Title: Summer Sisters
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Chick Lit
Read: Oct 21-22 2010
Summary: Loved It, but had issues with the second half.
Continuing on the Judy Blume theme. This is a the first adult novel I’ve read by Blume. It’s longer than her YA fare, but it still shows the same skill at painting fascinating characters. Summer Sisters is the tale of a girl, Vix, who joins her “wild friend,” Caitlen, for a whole summer on Martha’s vineyard (in 1977) and ends up with this surrogate family every year after. It follows them from 12 to about 30. The POV is present tense, but flips around between everyone in the story except for Caitlen (she’d probably be unwritable). About 2/3 the word count is from Vix’s point of view. The first half is frankly awesome. The people are so weird, yet so real. The late 70’s early 80’s Martha’s Vineyard setting is so true to life (been there). The sex is hot, and there’s plenty of it. The pre-sexual experimentation is really well told too. However, in the second half the story picks up the speed at which it moves through time and we blow past the college and post-college years. Caitlen runs off to Europe and essentially disappears from the picture, although not the mind of the protagonist. I’m not sure I loved where it all went and wrapped up. But it doesn’t really matter because the island scenes with the two girls are unforgettable and worth the price of admission. I’m still in envy of Blume’s character and dialog skills.
