Second Chance Summer ~ Review

Title: Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Publication Date: May 8, 2012

Pages: 468

Genre: Contemporary, Relationships, Young Adult

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. 

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

I'll admit that I didn't start really enjoying this one till the end. So fair warning, but you may have to push yourselves past the humdrum to get the really juicy, emotional parts that I might have shed a tear or two at. Honestly, until the end I was teetering between giving this book a 2.5 to 3 stars. Did you see what I gave it? FOUR STARS! The final chapters were truly powerful and really bumped up my opinion, (therefore the rating) of this novel.

Taylor, the protagonist of our story, did something very bad the last time she came to the summer lake house. This "very bad" incident puts her in an awkward position when her family returns years later for one last family vacation and she comes  face to face with the best friends she had at twelve. I'm thinking to myself as I'm reading, how bad could you be at twelve? As the mystery surrounding the "very bad" incident, slowly (and I do mean mind numbingly slowly) becomes unraveled, seriously I think I saw my brain I eye-rolled so hard at the reveal. I don't want to be one of those people who spoils things, so my only comment is this: You were fucking twelve, GET OVER IT. That isn't just for Taylor, but also love-interest Henry and BFF Lucy.

This book could have been so much better if the author had written more about Taylor's family and less about her 12-year-old drama. Every scene that involved Taylor's family, I treasured, especially concerning her dad who I think is my favorite character in this novel.