DNF at 40%
The constant fighting of the two girls was getting on my nerves- so much so that I found myself skimming the book. There are some hints to what the twist is and I didn’t like the direction it was going on, not hard to figure out if you’re paying attention.

I read this book in one sitting. I really was captured by the cousin based adventure and all the sighting elements that were at the hear of this read. I also liked how this book really focused on the complicity of extended family realtionships. It was fun being in both girls heads as well. I def was more invested in the travel elements and was more engaged bye Beka Character. Small content warning smoking is a very prevalent in this read as well!! It did have some subtle romances plot that were present but did not wow me. Would def read more by this author in the future.

I'm a sucker for a good road trip story so I knew that this would be a story I loved. I especially loved how the story is set between two estranged cousins as opposed to a group of friends or forced proximity enemies to lover story. K.J. and Becka's road trip across the country to complete their grandfather's bucket list is perfect. The characters are well developed, there is an interesting family dynamic and the eventual change in the relationship between the two girls is slow-paced as it seems to be one step forward, three steps back, but it is so realistic. I loved every moment of this story about family, forgiveness, and healing, and it was the perfect summer read.

This was the perfect book to read after not being able to travel for over a year. Besides the wonderful adventures around the US, this book also held great lessons on family, forgiveness, and moving forward.

I love books where someone has to complete a certain task or do something in order to receive their inheritance. This book was especially fun because it included two people who had to go on a series of adventures for their inheritance.

Becka and KJ had a hostile and anger-filled relationship for most of the book. It would have been nice for them to forgive one another sooner rather than later in the book, but that's okay. We still got a nicely developed relationship out of it. It was great to see these two grow in their relationship as cousins, and as people in general. This great adventure held many lessons for the two of them and I was happy to be a part of it all.

Something I especially loved about this book was Eli and his letters. Even though he is not there physically with the girls, he's still directing their whole adventure and trying to teach them valuable lessons about family and forgiveness. The girls have complicated families who have complicated relationships and Eli wants to fix that. I just loved hearing his advice and even applying some of it to my life.

Overall, this was a fun and adventurous book with many emotional life lessons that anyone could benefit from. I'd also recommend this book for those needing an adventure around the US after being locked inside for so long.

Not Our Summer is a tale of family, loss, and love. Two cousins who barely know each other are drawn together after their grandfather Eli passes away in this fun and sweet YA book, perfect for every age.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. From the characters and plot to the theme and emotions, I finished this in less than a day. KJ and Becka were both really developed characters, and although at times I wasn’t a fan of them, they were distinct and fun. I loved the focus on family in this book. It’s so hard to find YA books that aren’t filled with romance and drama. This had neither, which I appreciated so much. I think the best part of this whole book was the setting. The cousins set out to complete their grandfather’s bucket list, which includes exciting trips such as going to the Grand Canyon or swimming in the Coral Reef. The scenery and pacing were very well done, and this book transports you into KJ and Becka’s trips.

So, with all that, I highly recommend Not Our Summer to everyone looking for a deep and breezy summer read

I would have definitely enjoyed reading this book when I was a teenager. It's fun, romantic and emotional, all at the same time. It's not exactly written for me (I'm 31), so I can't say it's one of my favorites, but I totally recommend it to everyone who's looking for a light read to brighten up your days.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance digital copy.

**Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review**
“Not Our Summer” by Casie Bazay is a sweet YA novel about a family feud and a grandfather who plans to stop it after his death, by making his granddaughters go on trips together in order to get their inheritance.
The family problems seemed very realistic, especially how the two main characters, KJ and Becka, hated each other just because they were predisposed to, and I like how they kept the mystery of what actually happened until around halfway down the story. The characters are strong, especially the grandfather, even though he is dead, which is a tricky thing to pull off. I was worried that so many trips would get repetitive, but it never got to that point. The contrast of economic situations was also very strong.
One problem I had with this book was KJ's character. She's very “not-like-other-girls” and I don't think that's a very healthy narrative to push onto young girls (whom this book is meant for) KJ seems to hate other girls, she only has guy friends, and she literally calls a little girl a “priss” for preferring to sunbathe instead if swimming in a river. I also didn't like how her relationship with her best friend, Carter, evolved. It felt like a cheap way of adding unnecessary romance even though they had no romantic tension at the start whatsoever, and it just reinforces the stereotype that guys and girls can't be friends.
This book has a serious lack of diversity, everyone is white, skinny, and straight. This might've been acceptable in 2012, but now it's really noticeable and, in my opinion, a problem.
Overall, I thought this book was fun to read, but it has some problems and generally doesn't bring anything new to the table.

Actual rating: 4.25

This book follows 18-year-old cousins KJ and Becka, who hate each other due to a family feud. But when their grandpa dies and leaves them a crap ton of money on the condition that they complete his bucket list together, they learn that maybe they can get along after all — and that their family might have lied to them about the REAL reason the feud started ...

As much as I love a good romance, there’s a lack of YA that focuses on non-romantic relationships, so if you’re looking for one of those then this book is for you! I loved seeing KJ and Becka develop their relationship throughout the story — and even though there are some smatterings of romance (*cough* hot tour guide *cough*), the focus is firmly on family.

The travels the cousins go on are super fun, and after a year of being in a global panini, it was really cathartic to read about! It’s definitely a book that’s on the quieter side, where the stakes are more intimate and personal — so while I kind of wish there was a little more action, it was a refreshing break from my usual high fantasy fare. FWIW I did read it in a day, so clearly it kept me turning pages :D I’m also a sucker for a Southern setting — it really made me feel at home!

This book is a 3.5 star read for me. I thought it was clever that the author had this suspense going. One question we had in the back of our minds driving us to read. To search for the answer. The whole concept of the cousins going on trips was brilliant. I've never read a book like that, but I'm glad I did.

This books rests primarily on how annoyed you become with the fact that the characters are constantly taking one step forward and two steps back. However, it also comes with quite the twist!

Let me tell you that after reading this book, it has made me wanting to go on a vacation so bad. The characters had me hooked from the beginning. And it had a road trip, what’s not to love right!!!
The only part I didn’t like was the fighting between becka and KJ. At one point they would be talking and the next they wouldn’t. It got annoying a little bit.
Other then that I really enjoyed this.

The travels the cousins go on are super fun, and after a year of being in global panini, it was really cathartic to read about!

I wanted a lot more out of this book. It had the potential to be great, but the characters and backgrounds were under developed. The descriptions of the trips was definitely the highlight for me.

Not Our Summer by Casie Bazay is a contemporary YA mystery thriller I guess? Becka and KJ, two cousins which are quite good and well developed characters. They go on 5 trips and a family feud which changes their summer completely. The story is quite fast forward and I enjoyed reading it. However, I wasn't much invested into the plot.

However, with each trip the cousins complete -- like riding mules into the Grand Canyon or encountering a bear and a hot tour guide at Yellowstone -- they steadily learn about and begin to trust one another. That is until the truth behind Grandpa's bucket list, and their family feud, is revealed, testing Becka and KJ far beyond their limits.

The constant fighting and arguing between the two cousins definitely annoyed me at point. And that reminded me of my childhood days with my sibling. But the suspense of their Grandpa's Bucket List and Hidden Truths about the family kept me going through the book.
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Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for the eARC!

This could have been really good. The concept was compelling and I even enjoyed some characters, but the overall execution was just not good. I wish there was more of a duality between the cousins and their lives. If they would have been complete opposites it would have made their dynamic on these trips really interesting, instead of bland. They also took their newfound familial relationship way too fast. They went from just barely standing each other to getting tattoos? Unbelievable.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an arc

loved this book felt like I was there with the charters on the trip withe them and seeing every thing they saw

Two girls on an adventure sounds interesting, but this proved to be far from it. It was hard to get invested and to even like the characters. I was expecting for more background to be explored, but everything felt so shallow and underdeveloped. I wish more family bonds were explored and this family feud a bit more realistic.

This was a super fun and fast paced book. It was great to read the budding sibling bond between Becka and KJ develop even though the bickering and fighting got tiresome at times. I loved the pacing and the plot twist at the end was surprising in the best way!!

welp

why didn't I read this book until now

like whaattttt soooo underrated and such a hidden gem

I've been wanting to read this for a while and Casie Bazay did a really good job with this book.

I found myself enjoying the characters and this was literally adorable

and come on, what get's better than a ROAD TRIP and family drama haha.

ANYWAYS I really enjoyed this and it was a very nice and refreshing read :) (ROMANCE WAS NOT A FOCUS!! ROMANCELESS!!!)

(sorry I read this without you m...👉👈 :p)

i'm not sure what i expected, but this was not good. i honestly just don't see what some people are seeing in this book, at least based on their reviews.

but, for one, these characters acted like literal 12 year olds. like, whenever any minor incovinece happened, one of them would stomp off and go pout somewhere. and all they did was yell and just bitch about each other, when they do the same damn thing.

also, the writing was not good. like, there was so many open questions, that they could have explained, or if they did, i just didn't read it. like, about the whole brother drama, they could have explained why and how he died, and also what happened to their grandma and why the grandpa refused to leave his house.