Review: The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan

The Summer List

by Amy Mason Doan

Publisher: Graydon House

Pages: 384

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Laura and Casey were once inseparable: as they floated on their backs in the sunlit lake, as they dreamed about the future under starry skies, and as they teamed up for the wild scavenger hunts in their small California lakeside town. Until one summer night, when a shocking betrayal sent Laura running through the pines, down the dock, and into a new life, leaving Casey and a first love in her wake.

But the past is impossible to escape, and now, after seventeen years away, Laura is pulled home and into a reunion with Casey she can’t resist—one last scavenger hunt. With a twist: this time, the list of clues leads to the settings of their most cherished summer memories. From glistening Jade Cove to the vintage skating rink, each step they take becomes a bittersweet reminder of the friendship they once shared. But just as the game brings Laura and Casey back together, the clues unravel a stunning secret that threatens to tear them apart… 

Kritters Thoughts:  Two friends had an epic friendship in their younger high school days and on the cusp of college something happened that broke them apart and years later one of their mothers will scheme to get them back together to heal and learn some truths.

Overall the book for me was fine but not amazing.  I think most of what I didn't enjoy about the book was the pacing at a few of the parts.  There were just a few moments that felt repetitive and felt like they dragged the book down a bit.  Not to spoil too much, but there are these little vignettes throughout the book and they are confusing and odd until the very end when you have the AHH moment.  I thought these interrupted the flow and I get at the end why they were there and what they meant, but I could have enjoyed the book without them.

I loved the concept.  I loved the idea of the scavenger hunt and how it changed the girls in their high school days and it was what brought them back together.  I am a scavenger hunt fan, so I loved the inclusion of the poem clues and although the reader can't completely solve them before the girls do, its fun to reread the clue after it has been solved.  

The characters were also so good in the book.  These two girls who had polar opposite childhoods but could come together and create such a sweet and beautiful relationship was so fun to read.  I love a book that focuses on friendship and not as much as the love stuff!   

I liked her writing, so I would read another book by her, but would have to make sure that I was in love with the synopsis and concept of the story.  


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.