Review: It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han (Summer #2)

Title: It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Published: April 27th, 2010 by Simon & Schuster

Source: Library (I also own the book)

Format: Audio book

Challenge(s):

Grade rate: B

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach? It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

My Review

Shortly after finishing The Summer I Turned Pretty (review here) I started It’s Not Summer Without You, I have to say that I enjoyed it better than the first book. 

This books starts about a year after the ending of The Summer I Turned Pretty.  For the first time Belly is spending a summer in her hometown and not going to Cousins beach and she is dreading it. When Jeremiah calls Belly asking for help finding Conrad, she jumps at the opportunity.  There are some misguided choices here, but the bottom line is that everyone is dealing with the grief of Susannah’s death in a different way. 

The story is told from Belly’s point of view, with some chapters from Jer’s point of view, which was refreshing.  Belly (I still can’t stand that name) is a bit more mature here and she is trying to get over Conrad and the hold that he has on her.  Conrad is infuriating!  I know is the dark, handsome, smart one, but he is so darn mysterious that I can’t tell what he is thinking about or why doesn’t he admit that he cares about Belly.  Why is he leaving the field open for Jer to more right in?  Don’t get me wrong, I like Jeremiah, he is everything Conrad is not, he is considerate, loyal, a true friend and he really cared for Belly and it’s not afraid to show it.  

The plot is simple and uncomplicated, focusing in the relationship between Conrad, Belly and Jeremiah, and also the events before, during and after Susannah’s death.  The writing is easy to understand and the story flows effortless throughout.  We are left - yet again - with a huge cliffhanger, and confess that I can’t wait to read the next and last book in the series.

About the cover:  I really like the breezy, light feeling that the cover evokes.