ARC Review: Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

Title: Invincible Summer
Author: Hannah Moskowitz | Author’s Website
Available: 4/19/2011
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult












Description from Goodreads:


Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

My thoughts:

Chase is excited to begin another summer at the family beach house. Knowing his older brother will leave soon for college, he is hoping for a summer of fun times with Noah. The neighbors who they always hang with have also returned, but things seem to be shifting as the children get older. Invincible Summer follows Chase’s life over the course of four summers as things begin to take dramatic turns in many directions. I would love to elaborate on this, but I can’t find the words. This book has so many layers, and I don’t think it is possible to give it a blurb or synopsis that truly does it justice.

At first I thought this was just another story of kids raising themselves while the parents let the dysfunction fester. Parents who probably should have stopped procreating several children ago. Mom is pregnant, youngest brother is deaf, tween sister is seriously acting out, and older brother keeps his distance. This leaves narrator Chase to hold their world together. 


Chase’s idolization of his older brother crosses the boundaries of normal. The interactions between him and his little sister also erred on the side of strange. 

The bizarre sibling relationships made me feel almost uncomfortable at times. Even with the strange family dynamics, I couldn't help but be utterly pulled in by this author's writing, the world, and the characters she created. I was frantically turning the pages to discover what happened to this family that was falling apart before my eyes.

The ending killed. Literally ripped my heart out and stomped on it. This is a book that leaves an impression. It isn’t the light beach read the cover leads you to believe exists between the pages. The plot is gritty and uninhibited. I’d use caution when recommending it to younger teens due to the sexual situations and language. If you’re looking for an intense contemporary read give this one a try.

My Rating:

Source: 

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