Review: That Summer in Maine (by Brianna Wolfson)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

One of the things I remember most about Brianna Wolfson’s debut novel Rosie-Colored Glasses, which I had read back in 2018, was how emotionally resonant the book was for me.  At the time, it was one of my favorite reads of the year (one that I rated 5 stars of course) and, more significantly, it was one of the few books that actually brought tears to my eyes as I was reading.  There were so many things I loved about that book – the story, the characters, and most memorable for me, the lyrical writing that made the story flow so beautifully. 

Given that experience, it should come as no surprise that when I heard Wolfson would have a new book out this summer, aptly titled That Summer in Maine, I was ecstatic and knew right away that I had to get my hands on a copy as soon as possible.  Of course, this also meant that I went into this book with very high expectations, to the point that I automatically assumed that I would love this one as much as I did her debut.  Unfortunately, this was not the case, and in the end, it fell quite a bit short of expectations for me.  While Wolfson’s second book was written in mostly the same lyrical style that had captivated me in her debut – plus it covered the same theme of flawed families as well as the bond between mothers and daughters --  everything else felt so different this time around.  Not only did I find it difficult to get into the story this time (it took me until close to the halfway mark before I felt pulled in), I also didn’t feel anything for the characters, which really surprised me.   I had loved the characters in Rosie-Colored Glasses so much that, when I had gotten to the end of that story, I didn’t feel ready to let them go yet.  With That Summer in Maine, I actually felt annoyed with the characters for majority of the story.   Perhaps it was the inconsistency in the way the characters were portrayed -- Hazel and Eve were supposed to be 16-year-old teenagers, yet throughout most of the first half of the story, Hazel’s actions and behavior made her come across like a much younger child, while the descriptions of Eve in the second half made it seem like she could pass for someone much older, perhaps a young adult even.  The unevenness of the characters’ portrayals from one section to another was a bit jarring, which definitely affected the flow of the story for me.  Also, using the format of writing letters to recount Jane’s and Susie’s experiences with Silas during that fateful summer, while it made sense based on their story taking place in the past, the writing style felt a bit out of place with the rest of the narrative, almost like I was reading two different books.  Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but Wolfson has a unique writing style that was one of the key aspects of why I adored her debut novel as much as I did, so the contrast in style with those segments was particularly felt.

While the story and characters didn’t really appeal to me this time around, one of the things I appreciated was the depth with which Wolfson depicted the characters’ struggles in dealing with the complex family dynamics at the center of this particular story.  The idea of two families from completely different walks of life, previously unknown to each other, discovering the truth of their connection via two daughters born from two different affairs with the same man – it’s a pretty complicated premise that Wolfson handled well in the overall scheme of things.

Though this one didn’t quite live up to my expectations, especially compared to this author’s debut novel, it was still a good read overall – basically, this was a book that I liked well enough, but didn’t love.  With that said, I still look forward to reading Wolfson’s next work, though I probably should be more cautious about not going in with high expectations next time.

Received ARC from MIRA / Harlequin via NetGalley.

Review: Rosie Colored Glasses (by Brianna Wolfson)

My Rating: 5 stars

This was a sad story, but at the same time, it was a story so full of love!  It's not often that I come across a book where I love the characters so much, having to let them go in the end felt like a piece of my heart was being taken away as well.  I fell so hard for this beautiful, broken, flawed family.  I fell hard for Rosie – a free spirit who infused so much life and love into everyone and everything she encountered; who embraced everything around her with exuberance and vitality; who thrived on spontaneity, chaos, disorder; who had an endless capacity for love, for sharing it so naturally and willingly; who knew how to love her children wholeheartedly and unconditionally, yet did not know how to parent or how to be the mother they needed her to be; who, in the end, could not untangle herself from the depths of depression and opiate addiction.  I fell hard for Rex – a strict disciplinarian who lived a life full of rules, rules, and more rules; who couldn't stand disorder and chaos; who, through his formidable presence, always demanded that things be done his way; who was determined, fierce, strong, unwavering; who knew responsibility and how to parent his children "properly" and could be counted on to be there for them physically, yet did not know how to love them in the way they most needed to be loved.  I fell hard for 10-year-old Willow – a sensitive soul who felt everything so deeply, so completely; who had unruly hair and wobbly knees and wore the same outfit every single day;  who was socially awkward and kept to herself with her purple headphones, CD player, and word search book; who cared for and doted on her little brother as any responsible big sister would; who wholeheartedly embraced her mother's endless and unwavering love but hated her dad's rules and checklists and constant demand for order; who resembled her beloved mother so completely in mind and spirit but also unknowingly possessed her dad's fiery determination and strong will.  I fell hard for little 6-year-old Asher – the happy-go-lucky "baby" in the family who had blond hair and big blue eyes and whose innocence and always ready gap-toothed smile were enough to melt even the most hardened of hearts; who loved his mom and his dad and his big sister wholeheartedly, unconditionally, equally; who was easy to please and found happiness anywhere, everywhere; who was equally happy and content playing with his action figures as he was playing the occasional ball game with his dad or going on an all-out "adventure" with his mom and sister;  whose adowable lisp (which turned all his "r's" into "w's"), exuberance, and constant positive energy lit up every single page he was in, made me smile through the tears, and endeared him so irrevocably to my heart.

As I write this review, I am wiping tears from eyes because every time I think of this family, I feel an inexplicable sadness for what they had to go through, especially the children, but at the same time, I also feel warm and comforted with the way things turned out in the end.  Like Willow's piggy bank, my heart broke into five and a half pieces throughout the time I was reading this book and the tears rarely stopped flowing, but it was a price worth paying to get to spend some time with this family, these endearing characters who found their way into my heart and now have a permanent place there.  Through this wonderful story, I learned so many things, but most importantly, I learned that there are different ways to love -- to show love, to be loved -- that even after one too many missteps, after tragedy and heartache, there is  still a chance at redemption, as long as the heart is willing.

This was an emotional read for me, but well worth the effort!  In addition to the characters, I also loved the writing, which was simple, but yet lyrical in places and at times felt almost magical.  I didn't pick up on this until a few dozen pages in but there was actually an underlying cleverness to the way this story was written – for instance, the sections where the same sentence structure was used but certain words were changed to reflect a particular character's perspective yet at the same time, showing how it paralleled or contrasted with another character's perspective.  Yet this was used sparingly and blended so smoothly into the narrative that it did not affect the flow at all, at least not for me – in fact, I loved the subtlety of this approach!  In her Author's Note, we learn from the author Brianna Wolfson that, despite this being a work of fiction, it is semi-autobiographical in nature, with the character of Rosie based on her own free-spirited mother who also struggled with opiate addiction -- knowing this enhanced the reading experience for me, as it made the story feel so real.  This is an important story, a timely one given the current opiate crisis, a story I encourage everyone to experience for themselves...just have a box of tissues handy!

Received ARC from MIRA Books via Edelweiss