We’ll Always Have Summer

“Maybe that was how it was with all first loves. They own a little piece of your heart, always.”
― Jenny Han, We’ll Always Have Summer

 

We’ll Always Have Summer
By: Jenny Han
5/5 Stars

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Synopsis:

It’s been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college—only, their relationship hasn’t exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It’s time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

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Review:

In all honesty I’ve had a bit of a difficult time writing this review. I never quite felt I could exactly say how I feel about this book. I liked it a lot, hence the 5 star rating, however I couldn’t pinpoint why I liked it so much. Even at this point I’m not entirely sure that I can entirely answer the question of why. But, I’m going to try.

Jenny Han is known for creating adorable contemporary novels that are entirely character driven. You read the novels because of the characters. What they are doing doesn’t necessarily mean as much as why they are doing it or what they’re thinking at the time. I believe that this is why  really enjoyed the final book in this series. It gave me all of the character interactions I could hope for.

Over the span of this series I really found myself drawn to the characters. They were flawed and (at times) unlikable. Yet, that is what ultimately made them so much fun to read about. They weren’t the typical characters in a contemporary novel and I really appreciated that. They weren’t the stereotypical girl that is misunderstood or the jock who is just misunderstood. They weren’t the most unique characters ever which was refreshing. Often we are met with a character so quirky that they don’t feel real. Belly could definitely be a real person.

In all honesty the plot was not intricate and it was pretty predictable. However, the connections I made with the characters and the nostalgia these books brought truly made up for it. Is this book Jenny Han’s best work to date? Definitely not. Did I thoroughly enjoy it? Yes. If you’re looking for a fun read that will bring you nostalgia and let you relax I would definitely recommend this novel.

Who’s your favorite contemporary author?