The Summer I Wasn't Me

by Jessica Verdi

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

4.5★

I loved The Summer I Wasn't Me! It was disturbing, horrifying, fun, sweet, and kind of sad. It definitely played out differently than I thought it would. Lexi is on her way to a degayifying camp...by choice! She's doing it for her mom, because she's been caught in a deep depression since her husband died, and finding out Lexi was gay was kind of the final blow. But she's also doing in part to get over Zoe, the girl who broke her heart. She's not sure if the therapy will work, but she's willing to give it her all. Then she meets Carolyn.

New Horizons, the camp which promises to pray the gay away, is absolutely horrific. I had no idea what goes on inside these types of places, so I was shocked. We get to witness a lot of the so-called therapy sessions, and each one was more disturbing than the last. The camp director, Jeremiah Martin, is so good at twisting what the campers say in order to serve his purpose. He's also a master at fishing for those little details that can be used to justified his means. He was just awful and his methods made me extremely uncomfortable.

The Summer I Wasn't Me was clearly anti these type of establishments, but I did find it interesting how the author included characters (including the MC for a time) who legitimately believed in the power of the camp and wanted to change. They varied in reasons, but they were all understandable. While I definitely think these programs are in the wrong, I can see why they exist and people flock to them. I just wish we lived in a world where young people didn't need to feel that way about themselves.

There was one thing that kept me from rounding my rating up. At around 3/4 in something happens (I won't say what). It was believable and I had my suspicions, but I kind of think it took away from Lexi's story and the overall message of the book. It seemed thrown in for a big shock (although it wasn't, since I suspect this to happen in real life), so it had the opposite effect on me. I thought the story was strong and interesting enough without it.

Like I said, I loved The Summer I Wasn't Me. It tackled a subject that I had never read about before, and starred a lesbian protagonist which I haven't seen enough of in YA fiction. There's also a really cute romance, and some sweet family revelations. I just really, really enjoyed it.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.