Mini-Reviews: The Summer of Supernovas, Wanderlost, Summer Days & Summer Nights

Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods

pub 5/10/16
by Crown Books for Young Readers
Young Adult - Contemporary
Received ARC at ALAMW

Full disclosure — I almost put this book down when I realized it was about a girl who was 100% serious about using only astrological signs to determine her love life. That part almost lost me but I decided to keep going and I’m glad I did. It ended up being a really cute read about so much more than just Wilamena Carlisle's obsession with signs. We learn her love of astrology came from her mother who passed away when she was young and that gave me the connection I needed to understand her obsession, although I admit I still found it kind of crazy. But that love for her mom and her grandmother, who ended up raising her, were the two things I enjoyed seeing very much throughout the story. Ultimately though? This is about first love — being able to recognize it and go after it. Wil finds herself in one heck of a romantic predicament and I seriously wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into her. But the guy I liked and I’m assuming everyone else will like as well (he’s a sensitive, cute guitar player!) is worth the frustration because he’s great. It was just a matter of whether or not Wil would take that risk, even if he wasn’t the “right” sign.

Do I recommend? Yes! I do think this reads on the younger YA side because of the silliness with signs but overall, I liked the themes about family, love and taking risks.

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

pub 5/31/16 by HarperTeen
Young Adult - Contemporary
Received via Edelweiss

Oh dear, this is another book where I started off thinking — what is up with this girl? (Am I just getting old?!) But it wasn’t long before I warmed up to Aubree, her adventures and all the growing up she does along the way. At the start of Wanderlost, Aubree is an extremely sheltered girl who’s content to spend her days home in Ohio, letting her mom do everything for her. But when her older sister Elizabeth gets into serious trouble while covering for Aubree, an unexpected opportunity comes up. Elizabeth convinces her to take over her summer job of leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour throughout Europe. The catch? She also has to pretend to be Elizabeth. Aubree agrees and it’s basically one shenanigan after another. First there’s the pretending, then she loses her phone and the binder with the entire travel itinerary. And then there’s the part where she falls for the company owner’s son, Sam. But once you meet him, you really can’t blame her (so cute!). I loved “seeing” the sights along with Aubree, meeting the motley crew of senior citizens (the author smartly kept the group small and gave each person an interesting personality) but best of all, I loved seeing the maturity and self-assuredness in her by the book’s end. It made all the bumps along the road worth it. It was so easy for me to root for Aubree because I wanted her to be able to do this and discover not only a newfound love for travel but also for who she is.

Do I recommend? Yes! I enjoy any book that makes me want to travel and this one had me wishing I could see all these sights.

Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins (Editor)

pub 5/17/16 by St. Martin's Griffin
Young Adult - Short Stories
Received via Netgalley

As can be expected with an anthology of short stories, it's going to be a mixed bag! As a whole though, I was impressed with the eclectic stories and authors Stephanie Perkins brought together for this second book. Plus, who doesn't love a good romance? Each story deals with young love in extremely different ways. I'd be lying if I didn't admit there were one or two I end skipping over (Libba Bray's writing just aren't for me) or some that I just felt were okay. But there were a handful of standout ones that had me wishing they could be could be fleshed out into full-length books. My favorites included Heads, Scales, Tongue, Tail by Leigh Bardugo (her imagination blows my mind), In Ninety Minutes, Turn North by Stephanie Perkins, Inertia by Veronica Roth and A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith (I knew I'd love hers!).

Do I recommend? I do! It's something I would pick up from the library, especially if some of the authors here are favorites of yours.