Romanticizing Sister's Ex? That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Cassie <3
Jun 28, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Jun 29, 2023

My Rating: 3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first audiobook review!! I don't listen to audiobooks very much since my drive to work is so short and it takes many, many small increments to finish just one. But That Summer is only about 5 hours long and was a cute, light listen!

[That Summer is about 15 year old Haven who is struggling to understand the truth about her family, her friends, and the past as she's always known it. Idealizing her perfect life in her sister's ex boyfriend Sumner and clinging to the past through him, Haven learns that her memories may not be as accurate as she believes.]

This is a cute story, but you can definitely tell that it was Dessen's first book. That Summer still has the charm and coming of age feels of Along for the Ride, but not the same level of writing. The writing in this one got to be a bit repetitive.

Like girl...we get it...you're tall...and "angular"...and you hate your sister...WE. GOT. IT.

The ending also falls a little short. There was a lot of hype around the truth being unveiled...the truth about her sister's past relationship, her parents' divorce, and the small-town celebrity who comes back to town. But in the end, it ultimately comes down to what happened in her sister's relationship with Sumner, which isn't super climactic.

But for such a short read, I didn't feel like I lost very much. The story itself is cute and short enough that it outweighs the flat ending. I enjoyed living in Haven's world and loved the focus on family dynamics. Just like my last Dessen read, the story was very character driven. And Dessen creates such likable and relatable characters. So likable, that I felt just as disappointed as Haven after discovering the truth about them.

I loved that the small subplots also mirror the main theme of the book: maturing and seeing things clearly for the first time.

As for the audiobook, Mia Barron's narration was pretty good. I got a little tired of her voice constantly sounding like she was smirking. But I'll give it to her, her voice is very memorable, so job well done tbh.

In conclusion: This is a cute and simple coming-of-age teen story...just maybe not executed as well as it could've been. If you're looking for another Sarah Dessen read, I wouldn't rush to read this one, but I would still recommend putting it on your tbr for the summer!

Synopsis:

For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister, the always perfect Ashley, is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's reenters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.