A review by slimepuppy
Summer's Edge by Dana Mele

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This story starts like a typical "I Know What You Did Last Summer" murder mystery with all of its cliches and suspects... and then the first POV shifts happens, and the real fun begins. Even if I expected some of the twists, this book still caught me off guard a couple of times, and I think the final Emily chapter  delivers a brilliant closure - without it, I would have been sorely disappointed, but as it is I think the ending is beautiful, sad and haunting.

The characters are all extremely flawed, but I was still able to relate to their anguish - it definitely helps that all of them feel and sound very young, and that the dialogue is well written and the setting well established.

The only reason I can't give this book a 5 star rating is because the different narrators did sound a little same-y. I think Chelsea and Kennedy were different enough, but Emily was way too similar to both of their voices, and I was craving some change by that point in the book. Emily came across very differently when seen through Kennedy's eyes, and I wish her POV carried more of her earlier portrayal.

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