This was another great story from the author of “Dearest Josephine”. Completely different! The mystery was interesting, and I couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, personal review. Darby is a typical teen girl, she has had a falling out with her best friend/boyfriend Morgan. She and her other friends, that were camp counselors together can't seem to remember the time they spent together that summer and now a body has been found. Will they remember in time, or will the killer come after them as well? This was a good read, it took me awhile to get into it, but once I did, I could not put it down. I did figure out the culprit of the story by the middle but it is still worth finishing to the end.

The Summer We Forgot was different than I expected. I thought it would be a Christian young adult story, and yet it felt like general young adult. I didn't see any faith elements and it contained some sexual content that I didn't like.

That aside, the story itself was good, although it didn't capture my attention completely. The characters were fine and it was written well, so I'm not sure why I had such difficultly connecting with it.

All in all, I liked The Summer We Forgot.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The Summer We Forgot is thrilling from the get go. We are thrown into a a dramatic world filled with characters who are linked by a traumatic memory, one that they can't piece back together.

Well written, engaging and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The Summer We Forgot
by Caroline George
Pub Date: 08 Mar 2022
This one is as great summer read. Darby and Morgan were friends, then more than friends, then...nothing.
She doesn't remember much about that summer 2 years ago, but she knows this, whatever happened, splintered er relationship with Morgan as well as the rest of their friend group.
Then her science teacher/camp leader's body shows up. Everyone thought he had skipped town that summer. Apparently he was right there where someone had put him. Darby and her friends all have holes in their memories, but one thing she is pretty sure about is they were the last to see him alive.
Great thiller with lots of twists.
#netgalley
#TheSummerWeForgot
#CarolineGeorge

A solid summer-camp suspense! There is also a wonderful relationship angle that made this a quick read! I enjoyed every part of this novel!!


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

For a young adult book, it kept me interested to the end. I have to say it also reminded why I do not miss my high school years.
The murder/mystery was well written and kind of keep me guessing to the end.

This YA mystery definitely had potential! I am growing more critical of mysteries the more I read so if you ware newer to the genre then you may enjoy it more than I did. I did feel like the resolution was satisfying, which is obviously important in a mystery. The place I think this one falls flat is in its characters. I never felt super connected to the characters, and unfortunately felt they were caricature-ish at times as well, I would try another from this author given the chance, as I did think the writing was good and the end had a lot going for it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The best way I can describe this book is if Netflix's Outer Banks was set to a soundtrack of all Taylor Swift breakup songs. And I mean that in the nicest way. Also has strong "We Were Liars" vibes! A bit of inconsistency in dialogue (sometimes the teenagers sounded like teenagers, other times they sounded like professionally trained therapists). Also will note that even though this book is from a Christian publisher, it is the least preachy book I have read thus far from that imprint - for what it's worth.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Summer We Forgot was an entertaining read. Well written and well paced (especially for a book on the longer side). A well-developed cast of characters. An incredibly engaging plot full of twists and turns. It's part coming of age story, part mystery, a lot of teen angst and a fantastic twist at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed this one from the beginning to the end. 👍🏻👍🏻

**ARC Via NetGalley**

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.

Murder mystery with group amnesia? I was totally in for that premise. I liked that the story brought together a group of former friends that had fallen apart after a summer none of them could fully remember.

I didn’t like the trashy nature of certain events. This was very much a Hollywood B-movie teenage drama.

It’s too bad the carnal desires of the teens were featured rather than more intelligent and emotional connections.

Content: tobacco, crude sexual terms, profanity, alcohol, replacement expletives, teen vaping, teen drinking and drunkenness, teen partying, crude “jokes,” expletives, replacement profanity, tarot phrase, crude dance move mentioned, drugs mentioned, comment about needing a cold shower, gambling mentioned, marital affairs, skimpy clothing (including swimwear), dirty magazines mentioned

This was a book that I was looking forward to reading. And I will say this did not disappoint. The plot of this book was crazy but in the best way. This book kept me guessing the whole way through. I also really liked the writing of this book. It was a good YA book and didn't seem to young.

Overall, this was a good book. While the pacing was a bit too slow for my liking at certain points, I stuck with it and am so glad that I did. I did struggle with remembering character names and personalities because there were a lot of characters introduced. I would rate this 3.75-4 stars. It was a really solid book and made for an enjoyable read.

This cover is so cute and nostalgic. This was a unique thriller that I really enjoyed! I loved all of the teenage dilemma.

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

This is a story about forgetting to remember.

Things i liked about this book: the protagonist was interesting, the dynamics were well established quickly, and I love a summer camp murder story.

Things I did not like: The entire twist/plot rational. I was initially assuming that there was a sci fi twist of some type, that would've explained the group lapse in memory... but instead it seemed to be operating off of a vague understanding of a totally debunked concept... This isn't how repression, or memory, or brains work! And yes, I absolutely understand that it's just a book- but those elements really took me out of it.

Thank you so much @netgalley & @thomasnelson for the eArc!

Wow.

I'm blown away, impressed, and totally exhausted after reading this one. So many twists and turns, and the ending... did NOT see that coming until the very last moment (I truly believed I knew who it was and missed it by a mile).

Darby, Morgan, and the rest of their friends have formed a tight unit. They have each other's backs and are tied together by shared memories and the love they have for one another...

Until they don't. Forgotten memories, buried secrets, and a cloud of suspicion force them to unite in order to dig up the truth. What they ultimately uncover could set them free, or destroy them.

Definitely a lot of teen angst. And some elements that warrant a trigger warning: PTSD, mental health issues, and assault are all part of the story. The refreshing thing is the hope and healing you find along the way.

My thanks to the publisher for my advance copy from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion, unsolicited from anyone.

And I sincerely hope to read more from the author.

This is a YA novel, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. What in the world happened to these kids that made them forget everything that happened? Plus other misunderstanding and general teen-age drama.

From beginning to end this is a book you will not want to put down. I definitely understood Darby, always trying to be the good kid, even being told she is the “good one.” That is a lot of pressure on a kid and what happens when we want to make a poor choice? Are we now the “bad kid”? I appreciated her struggle with that.


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I was first introduced to this author in her book titled Dearest Josephine. A fascinating, touching, love story that takes place in 1821 and 2021. It’s innovative, full of love, wit, and warms your heart. It made me want to check out this mysterious coming of age story I couldn’t resist reading.

The story begins with your basic teen group of friends that dabble at being intimate, making out, alcohol, parties, raging hormones, social awkwardness, heightened emotions, and physical changes all blended well with a unique summer came mystery. Things get crazy, and the kids join forces in hopes of finding out what happened to them. This talented author does a great job of capturing the difficult transition of growing up and the struggles of remembering, as they try to solve the puzzle.

The event took place at a summer camp where best friends Darby, Morgan, Eliza, Spooner and Cyrus go. No one (in this group of kids from a variety of backgrounds) can remember exactly what happened to them. They all get frightened and think the worst when the police discover a body floating in the water near the camp. They remember bits and pieces of the camp, but the rest is foggy. What had happened? They didn’t kill anyone, did they?

I enjoyed how the author sprinkled clues throughout this story, through several characters, so the reader could try to figure out who did what, along with the teens. Would they ever find out why this entire group of best buds have memory loss? It kept me guessing, why could they not remember?

I like how the story was told through Darby and Eliza’s POV’S, the author tackled a few tough subjects interwoven in a clever and unexpected mystery. Below are a few lines that give you a peek at a few themes.
” It’s okay to be broken – and your mistakes don’t make you less than or unlovable.”

Another theme that stood out was the fact that nobody is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. No one measures up to their Instagram posts! This author includes discussion questions to get your book club discussion rolling. There is much to talk about.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a digital copy of this book by the publisher/NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

The set up here is a decent one - a group of one time friends pulled apart by time and an experience that none of them remembers thrust back together by the reveal that they are connected to a murder. Of course they start their own investigation into what happened to them, an investigation that includes mysterious messages that at turns encourage them to find the secret and threaten their safety. So we have danger, friendship, even romance. The plot has enough action and keeps moving, doesn't dwell much on feelings or atmosphere. The problem is that the mystery has some logical leaps and pushes believably pretty hard. For a one-time read it isn't bad but it won't hold up to a repeat or even much of a close read.