Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:

Grayson Cartwright, Mike Metzler and Ian Handler have been friends since they were kids. They’re all hoping for another great summer on “the Locks,” the last summer before they all go their separate ways into adulthood. 

But that was before Ian’s dad never returned home from his last deployment. Before Mike had to take on more work in order to help provide for his family. Before Grayson’s accident left him with an injured throwing arm and an uncertain future. 

The last summer will test their friendship, and possibly send one of them over the edge. 

A Few Words:

I picked up this book because I was looking for a summer read and it had what appears to be 3 hot guys on the cover. Yes, I can be shallow, I proudly admit it and I am unashamed of my natural impulse. 

I also picked it up because I am tired of summer flings and adventures being written in the female POV and found it refreshing once I found a book with the perspective of a male.

What I Disliked:

This book started off kinda slow. I didn’t actually start enjoying the book until halfway through it. Up until then it was just like, “Okaaay?” 

It didn’t help that all 3 of the boys sounded relatively the same. If she took away the names on the sides of the pages I would’ve been completely lost, not knowing who was who. There wasn’t enough distinction in personality and internal dialogue for each of them.

What I Liked:

I think the premise of the story is pretty simple, so it leaves a lot of room for creativity. The conflicts are well devised despite being basic. I was impressed that Brody kept everything in order and the characters’ POV’s remained in sequence. The drama was ongoing, exactly what you expect in a book about summer filled with young people. I was pleased with the ending. I thought it would be cliché considering that the issues of the characters back stories were cliché. This book wasn’t great, but it was worth reading for a quick summer read and a beach setting.