Once more, with feeling

mood: relaxed

music: Make It With You - Bread

Tonight, I intended to watch the latest episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" and bask in its oh-so-fun glory. However, something came over me and I decided that I needed to finish the last hundred pages of the new book I was reading, "The Last Summer (of You and Me)". As much as I love "SYTYCD", I am so glad I turned off the TV tonight and acted on my impulse to bury my nose in a book. The last part of "The Last Summer (of You and Me)" was an emotional rollercoaster, making me laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously. Some people shy away from tearjerker novels or movies. I welcome them with open arms. If something has the ability to make me cry, I can't help but love it. It tells me that I actually felt invested in it and that it made a mark on me. Plus, let's face it, sometimes it just feels amazing to let out a few salty ones for no particular reason. 

Anyways, enough about me and my lack of self-control in the presence of sad things. My point is, this book is definitely worth checking out. Most people think of Ann Brashares as a fluffy, girly novelist because of her history with the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series. For those who have actually read that series, the emotional core of this book will not come as a surprise as you understand that the "Sisterhood" is more than just a story about a pair of magic pants. It's about people and their struggles, both together and apart. Although this book may seem slightly more adult than the other books, it really stays true to Brashares' style. Just like Carmen, Tibby, Lena and Bridget, the characters in "The Last Summer" struggle with the strangeness of growing up and of becoming the person that you are meant to be meanwhile attempting to maintain those precious connections to your childhood. I think that if Brashares had taken the "Sisterhood" girls on one more summer trip, she would have written a novel very similar to this one, slightly more emotional but still containing the spark of the summer euphoria from the previous books. 

Just to give you a bit of an idea of what "The Last Summer" is about, it focuses upon three main characters: Paul, Alice and Riley. Riley and Alice are sisters who have spent most of their summers on Fire Island, NY, goofing off with the boy next door, Paul. Each summer seems to bring the trio carelessness and relaxation until the one summer everything they have come to love unravels. Paul and Alice start expressing new feelings for each other and Riley starts to drift out on her own.  This summer shows them that they can no longer hide beneath the sunny atmosphere of their beachy retreat. They are adults and as much as they wish they could relive yet another summer of fun under the sun, there are much bigger issues they have to deal with.

I won't lie. This book isn't for everyone. But if you are a proud member of the "Sisterhood" then, make this a summer must have. Just make sure you've got some privacy and a box of tissues because if you have any emotion at all, you will be misty by the end. In some ways, I would describe this book as a descendant of the Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook", "A Walk to Remember") collection of weepers but I don't think that it truly fits in there. Whereas Sparks' books are often overtly cheesy (which can be great at times), the sentimental moments of this book are those that are subtle and free from overused adjectives and too much description. It's not perfect by any means, but it's a great read for those lazy days at the beach or cottage when your mind is at ease and you've got time to let it wander.