The Summer Series by Jenny Han

I went to the beach over spring break and read these books there. I admit, I  had high standards because as I was checking them out, this girl said "Those are the best books I've read this year! Well, tied with the Hunger Games." Obviously, I thought they would be fabulous.

Nope.

Summary: The heroine, Belly, and her brother and mom go to a beach house every summer that is owned by Susannah, who has cancer, and her two (super hot) sons, Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly always tags along with her older brother and the two older boys, and always feels left out. As she grows up and "blossoms" she realized she is in love with one of the boys... but which one??

The books are written almost poetically. They're very philosophical and the book spends a lot more time dealing with the characters unspoken emotions than with any action or dialogue. Sometimes in books, this is a good thing. But I don't think the characters are complex or deep enough to make these books interesting. The trilogy is a love triangle. Nothing more, nothing less.

The characters aren't likable at all. Conrad is essentially an attractive asshole. He never shows his emotions and doesn't try and get close to anyone. Jeremiah is a goofball with no substance. And Belly is an indecisive, obnoxious teenager, who has no idea what she wants and yet makes irrational commitments. (Like GETTING MARRIED when she's NINETEEN.) Jenny Han grazes over explanations for these character traits (like the boys' relationship with their father) but she never reveals enough to make the reader care.

Just when I would feel myself getting lost in the beautiful writing, I would remember how completely ludicrous the plot was. How does Belly end up at the same college as her lifelong best friend and boyfriend of two years? Susannah has terminal cancer and still goes to a remote beach house over the summer? For several months? Belly leaves a Jeremiah at the altar, and five years later marries his brother, and Jeremiah shows up at the wedding? How forgiving can he possibly be?

Also, there were a lot of weird similarities to Twilight. I'm not saying one ripped of the other, but the main character is a brown-haired teenager named Belly/ Bella, who is in love with two guys at once: a broodingly handsome mysterious one (Conrad/ Edward) and a fun, younger one (Jeremiah/ Jacob). Hmmm...

Finally, the ending was far too perfect. Aside from the aforementioned way-too-easily-forgiven-brother-situation, Jenny Han flies through Conrad and Belly's romance in about two pages. Conrad hurt Belly over and over and over again (breaking up with her on prom night, telling her she means nothing to him, leading her on for several months) and he sends her a couple of "hand-written" letters and all is forgiven? I'm pretty sure that's not how things work out in real life.

For an un-interesting book with gaping holes in the plot, Jenny Han did a great job with the actual writing. If she comes up with a decent, or even average idea, instead of a terrible one, Jenny Han could definitely write a great book. (Actually, she already did: Shug)