Our second tour of the day, finds us on the hosting side of the WHEN WE HAD SUMMER by Jennifer Castle BLOG TOUR with Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my review, visit the other sites participating, and make sure to enter the giveaway before you go!
by Jennifer
Castle
Pub. Date: April 25, 2023
Publisher: Disney
Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, eBook,
Audiobook
Pages: 336
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/WHEN-WE-HAD-SUMMER
The Sisterhood of the Traveling
Pants meets 13 Little Blue
Envelopes in this new young adult novel about a tight-knit, daring,
and eclectic group of friends who dedicate every summer to completing their
#SummerSistersBucketList together – that is until one of their own passes away.
Best friends Carly, Daniella, Lainie, and Penny – aka the self-proclaimed
#SummerSisters – have been coming to the New Jersey shore town of Ocean Park
Heights ever since they could remember. And every year, the girls make a bucket
list and dedicate their entire summer to completing every item on it,
documenting their wacky escapades on FotoSlam for everyone to see. It’s their
tradition, and as long as the Summer Sisters had each other, the rocky jetty on
the shore, and their bucket list, that would never change. Right?
But then, tragedy strikes after Carly – the mastermind behind the bucket list–
unexpectedly passes away. As the remaining Summer Sisters try to wrap their
heads around their best friend’s death, life seems determined to throw more
curveballs at the girls, threatening to split the Summer Sisters up for good.
Daniella is accepted to a prestigious music academy in New York City, Lainie
finds out her family is moving to Florida and leaving Ocean Park Heights for
good, and Penny struggles to find her footing as she feels ready to leave
childhood behind more quickly than either of her friends. What will hold them
together with Carly gone and the Summer Sisters seemingly over?
Then, Daniella finds Carly’s final bucket list. And just like that, the Summer
Sisters are back! But of course, things don’t always go as planned, and the
girls try their hardest to navigate grief, loss, and coming-of-age woes while
keeping the Summer Sisters – and Carly’s memory – alive.
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As the synopsis suggests, it definitely has Sisterhood vibes...but with an even bigger emotional twist. The girls with the traveling pants were use to spending summers apart, whereas these young ladies spent every last day of that precious time together having adventures, making memories, and generally living life to its full potential. Then, tragedy strikes...one member is unexpectedly gone, shaking their close knit group to the core...but that's not the only change coming this year. For the first time in forever, life and circumstances is pulling them apart, and without the friend that was their glue, all starts to seem lost. They try to hold on to the ideas and ideals of their shared past, conquering a new unexpected summer bucket list while apart, but it's not the same, and jealously through misunderstandings is rearing its ugly head. Matters aren't helped by all the changes going on around them that directly affect them as well, but that's the thing about life...change is inevitable. We can either roll with the changes, or stand stalwart and strong in our beliefs...eventually wearing away from the tides of change battering us. Suffice it to say, this will definitely be one summer they won't forget.
I, for one, really enjoyed this story, despite its notes of melancholy. From the loss of their friend that they are each still trying to process in their way to the realization that growing up doesn't have to mean growing apart, you're right there sharing the ride with each of these memorable characters. Daniela may seem perfect from the outside, but she's a ball of anxiety within, making it that much more joyful when you see her getting her footing in a new place. Lainie's upcoming change of scenery that she doesn't desire is a real sticky point for her this summer, and yet once she has a better insight into the whats and whys, she realizes not how much she's losing, but gaining as well. Penny's home life hasn't been the greatest as of late, and her family's battles are certainly at the forefront of that struggle, but she starts to find herself more as she pushes away from the uncomfortable situation at home.
Each young lady is searching for a way to accept the past, be happy in the present, and see a way towards a brighter future...and with a little help from their friends, they might just make it. This is a story about loss, but also about being found. It's about living life to its fullest each and every day because we never really know when it's our last. The future is not a guarantee for anyone, so making the most of the present, making memories that last a lifetime, and building friendships to weather the storms are really what it's all about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About Jennifer Castle:
Jennifer
Castle is the author of twelve books for children and teens, including the
novels for BLAIRE WILSON, American Girl's Girl of the Year 2019. Her YA novels
published by HarperCollins include THE BEGINNING OF AFTER, which was an
American Library Association Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, YOU LOOK
DIFFERENT IN REAL LIFE, WHAT HAPPENS NOW, and TOGETHER AT MIDNIGHT. Her
four-book middle grade fantasy series from Bloomsbury USA is BUTTERFLY WISHES.
She’s also the co-author of two non-fiction books, FAMOUS FRIENDS: BEST BUDS,
ROCKY RELATIONSHIPS, AND AWESOMELY ODD COUPLES FROM PAST TO PRESENT and FRIENDS
AND FRENEMIES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE AWKWARD. Jennifer lives in New York's
Hudson Valley with her husband, two daughters, and two cats/writing assistants
on the edge of deep woods that are most definitely filled with magic...she just
hasn't found it yet. You can visit her online at www.jennifercastle.com.
Subscribe to Jennifer’s newsletter!
Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Tumblr | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
~~~ GIVEAWAY ~~~
1 winner
will receive a finished copy of WHEN WE HAD SUMMER, US Only.
Ends May 6th, midnight EST.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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4/1/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post/TikTok Post |
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4/2/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/3/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/4/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/5/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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4/6/2023 |
Review |
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4/7/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/8/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/9/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/10/2023 |
Review |
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4/11/2023 |
Review |
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4/12/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/13/2023 |
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic |
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4/14/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/15/2023 |
Review |
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4/16/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/17/2023 |
IG Post |
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4/18/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/19/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/20/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/21/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/22/2023 |
IG Post |
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4/23/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/24/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/25/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/26/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/27/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/28/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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4/29/2023 |
IG Review |
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4/30/2023 |
Review/IG Post |
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