Summer of '69

aaliyah

I really liked a lot about this book… but there was too much going on and some of the stories weren’t resolved in a satisfying way. 

Also weird sorta incest that is kinda brushed over but it’s not incest but also??????

Anyway I think taking out parts of the book wouldn’t have changed it at all which is a bad sign to me, because everything should be meaningful and impactful to the story. 

I was so into it in the beginning but that interest really faded out at the end and while I was still searching to find out what would happen… I mostly just wanted it to be over. 

3/5 stars

Samantha Mochrie 

I may be biased since I already love Hilderbrand. Each of her books have an essence of mystery. I loved sassy teen Jessie, feminist Kirby, and intelligent Blair. Love any book with POV switches. I’ll always recommend anything by Hilderbrand. 

Kate Gravelle

What I enjoyed the most about this book is all the intricate details the author puts in. It’s done in such a crafty way that it’s not overwhelming but it creates such a vivid picture instead.

Elizabeth Raines

Positives
-Great coming of age story, loved getting POV’s from all the sisters!
-Perfect to read on the beach or anywhere in the summer.
-The 1960s setting is my favorite!

Negatives
- I didn’t like the chapter breaks being in the middle of the page but the titles of the chapters being song names made up for it.
-I predicted some of the plot points along the way.

Lisa Trebilcock

A light chick-lit summer read. The storyline covered a variety of topics: feminism, abortions being illegal, sexual assault, domestic violence, racism, suicide, mental health, the moon landing, the war. However, I felt the plot skimmed along with these issues, without going in-depth. The "secrets" were predictable and blatantly hinted at throughout the story. However, the book was enjoyable for light summer reading.

Jacklyn O’Brien 

I flew through this book! The characters were extremely likable and well developed.

Elize van Heerden

This was an amazing book, it took me a little while to get into it but by the end, I loved the story and the characters. The writing style was great and I would pick up a book by this author again

Jan Talkington

A book club read that I really enjoyed. I like a character driven story and this is definitely one. Each character is "real" and I would like to know where they are now 50 years later. Interesting story, interesting family.

Heather

The overall suspense and the almost instant connection to the characters is what kept me reading the summer of '69. There was a timeless humanness quality within each of the characters that was not only relatable but connected with me as the reader and brought me closer to the story.

My only "complaint" is the ending felt rushed and open-ended...and not in the "another book is coming" kind of way - but in a wat that felt too cozy and incomplete.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone of any age from 17-94 as it relates to the humanness we all face through each age. It's a great summer read.

Summer of '69

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