2) by Jenny Han

 

Summary (from the publisher): Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.

Review: This second book in the series still brings all the teenage angst and drama. For the first summer in Belly's life, they aren't all spending the summer together in the house at Cousins Beach. Since Susannah got sick again, everything has changed and their group is splintered apart. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad is gone and he needs Belly's help, she drops everything for the chance to find him and make things right. And the three find themselves back at Cousins Beach once more. 

As I was reading this, I tried to give the characters a lot of grace. They are teenagers, who are known for making mistakes, saying things they don't mean, and making stupid decisions. And they are also facing a tremendous and life-altering loss, which makes even mature adults do foolish things. But Belly really says some pretty unforgivable things in this book, and I couldn't help but wonder if she truly is the villain of this series. She has remorse but doesn't really try to make things right or look out for people she claims to care deeply for. And she expects everyone to fawn over her. 

I still had a great time reading this. It is a fast read with short chapters. This one included some chapters from Jeremiah's perspective, which was a fun addition. Conrad remains inscrutable. This is a toxic teenage love triangle, and I am here for the drama. 

Stars: 4

Related Title: 

• The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han