Blog Tour: The Edge of Summer ARC Review

The Edge of Summer

Author: Erica George

Pages: 320 pages

Genre: YA Contemporary

Published: 14th June 2022

Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson will be swept away by this big-hearted novel about one girl navigating first loss and first love during her summer on Cape Cod.

Saving the whales has been Coriander Cabot and her best friend Ella’s dream since elementary school. But when tragedy strikes, Cor is left to complete the list of things they wanted to accomplish before college alone, including a marine biology internship on Cape Cod.

Cor’s summer of healing and new beginnings turns complicated when she meets Mannix, a local lifeguard who completely takes her breath away. But she knows whatever she has with Mannix might not last, and that her focus should be on rescuing the humpback whales from entanglement. As the tide changes, Cor finds herself distracted and struggling with her priorities.

Can she follow her heart and keep her promise to the whales and her best friend?

Book Links: Goodreads Amazon Barnes and Noble Book Depository Indigo IndieBound

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Author Info

Erica George is a writer of young adult fiction. She is a graduate of The College of New Jersey with degrees in both English and education, and is currently an MFA student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She resides in scenic northern New Jersey, but spends her summers soaking up the salty sea air on Cape Cod.
Many themes in Erica’s writing rotate around environmental activism and helping young people find their voice. When she’s not writing, you can find her exploring river towns, whale watching, or engrossed in quality British drama with her dog at her side.

Author Links: Website Twitter Instagram Goodreads

My Review!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours, NetGalley, Little Brown, and Poppy for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Check out the rest of the tour schedule here!

I was pulled in by ‘fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson’ because I am a big fan of both and knew I would enjoy this one!

Cor is beginning a new summer marine biology internship in Cape Cod, something her and her friend Ella have dreamed about doing for as long as she can remember. Cor and Ella bonded over their love of whales and had been friends ever since. When Cor loses Ella in a tragic accident, she is left to complete their list of things to accomplish before they go to college.

Cor is very dedicated to the whales, even having a tattoo of a specific whales’ fluke. I learnt a lot about whales in this book! You can tell how much research the author has done for this book. Cor is very sarcastic and could be unlikable at times, but I found myself drawn to her. A major theme throughout this book is grief, and dealing with it. Before Ella died, their friendship had drifted slightly and Cor deals with the aftermath of guilt and not being a good friend in that last year. I really felt Cor’s emotions and loved the way she was written.

‘It means I’m tired of fighting myself over how I feel about you. I’m tired of pretending like I can keep away, or that I don’t think of you almost every waking moment.’

Mannix is a lifeguard and a chef, and I loved him! He was the perfect love interest who also had his own things to deal with, which of course became moments of conflict throughout the book! I really enjoyed what his character brought to the book, making it slightly more lighthearted. The romance had me hooked and whilst at times it felt a bit insta-love, it was a summer romance with the promise of more and I couldn’t help but become attached.

The Edge of Summer deals with many serious topics and is a heartwarming novel about first love and first grief. There is also LGBTQ+ representation through two gay parental characters and a non-binary friend. This was the perfect summer read and I cannot recommend it more!

Keep reading,
Georgia x