Review: Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider

Summer of Sloane
by Erin L. Schneider
pub 5/3/16 by Disney-Hyperion
YA - Contemporary
Received ARC at ALAMW

Don’t let the cover or title fool you – Summer of Sloane deals with some pretty heavy stuff and the author wastes no time diving into it all. From page one, we’re right with Sloane as she discovers a devastating secret her long-time boyfriend Tyler and best friend Mick have been keeping from her. It’s a layered betrayal that continually breaks her heart throughout the book as she uncovers more about what happened and I felt my own heart aching for her. The author’s writing made it so easy to put myself in her shoes. Not only that, Schneider perfectly balanced Sloane’s readiness to make this summer “her summer” while never losing sight of the storm of anger, hurt and confusion brewing inside of her. Luckily for Sloane, she gets to spend the summer in Hawaii with her mom and her twin brother as she processes it all.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, it’s easy to slip into the life there with old friends, lazy days and nights spent on the beach and letting the beauty of the island distract her. But she meets an even better distraction named Finn McAllister (who happens to be the son of the hotel owner she has a summer job at) and their chemistry is palpable. I was all for their fun and swoony back and forth as they flirted and opened up to each other about the stuff going on in their lives. It never once felt like a summer fling to me but instead something unexpectedly real for them both.

Still, it was the drama back home that really punches you in the gut. Tyler and Mick continue to text and reach out to Sloane in different ways. With Tyler, it’s full of apologies and I-love-you’s. With Mick, she tries to bring up the good old times but then quickly dissolves into anger. Either way, Sloane makes a pointed decision to ignore them both so she can work through her thoughts and feelings. I related in a big way because I think that’s what I personally would’ve done. And don’t worry, things do eventually get said, by all parties, in a big way. It’s particularly the dynamic between Sloane and Mick that speaks a lot to the complexity of female friendships (something that’s been on my mind a lot lately). 

Do I recommend?

So much yes. It’s a great mix of summer fun but also real themes around forgiveness, relationships and learning to move on.