Book reviews

The Summer of Us
Holly Chamberlin Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
Holly Chamberlin Books
New book search
Holly Chamberlin Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of The Summer of Us
"

Kensington, May 2004, 12.95, 403 pp.
ISBN: 0758201451

Gincy Gannon, Danielle Leers and Clare Wellman share little in common except knowing that their next birthdays mean they turn into thirty year old geezers. Each decides to spend their last youthful summer in the Cape rather than become ancient spinsters in overheated Boston. They turn up late at a room matching session at Oak Bluffs so the threesome by default become summer roommates though they never met before.

Gincy comes from a small New Hampshire town that she left without a look back. Currently she works as a senior editor with Boston PBS. A loner, she has doubts about roommates.

Danielle comes from a wealthy Manhattan family. She knows she is pretty, intelligent and deserves the happiness and love of an upper crust husband that she plans to catch this summer.

Clare is engaged to attorney Winchester Carrington III after a decade together. She has major doubts about becoming Mrs. the third. This summer solace she seeks to find the “vanished” Clare.

Roommates do not necessarily mean friendship. However, a support group bond forms as each of these turning geriatric women search for their inner essence while hoping to find love in the dunes.

Chick lit fans will take pleasure in THE SUMMER OF US due to the strong characterizations. The three lead protagonists, who rotate first person narration, learn over the most wonderful summer of their lives that they have much in common. Each of these slightly flawed but feisty protagonists seeks fulfillment, love and happiness, which leads to a camaraderie. Holly Chamberlin's delightful buddy tale contains depth much deeper than the surface sunburn that the sub-genre often furbishes to readers.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Summer of Us
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - present (2000-2010)
Strong "rags to riches" component? Yes
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes
GROUP of women story? Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - business executive
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Northeast

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style: - a lot of stream of consciousness - No single main character?
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to The Summer of Us
Changing Faces by Kimberla Lawson Roby
The Last Girls by Lee Smith
The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler
Sisters in Arms by Catherine Jones
The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble


Click here for more information about this book


Holly Chamberlin Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

SCHOLARS:


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Literature books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal story

Crime & Police story

Ethnic/regional/gender life

Exploring into the wild

Family, caring for ill

Family, loving relations

Family, struggle with

Internal struggle/realization?

Job/Profession/Status story

Kids growing up/acting up?

Political/social activism

Poverty, surviving

Pregnancy/Child rearing

Religion theme?

Romance/Romance Problems

Sports Story?

War/Revolt/Disaster on civilians



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us




Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Mo Hayder 5:11:13 PM
Suzanne Collins 1:03:18 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 12:37:12 PM
Robert Segarra 11:12:13 AM
Zana Muhsen 9:04:32 AM
Andrew Clements 5:58:47 AM
Victoria Holt 5:43:05 AM
Belinda Alexandra 3:38:00 AM
Jean M. Auel 2:15:24 AM
George W. Bush 12:36:35 AM
Mary Downing Hahn 11:11:35 PM
Erin Hunters 10:11:32 PM
Warren Reiten 6:51:13 PM
Anonymous 5:18:14 PM
Marlo Morgan 2:44:30 PM
Ray Bradbury 12:00:50 PM
David Pelzer 8:47:20 PM
Laurell K. Hamilton 6:38:10 PM
Colin Forbes 5:34:13 PM
Gerald Morris 5:21:54 PM

More message boards