#108 Book Review: Second Chance Summer

Second Chance Summer
Release Date: June 7th 2012
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
Source: Publisher for Review
Format: Paperback
Where to Buy: Amazon | The Book Depository
More Info: Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads:

Taylor's family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then they get news that changes everything: Her father has pancreatic cancer, and it's stage four – meaning that there is basically nothing to be done. Her parents decide that the family will spend his last months together at their old summerhouse 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 summer best friend is suddenly around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they've ever been before. But all of them very aware 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.

Cover:
I LOVE the UK or Australian cover! I think I love it even more than the US one. The US one is simple and calm while the UK/AU cover totally captures the summer feeling of this book! I also love how the UK/AU cover has the same style with Amy & Roger's Epic Detour's cover! 

Story:

We all deserve second chances...

'Love is watching someone die' - Death Cab for Cutie

I had high expectations for Second Chance Summer. I really adored Morgan Matson's debut novel, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour and was very anxious for her second novel. Second Chance Summer completely took my breath away. I ended up loving  the book even more than Amy & Roger's Epic Detour.


Second Chance Summer, as indicated by the title is about second chances. Second chances with family, friends and love. It's achingly beautiful. It gave me twinges and made me teary. Taylor Edwards' father has Pancreatic cancer and therefore she ended up staying in their summerhouse in the Pocono mountains for the last summer together. Going back to Pocono mountains also meant meeting her first crush and boyfriend, Henry, and her old best friend, Lucy. I really adore the setting of this book. Morgan Matson captured the lake house and the surroundings perfectly. I also love how this book is a mixture of so many important things in life. Family. Friends. Love. Without them, where would we be? The book also made me think that second chances are completely valuable. Everyone deserves second chances. It's second chances to make things right or to fix things that we failed to do in our first chances. This book made me laugh, smile and cry. The ending wrapped the story beautifully.


Characters:
The characters are completely amazing. I adored each and every one of them, starting from Taylor to even the dog. Okay, that sounds silly but the dog, Murphy, is so adorable! Taylor used to spend her summers in the lake house, with her best friend Lucy, and her cute boyfriend, Henry. But something happened and she ran away. Five years later, she's back, although Lucy and Henry cannot forget what happened 5 years ago. As she spend more time in the lake house with her dad, she found herself wanting to be friends with Lucy and Henry again. 

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

Oh second chances, I love Henry so much. He's such a sweet, cute, understanding and amazing guy. He also works in his father's bakery shop. Guess what that means? He is LITERALLY sweet! The advantages of dating a guy or having a friend who works in the bakery shop is FREE SWEET GOODIES! Despite the fact that Taylor ran away from him, Henry was very forgiving and tried to fix their relationship by becoming friends. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship. When Henry and Taylor kissed in the tree house, it was so romantic! Sometimes I felt like shaking Taylor so hard because how can she ran away from this amazing guy? How can she push him away again when they just got back together? 


I found the 12 years old Lucy very annoying. She also had a crush on Henry and asked Taylor to ask him whether he liked her or not. Taylor was already dating Henry but she did not tell Lucy. Lucy was very persistent and that became a problem. I do like the 17 years old Lucy. She is still quite the same as her 12 years old self but I didn't found her annoying. 


I also really enjoyed reading about Taylor's family. Taylor's siblings, Warren and Gesley (no, that is not a typo. It's Gelsey with a 'G'!) are cute characters and I love how different they are compared to Taylor. I also love Taylor's father. It made me teary reading about his struggles with the cancer until his last breath.  


Overall:
Do you believe in second chances? Second Chance Summer is all about second chances. With family, friends, love and simply life. The characters are amazing and Morgan Matson captured the summer feeling of this book perfectly. This achingly beautiful novel made me think that we all deserve second chances. Fans of Morgan Matson's Amy & Roger's Epic Detour will love Second Chance Summer!

5 Forget-Me-Not flowers for Second Chance Summer!

Thank you Simon & Schuster Australia for the review copy!

PS: I also won a signed copy of Second Chance Summer from the author with the US cover! Thank you so much Morgan! ♥

  

PPS: Guess who made an appearance in this book? ;)