Rules of Summer

Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin

Paperback, 352 pages

Published 23rd May 2013 by Atom

Shelves:  arc-or-review, books-i-own, young-adult, series-or-companions, realistic-fiction, read-in-2013, contemporary, cover-appeal, better-than-expected 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

There are two sides to every summer.

When seventeen-year-old Rory McShane steps off the bus in East Hampton, it's as if she's entered another universe, one populated by impossibly beautiful people wearing pressed khakis and driving expensive cars. She's signed on to be a summer errand girl for the Rules -- a wealthy family with an enormous beachfront mansion. Upon arrival, she's warned by other staff members to avoid socializing with the family, but Rory soon learns that may be easier said than done.

Stifled by her friends and her family's country club scene, seventeen-year-old Isabel Rule, the youngest of the family, embarks on a breathless romance with a guy whom her parents would never approve of. It's the summer for taking chances, and Isabel is bringing Rory along for the ride. But will Rory's own summer romance jeopardize her friendship with Isabel? And, after long-hidden family secrets surface, will the Rules' picture-perfect world ever be the same?

When I received this book through the post, I hadn't heard of it nor of the author, but I was immediately taken by the contemporary cover and the seasonal title. Admittedly, it's not been very summer-like here in North East England lately, but there's nothing like reading a book to completely sweep you away and, at least in your mind, change where you are! This book took me all the way to the sunny, extravagant Hamptons in the USA.

I wasn't sure if I liked the sound of this book from the blurb or not - a story of an 'average' teenage girl, Rory, leaving home for the summer to spend it in the Hamptons, working for a wealthy family. I don't think I'm the only one that would immediately worry that everything could be completely stereotyped when you read the premise. Nevertheless, I wanted an easy summer read so I gave it a go despite any worries I had, and I'm very glad that I did. I won't say that there are no stereotypes, of course there are some - there simply has to be - but thankfully the author manages to really reach inside the characters in this book, making them all independent and giving them each a real personality. 

The characters are of most importance in this book and it's interesting to see the differences between Rory's lifestyle and how the Rules live - though it's actually more interesting to see the similarities between them. Though the Rules may be of higher social status, this book really makes it clear that we're all human and a lot of things, especially emotions can't be changed or swayed thanks to money or popularity. Our two main characters are Rory and Isabel are initially two very separate girls with different lifestyles, but as the book progresses it is really interesting to see what they thought of each other and how they both helped each other in different ways. I didn't particularly like Isabel at the beginning of the book, but thanks to her friendship with Rory she did change and definitely became more likeable. Looking back, from the beginning, Isabel was really the best character  for her role, as she initially had her own way of thinking, an attitude, even before Rory came into her life - this made her later actions more realistic and natural. 

This book isn't just about Rory and the Rules - there are also romance story lines running throughout as both Rory and Isabel find themselves falling in love with two very different guys that others may find unacceptable for them to date. Again, the class system and social status issues are tested with both parties. I think that Philbin managed it really well, not making the story too cliche and though it was at points somewhat predictable, not making it completely obvious what was going to happen next. The book was very easy to read and so was certainly a page turner. I enjoyed reading about both the friendships and the romantic relationships in this book and how they effected each other.

I enjoyed this book a lot more than first expected when I read the premise and that is because Philbin executed her ideas well. The message came through very clearly - love and friendship can be a lot more valuable than money or popularity and sometimes you do just have to follow your heart, even if others think it's a bad decision. I'd definitely recommend Rules of Summer to any young adult (and perhaps new adult) readers for an easy, enjoyable read this summer.

Stacking the Shelves and Showcase Sunday (56)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Showcase Sunday is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea.

These memes are a replacement of The Story Siren's In My Mailbox.

Stacking the Shelves and Showcase Sunday make a place to showcase your new books,

whether you obtained them through the post or otherwise.

This week I received two books for review, one adult and one young adult. The adult book I received was The Keeper by Luke Delaney (unfortunately there is no released cover for this one yet!) and the young adult book was Scissors, Sisters and Manic Panics. Although I do actually own both of the first books that come before these, I haven't started reading either series, though I must! I am especially looking forward to seeing what the young adult series is like as it looks like a lot of fun!

I hope you've all had a good week!

From the Review Pile (57)

From the Review Pile is a meme hosted by Stepping Out of the Page every Thursday.

The aim of this meme is to showcase books that you've received for review (or if you don't receive review books, any book that you own and really want to read/review) but haven't yet got around to reading, in order to give the book some extra publicity.

I know that a lot of you have a huge pile of books that you want to read/review, but it understandably takes a while to get around to reading them all - here you can give a book (or two!) some of the publicity that it deserves, even if you haven't read it yet!

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This week, I'm going to showcase The Moon and More!

I have read a couple of Sarah Dessen's books in the past and I really enjoyed them. She has quite a large fan-base and I can understand why, what with the books that I've already read. This one looks like it will be a perfect read for this summer, so I will certainly pick it up soon.

The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

435 Pages

Published 4th June 2013 by Puffin

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

Sarah Dessen's devoted fans will welcome this story of romance, yearning, and, finally, empowerment. It could only happen in the summer.

The Son-in-Law

The Son-in-Law by Charity Norman

Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: 4th July 2013 by Allen and Unwin UK

Shelves:  adult-fiction, books-i-own, favourites, lasting-impression, mental-health, read, read-in-2013, realistic-fiction, really-good

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Description via Goodreads:

For three years Joseph Scott has been haunted by one moment-the moment that changed his life forever. Now he is starting over, and he wants his family back more than anything.
This is the story of Joseph and his wife, Zoe; of their children, Scarlet, Theo and Ben, for whom nothing will be the same; and of Zoe's parents, who can't forgive or understand.
A compelling, moving and ultimately optimistic story of one man who will do almost anything to be reunited with his children. And of the grandparents who are determined to stop him.

Wow. I read Charity Norman's After The Fall last year and loved it. This year, I was offered the chance to read an advance copy of The The Son-in-Law and I've just been blown away. I do love books and reading, but it takes a lot for me to say I love one book in particular, but I can honestly say that I really did love this one. 

To be honest, because I really enjoyed Norman's previous novel, I quickly accepted this book for review even before reading the blurb - I liked her writing and ideas enough last time to be sure enough that I would enjoy her latest release. After reading the blurb, I was even more excited as it definitely sounded like a book I would enjoy, even though the description was quite vague. The premise of this book is a compelling one, and I can't help but think of it turned into a serial-drama or short film. The descriptions were vivid - it was not at all difficult to imagine yourself there with the characters. Norman made a fantastic job of setting the different scenes and using them to add to the formation of an atmosphere surrounding the characters.

This is the story of a family which has been torn apart after the death of Zoe, a mother, a daughter and a wife. We follow Joseph after his release from a prison, where he was held for killing his wife. We also follow Hannah and Frederick, Zoe's parents and the main caregivers of Zoe and Joseph's children, Scarlet, Theo and Ben. We don't know the full story of Zoe's death from the beginning of the book, but as we progress in the book, we start to see what happened and why it happened. As always, not everything is as it first seems. As aforementioned, the book is written in two points of view, from Joseph and Hannah's thoughts, which are strongly in contrast. Nothing is clear-cut, everything has you thinking and wondering who you're most in support of - at no point did I know who I really supported, I almost continuously had conflicting emotions. Norman has done a wonderful job of getting two differing points across fairly and believably. 

The children play a very large part in this book, and I think that as a reader, Scarlet was probably easiest to connect with in the sense of conflict of thoughts and feelings - it often felt like the reader was also one of the children, being pushed and pulled by the two different sides. The children were vital in this book and they were so well written. Norman didn't hold anything back, and the kids felt so real, their thoughts and feelings often openly displayed, or painfully suppressed. The psychological aspect of the book was obviously very well thought through and did seem very real. I especially liked reading about Scarlet, the oldest child and a very visceral character. You could really sense the torment inside her and I could never really predict what she was going to do, how she would react to her father or her grandparents. 

Another relationship that I'd like to mention and praise, without giving any spoilers, is that of the two grandparents, Hannah and Frederick, which was truly heartbreaking at points. Their bond was incredible and the other issues they had to face at the same time as the release of Joseph Scott really did show their strength and courage.  This book is just packed with emotion and Norman has done a stellar job of portraying several struggles and portraying each individual's unique reactions to the issues. This author really has a way of getting through the paper and into both your head and heart.

Overall, I really loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone, especially fans of authors such as Jodi Picoult. I really hope that Norman gets the praise and recognition that she deserves for not only this book but for her writing in general. Her writing feels so natural and believable - I really can't fault her in any way. I thought that After the Fall was a huge hit, but I honestly think that this book is even better. This is her best release to date and it will definitely be one of the top books I read in 2013. I can't wait to see what Norman releases next!