Book Spotlight: The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George

Welcome to book spotlight where instead of giving you another book review, I’m just going to talk about books I’ve read recently that I enjoyed. Prepare yourself for the fangirl gushing.

Last year, one of my favorite releases was Dearest Josephine by Caroline George. So when I found out that she was writing a second book in a different genre (historical-y romance vs teen murder mystery), I was intrigued. The Summer We Forgot is completely different than Dearest Josephine but Caroline George pulls it off so well.

My favorite aspect about The Summer We Forgot is the aesthetic. The entire book just has this Florida-summer-Outer-Banks-Taylor-Swift vibe. I’ve never watched Outer Banks or been to a beach-y part of Florida, but after reading this book, I felt like I have. The way Caroline George uses details to bring the setting and characters to life is fantastic. And I will never look at a summer campground the same way again.

The characters are amazing as well. The pacing of this book is a bit slow at first, especially since it’s about a murder, but I found I didn’t mind because I was so intrigued by the characters. Their lives, what they’re going through as they try to remember a summer that’s been erased from their minds, how each piece of the puzzle is revealed—I was fascinated by all of it. I kept reading because I, too, wanted answers of what happened. I also felt like Caroline George captured the teen experience. The characters felt like teenagers, which some YA books don’t always do as well. So that was a bonus in my opinion.

While the reveal of what happened—what went down during that summer camp—wasn’t super surprisingly given the situation, I appreciate that there was more going on than just that aspect of the mystery. There were so many other factors building upon each other that it made for a satisfying ending even if it wasn’t super shocking.

This is a perfect book for fans of murder mysteries. For people who like that Taylor Swift-esque romance. For people who like a setting to be a part of the story. For people who like a good story.

~Thank you to the publisher for providing an early digital copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.~

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