Title: Cruel
Summer
Author: James Dawson
Series: N/A
Published: 1 August 2013 by Indigo
Length: 324 pages
Warnings: violence.
Source: bought
and publisher
Other info: You
can do a quiz to see which Cruel Summer character you are here.
You can read my review of James’ other book, Hollow Pike, here.
Summary : A year
after Janey’s suicide, her friends reunite at a remote Spanish villa, desperate
to put the past behind them. However, an unwelcome guest arrives claiming to
have evidence that Jane was murdered. When she is found floating in the pool,
it becomes clear one of them is a killer. Only one thing is for certain,
surviving this holiday is going to be murder…
Review: Leavers’
dance night. Janey Bradshaw commits suicide. One year later. Her old group of
friends Ryan, Katie, Alisha, Greg, and Ben, with the addition of Greg’s
girlfriend Erin meet for a holiday in
Katie’s Spanish villa. Then Roxanne shows
up, with claims that Janey was murdered. Then someone else dies, it comes out that someone at that villa is a
killer, and soon they’re all caught up in mysteries and secrets of both the
present day and the past.
Reason why I read this: I loved Hollow Pike and expected it
to be just as good. It didn’t disappoint.
Ryan, I think there may be something wrong with him. He sees
everything as part of a TV series that he is the star of. It’s good, a quirky
character trait, to start with, but it gets weird when someone dies and he’s still
stuck in that mindset. He’s a little annoying, but a really nice, funny guy
too. Most of the cast are likeable, and
all are intriguing with secrets and exploration and development. I liked Alisha
or Katie equally best. They both develop
the most, and they’re both strong girls who are awesome. I like the fact we got to know quite a bit about, and get kind of close to, Janey too, considering she's dead.
It plays out very much like a classic teen-slasher film. Everyone
fits into classic stereotypes, and it’s self-aware, with genre savvy Ryan and
booky girl Katie.
It is written as scenes, each following a certain character.
Most of the time it’s Alisha and Ryan, but there’s some flashbacks to fill you
in on backstory. Everything gets revealed after hints, and it’s unpredictable, and
gripping.
Mostly there’s mystery, and horror regarding the murders and something
else that happens that I don’t think I should say, but there’s also bits of
romance and coming of age/figuring out who you are.
The mystery is epic. Everyone is a suspect at some point,
with motives and the writing turning on them. The amount of twists and turns in this is
amazing. I read Cruel Summer in about two hours cover to cover in one sitting,
and I have never said “I was not expecting this!” so often.
There is one bit at the end, in which I think a Hamlet
reference opportunity was sadly missed. The best bit about the ending is
finding out why the killer does what they do and it’s so unexpected but then
you think about how it was there all along
and it’s clever and you can’t stop thinking about it. And then there’s a
big scene which was just. Well. Definitely unexpected, but a fitting ending
that I really enjoyed.
Overall: Strength 5 tea to a mystery that pulls you in
from the start and doesn’t let you go. Perfect summer reading.
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