Judy Blume is a YA icon, and has narrated a million girls’ teenage years (give or take). Her coming of age books, like Tiger Eyes or Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret, are basically required reading for 13-17 year olds with half an interest in books.
Summer Sisters is aimed at a more adult audience, published in 1998 and re-releases for the 25th anniversary.
It’s the story of two friends, Caitlin and Victoria, as they navigate their teenage years and into adulthood. Set in America, with shades of The Great Gatsby (with a narrator outside of the glamorous set) and The Summer I Turned Pretty, with a load of teenagers running around and being dramatic.
I didn’t think it was dated, and thought it was more set in that time rather than written in the later nineties.
Some characters do have narration, and it’s this slightly offkilter, nearly 2nd person viewpoint, where it’s describing what they feel like and not from their brains. Like someone’s reading their minds (which I guess is what 2nd person is).
We’re introduced to Vix and Caitlin in a phone call between them, where Caitlin announces her wedding. We’re then rewound back through the decades to the first summer at Martha’s Vineyard. Don’t tell anyone, but I definitely used to think that Martha meant Martha Stewart, and everyone who visited got to hang out with her.
There’s a discussion between class in the narrative, where Caitlin is comfortable in the way where they don’t need to be flashy – the house is ramshackle and lived in, but clearly worth a small fortune. Vix is in a loving family home with the usual suburban challenges, along with a brother who needs additional care.
This comparison of their upbringing and home lives is examined, along with the innate sense of competition which seems to come with close female friendships. Like sisters, supportive but also exploratory. I thought it was disappointing that the central argument comes down to a boy, who lies to both of the girls, who are younger than he is and really, too young to maintain a relationship (this is my forty year old self talking, of course). This is where it got dated, actually – contemporary fiction would have included more on this, perhaps around the risks in a serious relationship in your mid teens, especially with an older man. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.
While the writing was fine, I was a bit disappointed in the storyline. My favourite stories are the ones with a well paced plot and likeable characters. I’m not a massive fan of the ‘start at the end and go back to the beginning’ narratives, it feels like a bit of a shortcut. I also didn’t like the characters – neither Vix or Caitlin, and that made it difficult to care about their friendship, frankly.
For fans of Gossip Girl and The Summer I turned Pretty (albeit the vintage version).
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown for the DRC – this is available to buy!
Books and race reviews 