Summer Sisters: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel

I don't understand the negative reviews for this book, calling it "banal", "tripe", and "girly foolishness". Obviously these are people who just "don't get it" and would never survive one summer in the ramshackle cottage on Martha's Vineyard with the Somers family. I LOVE this book. I've read it and re-read it over the years, from a tattered paperback, and recently bought it digitally to add to my Kindle library. Though I have not been part of a "summer sisters" style friendship, nor suffered betrayals from friends on the level of those in this tale, I can relate to the teenage friendship between the two girls. Judy Blume paints a lush portrait of an era, a location, and the conflicting characters and scenes: the high desert of New Mexico versus Cape Cod, the wealthy versus the lower middle class, and spoiled, needy Caitlin versus serious and pragmatic Vix. I grew up reading Judy Blume, but I'm no teen now. I'm in my 40s. Blume's graceful writing style never disappoints. Negative reviewers that have complained the young teens focus too much energy on their budding sexuality have obviously forgotten what it's like to be that age. In using varying viewpoints and characters narratives to tell the story, each character is well-developed from their own words and conversations as well as through the observations of others. As another reviewer astutely pointed out, Caitlin is the only one not given a voice. We only see her in the 3rd person, and I think that is intentional, as her character remains mysterious and conflicted in her motivations to the very (sad) end. 1970s- '80s Martha's Vineyard and the late 20th century in general are characters in the story as well, and Blume expresses them both very dynamically. She's writing about kids several years older than me, the "cool kids" I looked up to when I was young, and seeing inside their lives and times makes me feel I've finally caught up with them. The love story between Vix and Bru is steamy for sure, and full of missteps that young people make. Bru's island guy local persona, tough but tender, quiet and calm, is mistaken by some reviewers as a cardboard portrait sans adequate development, but his simple straightforward demeanor should not be mistaken for lack of development. He is not a complex person. (Spoiler alert:)That's perhaps the main reason his relationship with Vix fails. I consider this book, a fast, fun and engaging read, one of Judy Blume's best.

The writing was a little scattered. Overall it was a good story of friendship and young love. I felt like it ended quite abruptly. Overall a good fast read.

This was my first real Judy Blume read; novel at least, I vividly recall reading Freckle Juice, or an abridged version perhaps, in elementary school in the late 70s or early 80s. While I could see some similarities where I recognized this as Judy Blume writing early in the novel where the protaganist Vix, and her friend, Caitlan are dealing with their changing bodies and feelings, this is a novel more for adults IMO, having recently read a few books identified as YA. This has elements of that style but seems to progress away from the YA style as Vix and Caitlan grow up and the author’s descriptions of those events becomes adult. Not sure if the author intended it that way or if it just happened but it worked and I think fit and enhanced the story. The author really made everything come alive, the settings and the characters, I could absolutely see everyone and everything and felt like I was in the scenes. Absolutely incredible writing. The story is so vivid; I have merely passed through these locals, and never visited the Vineyard specifically itself, just the nearby mainland at WHOI, but she truly makes these places come alive with sights, sounds, and smells. As someome raised in the midwest but whom came to be enchanted by the ocean and spent more of my life on the coasts, this spoke to me. The characters are all well and deeply developed. Maybe a few are more deeply developed than necessary given their minimal involvement. I was unsure of how I would like them, Vix in particular, which was troubling since she is the protaganist. From the backcover description and first few pages I was getting the sense she might just be a doormat to her richer, prettier friend Caitlan. How many can identify with having a childhood friend like that; more popular, attractive, from a “better” family, who at times used you and yet whom still had their incredible selfless moments where they made up for their faults? What a story comes out from all that and what a wonderful character Vix was. The only style point I did not care for in the writing was the inclusions of little “asides”, eg, at the end of a section or chapter we would get a first person POV section from the POV of lesser characters and how they viewed that recent scene. It added some interesting context for sure, and maybe was a better way of including that unique POV rather than from the third person main story POV which followed Vix exclusively, but I found them a bit distracting and the value added likely not worth it. The main points could have been easily worked into the storyline by this author. Probably just a style thing she wanted to try but as I said I found them to interupt the pacing. Now, I picked this up because I am myself trying to do some writing and as a middle aged male wanted to develop better female characters. Too often I am finding inauthetic or poorly developed female characters by male authors. This was an overload on how to write GOOD female characters. By which I mean I know I could never hope to achieve to craft female characters like this. But even if I never publish a word, I am so so glad I picked up this book which I otherwise likely never would have, having wrongly assumed all Judy Blume wrote was teen fiction. I will certainly be keeping this book to read again, its been a few months since I finished it and while I have a huge pile of TBR books I’ll probably re-read this sooner than any other. I’ve read many people write how they were so sad to finish it book, that the story ended. That rarely happens with me, certainly less than a handful of times. Usually I am in a hurry to fiinish it and “see how it ends.” This was one where as I got near the end I was actually sad that it would be the end of my journey with these characters.

This book had the makings of a great novel but that potential fell through as the story progressed. I think this book falls in the young adult category rather than adult. The writing was richer when the "Summer Sisters" were younger. Girls in middle school to sophomore high school are prone to try out new things and accept situations that may not be healthy for them in the long run. Caitlin Sommers is a rebel and seems to not need anyone. She tests limits and barely makes passing grades because she doesn't do the work. Her outrageous behavior makes her the most popular girl in the school. Victoria watches her and is amazed when Caitlin invites her to spend the summer with her family in Martha's Vineyard. They both come from dysfunctional families but from very different circumstances. The biggest difference is money. The Sommers are wealthy. Victoria's family barely get the bills paid. Caitlin and Vix (Victoria) become best friends. Vix accepts that Caitlin lies to everyone even her. When called out on the lies Caitlyn makes excuses and rationalizes her behavior and Vix accepts it. That doesn't seem like a good friendship to me. After graduation Vix goes to Harvard on a scholarship and Caitlin decides to take time off and travel through Europe. Vix gets an occasional postcard with a one sentence message and a late night phone call every few months inviting her to visit some far away place. Vix is unable to accept because of classes and a job. The last few sections cover large chunks of time and gives the story a rather abrupt ending. I've tried to be general with my review I don't spoil the read for others. I gave this book 3 stars. It was OK but not great. I have many other books on my to read shelf that I would have rather started.

Oh my goodness where to start. If I could give this book 10 stars I would!! I absolutely loved this book. At first to be fair, it was a little confusing at first BUT only because there’s so many characters within the story. BUT once you gaged who is who and the part they play, the story flows. I absolutely loved this book.. I’d love to see Judy continue the story with a series on how the characters progress throughout their lives. I’d love to see how Mazie, Abbey, and Lamb grow together. How Braun & Star live after marrying and having children together. Does Braun have a relationship with his daughter? How Von & Patricia do in marriage, with their struggles, and most importantly how Vix and Gus live happily ever after together. There’s just so many directions these characters could go, and so many stories left to be told. I loved Judy Blume books as a kid. I’m hooked on her books now as an adult. I can’t wait to read another book!

I admit to being one of the few people on the planet who had never read a Judy Blume book and now wonder why she is called out in an adult book for writing explicit sex scenes. I knew she had similar issues with her young adult books from parents who deemed her books too obscene for the sensitivities of their children, but I can find even more explicit sex scenes in <gasp> the Old Testament of the Bible, having read every word as part of a challenge issued by my Episcopal Church. I laughed out loud when I read several reviews of Summer Sisters. Is there a Judy Blume Monitoring Club, whose sole purpose is to merely scour her books for a hint of sex and unsuitable language without reading a good story? If parents are so concerned about Summer Sisters, I wonder why their children are reading it. And wake up, folks, to the age of the Internet, where everything is fair game! Parental controls have been written to be broken. Ask any budding hacker. Stepping carefully from soapbox now... I enjoyed the story of Caitlin and Vix because it perfectly reflected that period of my life. I too came of age in the late fifties and early sixties - the end of the age of innocence - before free love, drugs, Woodstock and anti-war protests became the hidden norm for the Caitlins and Victorias of the country. Few parents who had put a child through the Ivy League or Seven Sisters would have embraced their personal participants! Caitlin, the daughter of a wealthy yet eccentric family invites Victoria (Vix) to her summer home on Martha's Vineyard. Vix, the daughter of a working class family in Santa Fe, New Mexico, can not believe her ears! Her popular classmate chooses HER? After some cajoling by Vix, her family allows her to go, despite legitimate concerns that she will be influenced by the trappings of the rich. Vix revels on the Vineyard, meeting island boys and the Chicago Boys. She finds herself growing close to Caitlin's father, Lamb, and her stepmother, Abby. Lamb seems to have a case of arrested development, but Abby, in Vix's eyes, is a better mother than her own. She does her best to keep the fourteen-year-old girls grounded. But she is unaware of the girl's favorite subject: sex. To her shock, Vix is invited back the next summer. She sets her sights on one of the island boys, and as it turns out, he has been interested in her. Thus begins a summer romance that, like all such relationships, is intense. All Vix can think about is losing her virginity. She and Caitlin analyze the pros and cons every night. Just as she has made the monumental decision, Caitlin rushes into their room and proudly boasts that has done "it". A pattern begins, which eventually spirals out of control for Caitlin. When the time comes to apply to college, Lamb insists that Vix go to Harvard because by now she has become part of the family. Vix and her real family have assumed that she would go to the University of New Mexico. Again her family acquiesces. Caitlin manages to escape from her parents and only pops up when she sends a cryptic postcard or pleads with Vix to join her in cities around the world. She is spending her Harvard tuition on lessons to become American Eurotrash and is sleeping with exotic men she meets during her travels. Vix finds that she likes life at Harvard. Her roommates, to her surprise, like her. I could envision lifelong friendships forming among the four girls. Judy Blume nails Vix's college years. I did not go to Harvard, but the Seven Sisters colleges were equally demanding. Aside from hard work though, I would go through those years again. The most pressing problem for Vix is the island boy she still loves. Can a Harvard-educated woman be satisfied on a small island year-round with a nice guy with no higher education who works in construction? I find Vix's questions far from demeaning. They show me that she is using her head and not solely her heart. This is a story for anyone who values friendship. Caitlin is a high-maintenance friend, and Vix often gives more than she receives, but the two girls have loved each other from fourteen-years-old into womanhood, despite the disparate paths they have taken. Judy Blume must have good friends on which to model her characters.

One of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. Judy Blume has always been and always will be one of my favorite authors. Beautiful story!!!! I can’t say enough about how much I loved this book!!! Read it!!! It’s beyond GREAT!!!!

This was a good book. Didn't expect what happened at the end . It makes you think about when I was younger.