That Summer

I've been a fan of Jennifer Weiner's books for years because they are a compelling blend of contemporary fiction, timely subject matter and memorable main characters. Her latest book That Summer is loosely connected to her 2020 hit Big Summer and features a story with issues that are both poignant, thought-provoking and will spark great discussion.

I strongly caution readers to not judge this book by its cover. Despite its summery feel, this is not an easy-breezy beach read. The story jumps between two timelines and is told via two POVs for most of the story (with a third added later) and it is through the experiences of these characters' that Weiner tackles larger, societal issues within a story about self-discovery, female friendship and justice. Other topics include manipulation, privilege, misuse of power and the long-lasting effects of trauma.

I appreciated the subjects Weiner ambitiously includes in this story which are important and emotional but may be a trigger for some readers (trigger warning at the bottom of this post - caution spoiler). The story has a slow start, and it took me almost half of the book to get into the lives of Daisy and Diana. After that point, I had an ah-ha moment, realized where Weiner was going with her plot, and things took off from there. But despite the subject matter, I found this book to be less powerful that I expected, I struggled to connect with the main characters and found a couple of the male characters and the bratty teen to be one-dimensional.

Overall, That Summer was a good read and the fifth book I've read by this author. It is an ambitious novel that handles big, timely topics with compassion but there's also some romance and intrigue too. While this isn't my favourite book by the author, I continue to be a huge fan of Jennifer Weiner and eagerly look forward to reading her future books.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Atria Books for my advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: eBook from publisher (personal copy shown in pic)

Publisher: Atria Books

First Published: May 11, 2021

Opening Line: Daisy Shoemaker couldn't sleep.

Book Description from GoodReads: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Summer comes another timely and deliciously twisty novel of intrigue, secrets, and the transformative power of female friendship, set on beautiful Cape Cod.

Daisy Shoemaker can’t sleep. With a thriving cooking business, full schedule of volunteer work, and a beautiful home in the Philadelphia suburbs, she should be content. But her teenage daughter can be a handful; her husband can be distant, her work can feel trivial, and she has lots of acquaintances, but no real friends. Still, Daisy knows she’s got it good. So why is she up all night?

While Daisy tries to identify the root of her dissatisfaction, she’s also receiving misdirected emails meant for a woman named Diana Starling, whose email address is just one punctuation mark away from her own. While Daisy’s driving carpools, Diana is chairing meetings. While Daisy’s making dinner, Diana’s making plans to reorganize corporations. Diana’s glamorous, sophisticated, single-lady life is miles away from Daisy’s simpler existence. When an apology leads to an invitation, the two women meet and become friends. But, as they get closer, we learn that their connection was not completely accidental. Who IS this other woman, and what does she want with Daisy?

From the manicured Main Line of Philadelphia to the wild landscape of the Outer Cape, written with Jennifer Weiner’s signature wit and sharp observations, THAT SUMMER is a story about surviving our pasts, confronting our futures, and the sustaining bonds of friendship.

Potential Spoiler/Trigger Warning below

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[Trigger Warning: rape, sexual assault, emotional trauma]