Book Review: Last Summer by Hailey Abbott

Title: Last Summer

Author: Hailey Abbott

Series/Novel: Summer Boys (Book #4)

Genre: Young Adult, Chicklit, Romance

Pages: 233

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment

Year Published: 2007

First Line: “‘Congratulations, graduates!’ cried the principal of Martin High, directly into the microphone.”

“Stealing kisses. Keeping secrets. Making memories.

Beth: Who says you can’t be friends with your ex? It’s the summer before college and George and I are keeping things totally platonic. Aren’t we?

Ella: I love Jeremy. But seeing Peter, my old flame, hook up with a new girl is driving me a little too crazy.

Kelsi: Bennett and I are ready to take things to the next level—except we’re so far apart. Long-distance makes everything harder.

It’s the steamiest summer yet on the beach. The girls have saved the best for last.”

My Rating: 5/5

This is the end of the series by Hailey Abbot. It’s a bittersweet end for me. I feel like I’ve traveled so far with the Tuttle cousins. Seeing them through three summers of their lives. Important summers of their lives, I feel that being a teenager is a tough 7 years, especially when you notice the opposite sex. This final book made me laugh, cry and gasp in surprise. I will gladly say that this is one of my favourite chicklit series I have ever read. I’ve been wondering how the series would end and this seemed to be a perfect way to finish with the majority of the girls going out of high school and starting into the real world. To see the characters end on such a sad note was heartbreaking, but I realize that this is how it was meant to be. To leave Pebble Beach behind for a while and focus on each individual life afterwards.

THANK YOU HAILEY ABBOTT FOR MAKING ME FEEL AT HOME AT PEBBLE BEACH!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Last Summer by Hailey Abbott

This series was a rough one to read. It reminded me of prior years and things that I wished I could have been, I mean who wishes they weren’t as confident as Ella. The Tuttle cousins slowly became my family too. I cried through their struggles, laughed when they laughed and got goose bumps as I watched them fall in love. It was a wild ride, but Pebble Beach became a second home to me, in my mind. That sounds insane, but I’m sure some of you will know exactly what I’m talking about.

♥Characters♥

♥Ella: I’m happy to see that she’s settled down with Jeremy. They’re made to be together. I understand her jealousy of Taryn. It’s hard to see someone your close to grow close to someone else. It often seems like you’re being left in the dust. But in the end it usually means you’ll find a way to make new friends also. Your sister will always be your sister.

♥Kelsi: The way she acted with Bennett was odd, but I understand that distance is hard. In the long run I don’t see Bennett and Kelsi lasting just because of their different life styles. I’m happy that she realized that she had to let Bennett follow his dreams and had to follow her own; even if that means that they are separate. I hope that she’s happy and has learned to follow her own dreams to her hearts content.

♥Beth: Beth lost so much this instalment. She lost the place where she spent all her summers, the place she fell in love, etc. She lost George, she lost her idea of moving on but in the end she found that people are even more important than materials. I’m happy that she realized that George and her will always have a spark. Whether she wants that spark or not, they can’t go back to being just friends when they’ve loved each other so much. This gave me hope that eventually they will be together.

♥Jamie: I really wish that we had been able see how the private school had changed her love life. It seems incredibly wild that she’ll be taking a year off to go to Europe with a boy she barely knows but hopefully that all works out.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 144

“‘You’ve been sad lately,’ Jeremy said, smiling at her. ‘And you know I hate that. It’s like, my duty to make you smile, and I like that.’”

♥Final Line: “But that didn’t mean that she had to leave anything- or anyone- behind.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: After Summer by Hailey Abbott

Title: After Summer

Author: Hailey Abbott

Series/Novel: Summer Boys Series (Book #3)

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Chicklit
Pages: 163

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment

Year Published: 2006

First Line: “Beth lined up her bare toes along the edge of the platform and arched her body forward, extending her arms over the still, blue water.”

“Summer may be over; but the hook ups are hotter than ever:

Beth: George is supposed to be my boyfriend and my best friend. Now, it’s like he’s only interested in one thing- and it’s not my friendship

Ella: Unbelievable. Ryan is an even bigger player than… I am. Have I finally met my match?

Kelsi: Even though Tim is great, I still want us to wait a while. But what if I’m the only one at college who hasn’t done it yet?

Cold winds. Hot boys. Can summer love survive?”

My Rating: 4/5

This book is the first and only book from the Summer Boys series that takes place in each of the girls’ separate towns. I was surprised how much of a difference that made. While this novel showed some contact between the cousins it made it harder to follow each individual story as they did not overlap nearly enough for my liking.

That being said, I also found that this instalment in the series was completely over dramatic. It seemed as though it was repeating parts from the first two books, so it was hard to be put on edge by anything.

But truth be told, I’m a sucker for drama. I got sucked into each story and was heartbroken at times along with the girls, but also angry at the girls for doing things I never thought they would do.

I am extremely excited to read the last instalment of these books, as I want to see who ends up with who and why, etc. In all honesty, I’m hooked!

THANK YOU HAILEY ABBOTT FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE A TUTTLE COUSIN!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: After Summer by Hailey Abbott

Welcome back (told you I’d get better with posting more frequently!). So this book caught me off guard in so many ways. As I’ve read through the Summer Boys series, I realized that the girls lived in different areas. When I found that this book wasn’t based on Pebble Beach I thought nothing off it, in fact I looked forward to it. Truth be told it changed the way the individual perspectives were told, as the girls didn’t see each other nearly every day. I found it hard to keep all the stories separate when a lot of similar things were happening with Kelsi, Beth and Ella. Also, can we hear from Jamie more often??? Please!

♥Character♥

♥Ella: I think I expected her to leave Jeremy in the dust during the beginning of the book, but I was still disappointed in her when it happened. Although that being said, it seemed like Jeremy had decided he was out, so she must have been hurt. So forth, Ryan. What a piece of work!! I was overjoyed when she realized that she was a different person than who she was before Jeremy. She’s really changed and started to think about having one boyfriend, instead of every boy. That’s a real step up for her. Hopefully she can make it to summer to be with Jeremy. Fingers crossed.

♥Beth: What in the world is going on here? I was cheering for her and George. But I guess things can’t always be patched. Especially when she was feeling so stretched out. It could happen with time that she and George get back together. But at some point I had to realize it was done for them. Especially with how jerk-ish George was acting about the sex thing. Grrrr….

♥Kelsi: Kelsi is certainly right. People change, they grow apart, it just happens. It’s sad, and parts of you might still love the other person, but it takes a real adult to be able to stand up and say, “This isn’t working.” I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up with Bennet, but if she doesn’t that’s ok too. Maybe she just needs time to explore her options and whatever. Have to wait and see I suppose.

♥Moments to Remember♥

♥Pg. 111

“‘Not the hotel, George,’ Beth snapped at him. ‘I can’t believe you. This was supposed to be a new romantic weekend. And you decide that means I should dress up like some ho. Then you paw at me all night, and now you think I want to go and have sex with you? Who are you? What happened to you?’”

♥Pg. 116

“Kelsi wasn’t sure she’d missed her sister while away at college. But when Ella came up for the long Veteran’s Day weekend in November, Kelsi realized that she had. A lot.”

♥Final Line: “All she had to do was jump.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Next Summer by Hailey Abbott

 Title: Next Summer
Author: Hailey Abbott
Series: Summer Boys
Pages: 230
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Year Published: 2005

"Three girls. Too many boys. One tempting summer.
Beth:I know I love George. And everyone thinks we're perfect together. So why does that sexy new lifeguard keep flirting with me? And why do I like it so much?Ella:Bye-bye, bad girl. I'm  trying to change my wild ways. But there are so many yummy boys around this summer. How can I resist them?Kesi:Tim is totally not my type. Besides, after last summer, i need a break from boys. If only I could get him out of my head...
Things are heating up again. Can you handle it?"

My Rating: 10/10

Next Summer, is the second book in the Summerboys series. I love the fact that Hailey Abbott made a smooth transition from summer to summer. I felt as though I'd read through what happened during the year. Again I say, a wonderful transition. The characters in this series have captured my heart and I had a struggle with the drama and not yelling at them all at one point. Yes, I do talk to the characters in my books, and no I'm not completely insane; only a touch. This story, I thought improved from the first book in the series, which is rare in my reading. Not only have the characters tugged at my  heart strings, so has the setting. I have never been to Maine, but my desire to go has increased in leaps and bounds after reading this book. It sounds like a beautiful place.
THANK YOU HAILEY ABBOTT FOR A SUPRISING IMPROVEMENT! 

Hope you enjoyed,
Love,
Sidny♥♪♫

Spoiler: Next Summer by Hailey Abbott

I really loved this book! Next Summer is dramatic, captivating and heart-warming. I mentioned in the book review how I felt in tune with the characters and how I loved the setting but what I neglected to say was that I felt in tune with Beth the most. I guess that's because of some personal stuff going on (I haven't cheated like she did, but other stuff has been going on). I love the fact that Hailey Abbott made a clean transition between the end of last summer and the beginning of this one. I also enjoyed the setting, I wish with all my heart i was at the beach right now with my friends and Pebble Beach, Maine is a escape in my mind at least. I can settle for that :)

Characters:Beth: I love Beth, but my favorite thing about Beth is George and when that was in the air I was mad. I think I scared everyone in my house when I started swearing at my book. I love Beth, but the Adam thing was just wrong! I know being away from someone you love is hard, but you have to be strong and push through it. I'm so happy that George and Beth got back together though, anyone with me? I was also happy at the way she retold their last summer with the events and places, especially getting stuck on a roof of a house.

Ella: So Ella is a little out there, but still a great character in the story. Everyone has that friend thats sorta a man eater. And Ella is that character. In this book, we see a softer side of Ella where she really just wants what every girl wants; to be loved unconditonally. When Ella meant Jeremy, I thought he was gay when he wouldn't touch her or kiss her. As it turns out he's straight, just amazing! They are great together :)

Kelsi: I was shocked at the totall Kelsi makeover that we witness in the first few chapters. She is a changed person who realizes that a woman doesn't need a man to make her strong. But when she founds out what Ella did with Peter, she crumples and the strong exterior fades. I could hardly believe that Kelsi hadn't found out that Ella and Peter slept together. Unfortunately, Ella appears to be a good secret keeper. Kelsi in the end got an amazing man who is 10,000 times the man that Peter was.

Adam: What an idiot? Did he really believe that Beth would leave someone as amazing as George to be with him? He doesn't deserve Beth and he shouldn't have been so willing to help her cheat on George. I suppose he is actually a great guy, but it doesn't make me any less mad!

Jeremy: What a sweetheart? It's not very often that a girl meets a guy who wants to get to know her, not just get physical. I think that Jeremy is the perfect boy for Ella. She's a wild child and he's an easy going lifeguard; she winds him up, and he cools her down :)

Tim: Tim is a special kinda jock, who I'm not sure exsists out there. I hate to sterotypical, but in my experience jocks are usually uncaring and up for the physical side of a relationship, but not the emotional. Maybe that's just me. Hope that doesn't offend anyone.

Jamie: I was kind of disappointed that she wasn't going to be a main character in this book, but I think that Kelsi's view was more entertaining than Jamie's would have been.


Favorite Lines & Moments:♥Pg. 2
" 'So you think painting is going to be more fun than the beach?' she asked George sourly, picking up one of the rackets. She ran her hand across the tight web of strings and pressed it against the pads of her fingers. There was a part of her that wanted to beat George over the head with the racket- how could he possibly give up a summer with her to work a job that required him to breath in toxic fumes?"

♥Pg. 7
" 'It's not the same,' Beth cut in. She hated it when he was reasonable. 'It's supposed to be all the cousins. Jamie, Ella, Kelsi, and me. The four Tuttle girls. it's a tradition, and Jamie's breaking it. And you're like an honorary Tuttle cousin, so you're breaking tradition, too.' She pouted.
'Okay, please don't refer to me as your cousin again, because that's just creepy and gross,' George chuckled."

♥Pg. 13
" 'Drool much?' Kelsi teased apparently noticing Ella's appreciation of the long-limbed blond guy who ambled in front of the car at a stop sign.
'I never drool,' Ella replied, smling. 'I just... admire.' "

♥Pg. 53
"Ella couldn't help it if she had a certain power. Kelsi was a brilliant student. When Beth performed some athletic feat, everyone talked about her talent. Ella's talent was making boys drool. Everyone had to be good at something."

♥Pg. 137
" 'You need a plan,' Tim said.
'To do what? Murder her?' Kelsi smirked. 'I have several.'
'Easy, Terminator,' he said. ''

♥Pg. 204
" 'You were fine,' George told her. 'Except maybe for that middle part. I thought we might have to stay there overnight'
'Overnight?' Beth waved a dismissive hand. 'I was thinking forever, like garden gnomes.'
'We're too cute to be gnomes,' George said, and laughed."

Hope you enjoyed this spoiler :)
Love,
Sidny♥♪♫

Book Review: Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott

 Title: Summer Boys
Author: Hailey Abbott
Pages: 214
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Year Published: 2004

"First boy. First Love. First time.
Ella: Peter was watching me all night- I could feel it. I wish he'd make a move already. Too bad he's my sister's boyfriend.
Beth: Suddenly George is lookin greally good in his swim trunks. I don't know what I'm thinking- he's my best friend. Do I want more?
Jamie: Last summer, Ethan and i fell for each other-- big-time. My feelings for him haven't changed but why is he pushing me away?
It's summer. It's hot. It's time to hook up."

My Rating: 9/10

Lately I haven't read that many chicklits and I felt it was time for one and so I picked out Summer Boys. I thought it would be a good beach read, or a pretend beach read since I might not make it there, and started reading. I really enjoyed the fact the story switched through three different girls. Although all three girls are related, not a one is alike. Beth is athletic, Ella is a girly girl and Jamie is an artist. It really gives the reader a chance to relate with at least one character. I felt close to all the characters and almost as though I was in a family enviroment of my own. I would suggest this book to anyone looking for a chicklit beach read.
THANK YOU HAILEY ABBOTT FOR A PERFECT BEACH READ!

 

Love,
Sidny♥♪♫

Spoiler: Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott

This book was the perfect escape for me, the girl who is working away her summer. I felt like I could get lost in Maine with Jamie, Ella and Beth. I think any high school girl who has had feelings for someone, been through a break up, or wanted the impossible would enjoy this book. It is mainly easy to follow, and keeps the reader interested. A good way to describe it would be a little taste of gossip.
Let's talk about some characters.

Characters:Ella: Ella is the girl that everyone is jealous of. She's gorgeous, gets guys and has a fashion sense. Unfortunately she falls for the wrong guy, her sister's boyfriend. If there's anything I've learnt about teenagers, we want what we can't have and for Ella that means Peter, a gorgeous singer who is also with her sister. I was cheering Ella on when she threw that salade at him. Girl power.

Beth: The fact that Beth is a tom boy at heart makes me smile. Especially when she falls for George!!!! I was having a hard time believing that she couldn't tell he loved her. I love the way that they end up together. I thought for sure it would lag into the next book. But they got together!!!! :)

Jamie: I think Jamie took Ethan to seriously and I feel horrible for her to have her heart broken by such a jackass. She gave her heart to him and they slept together, but I can't help but wonder if she ever told him she loved him. When she broke into his house, she reminded me of something a friend of mine might do if someone ever hurt her. That part made me smile.

Peter: What a jerk!!! He doesn't deserve to be with anyone!

George: I feel very connected to George. The fact that he glows makes me laugh, because so do I! He's my favorite boy!

Ethan: Ethan should have told Jamie what was up from the start! Grow up!

Scott: What a better man for Jamie!!! He's a good guy at heart.

Cara: Kind of boring... anyone agree?


Favorite Lines & Moments:
♥Pg. 7
"She ran the last coupel of feet and ducked against his back, so that when he swiveled his head, he couldn't see her face. She jabbed her index fingers into his back like tiny guns.
'We're gonna walk out of her very slowly,' she said in a deep voice. 'Once we get outside, you're going to take all your clothes off. No funny business, got it?' "

♥Pg. 19
" 'Hey Beth, where's your sense of romance?' he whispered
Beth rolled her eyes. 'George, I have a sense of romance, but romance has no sense of me.' "

♥Pg. 52
"The Tuttles did so much barbecuing that, on the Fourth of Jully, they celebrated by not barbecuing."

♥Pg. 142
"George never managed to get a real tan like everyone else. In the dim moonlight, he glowed."

♥Pg. 160
" 'Hold on tighter.'
'If you had a butt, I wouldn't be sliding off.'
'You're supposed to be an athlete. use those thigh muscles and hang in there.' "

♥Pg. 179
"Jamie sighed and pulled away from the wall. She kicked her shoe into the pavement. 'Look, I'm really sorry about everything. Espcially the hitting part.'
Scott laughed. 'Every girl slaps some guy at some point, right? It's like a rite of passage.' "

♥Pg. 190
" 'You're the best guy I ever slapped in the face,' "

Hope you enjoyed this spoiler, have a good one!
Love,
Sidny♥♪♫