(I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

Jessica Spotswood does it again!

The thing I love most about Jessica Spotswood's books are the characters, and this book was no exception. I loved that each sister had her own inner and outer struggles, and that each had varying levels of honesty with the world. They didn't always get along with each other, but they always loved each other. (Jessica, do you have awesome sisters? You seem to write a lot of awesome sisters!)

I also love her sense of place. I felt this in Wild Swans, too - her setting was just so well-developed, even though the actual time she devoted to description was small. Instead, she develops a place through the amount of news it has to publish, restaurants people frequent, and how well characters know each other's aunts and great-aunts.

Also, she gets representation right again. I won't go into detail here because #spoilers, but she just gets it right, again and again. <3

Strongly recommended for the casual reader and the classroom library.

The concept of this book is stated in the acknowledgements: "<i>Little Women</i> meets <i>Gilmore Girls</i> by way of Sarah Dessen" really says it all. I appreciate how this book is exactly what it says on the tin. Four sisters being raised by their grandmother in a small town who experience love, heartbreak, betrayal, and self discovery over an eventful summer. The sisters themselves have Shakespearean names and personality labels to go with them.

Desdemona is the oldest, the reliable one who finds herself chafing caring for her family and working at their bookstore. Bea is the "smart one", off to Georgetown with her five year plan and perfect boyfriend, who finds herself chafing at her future railroad-planned for her. Kat is the drama queen who wants massive revenge for on her cheating ex, only to find that goal may not be what she truly wants. And last is Vi, the youngest who is ready to find love but isn't sure that her crush reciprocates.

Chapters alternate between the sisters' perspectives, and the narration ticks along nicely but never truly rises above fine. I found the third-person singular present tense kind of jarring, but it was softened by interior reflection. The plot was the strength of this story, especially at the end when an event brings everyone together. I think the setting, this almost-perfect small town full of geeks, made this more of an escape/beach read instead of a more believable place like in Sarah Dessen's stories. Overall, it was a fun read and it filled its niche well.

DNF at 20%

I had high hopes for this one, but it is unfortunately not for me. The pacing is very slow, the characters aren't enjoyable to read about, and the drama is a little too far-fetched.

There are a few key elements of the synopsis of the book that immediately sold me: the small town atmosphere, summertime, various sisters, and working in/owning a bookstore. I saw someone compare it to GILMORE GIRLS and Stars Hollow, which feels right. I didn't like GG and never finished watching, but it feels like a more updated version of that cute town, and also is set in Maryland instead of Connecticut.

The book centers around (and alternates perspectives between) four sisters: Des, Vi, Bea, and Kat. I was nervous about the four POVs because I would usually get them all confused or they'd blend together. Each sister felt super real and different to me though; they were all going through their own things and trying to find themselves. They were growing and attempting to change everyone's expectations for them. Des, as the oldest, was overworked and underappreciated. A new girl blows into town to change how she sees herself. Bea is supposed to live happily ever after with her boyfriend of five years, but she's cracking under the constant pressure to be the best / the person everyone expects her to be. Kat is trying to make her ex jealous by fake dating her bisexual coworker... you can guess what happens next! And finally, Vi is the youngest and trying to figure out if the girl she has a crush on is feeling the same way.

One of my complaints is that the book is a bit too topical. It was fun to read about super current authors, books, TV shows, trends, etc. because it's relevant to right now... but I'm worried that it will feel really outdated in a few years. I don't have other complaints really; I enjoy flawed characters who make mistakes and grow. I could understand why each girl acted how they did and I was supporting them through all the bad behavior, because I knew they'd work it out.

This was the kind of book and small town you don't want to leave; there should totally be companion stories with side characters from this book! I would love it so much.

This is the first book that I have read by this author, an I have to say that I really enjoyed it.

We get to meet Kat, Bea, Des and Vi. They go to live with there Grandma after a tragic accident happens with there parents. They get to run a book store ( what an amazing job) since it’s the last summer they will be spending together. There are multiple POVs and some people may not like that. I really enjoyed getting to know the different aspects of the girls. Jessica does a wonderful job at executing the girls lives.

Vi is 15 an I’d say the most adorable girl ever!

Des is 19 she is the “mother” she takes care of the girls.

Bea is 18 and getting ready to go off to collage wit her boyfriend. She’s got a job at a local newspaper. She annoys at a few parts but who doesn’t have an annoying sibling. Other than that I loved her story.

Kat is 16 and very sassy. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and let you know what she’s thinking.

I loved how diverse this book was and how relevant it was. I loved how it reminded me of Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants/ Gilmore Girls.

<i>Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

<i>Maybe this is the way things are now. Forever. Dread washes over her at the thought.</i>

Meet the Garrett girls: Kat, Bea, Vi and Des. The four girls lost their parents to a tragic accident and now live with their grandmother in a Stars Hollow-esque town. The book shifts between the four characters' POV over the course of a few weeks.

TW: eating disorder, drug use, cheating

I enjoyed getting to know each of these four girls as they dealt with their own unique set of challenges. I probably enjoyed Bea's story the most, as I could relate to her the most. But I honestly enjoyed each Garrett girl.

It was clear the author made a point to focus on intersectionality in this small sea-side town, which was great to see. A lot of issues were brought to the fore-front, but never in an after-school special kind of way.

If you're looking for a cute summer read, with a special emphasis on diversity and intersectionality, look no further than this book.

<i>"But that's-it's not what I want. It hasn't been since before I met you. I know I haven't been honest with you. But being here, with you-it's the only time I don't feel like I'm falling apart. I am such a damn mess right now. I don't know how you can like me. I don't like myself very much, honestly."

He rubs a hand over his stubbly chin. His shoulders relax a little. "You're not so bad."</i>

Love girly down home reads! This was a great book that kept me coming back for more! Those sister's will be with me forever!

This honestly has SO MANY elements that I look for in a contemporary, so I was kinda super excited. I’m a sucker for family stories - especially sibling relationships!!! So a story about 4 sisters last summer all together at home before they start moving on with their own futures had my name written all over it. Unfortunately, the story didn’t really wow me - I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it. Though I do think it’s a perfect “between book” to read, especially in the summer.

Things I Liked
Guess who will always love a fake-dating trope! MEEEEE!!! So I was super excited to see one here. Honestly, I’d probably just read the book for Kat and Mase because they were both super cute and both great in their own ways.

There was a lot of great diversity in this story too! Mase, is a bisexual Asian American character. Vi, the youngest Garrett sister is an out and proud lesbian. Vi’s love interest, Cece is a queer latinx character. There’s also a lot of talk about feminism and Vi’s feminist screen tees are always good for a laugh. Kat also discusses her issues with her eating disorder, and while she’s in recovery the topic isn’t ignored.

Things I Didn’t Like
I think that the 3rd person POV kept me a bit removed from the story. I just didn’t connect to the characters at all and I felt off to me.

I found Des to be uber naive given that she’s the oldest and has the most responsibility. I guess I just found her to be too trusting, and if your going to have a character flaw, that’s not a bad one to have even if it can read frustratingly.

Bea was definitely my least favorite sister and since her whole storyline revolved around cheater, she never really stood a chance with me.

There were so many pop culture references and everyone of them drew me right out of the story. I also found a majority of them to feel forced and kinda try-hard.

This wasn’t the best book I’ve read recently, but I did still enjoy it. It’s like junk food in a book form - not because the quality isn’t there or it lack substance, but because it makes you feel good, you have a great time with it, and it makes you want to read more. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a solid summer read about family and self discovery.

I received a copy of the book from Sourcebooks FIRE via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the perfect summer read for fans of The Gilmore Girls. it definitely has that nostalgia to it! Throw in lots of book references and powerful women and boom you have the Garrett girls.This book is great to curl up to on a nice, lazy, summer day. The plot was well developed and I really loved each girls story and how they all have so many differences but yet all are connected through some of the same similarities. The setting of the  town itself was unique as it had so meany unique attributes. Plus lets talk about the cover! Super eye catchy!!! This perfect summer read gets 5 stars form me!

When I saw the cover and description, I thought Sisterhood of the traveling pants. Four sisters living with their grandmother, basically growing up and learning new things into their womanhood.

This novel was charming and cozy and will be heavily recommended to those in search of a romance full of strong, thoughtful, curious, diverse characters. Set in a small town oasis, full of women-owned businesses, free from much of the strife that dominates the current headlines, I loved spending time with the Garrett sisters in their tolerant, literary, creative world.

I thought this was a really fun, laidback, girly summer read. The author does a great job of capturing each of the sister's stories without overdoing or underdoing any of them. There is a nice balance to each sister and their relationships to one another as well as the other characters. I really enjoyed each of the sisters, none of them were annoying or overbearing to me and I liked getting to know them and what made each of them the way they were, as well as how they related to others and each other. Overall, a great summer, light read.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a novel with feminist elements & references to Gilmore Girls as well as Little Women, then this is the novel for you.

The Last Summer Of The Garrett Girls is told in four PoVs, one for each sister. All of them had a very clear character voice and I didn't feel like I was ever reading the same thing.

Each sister faced a different set of problems and Jessica played them out very well & with a outstanding conclusion to each sisters story.

This is by far my favourite book by Jessica Spotswood, I've loved seeing her books evolve and I'm eagerly awaiting her next book!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this title for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! Its release date is fitting, as it’s such a perfect summer read. The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls explores sister relationships and friendships with addictive writing and fabulously complex characters.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is about four sisters who live with their grandma and run a bookstore. (Eek! Bookstore!!) One of them is about to go off to college, so this is their last summer together, and the book follows the four of them as they branch out and get into all sorts of shenanigans in their small town.

My favorite part about The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is the characters. The sisters are so unique and different but I loved them all! In fact, I decided to make aesthetics with little descriptions of all of them because I love them so much:

- Des is 19 and super organized and basically takes care of her family and their business because their Gram has recently had surgery. She’s an artist, but she’s too self-conscious to show people her work. And guess what? She mentions bullet journaling!!! I totally died when I read that. I was so excited to meet a character that has a bullet journal like I do! Also, this isn’t stated explicitly, but I think Des might be aro/ace (meaning not experiencing romantic/sexual attraction). She has this one line that really makes it seem like she is:

“She doesn’t have any interest in dating. She never has. She thinks it’s just the way she’s wired. Till last fall, she always had Em, and that best friendship felt like enough...She doesn’t have any interest in a random hookup, either.”

- Bea is 18 and getting ready to leave for college with her boyfriend of five years. She’s super smart and ambitious (probably a Slytherin I would say?). She's an intern at the local newspaper and she stress bakes because of her anxiety. She does some things that I really don’t agree with, but I loved her character development, and I do think she feels really bad about the mistakes she makes.

“I am a whole person all by myself...I don’t need a boyfriend to be complete.”

“You say whatever you want about me...but leave my sisters the hell alone.”

- Kat is 16, super cool, and very into acting. She’s sassy, she isn’t afraid to speak her mind, and she’s recovering from an eating disorder. Also she loves Hamilton!! Just like her older sisters, Kat has a really beautiful character arc. I totally ship her and her love interest!

“God, why can’t everyone be honest? Why is that so hard?”

“I am not here for your homophobic sh*t.”

- Vi: is 15 and my favorite! She is so pure and adorable and OMG THE SHIP <3. Vi brings a book everywhere, often hides in the nook in the family bookstore, writes fanfiction, is totally awkward and quiet, and is openly gay. I felt like I could relate to so many aspects of Vi’s character, and I absolutely loved how much of a book nerd she was. I mean, all of the YA references had me squealing like crazy! (Albeit quietly, since I mostly read this book late at night because I just couldn’t put it down.)

“Mostly I feel awkward, like I was raised by wolves and don’t know how to interact properly with other humans. I guess I’m a feral bookstore child.”

“Do girls like her—weird, bookish, queer girls—get to have happily-ever-afters?”

“When Cece walks in, a yellow hood pulled up over her dark hair, rubber duck-print rain boots on her feet, and raindrops glittering on her eyelashes, Vi is certain her crush is written all over her face. How could it not be? How could one girl, dripping wet from dashing through a summer thunderstorm to pick up a book she’s already read, be so completely perfect?”

The characters (and their relatability) are what made this book stand out to me so much. I loved being in their shoes, and I appreciated all of the references SO MUCH. They like so many of the things that I like: Tiny House Hunters, Hamilton, YA books, Tombow pens, Star Wars, bullet journaling. Not to mention all the feminism! It made me so happy.

Another amazing thing about the characters is the amount of effortless diversity that the author sprinkled into the novel. This book has three Asian-American characters, two bisexual characters, a Latina love interest, a boy with two moms and a Black adoptive sister, and a Black ex-boyfriend. Important issues are seamlessly integrated into the story, like when Cece (who’s Latina and born in the US) explains to Vi how people always ask her where she’s from and compliment her English because they assume she must not be American. It also seemed to me like none of the characters were stereotypes, which was super awesome.

There were so many interesting dynamics between characters. You have Des and Paige, who has purple hair and tattoos and is way more adventurous than Des. Paige is a super interesting character, and while she did some seriously not cool things, I really loved how she helped Des come out of her shell. Then you have Bea and Chloe (I loved Chloe’s character!), who have been frenemies for like their entire lives, and there’s Kat and Jillian, who start off with a really bad relationship because Jillian is dating Kat’s ex.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is written in present tense, which I felt was an interesting choice for a contemporary, but I got used to it quickly. Jessica Spotswood is so good—her writing was addictive, and I didn’t want to put the book down!

As for the plot, the story is mostly about the Garrett sisters growing and changing over he course of the summer. There were a few things I didn’t like—the fake dating trope is something that I generally find annoying, and I thought the ending was a little cheesy, but that wasn’t too big of a deal. And it was never really addressed that Des smoked weed a couple of times? Drugs are bad for you, and marijuana is illegal in Maryland, where the book is set, so I feel like that should’ve been a bigger deal.

Aside from those things, I really enjoyed The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. It has a set of interesting sisters (You know I love sibling books!), a diverse cast of characters, some really great ships, lots of book nerd culture, and feminism. Plus some seriously good writing! Basically what I’m trying to say is that this book is really good.

This wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was sweet, predictable and fun. There were tons of current pop culture references that are going to make this seriously dated in just a few years. I liked the relationships between the sisters though and felt like the author did a nice job of giving each character a distinct voice. I will definitely recommend it to fans of Sarah Dessen and Katie West.

I am so grateful to NetGalley and the Publishers, Source Books, for giving me a copy of The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood.

Straight away I wanted to read this book because of the cover, it just looked like a perfect contemporary read, but what kept me reading was 1. The hook of a first line. 2. The characters, although they are sisters and they do share similarities, their personalities are so varied but still so human that it felt like I knew them. Like I lived in Remington Hollow with them.

I love all the sisters for their various quirks; but my favourite sister is Kat. In the book someone described her as a 'spitfire', and that's pretty much perfect! She has an incredible energy and her backstory is so filled out and you can see how her past molded her into the person she is. Plus her story and character development over the book is for me one of the best.

Even though I may have disagreed with someone of the minor decisions that the sisters made, I wouldn't have changed anything because that is what made them feel like real people.

Jessica Spotswood didn't shy away from the realities of teenagers, what they have to deal with and go through. She shows you not only the good, but also the bad and the ugly. She also represents the sisterly relationship between the four of them really well, considering the four of them live in one house, they fight, they shout, but they are still willing to stand up for each other when needed.

Each sister has their own perfect intro that kind of establishes how their story will run for the duration of the book. Also, each sister has her own best friend that is there and they also have their backstories fleshed out, so that they don't feel like a character just thrown in to make the main character more 3D. A lot of thought was put into their families and lives to make them real.

Something I love about this book is all the representation, of not only LGBTQIA characters, but also mental illnesses such as eating disorders and anxiety. There is also fandom references to popular TV shows, ships, and FanFiction. This makes the book feel so modern and that it could literally be happening in a little town down the road.

So to wrap up, I fully definitely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys Teen/YA contemporary books, this will be the perfect Summer read when it is published in June 2018. I will definitely be buying it to read all over again when it is released!

I loved so much about this book! The characters were so different and yet so real.
This was a great story about 4 sisters spending the last summer together before things really change for them. As someone who has two sisters herself, I could completely relate to the dynamic of the sisters and their relationship. The author did a great job of making them unique but having a great connection. I would expect nothing less from Jessica Spotswood!
The only drawback of this one was that it was a little predictable. If it wasn't for that I would have easily given it 5 stars.
This arc was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect book to come out right before summer. It has everything that a summer read needs: small town, romance, unique summer festivals, friendships, and families. There were so many parts of this book that really stuck out to me in a good way. Unfortunately, there were a few that stuck out in a not so good way but I am going to start with the good first.

I was definitely drawn into the plot of this book right away. Especially as someone who has a sister. I understood the complicated relationships that sisters often have. But I think even people who do not have sisters will still be able to relate to the characters because they were all so unique. I was able to see a part of myself in each of the characters and I think that is an important aspect when you have multiple main characters. You want readers to be able to relate to each of them and not get bored during one of the perspectives because they can't relate to them.

I also really liked the setting of the book, specifically the quirky attributes of the town. There was the bookstore that the Garret sisters owned and worked at, a cat cafe, and the whole idea behind the raft race. All of these things made the story unique and different from your standard small town summer ya read. This was also just the type of book I needed at the time. I needed a feel-good story that leaves you happy after you finish it. You are still thinking about the book once you finish it because of how happy you are for the characters. Speaking of the characters they were all really great. While each of them did kind of feel like they were fitting into a specific stereotype they all experienced growth and made mistakes that gave them more depth. I would get really attached to the Garret girl that I was currently reading that I didn't want her chapter to end. So when I would start the next chapter I wouldn't be too into it but by the end, I didn't want that sister's chapter to end.

There were a few things that I did not really enjoy about the book. The main one was that there were so many pop culture references. It was like every other paragraph there was some sort of pop culture reference. At times it felt like the book was trying a little too hard to be relevant when the plot and characters were already doing it on their own. I didn't necessarily need to know what every single one of Vi's t-shirts said. There were times it felt like there would be a reference to characters on a tv show or a book and the writing would shift from a story to a lecture. The book already did a great job on presenting the issues of feminism, equality, mental health issues, and the inclusion of all relationships that it didn't need to have the constant references to pop culture. However, I do think it is possible that the younger, high school aged, audience will really appreciate those references so I can also see why the author included them.

Overall though I really enjoyed this book. I was impressed that I like every single sister because normally when a story is split through so many perspectives there is at least one I don't like. I'll say it again, I think this book is going to be the perfect summer read for 2018.

I was intrigued by the cover and surprised how Last Summer of the Garrett Girls touches on multiple ages and realities for girls today. Told from the Garrett sisters' alternating viewpoints, readers will laugh and cry with them to the end. I absolutely adored the small town feel of setting; it made the book! This would be a great addition to a collection for 7th grade and up. There are LGBTQ characters and students that are interested in this romantically or those that are discovering their authentic self would very much enjoy this read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks publishing for sending me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book follows four sisters who tragically lost their parents in a car accident when they were young. Every chapter follows a different sister, and I really loved that. At times though, I felt like there was a lot going on and that made it a little hard to follow. There were a lot of themes going on within this book, but I felt the main one was LGBT representation. My favorite sisters chapter to follow was probably Bea's because I understand the stress of trying to be perfect all the time, and living up to what others expect from you. Overall, I thought that this was a lovely novel, and can't wait to read more from this author.