I haven’t Judy Blume books in such a long time when i was younger i would devour her books in one sitting and it was nice to go back and have that feeling again

A tale of friendship and all the trails and tribulations that they entail

Loved it

I have read Judy Bloom books since I was a child. I was lucky enough to spend my summers in the USA rather than cold,wet, London. I loved ‘Are you there God it’s me Margaret’ so much that I read it with all three of my daughters when they were younger. As an adult and a teacher is used to read the books about Fudge to my students and now as an adult I still get to enjoy Judy Blume’s writing.
Summer Sisters is an adult novel by Judy Blume that begins in the 1970s and follows two friends, Victoria and Caitlin, over the course of several years, primarily through their summers spent together in Martha’s Vineyard. The story unfolds through different characters and you can’t help but feel a part of their summer crowd as you read.
This is a wonderful heart warming, emotional read and I would highly recommend this.

I never read Judy Blume books when I was wrong so don't have a connection with the author.

I found the characters flat and I wanted so much more. Its a summer read and if you like the authors writing I think it would be enjoyable.

Really enjoyable book about the ups and downs of a long friendship. The setting was summery and nostalgic, but I loved the darker elements that were explored too.

Judy Blume is hailed for her young adult books, but this adult book would give them a run for their money.

Highly recommended if you want a character led book about first love, complicated family dynamics and the power of friendship formed early in life.

What I will say though is this book was written 20 years ago and some elements haven’t dated well. But that I aside, I thought it was an entertaining and immersive read. A great one for your beach bag.

Judy Blume is a childhood favourite author of so many women that I know, and we all know where we were when we first read Forever!
Unfortunately I don’t think this necessarily translates into adult fiction, I couldn’t engage with the characters in Summer Sisters and was waiting for the story to finish so I could read something else.

Judy Blume was every teenager's go-to author. Her stories kept the bedroom light on and we were engrossed night after night in the words on the pages.
She hasn't changed her writing formula with - her new novel, Summer Sisters. Vix is twelve when she meets the enigmatic Caitlin. She is invited to go on holiday with her family who is the complete opposite of her own. She is allowed her freedom as Caitlin lives with her dad and brother and she spends the days and nights how she wants instead of being controlled at home. Vix meets a boy and everything changes.

Many years later, Vix is asked to be Caitlin's bridesmaid but can Vix fulfill her duty for a friend who has left her life in tatters?

Blume seamlessly transitions the story of young love into the story of friendship, heartache, and loss.
A fabulous return to what she does best!

First book I've read by Judy Blume since I was a child and loved her classics. Summer Sisters is a wonderful coming-of-age story as we follow Vix from her pre-teen days to adulthood, learning about friendship, love, family relationships and finding her own independence as a young woman.

I was an avid Judy Blume as a child and was excited to read this book
It did not disappoint; emotional, challenging and gripping it was everything I expected.
The characters are believable, engaging and flawed amd Blume does not shy away from confronting the harsher sides of human behaviour.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Judy Blume is a YA icon, and has narrated a million girls’ teenage years (give or take). Her coming of age books, like Tiger Eyes or Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret, are basically required reading for 13-17 year olds with half an interest in books.

Summer Sisters is aimed at a more adult audience, published in 1998 and re-releases for the 25th anniversary.
It’s the story of two friends, Caitlin and Victoria, as they navigate their teenage years and into adulthood. Set in America, with shades of The Great Gatsby (with a narrator outside of the glamorous set) and The Summer I Turned Pretty, with a load of teenagers running around and being dramatic.
I didn’t think it was dated, and thought it was more set in that time rather than written in the later nineties.

Some characters do have narration, and it’s this slightly offkilter, nearly 2nd person viewpoint, where it’s describing what they feel like and not from their brains. Like someone’s reading their minds (which I guess is what 2nd person is).

We’re introduced to Vix and Caitlin in a phone call between them, where Caitlin announces her wedding. We’re then rewound back through the decades to the first summer at Martha’s Vineyard. Don’t tell anyone, but I definitely used to think that Martha meant Martha Stewart, and everyone who visited got to hang out with her.

There’s a discussion between class in the narrative, where Caitlin is comfortable in the way where they don’t need to be flashy - the house is ramshackle and lived in, but clearly worth a small fortune. Vix is in a loving family home with the usual suburban challenges, along with a brother who needs additional care.

This comparison of their upbringing and home lives is examined, along with the innate sense of competition which seems to come with close female friendships. Like sisters, supportive but also exploratory. I thought it was disappointing that the central argument comes down to a boy, who lies to both of the girls, who are younger than he is and really, too young to maintain a relationship (this is my forty year old self talking, of course). This is where it got dated, actually - contemporary fiction would have included more on this, perhaps around the risks in a serious relationship in your mid teens, especially with an older man. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.

While the writing was fine, I was a bit disappointed in the storyline. My favourite stories are the ones with a well paced plot and likeable characters. I’m not a massive fan of the ‘start at the end and go back to the beginning’ narratives, it feels like a bit of a shortcut. I also didn’t like the characters - neither Vix or Caitlin, and that made it difficult to care about their friendship, frankly.

I loved Judy Blume as a teenager and so thought I’d give this a go and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It is beautifully written, vintage Judy Blume.

In 1977 12 year old Victoria's life changes when Caitlin decides she wants her as a friend and is invited to spend summer with Caitlins family on Martha's Vineyard. When they discover they both have 'it' it becomes a yearly thing where every summer Victoria spends her time with Caitlins family. They bond together over the struggles of growing up, falling in love and never being ordinary. Until the last summer when a local boy changes everything.
They drift apart and years later Victoria receives a call begging her to return to the island for Caitlins wedding. Vix knows she needs to go to get over what happened the last summer.

Judy blume knows how to write about girls growing up. I liked how we got to follow them both as the grew from teens to full grown adults and how they both chose different directions for their lives to go. This is also written with multiple perspectives and I enjoyed getting to see how other characters were dealing with the situations. I connected with Vix as a character but struggled to connect with Caitlin. This will suck you in from the first page and keep you gripped throughout. I highly recommend.

"Summer Sisters" by Judy Blume is a captivating exploration of friendship, growth, and the enduring impact of those formative relationships in our lives. The story follows Vix Leonard, who, at the age of twelve, forms an unlikely but profound friendship with the charismatic Caitlin Somers. The narrative takes readers on a journey through the ups and downs of their friendship, from carefree summers on Martha's Vineyard to the complexities of adulthood.

Blume's writing is emotionally resonant, delving deep into the intricacies of Vix and Caitlin's bond and the lasting scars of a pivotal summer. The characters are vividly portrayed, and readers can't help but become emotionally invested in their lives and choices.

The novel beautifully captures the essence of growing up and the evolution of relationships over time. Blume masterfully weaves together past and present, creating a poignant and compelling narrative that keeps you hooked until the very end.

"Summer Sisters" is a timeless exploration of friendship, love, and the enduring connections that shape our lives. It's a must-read for anyone who appreciates heartfelt storytelling and the enduring power of lifelong friendships. Judy Blume once again proves her skill at crafting stories that resonate deeply with readers.

As a teenager Vix gets an unexpected offer to go and spend the summer with a new friend Caitlin and her family. From a completely different background to her, this is Vix's chance to see how the other half live and continues to spend every summer with her new best friend and her dad on this island. The novel takes you through their lives to their mid 20s and the different paths each of them took. It's an interesting read but I found myself picking it up and putting it down for a few days so it wasn't overly gripping.

A perfect light summer read, captures the teenage angst of first love and the complicated relationships between families.

While this is a novel for adults rather that the YA/books for younger readers that so many will be familiar with, you still get what you would expect from Judy Blume. Relationships between friends, adults, partners, all looked at in unflinching detail. Summer Sisters is a great summer read

I really enjoyed the writing style in this book however, i struggled to connect to the characters. I enjoyed the setting and it was a good summer book.

Enjoyed the second half of this book more than first half - it was a book about friendship from teenage years to adulthood - the characters where likeable and real friendships

I used to love Judy Blume's young adult books when I was young so was interested to see what a book for adults by her might be like - the answer was, very similar! This was an easy read and I did finish it but I found it a bit uninspiring. None of the characters felt very well developed, especially Caitlin, and I never felt any great connection to the main character, Vix. The story of her coming from a blue collar family and spending time with a wealthy one felt really under developed and it never felt as if we saw any of her true feelings, ambitions or motivations. Everything, but everything, revolves around their sex lives and that seems to be so much of the focus that we don't find out very much else . The decision to have small sections from the viewpoints of other minor characters also felt a bit pointless, it didn't really tell us much about them and I'd have been more interested in hearing more about the main two, whose relationship seemed bizarre throughout. I think this book is from the late 1990s so perhaps it just hasn't aged particularly well, but unfortunately it wasn't really for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in return for an honest review.

#SummerSisters #NetGalley

As a huge fan of Judy Blume’s YA novels when I was a teenager, I was so looking forward to reading one of her books for adult readers. And a summer-themed read felt just perfect for this time of year (even if we’ve not been having particularly summery weather).

In the summer of 1977, middle schooler Vix’s life changes when cool girl Caitlin asks her to visit Martha’s Vineyard - where Caitlin’s dad has a house - with her for the summer. The book then follows Vix and Caitlin across subsequent summers on the island as they move through their teens to a summer that changes every ending- and ends their friendship.

Unfortunately, despite sounding right up my street, I struggled to connect with the characters in Summer Sisters. Vix and Caitlin both felt quite superficial - an impression that wasn’t helped by some chapters being narrated from the pov of other, secondary characters (Caitlin’s brother, Vix’s mom, etc), which further took away any feeling of connection to the two girls.

A 2 ⭐️ read for me.

A heart touching read from an amazing author if you love Judy then you will love this book. Brining to kind some of my childhood and the adult decisions we have to make this one swept me away.