Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Page Count: 480
I read this book (sort of) together with Marie @Drizzle and Hurricane Books. Our schedules didn’t work in our favour all that much this time, but we at least read it in the same week – yay to us! It’s always a blast to read with her and it’s even greater to have her to discuss ideas and theories about the book with. Make sure to check out her review in the near future!
I am a declared Morgan Matson fan, so before the new release of her latest book (The Unexpected Everything) I just HAD TO read Second Chance Summer and I do not regret that choice. The premise is fairly straight-forward, so I had a rain-cloud hanging over my head ever since page one. This is a book that had me in a sobbing mess by the end, but I am getting ahead of myself.
The book is, as the title suggests, about second chances, but in more than one way since it’s actually “split” into two stories. On the one hand, you have the family plot, with Taylor having that last summer to spend with her father yet also growing closer with the rest of her family. It was my absolute favourite part of the book! It is so very rare in YA fiction that parents or siblings play such an important role, that you get to know them just as much as you would the MC’s best friend or love interest in any other story. So, I am glad Matson made this about a topic that doesn’t get addressed much, even if it was completely heartbreaking. Up until the end I was hoping for some kind of miracle solution … just thinking about it gets me all upset again.
Then there is the other storyline, revolving around Taylor not wanting to come back to their summer house, because she had a fall out with her best friend and boyfriend there five years ago (when she was only twelve). As you can maybe already tell by my tone, I was not entirely convinced by that story. There is some animosity and in the beginning the suspense is incredible – you just need to know what happened! Yet when we finally found out, I thought that it was rather silly to have such a big fight over something like this, especially since they were still so young. I definitely wouldn’t have held the grudge for years like some people here did.
In the end, the friendship and love-parts were a good balance in terms of making the story lighter. I don’t think I could have bared all those glum feelings all the time. It was such a heartfelt story with great lessons of facing your fears and making the best of the time you get with the people you love – and of course about second chances!
Fazit: 4/5 stars! An emotional read to get you ready for summer!
Have you read Second Chance Summer? Did you enjoy it as much as me?
Life and Other Disasters 
Great review Kat. I need to read this book. It’s the only Morgan Matson book I have to read (this one and The Unexpected Everything) and you know how much I love heartbreaking books 😛
And obviously, yay for the Alec Baewood gif XD
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I told you I would use that gif :D! I just had to!
And you should definitely read it at some point to get the full Matson-experience! It’s such a sad book though.
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I knew you said that so I was waiting for the review to see if you would really use it 😛
I really need. Maybe this summer I’ll read this one and the new one too 🙂
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Good plan! It is despite the sadness a really summery read.
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I haven’t read any of Matson’s books yet, but I really want to. I might just start with this one after reading your review. 🙂
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That would be so great! 😀 Each one of her books focuses on something different. SCS is more about family, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour is about lov and Since You’ve Been Gone about friendship. All of them have the underlying theme of loss though, while being super sweet and funny at the same time.
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Awesome! Great to know. 🙂
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Ahah well yes, next time the schedule will work better, this week was just SO bothering. I’m always so happy to share my thoughts with you while I’m reading, though, and I can’t wait for our next buddy read! What should it be?! We have lots to read I think, ahah, Splintered, TWATD as well? 😀
Your review was so great, and I think you summed up perfectly how I feel about this book! It was so heartbreaking, I wanted to sob all afternoon after finishing it, ahah. But yes, Taylor’s decisions and the fact that people held a grudge for SO long and for such a stupid thing…that was kind of stupid a bit, and it annoyed me.
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It was a busy week for us both. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to read much to and from work, so I used my day off
Splintered and TWATD are both an option. I kind of don’t want to start reading TWATD before I have the sequel in my hands as well hahaha I am probably going to get it next week. I’d like to read both of them in May though, so we will surely find a way.
Thank you 😀 I wasn’t sure it made total sense. Sometimes I write my reviews when I am really tired and then I am not sure if they work hahaha
The end WAS extremely sad, but in the end it didn’t feel right to give it 5 stars when I wasn’t on board with half the story hahaha
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IT’s okay, don’t worry about it, I’m still glad we could read the book almost at the same time and talk about it! Well I’m in for Splintered then, in May yes, that would be wonderful! I already got the book 😀
You’re right, even if I love everything Morgan Matson writes, I think that 5 stars was a bit much when Taylor was a bit bothering like, all the time, ahah
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I want to read both Splintered and TWATD in May. I want to read SO MUCH in May hahaha
Taylor made some real silly decisions ahaha
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Ahah you’re SO ambitious, I never do TBR because I know I’ll feel pressured afterwards haha . but I’d love another buddy read 😀
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You have no idea. I didn’t even put all the books I have on my TBR for this month and I still ended up having 9 books for the post LOL
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Great review! Glad you enjoyed this one 🙂 I remember being an absoloutely wreck after this one (my sister of whom found in fun to laugh in my face) and you’re right, overall it was an excellent balance 🙂
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I was destroyed by the end. I think I sobbed for 30 minutes straight.
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OH gosh, I think my face was horrific during that time. All tears and snot (not a very pretty sight to say the least).
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I know what you mean … I can’t say I was all that pretty either. My eyes were all red and swollen hahaha
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I really want to read this but knowing that it’s going to make me cry is really putting me off haha 🙈 It sounds like a good read though. I especially like that it focusses on family! More YA books should do that
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It is a really good one, but sad too. It has it’s light and fluffy contemporary moments to balance it out, but ultimately it is just sad. I do love the family focus though. I agree, more YA books should have that. I have been debating with myself over whether I should write a discussion post about lack of families in YA …
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Oh yes you should! 😀 I would love to read that and I’m sure others would too.
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Maybe I can find the time this month … keeping my fingers crossed!
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Yes fingers crossed!
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I absolutely loved Second Chance Summer!! My boyfriend (now I guess ex-boyfriend. He broke up with me two days ago. But that’s not the point) said the same thing about the reveal. He found it very dumb. He thought it was cheap. I mean I interpreted as people always make it worse than it seems when they are that age. I’ve done it before. And Henry and Lucy was just left on a hanger and then ignored. I would feel pretty bad. But maybe they went a bit overboard. But I sobbed so much at the ending and I loved her family so much! It’s one of my favorites this year!
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I have to say that Second Chance Summer definitely isn’t my favourite Matson book. I think it showed that this was earlier on in her career and I feel like she got better with time. But I get what you mean that teens can be dramatic, but for me the reveal just didn’t work.
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Yea it was her second book. First one being Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour. I understand though. It was different for everyone. I personally enjoyed it.
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That’s good 🙂 as long as you enjoyed it, it’s all good.
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