Invincible Summer [Paperback]

Hannah Moskowitz (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 19, 2011

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....

Editorial Reviews

Review

“"Engrossing, messy, complex, and real. Moskowitz's writing is raw and so right." –Lauren Strasnick, author of Nothing Like You

"An intense, bittersweet novel about how people come together and how they break apart, set over four summers. A powerful story that will stay with you." --Jennifer Hubbard, author of The Secret Year

“It’s clear that the author cares deeply about her characters, and she gives their lines density and, frequently, a heavy nostalgic feeling. Teens will welcome the unfiltered dialogue….Chase is a sympathetic protagonist who, like many teens, is on a quest for connection and understanding….Readers will…embrace Moskowitz’s introspective characters and the dramatic situations in which they find themselves.” –SLJ

“The dreamy alternate world of summer vacations provides the backdrop for this soulful look at the growing pains of a single, outwardly normal family....In four sections, each one year apart, Moskowitz delivers a series of scenes--some so brief and spare you'd almost have to call them 'moments'--that communicate Chase's aching awareness of the passage of valuable time....Coming off the edgy Break, this is surprisingly breezy, and you have to commend Moskowitz for her commitment to writing sensitive books with male protagonists." –Booklist

About the Author

Hannah Moskowitz is the author of Break; Invincible Summer; Gone, Gone, Gone; and Teeth. She is a student at the University of Maryland. Find out more at UntilHannah.com and follow her on Twitter at @hannahmosk.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (April 19, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442407514
• ISBN-13: 978-1442407510
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #511,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. It was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA's 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. She is a student at The University of Maryland.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Invincible Summer July 8, 2011

By TotalBookaholic

Format:Paperback

Invincible Summer is a book with much more depth than it seems. I looked at the summary and thought this was mostly a love triangle, but it turned out not to be that way at all. The story is from the perspective of Chase. He is young and looks up to his brother Noah. They have a close bond even though Noah tries to pull away at times.

Throughout this book we get to see their summer vacations at the beach house, spanning four years. The way the book was organized, by these years, made it very easy to follow. Each year we see the characters, and siblings, grow and change. Their beach neighbors are also regulars and that's where Melinda comes in. But she's far from a central issue in this book.

Invincible Summer touches on several aspects of growing up. Chase's family is far from perfect and he must deal with parental conflict, a brother with a disability, lust, loss, and friendship. I felt that by the end of the book, I could see changes in Chase. He seemed to be more sure of himself and didn't have the need to focus on Noah as much. At the same time, this is an area of the book that had confused me anyway. I don't have siblings so I don't know how close they normally are, but in my opinion, Noah and Chase were a little too close. It didn't seem as realistic as I would have liked. Chase didn't just seem interested in Noah, but more like obsessed with what he was doing. I wanted Chase to let loose and have fun without the constant worry about his brother. Other than that part, I could easily see the realistic personalities of the characters and the dysfunction of the relationships.

Hannah has presented a great coming-of-age story that doesn't leave out any areas of growing up. The drama, excitement, and individual personality of each character helped round out this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not A Light Read, But Very Good April 19, 2011

By Books31

Format:Paperback

Summer is a special time in a teens life. It is filled with excitement, adventure, mischievous behavior, and growth. Invincible Summer covers four unforgettable summers in the life of 15 to 18 year old Chase McGills and how they changed his life forever.

I think the first thing I have to say about Invincible Summer is that it is NOT a light read. Do not be fooled by the cover or the product description while the story does contain issues of love, lust, and family, it also holds much deeper and darker issues that will shock readers to their core.

I'm not saying readers wont enjoy this book, on the contrary I found the writing superb, the characters (most specifically Gideon) interesting, and the issues deep and meaningful. But readers should be forewarned, and as long as they are expecting this deeper (and tear jerking) novel they will most likely love it.

That said I personally was bothered by the constant Camus references and quotes, and felt the book would have been better if Moskowitz had either limited it or left it out completely. Besides that I also was bothered by how sexualized Claudia was at the age of 11 (I would understand if these actions were attributed to her when she was older, but not this much this young.)

Of course these are small issues in the overall captivating nature of the book. As I mentioned Invincible Summer is well written, heartfelt, and deep. Readers will easily find themselves drawn into Chase's confusing and troubled summer world, and find they haven't looked up until the final pages of this hauntingly beautiful book. All in all a truly engaging book.

[...]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "Not your typical beach read" April 19, 2011

By Just Another Book Addict

Format:Paperback

Orginally published at:
[...]
Title Thoughts: Not really sure what I think.

Cover Thoughts: I like it because it screams summer.

WARNINGS: There's sex. (Did I tell how it was? No. Neither does the author.) There is also cussing.

There is one thing I can tell you right now. Take that last sentence to heart. Whatever you are expecting when you open this book is not what you are going to get. But I think that's a good thing. Me? I didn't heed the "Not your typical beach read." And it's not. I don't even think it is a beach read. There too much going on for it to be a light beach read.

I felt so connected to all of the characters. If you asked me to tell you how or why or whatever, I couldn't tell you though. I have no words for it. I felt connected to each and every one of them. But. At the same time, I didn't. Let me try and explain. Most would probably call this family dysfunctional, but I wouldn't. It seemed like a family who had issues. Every family has some sort of problems and this family isn't any different.

This family sort of reminds me of an ex-boyfriend's family. They all cussed. They all loved each other a lot. They all knew each other's secrets whether they acknowledged them or not. I was a little weirded out by Chase's need for his brother to be around all the time. He missed him after a few hours. I would be relieved for any of my siblings to go off somewhere for a few hours. So that was a little weird.

I was also surprised by the attention their father gave them. He would put his arm around them and give them a kiss on the forehead or the top of their head. Usually, that is reserved for the women in the families. Guys seem to do the whole handshake-half hug type thing. Never a kiss on the head. Next thing that was really an eye opener was that the brothers were basically kind of sharing this girl and both would sleep with her. Never at the same time though. In case you were wondering.

So while I did connect with the characters, I also felt disconnected. When I think back on it, it just remember a jumble of intensity. I liked that it was told solely during the summer. I liked the Camus quotes, though sometimes it was just mumbo jumbo trying to read it. One thing I absolutely loved was Moskowitz's writing. I will definitely read more of her work.

Addict's Last Words: I'm leaving this with two tweets posted just after finishing this book:

-Just cried like a baby for 30 minutes while finishing a book. I feel numb and full of...something.

-As much as I don't like actually crying, I LOVE it when a book can break me down to a zillion tears. It means the book made me FEEL.

To Buy or To Borrow: Hm. Would I like this book on my shelves? I think so.

Disclosure: A limited copy of this book was provided for me by Simon and Schuster Galley Grab. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.