Second Chance Summer

So quick story: Before I started reading SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson, I saw that the uber-fabulous Tara from Hobbitses had read and reviewed it already. OF COURSE, because her reviews are wonderful, I checked it out. I can't say I didn't shout at my web browser, thinking that something was wrong with the Internet. Because guys, her review of SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is four words long. I was worried, I was anxious, and I was EXCITED to get reading. And now that I've finished reading it myself, I totally get it. I totally understand how you have all these feelings that don't really have words, and that this book leaves you so emotional that you can't think of how you might go about gathering your thoughts. (OBVIOUSLY, since I keep talking, I'm not having this problem to the extreme that I first believed.) SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is not really about the romance, not in the way Morgan Matson`s debut, AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR was, although the relationship between Taylor and Henry is sweet and solid and I LOVED IT. No, this is a book about a daughter, first and foremost, and how she comes to appreciate and understand how much she loves her father . GUYS, I WELLED UP JUST WRITING THAT SENTENCE.SECOND CHANCE SUMMER is already one of my favorite books of the year. BOOM. Truth bomb. Morgan Matson`s sophomore book is basically amazing. AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR is one of my FAVORITE contemporary YAs, and if you've been around the blog before, the chances that you've seen me bring it up are high. I've loved Morgan Matson since, and knew without question that I would be anticipating SECOND CHANCE SUMMER. What I didn't know, didn't realize, is how different in tone the two books would be. I didn't cry when I read about Amy and Roger and their KILLER road trip romance. But I found myself welling up all over the place while I was reading SECOND CHANCE SUMMER. There was such a sense of bittersweetness about it that just touched me.See, Taylor's dad is sick, you guys. Very, very sick. Everyone in Taylor's family knows that their time together is dwindling, which is why they all go to the Poconos for the summer, one last time together. They haven't been back there in five years, thankfully for Taylor because she basically left a huge, dramatic pile of you-know-what there before she bolted liked a startled pony from the dramz. So the resolution of those issues hangs over the story in SECOND CHANCE SUMMER as well. But as well done as that all was (and it WAS AWESOME), it wasn't what resonated with me the most. It wasn't what made me cry. It wasn't the part that I'm still-a week later-having a hard time thinking about without having FEELINGS. Because basically, Taylor and her family are slowly watching their father and husband die. And Morgan Matson makes that both sad and special at the same time.Because as incredibly well-drawn all of the characters are in SECOND CHANCE SUMMER, I had a particular soft spot for Taylor's dad, Rob. Somehow, in my mind, he reminded me of my own dad, and I saw some similarities between our relationship and it just KILLED ME, y'all. It was just so...sad. But SECOND CHANCE SUMMER also had its share of sweet things, too. Sweet, special moments between Taylor and her dad, just the two of them, that REALLY got to me. So even when things take exactly the turn that I knew they would, I was both devastated and a little glad for Taylor, because she had those moments.I know that I said this book wasn't so much about the romance, but don't get all frowny-face on me. It's there. (THANKFULLY. I can't even DEAL with how heartbroken I would have been without a little rekindled childhood romance to lighten things up a bit.) Henry is adorable and quiet and supportive and also WORKS IN A BAKERY and BRINGS TAYLOR BAKED GOODS. I mean, honestly. There was one scene where Taylor-who was great, by the way. Maybe a little standoffish, even as a character, but VERY empathetic, I thought-is helping him frost cupcakes (ALAS, not a euphemism) and she keeps sneaking little tastes. I was like, "PSH. I'd have that WHOLE THING polished off ASAP." But their relationship takes time and hard work and is not the focus of SECOND CHANCE SUMMER. Which was actually pretty nice. It was perfect that way, to me. Because it let the spotlight shine on Taylor and her dad, and Henry was left to be an ACE boyfriend, a job he did well.Guys, I've been welling up a little bit while writing this review, so before I LOSE IT, let me wrap things up. SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Morgan Matson was amazing. It was heartfelt and lovely and sad. I couldn't put it down, and I didn't want it to end, because I knew what would be coming when it did. I wanted the summer to just keep going forever so that Taylor and her family could always have this time together. BAH! THE SADZ! Morgan Matson was officially on my "must read" list BEFORE I read SECOND CHANCE SUMMER, and she's only solidified her spot with this one, guys. If you don't read many contemporaries, please check this one out (and AMY & ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR, too, while you're at it). It's wonderful.

Talk about serendipity: a couple years ago up in the Teen section at our local library, waiting for my seven year-old son to stock up on  Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic in One Volume , I saw Morgan Matson's first book,  Amy & Roger's Epic Detour  on the go-back cart. The title reminded me of  Dash & Lily's Book of Dares  (a book which I'd loved) so I picked it up. At the time I wasn't doing much YA / NA reading (boy have things changed), but wow was Amy & Roger's just fantastic.When I saw she'd come out with Second Chance Summer I immediately clicked "buy," *barely* checking the price (but of course I did) and yeah, loved it. Continue to love the author's imagination, her research, her thorough fleshing out of characters, her writing style, how clever she clearly is.I am a nitpicker (almost) nonpareil, and I am one of those who gets really ticked off by errors in books, and in my reviews I am never shy about calling an author out for it. If I am expected to spend time and money on a book then I expect the author to do likewise.Well, how much I loved Second Chance Summer is that the few errors I found didn't even tick me off! For me that's saying something. That's saying how marvelous the story is, how much I wanted to stay in the story, inside Taylor's head and her summer.Taylor is our protagonist, a newly-minted seventeen year-old who, along with her older brother, Warren (shortly off to Penn for his freshman year), and younger sister, Gelsey (yes, after Gelsey Kirkland), learn on Taylor's birthday that their father has Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Kinda sucks all around. Their father wants them to spend his last summer at their lake house in the Poconos; they used to spend every summer there, but as the children got older and their interests both focused and diverged, the family stopped making the summer pilgrimage five years earlier.That was a pivotal summer for Taylor: she was twelve, had her first boyfriend and her first kiss (same person, Henry), and lost her best friend, Lucy, in something deeply embarrassing to Taylor.Taylor is a middle child and suffers from middle child syndrome, feeling invisible, not as special, as interesting, etc. But dealing with her father's terminal illness and returning to "the scene of the crime" (so to speak) make her come to terms with her demons as well as face growing up.Because most of the residents of this wee lakeside town are summer residents, when they return each summer they pick up where they left off. The friends, Henry and Lucy, wronged by Taylor have neither forgotten nor forgiven her. She is embarrassed and wants to practice her fine-tuned m.o. of running away. But given that the town is so small, that Henry is her next-door neighbor and works in the town bakery and that Lucy is her colleague in the beach snack shop, Taylor can't escape them. They don't go out of their way to torture her or anything, but the fact that they know the truth about her is its own form of torture.I was so proud of both Taylor and how she matures and also of the author and how she so realistically paints Taylor: her "flaws" make perfect sense (but not tied up in a neat little bow), Taylor makes perfect sense.Taylor's interactions with everyone in her life, from Henry and Lucy to her siblings (who also felt complete) to their parents, all made sense. I was never once thrown out of the story thinking "what just happened?" Well, that's not true: in the first chapter when the author mentions Amy Curry and alludes to Roger (by his Colorado College sweatshirt) -- and these are the titular Amy and Roger of Amy & Roger's -- I was thrown. Because Amy and Roger have NOTHING to do with Taylor or her story, but whatever.Taylor gets to know herself, her siblings, her parents and her family dynamic that summer. She knows she is saying goodbye to her father and hello to herself, hopefully to a more accepting, open self. Like real life, even when you know a death is coming and coming shortly, even when you've said what you need to say, the event itself still knocks the wind right out of you. So too when Taylor's father succumbs. Your heart breaks for Taylor and her family, for what was and what will not. I teared up profusely and one of my children came over to give me a cuddle.However, you're left feeling hopeful for Taylor. Her father was "her" parent, meaning of the two, she was closer to him than her mother. But we get to see that Taylor and her mother do see each other and do connect, different from the connection she had with her daddy, but just as real and just as valuable. Taylor does learn how to forgive herself and ask for forgiveness in others. She grows and we care for her all the more.Just a wonderful story, wonderfully written.

It sounds like it shouldn’t work in theory; a coming-of-age story about a girl returning to and trying to resolve things in her past, learning about who she is; and a story about cancer, parents and loss. However, it does. The author seamlessly uses both the funny and romantic threads as well as the sentiment and saddening ones, weaving the story of Taylor’s, and her families, lives.This was the book that made me fall in love with reading as a young teen, and I gave it a second chance in my twenties, surprised to love it just as much as I did so long ago. It will think about so many things; love, family, loss, abandonment all in equal measure. You will also fall in love with the summery lake town in the mountains, wish you could visit the same diners and ice cream stores, take a chance riding your bike across The Dip.I will always be grateful I got to read this story. I would recommend this book to everyone.

-- WARNING: This review contains SPOILERS --Were it not for the twist with the father, I don't know if this book would've been for me.The main plotline is fairly standard teen summer romance between Taylor and her childhood boyfriend Henry, and the narrative darts between present day and several summers before to explain why they drifted apart. There's some drama thrown in with one of Taylor's old summer friends and some fun chapters set in and around the little town in the Poconos that the family stay at.The true heart of this story lies in the sub-plot, or rather the catalyst for the story, of Taylor's father being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The author crafts the novel perfectly so that there are long stretches of Taylor doing standard teenage activities and suddenly she is reminded of the ticking clock hanging over the summer.The ending is thoroughly and deservedly expected, no miracles or dramatic recoveries and it's heartwrenching to read.The only minor downside I had was that certains details like ages and names of certain characters are glossed over - for example I don't remember it being explicitly stated that Taylor's brother is older than her, something you can infer about midway through the novel - and Taylor's parents names suddenly come out as a shock halway through also, leaving one of the final moments in the book (involving both the whitled bird and banner) without the emotional punch they needed.A very fun summer read with a satisfying emotional core.

What a truly beautiful book. The writing flowed beautifully off the page and allowed me to feel every emotion. Wonderful characters, a heart-wrenching storyline of a family dealing with terminal cancer. All having one last summer together at their summer house. This final summer is about second chances and a family making final memories together. I wept buckets, it was heart breaking but perfect at the same time. A book about a girl who runs away from problems and love but this final summer makes her realise some things are worth sticking around for, including a boy called Henry who was her first kiss one perfect summer four years ago. This is a book that stays with you for days and lingers in your mind. It is a book that makes you stop and appreciate life and family and how love really is everything.

I’m having a bit of a contemporary standalone fest at the moment, and Last Chance Summer has fit right in with this theme.When Taylor Edwards’ family receive some devastating news, they re-evaluate their busy lifestyles and decide to spend one last summer together at their lake house in the Pocono mountains. They haven’t been to the Poconos for five years and when they arrive, Taylor discovers that her former best friend is still around, and so is her first boyfriend...who is much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve. As the summer progresses and the Edwards family reconnect despite the ticking clock hanging over their heads, Taylor discovers that this summer might be a time for all sorts of second chances.It took me a while to connect with Taylor because at first she seemed quite cold and odd, and it was only really when she started to re-form a relationship with her dad and re-connect with her former best friend, Lucy, and her first boyfriend, Henry, that I really started rooting for her. And then I didn’t stop! Despite her flaws, she was very sweet and thoughtful and I really liked her. I especially liked the relationship between her and Lucy. Close female friendships are underrepresented in YA and this one was particularly well-written, I thought. And Henry - I think I have a new book boyfriend. He was so scrummy, I could have just eaten him all up.Morgan Matson manages to write a whole spectrum of emotions and situations into this book, and I think that was one of the things that made it such a compelling read. You’ve got the tragedy the family are dealing with, and we know from the outset that it’s not going to have a happy ending. Balanced in with this is the romance with Taylor and Henry, friendship and a whole lot of humour. And then, of course, you’ve got Taylor’s guilt at having a good time when her family are struggling so badly. This isn’t one of those books where the tragedy overwhelms the story; the author realises that actually, yes, you can be having a dreadful time but that there can also be high points mixed in with the sadness.From the outset, we know what the plot is going to hold and the author doesn’t insult the reader with any ‘It’s a MIRACLE!’ plot twists, but instead deals with Taylor’s family tragedy with dignity. Again, the book isn’t entirely about what the family are going through, and Taylor finds that this summer is going to have second chances in lots of different ways.I’d definitely recommend this as a summer read!

I really liked the evolution of the family dynamics. Though a conversation on how the mother favours the oldest and youngest child was needed. I don't think the stress of the situation fully explained the tension between the mother and the middle child.The ongoing theme of not facing your fears was well developed and I think the side characters were as well developed as they can be. They had their own problems that had nothing to do with the lead and they continued living their lives when she left.Overall a great book, although the relationship subplot was a bit bland because everything was so easy (this is just a personal preference). I think it went well with the tone of the boom as a whole.