We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3)

by Jenny Han

[rakesandrogues]

Originally published at: http://muggle-born.net/well-always-have-summer-by-jenny-han-book-review/

Surprisingly, WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER by Jenny Han ended to my liking. Unfortunately, the journey to the end was a painful experience for me. While WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER ties up with a satisfying conclusion, too many elements in the book prevented me from enjoying the reading experience.

At the beginning of the novel, I thought that Belly had finally grown up during the last two years. I felt myself starting to like this college-aged Belly. I felt like she finally matured a little and I could see myself relating to her college experiences.

But just when I was finally starting to like her, Belly makes a really dumb decision. Because the whole book revolves around this decision, it made WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER by Jenny Han so frustrating to read. It was frustrating to me that Belly couldn’t see why her decision was problematic. It was annoying that instead of siding with the protagonist, I was agreeing along with her parents.

It’s tough to read a book where the protagonist annoys you the entire time. I questioned myself several times as I read: why am I doing this to myself? But I’m always determined to finish a book once I’ve started, so I pushed forward until the end. By the end of the book, I really can’t say if Belly went through any character growth. My love for her as a character is still non-existent.

Furthermore, the love triangle continued to be problematic for me in WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER by Jenny Han. I think that Belly continues to be selfish in choosing to string along both Conrad and Jeremiah. It pains me to think that Belly has torn apart the relationship between the two brothers. Honestly, I just don’t think Belly is worth all the hassle (the boys would, of course, argue otherwise).

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE SUMMER by Jenny Han at least ends on a sweet note, but overall, the memory of the series as a whole leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Unfortunately, I don’t think there is another protagonist that I dislike as much as Belly. On the bright side, I still adore Jenny Han’s writing. Despite her inability to get me to like Belly, I love her writing style and I will continue to pick up her books in the hopes that she will write a protagonist that is more to my tastes.