Name: Summer Rental
ISBN: 9780988256828

Rektok Ross

A Thriller

Summer Rental

Thanks to the author, Rektok Ross, for a copy of the book, Summer Rental.  As always, the opinions expressed in my review are honest and all my own.

Riley March is joining her friends for one last big blowout vacation before they each go off to college.  She would love to catch the attention of her crush, Sebastian Ramos, but he has been so hot and cold with her for the last few months that she doesn't know what to expect from him.  In the meantime, all of her friends are still affected by the suicide last summer of Jordyn Chang.  When Riley starts to experience strange things happening in the house where they are staying that is supposedly haunted, she starts to question what she really knows about her friends.  With a hurricane approaching, she may be in more danger than she knows.

Summer Rental is reminiscent of all the horror films where the teenage main characters do everything wrong to put themselves in danger.  If that is the point of this novel, then more details should have been included to bring that idea to the forefront.  However, Summer Rental does use red herrings successfully to create suspense, while making it difficult to figure out exactly who is behind the increasingly scary events in the story.  Even though the character development is minimal in favor of the creation of a frightening mood and atmosphere, most of characters still come across as unlikable and difficult to care about.  Overall, the weaknesses of Summer Rental are balanced with its strengths.

Lynn Braden

Thanks to the author, Rektok Ross, for a copy of the book, Summer Rental.  As always, the opinions expressed in my review are honest and all my own.

Riley March is joining her friends for one last big blowout vacation before they each go off to college.  She would love to catch the attention of her crush, Sebastian Ramos, but he has been so hot and cold with her for the last few months that she doesn't know what to expect from him.  In the meantime, all of her friends are still affected by the suicide last summer of Jordyn Chang.  When Riley starts to experience strange things happening in the house where they are staying that is supposedly haunted, she starts to question what she really knows about her friends.  With a hurricane approaching, she may be in more danger than she knows.

Summer Rental is reminiscent of all the horror films where the teenage main characters do everything wrong to put themselves in danger.  If that is the point of this novel, then more details should have been included to bring that idea to the forefront.  However, Summer Rental does use red herrings successfully to create suspense, while making it difficult to figure out exactly who is behind the increasingly scary events in the story.  Even though the character development is minimal in favor of the creation of a frightening mood and atmosphere, most of characters still come across as unlikable and difficult to care about.  Overall, the weaknesses of Summer Rental are balanced with its strengths.

carys jenkins

mean girls meets scream how about the written format of bodies bodies bodies. it gave such brilliant commentary on bullying, classism, what it means to be queer, suicide and mental health etc all without reading as preachy it was woven into the plot effortlessly!! words cannot express how good this book was and i can’t wait to read more from rektok ross

Summer Rental A Thriller

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