Thanks to Gerardo Delgadillo for sending me this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
318 Pages
Synopsis: After his crush rejects him, seventeen-year-old Colton catches a plane to Mexico, hoping to forget all about girls. But a night out at a dance club crowded with long legs and miniskirts doesn’t help, especially when he meets the club’s beautiful DJ, Alex.
In awe of her mixing skills, Colton finds it hard to believe Alex is deaf. As they bond, she asks him to help her win a DJ contest behind her rich, estranged father’s back.
Colton’s not a wimp or anything, but millionaires with armed bodyguards are not his ideal vacation buddies. The only problem–if he helps her, he may fly back home in a body bag.
If I were going to pick one word for Summerlypse it would be charming. And delightful. Um, also: refreshing, diverse, sweet, funny… Okay. If you hadn’t already guessed now how much I really, really liked this book you have an idea now! Poor Colton. He’s the classic underdog. As the story begins, he finally worked up the nerve to tell the girl he’s in love with how he feels, only to find out she has feelings for someone else. The way this unfolds actually made me laugh, although I felt really guilty about doing so. Upon reflection, for much of the book, I felt this way. Colton would find himself in these ludicrous situations which would have me laughing out loud, but then I’d feel terrible because I absolutely loved him! Colton is now on my 2016 shortlist of favorite fictional characters. His voice and personality literally vibrate off the pages. He’s snarky and full of macho male bravado, yet he’s insecure and naive at the same time. He also has this innocent sort of curiosity which winds up getting him into all sorts of trouble. From the very first page, he had my heart in his hands and I found myself rooting for him through the entire book, even during some of his more idiotic moments. Colton’s best friend, Martin, who persuades him to accompany him on a vacation to Mexico to visit relatives, is the perfect kind of friend for him. He puts up with Colton’s “drama queen” moments, and talks him out of his more self-pitying moods. Because of a traumatic event in her past, Alex has a somewhat jaded view of the world, yet she’s a supremely likable girl, who refuses to be defined by her disability. While Colton’s first meeting with Alex is awkwardly funny, their relationship soon develops into a sweet and believable romance. The plot itself is action-packed, and while certain events are a little unbelievable and wacky, the story is just so much fun, that I pretty much willingly left my incredulity at the door. Diversity is very much at play here, whether it’s Alex’s hearing impairment, or the Mexican culture that is so beautifully detailed, I felt as though I were there. Summerlypse is a fun quick read that I think both teens and adults who enjoy YA contemporary fiction will enjoy immensely. I read so many books with serious tones, that it’s rare I come across one which makes me laugh almost from start to finish. After reading this, I will definitely be looking for future books by this very talented author.
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