It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

This is the second book in the Summer Series by Jenny Han. I've reviewed the first book in the series at this link: The Summer I Turned Pretty. There may be some spoilers in this review from the first novel of this series.

It's a year since Belly has "turned pretty" and gained the attention of both Jeremiah and Conrad. However, things have dramatically changed. 

For instance, no one is going to the beach house at Cousins Beach. Susannah, Jeremiah and Conrad's mother, passed away from cancer. There is a piece missing in everyone's heart and it wouldn't be the same to go back to the beach house without it's main link: Susannah. 

This is Belly's first summer without going to the beach house and she feels lost. She doesn't know what to do with herself and is just wishing for the summer to be over - a first for her because she usually wants summer to never end. 

When Belly gets a call from Jeremiah that Conrad is missing and asks for her help to find him, she's unsure what will happen or whether she should see either brother after what happened with their mother. She goes, though, and reconnects with both Jeremiah and Conrad, but in a way that was not how Belly foresaw. 

My Thoughts/Reflections

Again, a great book to the first in the series. I'm still team Conrad, I will admit, even if I don't like some of the things he does in this book. 

I was so sad to find out about Susannah. I really wanted her to be able to go to the beach house again and enjoy summer, so I was devasted to find out that she didn't make it. Reading the emotions through Belly and Jeremiah were heartwrenching, but seeing them overcome their heartbreak to help Conrad was true dedication. 

This book was told mainly through Belly's viewpoint, but some rare chapters were told through Jeremiah's thoughts, which I enjoyed and appreciated Jenny Han doing. It's nice to get into one of the brother's thoughts and see what they are thinking. Maybe it will be Conrad's turn in the next and final book!

One thing I do want to mention though is Belly. It might seem like she complains and whines a lot (at least according to the boys) but I really like her as a narrative. She says it like it is and she seems a lot more mature than 16 years old. I can't wait to see what happens in the final book!

My thoughts about recommendation are the same: go read it! I love these books and the hardships the "kids" have to go through with Susannah and heartbreak from boys is very relatable, so I think there are many readers who would understand the rollercoaster Belly is going through.