6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing, August 13, 2008
This review is from: Cruel Summer (Paperback)
Colbie Cavendish is looking forward to a fun summer spenet partying with her new (and über-popular) circle of friends. Unfortunately, her fighting parents decide to send her to a tiny Greek island no one's ever heard of to stay with her crazy aunt Tally. This is practically unforgivable to Colbie since she'll only have minimal contact with her new friends (email) and is worried they'll forget her. But when Colbie finally takes a break from being depressed about her vacation when she spends mostly in an Internet café, she realizes that maybe she should be out living instead of mourning all the changes to her old life. And that's when she meets Yannis, a gorgeous Greek guy who's just as interested in her as she is in him. It seems Colbie's vacation isn't as miserable as she thought it would be; it changes her perspective on her entire life.
I really enjoyed Alyson Noël's writing in her other novels that I've read, Faking 19 and Saving Zoë, and Cruel Summer was no different. While the plot isn't fast-paced and exciting, it's the well-developed characters that really caught my attention, though in this case, Colbie was the only well-developed character as the story was told from her point-of-view. Alyson Noël has a subtle way of making her stories much deeper and more meaningful than they may appear on the surface, and this makes them seem real. For example, Colbie is initially portrayed as a whiny and insecure girl, but as her vacation progresses, she starts to appreciate or at least accept what she has in life. I also liked how romance was incorporated into Colbie's story, because she really deserved Yannis in the midst of all her other problems. In all, Cruel Summer was a very enjoyable story and, despite the cover, much better than just a beach read.
In a strange way, although none of her novels rank very high among my favorites, Alyson Noël is one of my favorite authors. It's not just because she's an Orange County resident like me and often writes about that setting; Alyson Noël just has a really great writing style. I definitely recommend Cruel Summer as well as her other novels that I've read, Faking 19 and Saving Zoë. I also look forward to reading Art Geeks and Prom Queens and Kiss & Blog sometime in the future.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 28, 2008
This review is from: Cruel Summer (Paperback)
Colby Cavendish has finally made it into the in crowd! She worked hard to gain Amanda's favor and now she's her new best friend. She's practically guaranteed the best Senior year ever! As an added bonus, Levi Bonham, the hottest guy in school, has suddenly become very interested in Colby! So interested that she's actually sitting right next to him on the couch at Amanda's house.
Okay, so Colby's just a little nervous that it's their first date...well, not even really a date. She's alone downstairs kissing Levi like she's always dreamed, like they'd been dating for forever, while Amanda is upstairs in her room with her guy. And Colby can't stop thinking about her curfew, which, by the way, passed, like, two hours ago. But at least she's stopped feeling guilty about dumping her former best friend, Natalie. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices in order to progress up the social ladder. It's just part of life. Right?
Colby's parents are in the middle of a messy, angry divorce. Turns out they were so engrossed in their fight of the night, that they didn't even know Colby missed her curfew. It seems they barely remember they have a daughter, whose life they are royally screwing up. Then Colby finds out they have plans for her summer that don't include hitting the malls and becoming fully entrenched in her new social order.
They are sending her to Greece. No, not Athens. A tiny little island called Tinos. No amount of ranting, reasoning, pleading, or even crying will change their mind. Colby boards the plane bound for three months with Crazy Aunt Tally and no TV, no computer, no Wi-Fi. Nothing. How is she supposed to maintain her new social status? What if Colby gets replaced by a new Amanda Wanna-Be?
But soon things are looking up. First, there's Yannis, this really cute Greek guy who's living on Tinos! And second? She found an Internet café! Score! She is alive again! Maybe she can ignore the parent wars. But why was Yannis with Marie? And should she tell him that she's going to island hop to Mykonos to meet Levi, who's on a cruise to Greece? And her parents are going to sell the house as part of the divorce settlement? She might be spending her Senior year in Arizona?
Teen girls will totally love CRUEL SUMMER by Alyson Noël. The story is told using letters home, the journal her mother gave her, "Colby's Journal For Desperate Times...," and her new blog. The range of emotions, devastating lows to breathtaking highs, and the intense feeling that everything affects her is so authentic. The reader will relate to her habit of over-thinking every comment, gesture, or word of an email, and the insecurity she feels around Yannis. I loved this book and totally devoured it. For this reason, I give it five stars!
Reviewed by: Cana Rensberger
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The reason why I read Evermore, January 14, 2010
This review is from: Cruel Summer (Paperback)
This book was the reason why I wanted to read Evermore. I hoped that Evermore would have a higher dose of the spirit in Cruel Summer (which it didn't, but that's not the point). Which means: the main character was a really funny girl, with an actual sense of humor, and the style was fast and, sure, funny. The ending went down, being too philosophical and corny for comfort, but the first two thirds of the book definitely made up for that.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
