Review: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ebook
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Source: Bought
Rating: 4 Stars
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

My Review:

I’ve had this book for a while, but honestly, I’ve been a bit scared to read it. I’ve heard that it’s a huge tear-jerker and everyone really loves it. I was afraid a). of getting my heart broken and b). not liking it as much as everybody else. Well I was correct about getting my heart broken. I sobbed so hard at the end of this book, but we’ll get to that. And I was also right about not liking it as much as everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it a lot, but I didn’t fall in love with it like I wanted to.

It took me a little while to get into. It was a bit slow with the family just going to the lake house and pretending everything was okay. Nobody was talking about anything and their dad was shooing them all away to have a normal summer. Which I get him wanting, but I wanted them to start hashing things out. So I guess I was a little bored at first. But then things start to pick up as the main character, Taylor, starts spending more time with her dad.

Can I just say that Taylor’s dad was incredible? Dad of the year award, seriously. He was the best. He had all the makings of the perfect dad, down to the super lame “dad jokes/puns”. (I swear to you, Phil is going to be great at this. He is constantly making lame dad jokes…) He was very interested in what was going on in his children’s lives and nothing ever really slipped past him. He also didn’t push though for more information than he was given. I loved that about him. He was there for his kids in exactly the right way. They all knew they could talk to him, but he didn’t try to force anything.

Taylor’s dad was so wise. He taught his kids so many important lessons. The importance of fulfilling a commitment if you make one. The importance of not running away when things get hard. The importance of family. I loved reading about the lessons he was teaching his kids even when they didn’t realize what he was doing. It almost felt like my dad was here with me, teaching me the same things.

So of course, because I loved the dad so much and the whole family dynamic, that made the ending so much harder to deal with. I was vocally sobbing at the end. Mascara was all down my face. Snot was coming out of my nose. The works. I don’t think it matters much if you know it’s coming. It still hurts just as bad when it happens.

So why did this book lose a star? Because I didn’t really feel emotionally connected until about 80% in. Because I had a hard time getting into it. Because I wasn’t the biggest fan of the romance that I honestly felt like was more in the way than anything else (although I will tell you that it did NOT take center stage). But other than those few things, I really enjoyed it. It’s a powerful story of family and living life, even when life knocks you down hard. You’ll probably cry reading this, but it’s definitely worth it. Happy reading all!  

Let's talk! Have you read this book? Did it rip your heart out? Did you fall in love with Taylor's dad? How did you feel about the romance?