Review: The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner

The Summer of Letting Go

Author: Gae Polisner
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Source: Received from Publisher
Rating: 3.5 Stars
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***I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way changed my opinion of the book. The review below is my open and honest opinion.***   

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Just when everything seems to be going wrong, hope and love can appear in the most unexpected places.

Summer has begun, the beach beckons and Francesca Schnell is going nowhere. Four years ago, Francesca s little brother, Simon, drowned, and Francesca s the one who should have been watching. Now Francesca is about to turn sixteen, but guilt keeps her stuck in the past.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Lisette, is moving on most recently with the boy Francesca wants but can t have. At loose ends, Francesca trails her father, who may be having an affair, to the local country club. There she meets four-year-old Frankie Sky, a little boy who bears an almost eerie resemblance to Simon, and Francesca begins to wonder if it s possible Frankie could be hisreincarnation. Knowing Frankie leads Francesca to places she thought she d never dare to go and it begins to seem possible to forgive herself, grow up, and even fall in love, whether or not she solves the riddle of Frankie Sky.

My Review:

I picked up this book at ALA after talking about with a super nice woman at the Algonquin Books booth. It sounded good and I immediately loved the beachy cover so I picked it up. I wanted this book to be an emotional journey. I wanted it to blow me away like a couple of contemporaries I’ve read recently. I liked this book, but it didn’t give me quite the emotional connection I wanted it to.

The main character’s brother drowned while she was supposed to be watching him and she bears a lot of guilt over it. She then meets a little boy, Frankie Sky, who she believes is her brother’s soul reincarnated. I’m going to tell you right now that I don’t believe in reincarnation. But for the most part I am able to set my beliefs aside for the sake of the story. But for some reason, this time, it really stood out and made me not click with the story or the characters. I just wasn’t buying it. I believe that Frankie Sky reminded her of her brother Simon, but the whole reincarnation thing was really pushed at the reader which I didn’t like. I don’t mind reading about different beliefs, but I also don’t want them shoved down my throat, you know what I mean? (This wasn’t really shoved down your throat, it was just a really central theme throughout.)

But aside from that, the book was pretty good. The story moved along quickly and I finished it in one sitting. The main character, Frankie (yes, the main character and the little boy have the same name) grows a lot. She makes a lot of mistakes, but she truly does learn from them. I loved the little boy in the story. He was so cute and always seemed to know just what to say to cheer Frankie up.

This was really a feel good story with some grittiness mixed in. It’s about hope and moving on with your life even after terrible tragedy strikes. It wasn’t an easy journey for Frankie to make, but she made it and I was proud of her at the end of the story. If you liked The Summer I Found You, you will probably like this one. Happy reading all!

Have you read this one? What did you think? How did you feel about the reincarnation aspect?