Big Summer

In her latest literary offering, Jennifer Weiner focuses on what she does best - writing an engaging story featuring important contemporary issues as she pulls readers into the life of her relatable character. Big Summer is all that and a bag of chips but this time, Weiner throws in a twist that should pleasantly surprise her fans.

The first half of the book focuses on the childhood and personal and professional lives of Daphne Berg, a plus-sized social media influencer whose life was turned ass over tea kettle one fateful night. I adored Daphne. She is relatable and through her relationships with others and herself (I liked the addition of her often self-loathing internal dialogue), I felt I got to know her - the good, the bad and the self-doubting. She's a character readers will root for and I thought her career as a social media influencer was interesting and relevant.

Then, halfway through, there's a big, wonderfully unexpected twist that turned this Contemporary Fiction read into a Mystery. What the wha?! Yup. There's one doozie of a twist which threw me for a loop and had me rereading the shocking lines a couple of times. I lurrved it!

While Mystery isn't Weiner's usual cuppa tea, she includes some red herrings and gives readers a satisfying conclusion without forgetting about character development or relevant issues she's introduced. I loved the jolt of the twist and thought she did a bang up job on the mystery but it's Weiner's skill of weaving a likeable, relatable character and a story that is layered with pertinent and sensitive subject matter (including fat shaming, self-loathing, female friendships, social media sharing and family) that I will remember the most about this book. I particularly appreciated how the issue of people's need to be seen and valued was addressed with sensitivity.

This is an excellent pick for a summer, hanging out at home kind of read. With its focus on relationships and relevant themes, including the drawbacks of sharing too much of our lives with the world online, Big Summer would make an excellent pick for a summer online book club.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type: eBook

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada

First Published: May 5, 2020

Opening Lines: 1994: By the second week of September, the outer Cape 

was practically deserted. the tourists had packe dup and gone home.

Book Description from GoodReads: Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.