Something Like Summer: 1 Paperback – Import, 5 January 2011

Perfect

I stumbled upon Jay Bell's work by accident, while reading a webcomic. As with most webcomics, there were links to other comics, and among them was one for a comic called Something Like Summer. I clicked on it and was introduced to the Something Like... series. I am a voracious consumer of webcomics, so I read the entire thing and caught up to date, 355 pages (as of my writing this review) later, and wanted more. The story was excellent, but for me it was the characters - in particular, Tim, to whom I can relate (except the good-looking part). I, too, was a deeply closeted person in high school, but unlike Tim I was so closeted I denied myself any sort of relationships at all. Don't get me wrong, I knew I was gay at age 13 and had long accepted it as fact, but I was so terrified of anyone finding out that I denied myself any chance at a "Ben" of my own, at least until I was into my mid 20's. (for the record, I'm 50 now, and living happily with my husband).Anyway, while reading this webcomic I noticed the author mention his novels several times, so I went onto Amazon and started clicking.Well, let me tell you, while the comic is extremely good, but as with almost anything the books are so much better! My husband thought I was crazy, constantly wiping tears from my eyes while reading. The book differs a bit from the comic (sometimes significantly) but in good way. I tore into this book with so much zeal that I finished it in a day and a half. Then I bought the next 3 books in the series, and finished them over the following week. I will say this: This book (Summer) works very well on its own, but to get the most out of the story you need to read Autumn and Winter as well, and then move on to Spring!

I loved this book. It's really well written, from the heart which I doing think there is any denying of that. The characters are strong and very believable. The setting is easy to picture and the storyline is faultless. It captures you from the beginning and you're almost compelled to keep on reading. It's coming on for 3 am! I couldn't wait until morning or afternoon to finish, it's grips you that hard.The love story between Ben and Tim is incredibly sweet from the get-go, at least until Tim refuses to admit to himself and everyone else that he is gay, and in a committed gay relationship.So, as I guess is inevitable, Ben and Tim fall apart and eventually Ben goes on to meet the beautiful and amazing Jace.This, is where I don't enjoy the story. I'm really not a fan of love triangles and honestly had I known there was more to this than Ben and Tim falling apart and coming back together again I wouldn't have read this book. Love triangles, cheating and one true and passionate love having to 'die' to allow the other to restart is really not what I would go for.Now, here's where the conflict comes in. Once I realised where this was going I would normally have put the book down - well in this case, swiped out of the book and returned it to the KU library stores. I couldn't though. By this point I was too invested. Too hooked.I really wanted to see a happy ending for Ben and Tim, but Jace was just too good for him to be cast aside. Tim's messing shouldn't have been forgiven so easily. It was bang out of order, yet I still wanted Tim to get his man. Just not at the expense of Jace.The fact that the only way for Tim to get this was for Jace to pay the price seems cruel. I hated it.This really is an emotionally, heart wrenching book, but we are warned!The only thing I can honestly say is that I hated this book. Yet I loved it, hence the late - early - finish.Will I read Something Like Autumn? Ask me when my broken, but happy heart has recovered.

I liked the story, I must admit that it describes a rather clumsy guy in the romantic area but who isn't. Made me want to tell Ben to stop being so stupid many times but at the end I feel he got his epic and painful love story as he always wanted.

La novela es una maravilla. Hay que tener cierto nivel de inglés para poder leerla ya que algunas expresiones cuesta entenderlas. La historia es muy adictiva, está miy bien escrito y los personajes muy bien construidos. Si quieres practicar un poco tu inglés, ideal.

Une fois ce livre commencé, on n'a plus envie de s'arrêter; Les personnages sont attachants surtout Ben; d'ailleurs j'ai vite acheté le deuxième tome, Tim's point of view, Something like winter; Pour ma découverte de cette auteur, je suis comblé!