Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - The Summer Pact

I loved this book! The characters felt true and like the friend group you wish you had in college. I liked that the story was told from each to their perspectives. The pace was great and the banter and dialogue made this a fun read.

A story of a found family that promises to be there for each other after experiencing unimaginable grief in college.

10 years later they put this promise to the test. While the circumstances are unfortunate, this provides the friends the opportunity to take stock of their individual lives and find what they need to get back on track.

Settle in because each character goes on an emotion journey. The themes in this book are serious and quite heavy. From suicide and grief to alcoholism, cheating to coming out, and a brief mention of sexual assault, these characters are out through the wringer. The themes were handled with care and it felt like you got real insight into how people navigate these issues. From their messy missteps, unhealthy coping habits, to acceptance.

Thank you Random House Publishing for providing me with a copy via NetGalley for an honest review.

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emmareidy's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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sarahflanders's review against another edition

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3.0

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legallyblondeandbookish's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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livsimms's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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jen_nej's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was a light read despite the heavier themes. My main issue with this book is that it didn't make me feel anything. I wasn't connected to the characters in any way. They all felt like archetypes rather than humans. Similarly, I think serious topics (suicide, alcoholism, racism, sexism, etc.) are treated with very broad strokes. Again, not a bad read just not something that I think will stick with me.

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madkatrob's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This book was a quick and easy read, but it wasn’t one of the best ones I’ve read this summer. The whole premise of the book is that three friends made a pact to always be there for each other in their time of need after their friend Summer killed herself their final year of college. I thought that was going to have more relevance on the plot of the book, seeing as the book was named after it. But no, we never get any answers or explanations as to what caused Summer to do that. I know that is accurate to real-life, but it just seems strange to have that be the premise of the book and then not explore it whatsoever.

The plot seemed rushed and the pacing all over the place, especially near the end. The friends were supposed to each pick a destination. Half the story took place in one location, one got about two chapters, and the last location only got a couple of pages. The conflicts seemed forced for the sake of drama, and the characters in this story were all completely insufferable in their own ways. They read like young college students, rather than the early-thirties that they were supposed to be. The dialogue was cringy at times, especially Lainey and Tyson. I wished we had gotten to see more interactions between the friends that weren’t them being pissed at each other.

For the positives, I thought that the book started off pretty strong and hooked me enough to get me through the rougher parts. I also know that many people had issues with the romances and how they seemed to come out of nowhere, but I didn’t really mind them, even if they did seem kind of random. When the friends weren’t being awful to and lecturing each other, I liked their different dynamics. Overall, this was a quick read that I had a fun enough time reading. 3/5 stars.

Content Warnings

menace_shark's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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