Risking It All - Review

Risking It All (Pushing the Limits: The Next Generation, # 1)

By: Katie McGarry

Publication: October 21, 2024 by Katie McGarry LLC

271 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Personal Kindle Library

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Goodreads description--From Award Winning, Critically Acclaimed Author Katie McGarry comes the Next Generation of Pushing the Limits characters.

Her life has been shattered. His life was never whole. Can one summer change everything?

After a violent carjacking left her bleeding in the street, Macie Hutchins fears she’ll never be the same. She’s not the girl she once was—even if she puts up a good front.

Head down, she tries to survive the sweltering summer—and group therapy sessions—with secrets intact and scars hidden. Both those on the outside and inside.

But Relic Aslanov has always been trouble. Complicated trouble. Dangerous trouble. And his presence in therapy is making Macie’s plan to lie low and cope on her own trickier than her life has already become.

She can’t seem to hide from him, though. And he can’t seem to stay away from her—even when the long-standing rivalry between their families should keep them apart.

But as the summer simmers on, so do the looks, the touches—and the kisses that were never supposed to happen.

As things heat up between Macie and Relic, her white-picket-fence world collides with his wrong-side-of-the-tracks hell, and the truth about the carjacking bubbles to the surface.

When the dust settles and the truth is revealed, will the risk they took be worth it? Or have their pasts already doomed their future?

Katie McGarry sucked me in with her Pushing the Limits series many moons ago. I've been keeping my eyes out for more of her books, so when I saw a release featuring Noah & Echo's daughter as the FMC, I knew I wanted to get my hands on it. I didn't see it on NetGalley or Edelweiss, so I bought this with some Christmas gift cards that I got. 

Macie is Noah & Echo's daughter. And she has suffered a tragedy. She was carjacked and shot. Now she's in trauma group therapy, where no one wants to talk. As a matter of fact, Macie can't talk. Every time she tries to talk about the "accident," she triggers a panic attack. Since the attack, Macie hasn't been able to drive either. Being in the car triggers panic attacks as well. She only has two friends that she still talks to. One is her best friend, who lives next door, Isaiah and Rachel's daughter--Ariel. And Gianna is the other. Ariel spends most of the book out of the country otherwise, the story wouldn't have the conflict it needed in some areas. 

The MMC, Relic, is doing court-ordered group therapy as part of a plea deal after he got caught stealing money from a car. Relic has it rough. His mom left after he was born. His dad has just gotten out of prison. But he is right back in the clutches of a local drug dealer and gangster boss who happens to have ties to the previous series of books — specifically Chasing Impossible. Relic has an older sister who isn't all that reliable. And he has a younger sister that he's trying to protect at all costs. 

Group therapy is where we meet most of the side characters from this story. They are all in therapy because of the trauma they are trying to overcome, process, and deal with. I don't want to spoil their stories, but I will say that I was frustrated with the bisexual(?) character. Basically, a boy who likes to wear girls' clothes. I liked Lev, and I felt terrible for the situation he was in. Yet, I can't say that I support his decisions or choices either. You can disagree with someone without hating them. And you can feel the same about a book character, also. I wish this weren't included in the story, but I'm mentioning it in case it affects other readers' desire to pick up this book. 

Favorite quotes:

-"I'm not honest. I'm a survivalist. Those are two different traits. But here, tonight, I have no reason to lie."

-"You apologize for things that aren't your fault. Don't." "I'm not apologizing, I'm saying that I hurt for you."

Macie and Relic faced an incredibly difficult situation. I was thankful that Relic was as open with Macie as he was. So often, the MMC would try to hide everything he was going through if it were of the nature that Relic was. It was fun to see the old Pushing the Limits crew as adults and parents. 

Risking It All gets 4 Stars from me. I wasn't surprised by the pieces that were intended to be surprises. I liked Macie and Relic. They had a sweet relationship. I enjoyed seeing the old characters from the previous series as adults and parents. And even though I didn't enjoy the pro-LGBT included, I still liked the side characters. I'm curious if we'll get to read more of the children from the original series. Ariel, perhaps. Have you read Risking It All? What did you think? Let me know!

The Getaway List - DNF Review

The Getaway List

By: Emma Lord

Publication: January 23, 2024 by Macmillan Young Listeners

Duration: 9 Hours, 49 Minutes, 49 Seconds

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

Have you guys ever had a book that was like a series of events that just seemed to keep you from the book or enjoying the book? That's what happened to me with The Getaway List. At first, I was listening to the audiobook and enjoying it. I was wrapping Christmas presents while listening. But then I decided to lie down in bed and listen one night. You'll be surprised to hear that I fell asleep. NetGalley's audiobooks aren't easy to navigate because the sections are all labeled the same. That made finding the place I stopped difficult. Then, if you can believe it, I decided to start over in case I missed too much, and the same thing happened to me again. No more lying in bed listening to audiobooks. Lesson learned. But then I kept having issues with the content of the book after that. 

Okay, so Riley and Tom were best friends until Tom moved to New York, and Riley was left behind. Riley's mom has kept her busy with any and all extracurricular activities. Tom has stopped replying to text messages. And their relationship has dwindled. Riley and her mom had a falling out after graduation, and Riley decides to take a weekend trip to New York to visit Tom--which turns into a longer stay. Tom's mother is apparently in the film industry and is never home. Because apparently, no one could possibly dislike New York, Riley falls in love with the city, all the while realizing that she has feelings for her best friend. 

Enter my issues. 1) Riley's a little whiny and self-centered. 2) The characters cuss all the time. But it's the type of cursing that seems like the characters feel cool for doing it. (This is a pet peeve of mine...people who drink because they think they look cool doing it. And people who curse because they think it makes them cool.) The excessive language just felt stupid and unnecessary to me. You won't find me complaining about cursing in most of my book reviews. I tend to only mention it when it's excessive. And The Getaway List was excessive and unnecessary. 3) LGBTQ+ agenda. I don't always mention this either, believe it or not. But when LGBTQ+ stuff is thrown in for the sake of checking a box, I mention it. 4) Mostly, I found that I couldn't connect to the characters in a way that I cared about any of them. I kept trying. I kept listening to push forward and make progress. I kept thinking I would get invested soon. And I just didn't. I ended up listening to 62% of the book, and by that point, I usually tell myself that I've come too far to stop now. But I felt so much relief when I finally made the decision to DNF that I knew I made the right choice. 

I tried to like The Getaway List. I have enjoyed Emma Lord's books in the past. In fact, I did rate Tweet Cute as 5 Stars. I hate that I couldn't connect to the characters or the story, but this book was a series of unfortunate events for me. I was not the right reader for The Getaway List, and I ended up DNFing at 62%. Have you read The Getaway List? What did you think? Let me know!

I Wish You Would - Review

I Wish You Would

By: Eva Des Lauriers

Expected Publication: May 21, 2024 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

280 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

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Goodreads description--In this drama-filled love story, private confessions are scattered on the beach during a senior class overnight and explosive secrets threaten to tear everyone apart, including best friends (or maybe more?), Natalia and Ethan.

It’s Senior Sunrise, the epic overnight at the beach that kicks off senior year. But for Natalia and Ethan, it’s the first time seeing each other after what happened at junior prom―when they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more and ruined everything. After ghosting each other all summer, Natalia is desperate to pretend she doesn’t care and Ethan is desperate to fix his mistake.

When the senior class carries out their tradition of writing private letters to themselves―what they wish they would do this year if they were braver―Natalia pours her heart out. So does Ethan. So does everyone in their entire class. But in Natalia’s panicked attempt to retrieve her heartfelt confession, the wind scatters seven of the notes across the beach. Now, Ethan and Natalia are forced to work together to find the lost letters before any secrets are revealed―especially their own.

Seven private confessions. Seven time bombs loose for anyone to find. And one last chance before the sun rises for these two to fall in love.

Sigh...I'm struggling with what to say about I Wish You Would. I got sucked in quickly, which was nice since I've picked up and put down about 4 or 5 books lately because they didn't snag my attention quickly. I read this book quickly, but I had two major complaints. Let's get into the story.

Natalia and Ethan have been best friends for years. They made a pact in freshman year that if they were still virgins by senior year, they would use each other to change that. First of all, I think that's completely idiotic, and if this information had been in the description, I probably would have skipped this book. Why would "just friends" even consider making a pact like that? It makes no sense. And the reasons that Natalia shared were bogus as all get out. Anyway, after junior prom, they had a moment where they considered calling in the pact. But Natalia made a comment that spooked Ethan, and he backed out knowing that he couldn't cross that line with her without changing their relationship. Natalia takes his backing out as rejection. These two could have rendered this book pointless if they'd just had a simple conversation. Honestly, I don't love it when books are centered around one or two big misunderstandings. 

Natalia is the student council president, and it's her job to organize these events for the school, like Senior Sunrise. Like the pact that Natalia and Ethan made, I found the entire idea about Senior Sunrise and writing these bravery letters to themselves bogus. I mean this is one of those things that sounds good, but the execution would never work. If this is an event the school holds every year (not the camping part, but the letter-writing part), there's no way that people's personal secrets being shared or exposed has never happened or come up before if they keep them in some jar for a big burning ceremony. It only makes sense to burn those suckers immediately if you're going to have some big event like this. But also, why does a group need to come together for individuals to write a letter like this to themselves? Why isn't this an exercise that each kid could do on their own time in the privacy of their own home and dispose of in whatever way they want to? If you were going to have some bogus tradition like this in the first place, that is. 

I could continue describing the events of the book, but honestly, I don't feel the need to do so. Even though I've complained already, one of my biggest two complaints was that there was so much drama. Do you guys know how video content creators have learned to cut clips to different camera angles and to hype the drama so that people's brains are engaged and never bored? Well, I felt like the writing in this book was the equivalent of watching some of those YouTubers who play video games and hype their videos so much that it feels ultra-intense the entire time. One minute Natalia's running away, and Ethan's chasing her. Only for them to have the briefest of conversations that didn't actually move them any closer to a real discussion of their emotions or the secrets they're hiding from each other, only for Ethan to run away from Natalia, and then her to chase him right back. The back and forth was like watching a yo-yo go up and down. That's not even to include the actual events the characters experienced or were struggling with.

The book featured essentially 10 characters (not including the adults). Of those 10, four were LGBTQIA, two adults were sexual predators of some sort, and one of the LGBTQIA identified as a they/them. Guys...this makes no sense whatsoever. The character "identifies" as an individual but uses plural pronouns. I don't understand how we've gotten to this place. One character was a bully. Bullying used to be pushed in every young adult book for a period, but now apparently, the criteria for mainstream publications is to have at least one they/them character. We also had 2 characters that were "persons of color". Unnecessary information if you ask me, except the characters have to experience adversity because of their races. I only mention this because it felt like we were checking all the boxes in a leftist agenda. This felt like the exact narrative that certain individuals want to portray as a typical American experience, but I just don't see this where I live. Maybe it's because the book takes place in California. Again, had I known this was the cast of characters this book would feature, I would have skipped this book. 

All of that said, I find it hard to rate this book. On the one hand, I read it quickly. I was interested in finding out what happened to Natalia and Ethan. I wanted to see them resolve their issues. But I also had so many logistical issues with this story...the plot, the characters, the writing method, the drama. All of it was just too much for me to truly enjoy this book. Overall, I guess the best rating I can come up with for I Wish You Would is 3 Stars. Have you read I Wish You Would? What did you think? Let me know! 

Georgie, All Along - Review

Georgie, All Along

By: Kate Clayborn

Publication: January 24th 2023 by Kensington

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--The acclaimed author of Love Lettering weaves a wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.

Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.

But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.

Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.

Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .

I read Kate Clayborn's previous book, Love Lettering. I enjoyed it, but I remember feeling like I wasn't sure she would be an author that I repeated. I can't even remember why I felt that way, but I didn't immediately jump on Georgie, All Along simply because I wasn't a fan of the author. Sometimes I read a book by a new author and immediately know I will read more of their books. But I didn't feel that way about Kate Clayborn even though I enjoyed Love Lettering. I initially decided to pass on Georgie, All Along but something changed my mind, and I picked it up.

Georgie has recently been let go from her position as personal assistant to an actress. The actress has decided to go back to a "normal," quiet life and no longer has a need for a personal assistant. She hints that Georgie will be able to focus on herself and do things she's always wanted to do for herself. But the problem is that Georgie has never known what those things are. She never had a big plan for after high school. She feels a bit blank. Her high school best friend has moved back to their hometown and is expecting her first baby. Georgie plans to help her set up her house and prepare for the baby. Only once she gets there, everything is pretty much already done. And once again, she isn't needed. That's when she finds the old fiction story that she and Bel were writing in high school, and Georgie feels inspired to go back and do some of the things her teenage self imagined doing that she never got around to doing.

I was worried this would be like a bucket list story. And in some ways, it is. But mostly, it didn't feel like one, and that's good for me because I don't always enjoy bucket list stories. Georgie isn't trying to do all these things simply because she never did them. She's trying to find the answers that have her feeling like something is missing. Some of the things she does with Bel and some she does with Levi.

Speaking of Levi, he has the most interesting story in the whole book. He was basically a troublemaker as a kid. Most of the things he did out of spite towards his dad. And his dad disowned him for it. And since he's been in some way or other trying to live his life in a way that proves he's worthy. He had the furthest to go. Although Georgie, via Bel, has a big revelation about herself also.

One gripe...if I may. There's no mistaking what side of the political fence Kate Clayborn is on. Recreational marijuana usage, hippy parents, Prius, no air conditioning, natural peanut butter, gluten-free bread, mushrooms, composting vs waste, LGBT, sustainability, polyamory, climate change, protesting animal dissection. Not all of these things are liberal agendas, but put together they sure do seem to press a particular message to the reader. Maybe Kate Clayborn was trying to write a specific type of character. Maybe. I doubt it though. I will say that these mentions felt like they fit the story better than some other authors who try to throw the whole political checklist into their books. (I'm thinking of you Today, Tonight, Tomorrow.)

To go with that, Georige, All Along was the first book I've read with a character who has "they/them" pronouns, and boy, did it throw me for a loop. I really thought it was a typo until it kept happening. I meant I didn't have a clue how this mess of a grammar mistake could make it past the editors even for a first draft. But then I realized it was on purpose, and I wanted to bang my head against the wall every time I stumbled upon a they/them reference. Another discussion for another day, but this seriously pulled me out of the story every single time.

Favorite quotes:

-"I'm sure sorry for the confusion here," says Paul. "I put you both in an awkward situation, didn't I?" He doesn't know the half of it. I've seen his daughter in a state of undress, and many dog's worn a pair of her underpants.

-But there's an old war inside me now, and the Levi I want to be is losing.

-Hank's always been good at reminding me how happiness looks.

So here's the thing, when I pull out the liberal political agendas, I was hooked into this story. Even the hippy parents were fun characters to read about. I liked Georgie even though she's about as different from me as they come. I liked Levi and his struggles and his journey. I enjoyed the relationship and the conflict about overcoming our past traumas. I still enjoyed the story enough to rate this one 4 Stars. But I'm conflicted over who to recommend this to. I guess if you don't like politics in your books, skip it. If it doesn't bother you, then maybe this one will be a winner for you. Have you read Georgie, All Along? What did you think? Let me know!

Stealing Parker - Review

Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks, # 2)

By: Miranda Kenneally

Published: October 1st 2012 by Sourcebooks Fire

242 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Borrowed from the library

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Goodreads description--Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

So I have no idea where my original review went for this book. I know I typed it because I remember some specific things that I said about it. However, when I went to go prep this blog post, I couldn’t find it anywhere! UGH! That’s so annoying. Especially because this is a book that I had a lot to say about…or at least, I had a lot of feelings about. But just to be frank and upfront…this was not a book I enjoyed so I’m not looking forward to reviewing it again. That being said…this probably won’t be as long or as thought out as my original review. It might be a little nicer (but probably not).

First of all, this isn’t mentioned in the description so it might be considered as a spoiler, but I wish I’d known about it before picking up this book. Parker’s mom’s big secret…she “announced she’s a lesbian and ran off with her friend who was more than just a friend.” Parker is understandably hurt by her mother’s decision. Sexual orientation and preferences aside, 9.9 children out of 10 that have experienced a divorce will tell you that this severely impacted them emotionally. Add to that the other and you’ve got an emotionally screwed up Parker.

Parker’s family attended church and because of her mother’s decision Parker faces a lot of judgmental people. Her mother and father’s former friends now talk about them behind their backs, they turn their noses up, and they tell their children not to play with Parker because the lesbianism might rub off. (I’m exaggerating here, but only slightly.) That being said, Parker turns her nose up at the church. She still goes because her father makes her, but she’s not really interested anymore and even at one point blames God for her mother’s decisions. (“Why did God let this happen to me?” and then later “I don’t see how a loving God would split a family up like he did mine.”) The only person who’s stuck by her side has been her best friend Drew who she secretly wonders if he’s gay too. (Can you guys feel the amount of sarcasm I’m trying to hold back?) This hits on three of my biggest pet peeves in YA literature these days. 1) these types of Christian characters, 2) the best friends of the opposite sex can only be best friends if a, they’re in love with each other or b, one of them is gay, and 3) just gay characters in general being forced down out throats in another book about "acceptance". Tired. Overplayed. Worn out. Used up. Get a better storyline.

So not only does Parker respond to her mother’s behavior by rejecting religion, but she also decides that she has to do everything she can to prove that she’s not a lesbian like her mother. This leads her into dangerous territory with the opposite sex. She hooks up. A lot. She doesn’t move past making out, but her reputation is beginning to grow that she’s “easy.” She doesn’t see the harm. Besides she loves flirting and hooking up and making out. So much so that she doesn’t even blink her eyes at going after the new assistant baseball coach. He’s young for a coach/teacher, but he’s still a teacher nonetheless. If this freaks you out, it should. While I have no issues with age gaps necessarily (my husband’s 12 years older than me), the idea of my daughter hooking up with a teacher is not cool…at all.

My issues don’t stop there. While the idea of my teenage daughter having any sort of relationship with a teacher/coach at her school freaks me out, there’s something else that bothers me about their relationship. Parker and Bryan start off having a really good dynamic where their entire relationship is built around conversation. They have several things in common and so it’s easy to see how there could be an attraction there. However, once things crossed any kind of physical boundary it’s like all conversation went out the window. I guess this is possible. But it just felt weird to me that they had such a verbal relationship in the beginning only to swap to a relationship where no talking was really involved. It didn’t feel consistent to me. Despite that, I didn’t want these two together anyway, so I was okay with how things ultimately ended up as far as they’re concerned.

Another thing that bothered me is Parker’s relationship with her mom. In the beginning of the book, Parker wants nothing to do with her mom. This isn’t because she feels betrayed by her mom “choosing someone else over her family” so much as it is because Parker doesn’t want her own friends to think that she’s gay. So she avoids her mom totally because of this. For one, I think that Parker would be extremely hurt and betrayed by her mother’s actions regardless of who she left her family for. Yet at some point, she "just needs her mom" and all of a sudden everything’s forgiven. I found that hard to believe too. It takes years to work through the kind of pain and trauma that’s caused by a parent suddenly leaving the family. Some children never really recover from those hurts. This isn’t a pain easily recovered from.

And then we get into the overall message of the book which was “do whatever makes you feel good/happy.” You guys, this message is the biggest load of crock I’ve ever heard. Do what makes you feel good? Some people see possessions that they do not own and think to themselves “you know, it would really make me happy to have that,” or “I’ll finally feel good about myself when that’s mine.” Yet they don’t have the means or the money to just buy it. And what do they do? They go out and just take it. Some people find that it makes them feel insanely good by torturing other people and chopping their bodies into tiny pieces. I know that’s an extreme, but where do you draw the line? How do you make a distinction between doing what makes you feel good and when you’ve crossed the line into “wrong”? There has to be some standard of measurement. You can’t just make it up. Not that those who take this stance care much about what the Bible says, but Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things…” Sure as long as it makes you happy, bail on your family, your word, your kids, your promises, your spouse… whatever works best for you. Problem is...often times what we want or what would make us happy also hurts others. Does that make it okay? What feels good to you hurts me. But just so long as you feel good. Whatever. Moving on.

The only (and I do mean only) redeeming quality that I enjoyed about this book was Parker’s transition into finding the guy who is the best fit for her. Often times, people end up with spouses/significant others who are not a good fit for them. And often times those people are even aware of that, but they stay because they’re comfortable. They might not be happy, but at least they know what to expect. Yet Parker does evaluate the two options before her and has to make a decision about which one is right for her. I think she made the right choice in the end.

All in all, I just didn’t like it…period. I will look back on Stealing Parker with nothing but bitterness, annoyance, frustration, and even anger. While I’ve enjoyed Miranda Kenneally before and this book didn’t completely turn me off her other work, I did not enjoy this book. At all. 1 Star from me for Stealing Parker (a first ever). Have you read Stealing Parker? What did you think? Let me know!

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids - Review

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids

By: Sara Ockler

Published: June 2nd 2015 by Simon Pulse

368 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Sometimes, there are no words…

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids was my first experience of Sarah Ockler’s work. I’ve seen others rave about her, and I have a couple of her other books on my TBR list. When I initially saw “mermaids” in the title I thought that there was no way that this book could be for me. I’ve read multiple mermaid books in an attempt to find one that works for me, but I’ve yet to find one that I’ve REALLLY enjoyed. But when I looked at the description it doesn’t indicate that the book is about actual mermaids at all. And well…it’s not. Kind of. Not in the most obvious way anyway.

So yeah, here’s the lowdown. Elyse is injured in a boating accident. You don’t know the details of which until the end of the book. This is actually Elyse’s 2nd life-or-death experience with the sea. And even though the sea is in her blood, she’s become fearful of it as well. Again, we don’t know the details, but Elyse hints that the accident and her injuries were caused by someone she loves most—her twin sister, Natalie. Elyse and Natalie were a singing duet headed for stardom. But the accident leaves Elyse unable to speak and unable to sing. Elyse’s aunt and cousin invite her to Oregon to kind of just get away for a while. She’s feeling a lot of emotions due to her accident, and she just needed some time away from home. In the meantime, she joins a group friends and finds that she can have other dreams. She can even fall in love.

Sounds all good, right? Well…I’ve got a few issues—technical and personal—that I have to address. The first is an easy thing really. I don’t like when one character has a thought to themselves and another character basically says that same thought out loud in an almost word-for-word way or using terms that are too unique to find it believable that these two characters just happened to have had the exact same thought. When this happens one time (references to “the green-eyed monster" aka jealousy), then I chalk it up to coincidence. Sure this can happen in real life occasionally. But when it happens more than that, I start to get annoyed. It feels a bit lazy to me and not a mature writing technique. This is personal pet peeve of mine when it comes to books.

The second technical thing I took issue with was…how do I describe this? I know that the written word is supposed to be more formal than the spoken word. We should TRY to write better than we speak, but often times we write EXACTLY like we speak—especially when we’re writing informally. Elyse uses written word for a large portion of her communication throughout this book as she can no longer speak. When Elyse finally has the flashback to the accident that caused her injuries, Elyse all of a sudden has a T&T dialect. Let me give you an example: “We ain’t forgetting. You coming too. You could carry the suitcases.” and “You call Mami Wata from the deep with that crazy noise.” But what bothers me about this is that is feels so sudden. Elyse doesn’t write this way in her communications with others.

Since I’m on the subject of Elyse’s communication, I realize that the whole “moral of the story” kind of thing was about Elyse finding her “voice” while still not being able to speak. This was basically the entire point of the story. But I was really annoyed with Elyse when it came to this. It’s as if not being able to speak physically made her think that she had no way of communication. Sure she mouths words and she often would write things down, but if you can’t speak, especially if you’re normally not the sit back and be quiet kind of person, I have a hard time believing that you stop trying to communicate during the times when you have the most to say. I don’t say that from someone who’s normally loud and opinionated—well opinionated I may be, but I do tend to sit back and observe more than speak. But yet time and time again, Elyse uses her inability to speak as a means of not “saying” anything. There are other forms of communication. Writing sure! But what about sign language? It’s been four months since her accident and she hasn’t even attempted to learn sign language in any form. Aside from that, how many people do you know that are good at reading lips? Even when people enunciate slowly, I get lost. I just struggled with this. Yes, again, the point of the book was Elyse learning how to find her “voice” without her voice. But still. This was just something that wasn’t exactly enjoyable throughout the reading experience.

Now let’s talk about Sebastian. He’s six (and a half) years old. He’s a sweet kid. I really liked his character. He has a fascination with mermaids, right? This is really where the title of the book comes in. The town is named after a legend surrounding a mermaid, and Sebastian’s been set on finding her. So he goes searching and chasing after mermaids. Christian—his brother—supports him and uses this as a way to spend time with him. And Elyse bonds with him over this too. She gets her grandmother to send her fairytale books from home about mermaids. That’s all well and good, right? Sure.

What bothered me about Sebastain was the authors’ agenda here. Because Sebastian is interested in mermaids, this is twisted into something so much more than it needs to be. “Little boys aren’t supposed to be interested in mermaids”, even though there are also “mermen” in legends as well. Though that term is never used in this book. The adult men in this book of course look down on Sebastian’s interest in such a feminine thing. And so because Sebastain is interested in something with a more feminine feel to it, this is turned into LGBT propaganda. He’s fascinated in mermaids so he must be “gay” right? Or be showing gay tendencies? Or how about this…because he’s interested in mermaids and there’s a mermaid parade, he just HAS to be a part of this parade. So that automatically means we need to dress him like a girl and put him in a skirt and sequins and put makeup on him and braid his hair. And then he feels beautiful. Right? That’s the logical jump. He couldn’t have possibly been dressed as a “merman” instead of a “mermaid?” Well then he wouldn’t have blended in and been able to sneak past the authority figures, sure…but why did this have to turn into Sebastian dressing like a girl? What part of six year old transvestite sounded like a good idea?

But beyond that, we’re told that Sebastian is “embracing and showcasing his personal truth!” HE’S SIX YEARS OLD!!!!! I didn’t know my personal truth until I was in my twenties. I’ve got nieces and nephews hitting their teenage years. Believe me when I tell you, THEY DON’T KNOW THEIR PERSONAL TRUTH! How did a six year old kid who has an interest in mermaids jump to being in the wrong gender or wanting to dress like a female? And I’m not exaggerating here. Elyse calls Sebastian “her mermaid queen”. QUEEN=FEMALE. MERMAID=FEMALE. There are male equivalents—merman, king. But no. This wasn’t about equality. It wasn’t about Sebastian being allowed to have an interest in something “feminine” and therefore enjoying the masculine expression of that, this book was turned into a political agenda that says that six year olds are enlightened enough to “know their own personal truths.”

I’m sorry guys. I know I often fall into the minority when it comes to my thoughts and opinions. But I can’t just let this one go. This book had an agenda. While I loved Sebastian as a character, I feel like the author and the adults in this story twisted him into so much more than a boy with a unique interest.

The writing itself was good—often poetic, and designed to be that way.

Christian was likable. I wish we’d gotten more of a declaration or more clarification of his feelings for Elyse. And I wish we knew what happened after that summer was over. But that’s okay. Ultimately the story wasn’t about him.

The aspects I liked about this book just couldn’t overcome the issues I had with it as well. The first few issues wouldn’t have been as big of a deal, but once I got to the agenda being pushed throughout this book, I basically shut down. Even though I liked Sebastian’s character, I was BEYOND annoyed with the biased agenda that Sarah Ockler decided to pursue through his character. I can’t support this book, and likely won’t be reading any other books by this author either. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is one that I’m likely in the minority on, but I can’t give it more than 2 Stars. Have you read The Summer of Chasing Mermaids? What did you think? Let me know!