The Summer of Secrets by Sarah JasmonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 2 days
Publisher - Black Swan
Pages - 352
Blurb from Goodreads
In the summer of 1983, when Helen is sixteen, Victoria Dover and her eccentric family move in next door, at once making her lonely world a more thrilling place. But the summer ends with a terrible tragedy, and everyone involved – her father and the entire Dover family – simply disappears.
Then one day, thirty years later, Victoria comes back.
My Review
Sixteen year old Helen is lonely and bored when the Dover family come crashing into her garden and life. She quickly becomes enamoured with the family, particularly Victoria, they build a friendship which comes crashing to an abrupt end and the family disappear. Years later Helen sees Victoria which sees her flipping back to the past and recounting their meeting, leading up to that night. Can Helen get her answers to what happened that night and everything that followed?
This is a tale about friendship, intrigue, personal growth, secrets and families. Helen is a young lonely girl that quickly becomes enveloped in the strange family who appear during the summer of '83. Her mother has left, her father is neglectful and more concerned with his boat and drink than Helen. A story of growth and friendship, from the point of view of a young teenager and what can happen when things go wrong of a night.
The story is interesting and you know there is a reveal however you wait a while to get there. The focus is on the budding relationships and Helen's personal growth, it was just a bit too much teen angst style for me. So many people have loved this book, I liked it and felt the whole thing is tied up nicely which I always think is a good thing, there was just a little oomph missing for me. This is my first time reading this author and I would certainly read her again, 3/5 for me this time, thanks so much to Ben at Penguin Random House for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
That sounds like an interesting story, A very nice review Lainy thank you :)
ReplyDeleteReading this atm, Lainy and it's dragging a bit...too much hanging around waiting for something to happen!
ReplyDeleteI tend to like stories that involve old ghosts from the past reappearing so I think that I would like this.
ReplyDeleteI am OK with teem angst as long as it is realistic.
One of the books that has been suggested as a possibility for our readers group. I wasn't keen but reading your review has made me change my mind.
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