Item: The Girls of Summer
Rating: 3.50
Author: quirkycat

by Katie Bishop

‘Dark, timely and thought-provoking’ THE SUN

‘Set to be a big summer hit’ THE INDEPENDENT
‘A gripping read that is visceral and raw. Buy it’ GLAMOUR
The last time Rachel saw the girls, they were teenagers island-hopping in Greece: making friends, finding love. One golden summer.
Now in her thirties, she’s never been able to forget the man she fell in love with back then. Even though he is almost twenty years older than her. Even though she hasn’t seen him since and she’s now married to someone else.
And when she crosses paths with one of the girls, she’s confronted with a truth that’s much darker than she ever realized.
What really happened to them all that summer?
What if everything she remembers is a lie?
**********

For fans of GIRL A, MY DARK VANESSA and LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, The Girls of Summer is a bold compulsive exploration of sex, power and consent, and what happens when we revisit the past with rose-tinted glasses.

'Reminiscent of HBO's hit The White Lotus... The obvious read-alike is My Dark Vanessa' BOOKLIST

'Packs an incredible punch' THE TIMES

'Beautifully written, transportive, and thought-provoking' LUCY CLARKE, author of THE CASTAWAYS

'A mesmerising, unsettling and gripping debut' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD, author of RUN TIME

***********

Readers are talking about THE GIRLS OF SUMMER:

* 'A superb debut that will linger with you for a long time after you have finished it. A powerful and resonating read.' * * * * *

* 'Beautifully written with a tense, emotive plot' * * * * *

* 'An excellent debut. Raw, real, and gut-wrenchingly familiar' * * * * *

* 'Wow wow wow! It's one of those stories that stays with you' * * * * *
* 'The writing is buttery smooth and brilliant' * * * * *
* 'I couldn't put this book down, it should be added to everyone's reading list' * * * * *
* 'Shocking, familiar, emotional, and raw. Just phenomenal' * * * * *

Book Summary:

You know how first loves go. They hit you hard and fast. Sometimes you move on; sometimes, you don't. The latter is true for Rachel. She's loved Alistar for going on fifteen years now. Even marrying somebody else didn't help her get over that love.

The more Rachel delves into the love of her past, the more she realizes that things are not as idyllic as she once thought. Was this whirlwind affair really her own choice? And if so, how have so many others followed her same steps?

My Review:

Ooph. The Girls of Summer hits hard. Rachel's story often feels too real, which some readers will likely adore – while others will feel repelled. So keep that in mind before picking up The Girls of Summer.

The author (Katie Bishop) described The Girls of Summer as exploring the "gray area of consent." If that was her goal – she nailed it. Make of that what you will, but this book will certainly make you stop and think - for better or worse.
The Girls of Summer is a memorable, if slightly dark read. I think knowing that this could (and has) happen in real life made it darker for me. As such, I'm not sure that this book is suited for all readers.

Highlights:
Coming of Age
Thriller

Trigger Warnings:
Age Gap
#MeToo elements

Thanks to StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy

The Girls of Summer

by Katie Bishop

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on Jul 3, 2023

Reading updates