Review: SUMMER OF SLOANE by Erin L. Schneider

By Jen On May 11, 2016 · Add Comment · In Blog Tours, Book Review

Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider
Published by Hyperion on May 3, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher
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Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voice mails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

This was a fun, quick read! I read Summer of Sloane in an afternoon, and it was a great escape, making this a perfect beach read. I loved that this story took place in Hawaii; the beautiful descriptions made me feel like I was on summer vacation along with Sloane.

Summer of Sloane is about friendship, making mistakes, taking responsibility for your choices, forgiveness, and overcoming fears. I was quickly pulled into this story, and had a hard time putting the book down. Well-written, with a great cast of characters, I quickly became wrapped up in the drama. I really liked Sloane, and thought she handled the betrayal of her life-long best friend and boyfriend well. I loved that with the encouragement of her mother, she was determined to have a summer for herself – to make decisions based on her own happiness, not of others.

I really enjoyed the family dynamics, especially between Sloane and her twin brother Penn. Finn was swoon-worthy, and I liked watching Sloane’s relationship with him develop. I did feel that the drama went a little over the top about 3/4 of the way through the book, there was just so much going on – with all the characters – sex, cheating, an abundance of underage drinking, hook ups, etc. That said, I thought this was a fun read!

Isn’t the cover gorgeous?! The cover is what first drew me to this story, and it did not disappoint! I look forward to reading more from Erin L. Schneider.

JenH Signature

About Erin L. Schneider

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Erin L. Schneider is native to the Pacific Northwest, attended college in Honolulu, and – although Hawaiian – should never be allowed on a surfboard. With more than twenty years in corporate merchandising, she’s now a full-time writer living in Seattle with her husband, Neal; their baby boy, Kellan; a rowdy German shepherd named Ronin; and two crazy cats, Ono and Poke. She’s a member of both the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and SCBWI, and is also co-founder of the YA Buccaneers.

SUMMER OF SLOANE is her debut novel, out May 3, 2016 from Disney-Hyperion. Visit Erin online at Erin L Schneider or on Twitter: @ErinLSchneider1.

Erin is represented by literary agent Lisa Grubka of Fletcher & Company.