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Fifteenth Summer
Love blossoms by the lake in this sweet summer romance, in the tradition of Seventeeth Summer and Sixteenth Summer.Chelsea isn’t looking forward to her summer at the lake. It’s the first time her family has been there since her grandmother died, and she can’t break out of her funk. But her summer takes a turn for the better when she meets a boy who works in the bookstore. Josh is cute, sweet, funny…and best of all, seems to like her as much as she likes him. As the days pass by in a blur of boat rides, picnics, and stolen kisses, she can’t believe how lucky she is. No one has ever made her feel so special, or so beautiful. But Chelsea knows her days with Josh are numbered. She’ll be heading home at the end of the summer—and he’ll be staying behind. Will this be Chelsea’s summer of love? Or will it be the summer of her broken heart?
253 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2013
150 people are currently reading
3217 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 412 reviews
June 28, 2013
I can't even tell you how many times I rolled my eyes while reading this book, because I lost count. This book might be good for a twelve year old, even then I still wouldn't recommend it. The main character infuriated me. For a girl who is "obsessed with books and reading", you'd think she'd be a little smarter. There's even a point where she starts making fun of summer romance novels, so essentially she is making fun of her own book. It's so bad, even the author knows it.
July 5, 2021
c’était si longgggggg. purée j’ai vraiment pas aimer. le livre est beaucoup trop long pour moi et ennuyant.
August 3, 2025
Mini review :
Those random books I always buy in the library when I’m in vacation lol. It was a bit cringy but honestly a cute summer book. It’s simple with summer vibes so for the beach it’s great. I really like the MMC but I didn’t love the MC so ergh. Didn’t like her energy at all. Her sisters were great though. Just a bit sad because I thought the book was about her grandmother passing away and their first summer without her but actually no. Anyway, I enjoyed it, it was fast past and it’s summer 🥰
Those random books I always buy in the library when I’m in vacation lol. It was a bit cringy but honestly a cute summer book. It’s simple with summer vibes so for the beach it’s great. I really like the MMC but I didn’t love the MC so ergh. Didn’t like her energy at all. Her sisters were great though. Just a bit sad because I thought the book was about her grandmother passing away and their first summer without her but actually no. Anyway, I enjoyed it, it was fast past and it’s summer 🥰
June 1, 2013
3.5 stars Adorable. Not quite as polished as Sixteenth Summer, but brimming with lots of sweet summer romance all the same.
Review to come.
Review to come.
abandoned
January 25, 2013Currently reading...
July 4, 2015
If you're searching for a sweet, feel-good, summer read brimming with a touch of an adorable, first romance, a nice storyline, and relatable characters, then set your sights upon this book! Fifteenth Summer is a mindless, quick read that guarantees to plaster a smile onto your face and have you anxiously flipping page and page. This is my first time reading Michelle Dalton's novel - ever and I was glad to have given this novel a fair chance. This book was exactly what I was looking for - a cute, short read in between my paranormal/fantasy books.
The book tells of a 15-year-old girl, Chelsea, who is staying with her parents at her grandmother's house in Michigan for a summer vacation, but she is absolutely dreading it because this is her first time returning to her grandmother's house ever since her beloved grandma has passed away. Chelsea doesn't want to be around the haunting memories of her grandma and she is seeking out for a fresh, new change of scenery. While living there, she finds a newfound happiness, solace, and love in Josh, a guy who's cute for his own good who happens to work at the bookstore, and the embrace of a new job at a coffee shop. But soon Chelsea realizes that her summer days are about to be numbered because she will eventually be returning home after summer.
Fifteenth Summer is a novel filled with heavy doses of sweetness, a lingering feeling of happiness, and bittersweet moments. This novel is certainly not as compelling as some of the best contemporary novels that I've read, but it's still a pretty decent read. Fifteenth Summer is a book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to very young fans, ages ranging from 12-14 mainly because this kind of book is a bit young for older teenagers. I find several problems and the turn of events in here to be very melodramatic and a bit silly. Some of the actions that the characters make either fustrates or annoys me during the course of the book, but I excuse the fact that they were young and immature, but I'm extremely proud that they improve by the end of the book.
The characters of Fifteenth Summer are sweet, charming, and likeable written with utter imperfections. Each of the characters has an amiable quality that which you can't help, but like them all. They all make silly mistakes now and then, but learn to fix them and grow up, which is a great message to exemplify for young teenagers.
The writing feels a bit too juvenile and simple to me, but it has a way of urging me to keep reading on and on, so I'll give props for that. The writing is quite lyrical at times, but still beautiful in its own way.
The romance between two lovable characters are portrayed in a very cute and realistic way that you can't help, but root for them to be together. Adorable conversation, flirting, and sweet moments of spenting time together play a foundation in developing this first love. This first love doesn't relies heavily on sexual attraction, but instead it's a down-to-earth-romance. I'm really glad that they got to understand each other completely in this unique way despite having some differences, learn to let go of the past and sorrow, and forgive each other. Josh and Chelsea has got to be one of the most cutest couples I've ever read. <333 I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic, so it wasn't a surprise that I ate this up romance very fast! I love the idea of falling in love and finding out that the person is the right one for you.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Fifteenth Summer and loved reading about the characters and the events that followed. Be sure to give this book a chance because it's just an absolutely cute and a perfect read if you're feeling down and melancholy! It will remind you of your sweet days having a crush, the special moments of falling heads over heels, and that feeling like you're floating on air! Ahhh....the wonderful nostalgia! ♥♥♥♥
The book tells of a 15-year-old girl, Chelsea, who is staying with her parents at her grandmother's house in Michigan for a summer vacation, but she is absolutely dreading it because this is her first time returning to her grandmother's house ever since her beloved grandma has passed away. Chelsea doesn't want to be around the haunting memories of her grandma and she is seeking out for a fresh, new change of scenery. While living there, she finds a newfound happiness, solace, and love in Josh, a guy who's cute for his own good who happens to work at the bookstore, and the embrace of a new job at a coffee shop. But soon Chelsea realizes that her summer days are about to be numbered because she will eventually be returning home after summer.
Fifteenth Summer is a novel filled with heavy doses of sweetness, a lingering feeling of happiness, and bittersweet moments. This novel is certainly not as compelling as some of the best contemporary novels that I've read, but it's still a pretty decent read. Fifteenth Summer is a book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to very young fans, ages ranging from 12-14 mainly because this kind of book is a bit young for older teenagers. I find several problems and the turn of events in here to be very melodramatic and a bit silly. Some of the actions that the characters make either fustrates or annoys me during the course of the book, but I excuse the fact that they were young and immature, but I'm extremely proud that they improve by the end of the book.
The characters of Fifteenth Summer are sweet, charming, and likeable written with utter imperfections. Each of the characters has an amiable quality that which you can't help, but like them all. They all make silly mistakes now and then, but learn to fix them and grow up, which is a great message to exemplify for young teenagers.
The writing feels a bit too juvenile and simple to me, but it has a way of urging me to keep reading on and on, so I'll give props for that. The writing is quite lyrical at times, but still beautiful in its own way.
The romance between two lovable characters are portrayed in a very cute and realistic way that you can't help, but root for them to be together. Adorable conversation, flirting, and sweet moments of spenting time together play a foundation in developing this first love. This first love doesn't relies heavily on sexual attraction, but instead it's a down-to-earth-romance. I'm really glad that they got to understand each other completely in this unique way despite having some differences, learn to let go of the past and sorrow, and forgive each other. Josh and Chelsea has got to be one of the most cutest couples I've ever read. <333 I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic, so it wasn't a surprise that I ate this up romance very fast! I love the idea of falling in love and finding out that the person is the right one for you.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed Fifteenth Summer and loved reading about the characters and the events that followed. Be sure to give this book a chance because it's just an absolutely cute and a perfect read if you're feeling down and melancholy! It will remind you of your sweet days having a crush, the special moments of falling heads over heels, and that feeling like you're floating on air! Ahhh....the wonderful nostalgia! ♥♥♥♥
January 29, 2022
My favourite comfort book. First re-read of the year was perfect. Obviously 5/5 <3
August 30, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. At first I thought maybe I wouldn't like it as much because of Granly and everything and I was hoping the mood wouldn't make me sad and emotional. When the family arrived in Bluepointe that's when for me I got really involved. I love the cabin, Dog Ear, Mel and Mel's and all the local residents. I always enjoy stories that take place during the summer because I love the concept that anything can happen. To me Josh and Chelsea's relationship didn't feel forced but maybe a little rushed. Granted it's summer, there teens there impulsive. Can I just say how I loved how books were such a centre piece to this story?
What I didn't like though was I think page 192 when the Chelsea Abbie and Hannah are all watching the Lifetime movie and talking about how terrible it's going to be and then there talking about the actors are going to suck and then Chelsea says ...maybe there Canadian. Maybe I should take that as a compliment.
All in all I really enjoyed it and I'm still thinking about it a day later. I loved the ending it felt natural to the situation.
This will have to be bought by me later on because I can see myself going for it next summer and the summers after that.
What I didn't like though was I think page 192 when the Chelsea Abbie and Hannah are all watching the Lifetime movie and talking about how terrible it's going to be and then there talking about the actors are going to suck and then Chelsea says ...maybe there Canadian. Maybe I should take that as a compliment.
All in all I really enjoyed it and I'm still thinking about it a day later. I loved the ending it felt natural to the situation.
This will have to be bought by me later on because I can see myself going for it next summer and the summers after that.
July 12, 2024
3⭐s!
The beginning was a little slow and the ending was not my favorite.
The middle was cute and perfect ❤
Was the writing amazing? No, it was not the best. Did I still eat it up? Yes but mainly because of the amazing bookstore setting🙃
The beginning was a little slow and the ending was not my favorite.
The middle was cute and perfect ❤
Was the writing amazing? No, it was not the best. Did I still eat it up? Yes but mainly because of the amazing bookstore setting🙃
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June 8, 2022Ooo this would have absolutely slapped three years ago. Now unfortunately, less slapping going on. I have about 1000x the cynicism and experience than our dear friends and star crossed fifteen year old lovers Chelsea and Josh. But, on a positive note, the name Chelsea has moved up on my list of baby names- vry cute:)
February 16, 2025
this was like the quirky girl summer town not like the other girls book but somehow it was kinda good?
November 30, 2017
This book went really slow for me and it wasn't that interesting in my opinion. Its about this girl named Chelsea that finds love and it was kinda boring at some parts.
October 10, 2017
I absolutely LOVED this book. It is 272 pages long but it keeps you intrested the whole way through. This book is about a fifteen year old girl named Chelsea who doesn't want to go to her grandma's house in Bluepoint, Michigan because it is her first time going there since her grandma has died. Of course, she goes, but when she goes to her favorite bookstore, named Dog Ear, she sees a boy there named Josh. Josh is a handsome boy that is also fifteen years old, that works at Dog Ear. At the beginning, it seems as if Josh has mixed emotions, but as the story goes on, you suddenly realize that they like each other. When Chelsea went to Dog Ear at one point, she got caught up on her dress. When she finally got up, Josh pushed her to the ground again. He then kissed her! After that, he walked her home, and in the middle of the walk, he started to apologize to her for just randomly kissing her. While he was apologizing, Chelsea kissed him back. Everything went on good and romantic for the whole summer. Until, out of nowhere, he said that he had to focu on work and he had to stop seeing her.(he broke up with her) Will they get back together????Read to find out!!!
May 31, 2013
I've been debating on what rating to give this book. It was between a 2 and a 3. It was an alright book, nothing special, nothing too boring. I like romance, and this definitely had the cutesy teenage romance thing going on. But what settled me on a 2 instead of a 3 was that it had me asking questions by the end of the book, and I also knew there was no sequel. How did they say goodbye? Did they decide to continue their relationship? Are they happy? Was it heartbreak? The bottomline is I'll never know.
Overall, it was an alright book, again, nothing special about it.
Overall, it was an alright book, again, nothing special about it.
May 29, 2023
2,75 🌟
Tout ce qui a de plus cheesy du premier amour qui se passe le temps d’un été. Avec les feux d’artifices, le lac, la plage, la famille. Aucune surprise au rendez-vous mais maudit que c’était la vibe qui me tentait, j’ai bien aimé que les choses restent flous sur l’avenir du couple Josh et Chelsea, que ce soit une fin ouverte remplies de nostalgie et de possibles. On reste pas le coeur béant à cause de leur amour impossible mais comme un premier amour parfait aux notes d’été… si t’es née dans les années 90!
« Qu’il fallait le savourer plutôt que de m’y accrocher. »
Tout ce qui a de plus cheesy du premier amour qui se passe le temps d’un été. Avec les feux d’artifices, le lac, la plage, la famille. Aucune surprise au rendez-vous mais maudit que c’était la vibe qui me tentait, j’ai bien aimé que les choses restent flous sur l’avenir du couple Josh et Chelsea, que ce soit une fin ouverte remplies de nostalgie et de possibles. On reste pas le coeur béant à cause de leur amour impossible mais comme un premier amour parfait aux notes d’été… si t’es née dans les années 90!
« Qu’il fallait le savourer plutôt que de m’y accrocher. »
January 16, 2023
Super cliché et assez futile mais néanmoins cool à lire🤷🏻♀️les livres qui parlent de livres pepite et Josh est vraiment le gars parfait c’était super mims une histoire d’amour d’ado très sympa pour l’été et très courte
Je l’ai lu d’une traître à partir de 33% dans l’avion et c’était divertissant je n’en attendais pas plus :)
Je l’ai lu d’une traître à partir de 33% dans l’avion et c’était divertissant je n’en attendais pas plus :)
May 31, 2018
3.5 stars
I got everything out of this book that I initially wanted with the cheesy romance, and I enjoyed it, but there were obviously some things throughout that I feel could have been more thought out. Great way to kick off summer as well.
I got everything out of this book that I initially wanted with the cheesy romance, and I enjoyed it, but there were obviously some things throughout that I feel could have been more thought out. Great way to kick off summer as well.
December 7, 2016
I really liked this book!
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January 15, 2019Personal Response: I really liked this book and thought it was a good book to read. It was very interesting and kept my attention the whole time. I like how it was a summery book, but it makes me miss summer and the warmth. It was a cheesy romance book, that I have learned to love now. I overall really enjoyed this book and can not wait to read the second book of the series.
Plot Summary: In the book Fifteenth Summer it is told from the point of view of a fifteen-year-old girl named Chelsea staying with her two sisters and parents at their grandma’s cabin in Bluepointe, Michigan. They went to the cabin because their grandma passed away so they had to clean up the cabin, so it was ready to be sold. Chelsea did not want to go to the cabin, due to she is still mourning of her grandmother’s death. When they arrived in Bluepointe, she went to a bookstore, to get some books, since she was not allowed to bring any with her. When she arrived at the store, she met a guy named Josh who worked there. She and Josh had a connection right away, and they talked for a little bit. Chelsea and her sisters were invited to a party and Chelsea ran into Josh there, which allowed her to talk to him more. Also, Josh recommended a job for her that is next door to the bookstore he works at. They became very close and spend all their spare time with each other. Josh accidentally messed up at the store and he it made him make a mistake with Chelsea, which made her very sad and mad. They ended up making up and spending the rest of her time in Bluepointe together.
Characterization: Chelsea developed through the book in a good way, she becomes more outgoing and confident. In the beginning, of the book she hated how she looked, her hair was too red and frizzy for her liking. She also did not like starting conversations with people in the beginning. At the end she started liking her hair more, she was not as ashamed of it. Also, since she became a waitress she had to be outgoing, she was more willing to start conversations with people she did not know.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any high school girl or someone who enjoys romance books. I would not recommend this book to anyone that is younger than high school, due to some inappropriate content in the book. Also, I would recommend it to girls because normally guys do not like cheesy romance books, but if they do I think they would enjoy this book.
Plot Summary: In the book Fifteenth Summer it is told from the point of view of a fifteen-year-old girl named Chelsea staying with her two sisters and parents at their grandma’s cabin in Bluepointe, Michigan. They went to the cabin because their grandma passed away so they had to clean up the cabin, so it was ready to be sold. Chelsea did not want to go to the cabin, due to she is still mourning of her grandmother’s death. When they arrived in Bluepointe, she went to a bookstore, to get some books, since she was not allowed to bring any with her. When she arrived at the store, she met a guy named Josh who worked there. She and Josh had a connection right away, and they talked for a little bit. Chelsea and her sisters were invited to a party and Chelsea ran into Josh there, which allowed her to talk to him more. Also, Josh recommended a job for her that is next door to the bookstore he works at. They became very close and spend all their spare time with each other. Josh accidentally messed up at the store and he it made him make a mistake with Chelsea, which made her very sad and mad. They ended up making up and spending the rest of her time in Bluepointe together.
Characterization: Chelsea developed through the book in a good way, she becomes more outgoing and confident. In the beginning, of the book she hated how she looked, her hair was too red and frizzy for her liking. She also did not like starting conversations with people in the beginning. At the end she started liking her hair more, she was not as ashamed of it. Also, since she became a waitress she had to be outgoing, she was more willing to start conversations with people she did not know.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any high school girl or someone who enjoys romance books. I would not recommend this book to anyone that is younger than high school, due to some inappropriate content in the book. Also, I would recommend it to girls because normally guys do not like cheesy romance books, but if they do I think they would enjoy this book.
May 11, 2018
Personal Response:
I really enjoyed the book Fifteenth Summer. I honestly don’t think I have ever read a book this quickly. It only took me a week to finish reading it. The book kept me interested the whole time. I could really relate to it because I knew exactly how the main character felt. I enjoyed the romance part of it as well because it was very cute. I will continue reading books by this author because it was so good!
Plot:
Every summer, Chelsea Silver and her family went from L.A. to a small town called Bluepointe, Michigan. The only thing that was different that year, was that her grandmother had recently passed away. It was a real struggle for Chelsea when she was mourning the loss of her grandma. That was until she walked into a new book store, Dog Ear, and met a boy. Chelsea was only fifteen so she was still very awkward. She struggled to talk with Josh at first, but eventually they became very close.
Before they knew it, Josh and Chelsea were hanging out after work everyday. When Josh asked Chelsea out on an official date, she was very surprised. She had not been on a real date before, so she was very excited. Josh made it very romantic and things continued this way for a while. Chelsea did not see it coming when Josh called her and dumped her. He said that he was busy with work and Chelsea was distracting him from doing his job. In the end, they got back together, but Chelsea had to back to L.A. at the end of the summer. Chelsea and Josh both knew that they were each other's first love.
Characterization:
Chelsea was a character who was very insecure about herself. She had bright red hair and a face full of freckles. When she met Josh, she began to realize that everything about her was good. Josh showed her what it was like to feel loved instead of judged all the time. Not only was Josh helpful, but Chelsea’s sisters were also a big help in boosting her confidence. In the end, Chelsea was much more confident person than she was in the beginning of the story.
Josh was a very confusing character. He could not seem to get the right words out of his mouth. He kept sending Chelsea mixed feelings. Josh eventually got brave enough to tell Chelsea how he really felt about her. It took him a long time, but he did suck up enough courage to do it. Josh fell in love with Chelsea the first time he even saw her. By the end of the book, he was able to express his feelings in ways he never thought possible.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to middle school or high school aged girls. This book was basically all about romance, so most boys would not enjoy this storyline. The main characters were only fifteen years old, so all of the content was good for this age group. I give this book five out of five stars because it was a very enjoyable book that kept me interested the whole time. I believe that most people would enjoy this book.
I really enjoyed the book Fifteenth Summer. I honestly don’t think I have ever read a book this quickly. It only took me a week to finish reading it. The book kept me interested the whole time. I could really relate to it because I knew exactly how the main character felt. I enjoyed the romance part of it as well because it was very cute. I will continue reading books by this author because it was so good!
Plot:
Every summer, Chelsea Silver and her family went from L.A. to a small town called Bluepointe, Michigan. The only thing that was different that year, was that her grandmother had recently passed away. It was a real struggle for Chelsea when she was mourning the loss of her grandma. That was until she walked into a new book store, Dog Ear, and met a boy. Chelsea was only fifteen so she was still very awkward. She struggled to talk with Josh at first, but eventually they became very close.
Before they knew it, Josh and Chelsea were hanging out after work everyday. When Josh asked Chelsea out on an official date, she was very surprised. She had not been on a real date before, so she was very excited. Josh made it very romantic and things continued this way for a while. Chelsea did not see it coming when Josh called her and dumped her. He said that he was busy with work and Chelsea was distracting him from doing his job. In the end, they got back together, but Chelsea had to back to L.A. at the end of the summer. Chelsea and Josh both knew that they were each other's first love.
Characterization:
Chelsea was a character who was very insecure about herself. She had bright red hair and a face full of freckles. When she met Josh, she began to realize that everything about her was good. Josh showed her what it was like to feel loved instead of judged all the time. Not only was Josh helpful, but Chelsea’s sisters were also a big help in boosting her confidence. In the end, Chelsea was much more confident person than she was in the beginning of the story.
Josh was a very confusing character. He could not seem to get the right words out of his mouth. He kept sending Chelsea mixed feelings. Josh eventually got brave enough to tell Chelsea how he really felt about her. It took him a long time, but he did suck up enough courage to do it. Josh fell in love with Chelsea the first time he even saw her. By the end of the book, he was able to express his feelings in ways he never thought possible.
Recommendation:
I recommend this book to middle school or high school aged girls. This book was basically all about romance, so most boys would not enjoy this storyline. The main characters were only fifteen years old, so all of the content was good for this age group. I give this book five out of five stars because it was a very enjoyable book that kept me interested the whole time. I believe that most people would enjoy this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2019
Personal Response- I personally enjoyed this book. It was not as adventurous as I had hoped it to be. In all this book was okay, closer to the end there was a little bit more adventure and action which was nice because it had slowed down in the middle.
Summary- This book was about a family in which their grandma had died, and the tradition was to go up to her cabin for the summer. They ended up making the decision of going up to the cabin to go through her stuff and to make new memories. As they were there, the youngest daughter, Chelsea, ended up falling in love with a boy who worked at one of the bookstores in town. They met when she went into his family-owned bookstore as she went in to find a good book because her mom would not let her bring a lot of books. She ended up hanging out with him, and they fell in love. Meanwhile, she needed something to do other than hang out with him and read, so she decided to get a job. The job ended up being right next to the bookstore, it was a restaurant named Mel and Mel’s. In the end, the family decided to keep the cabin for at least another year so they have a reason to go visit their oldest daughter in college who would be close to the cabin.
Characterization- Chelsea starts off as a shy girl who never really showed interest in guys because she was more interested in books. That changed a lot over the course of the book due to her meeting Josh and falling in love with him. Josh starts off as a shy bookstore worker and in throughout the book he becomes more open and friendly to everyone including Chelsea.
Recommendations- I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance books. There are not many super detailed parts so anyone who can read chapter books could read this book. This book is slow at times, so if you do not have patience or enjoyment for slower books, I really do not recommend this book.
Summary- This book was about a family in which their grandma had died, and the tradition was to go up to her cabin for the summer. They ended up making the decision of going up to the cabin to go through her stuff and to make new memories. As they were there, the youngest daughter, Chelsea, ended up falling in love with a boy who worked at one of the bookstores in town. They met when she went into his family-owned bookstore as she went in to find a good book because her mom would not let her bring a lot of books. She ended up hanging out with him, and they fell in love. Meanwhile, she needed something to do other than hang out with him and read, so she decided to get a job. The job ended up being right next to the bookstore, it was a restaurant named Mel and Mel’s. In the end, the family decided to keep the cabin for at least another year so they have a reason to go visit their oldest daughter in college who would be close to the cabin.
Characterization- Chelsea starts off as a shy girl who never really showed interest in guys because she was more interested in books. That changed a lot over the course of the book due to her meeting Josh and falling in love with him. Josh starts off as a shy bookstore worker and in throughout the book he becomes more open and friendly to everyone including Chelsea.
Recommendations- I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance books. There are not many super detailed parts so anyone who can read chapter books could read this book. This book is slow at times, so if you do not have patience or enjoyment for slower books, I really do not recommend this book.
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March 27, 2019Personal Response
This book is not good at all. I could barely get to Chapter 2 without wanting to throw it in the trash. It has a weak and cliche storyline and the way it was written gives it the style of a picture book. I would definitely not read this series ever again.
Plot Summary
Chelsea doesn’t think true love actually exists the way authors write about it. She then meets a stock boy in the little town of Blue Point and realizes that maybe it does exist. Chelsea melts when she kisses him, and feels butterflies when he’s around. The only thing that she’s scared of is having to say goodbye at the end of the summer.
Characterization
I didn’t finish the book because of how incredibly awful it was, but assumably the person who grew the most was Chelsea. She used to think true love was just a fairytale but she learns it’s not. I’m unsure if there was any more growth in the characters.
Recommendation
I would not recommend this book to anyone. It is entirely too cliche and whiny. Very few people would enjoy this book I feel.
This book is not good at all. I could barely get to Chapter 2 without wanting to throw it in the trash. It has a weak and cliche storyline and the way it was written gives it the style of a picture book. I would definitely not read this series ever again.
Plot Summary
Chelsea doesn’t think true love actually exists the way authors write about it. She then meets a stock boy in the little town of Blue Point and realizes that maybe it does exist. Chelsea melts when she kisses him, and feels butterflies when he’s around. The only thing that she’s scared of is having to say goodbye at the end of the summer.
Characterization
I didn’t finish the book because of how incredibly awful it was, but assumably the person who grew the most was Chelsea. She used to think true love was just a fairytale but she learns it’s not. I’m unsure if there was any more growth in the characters.
Recommendation
I would not recommend this book to anyone. It is entirely too cliche and whiny. Very few people would enjoy this book I feel.
June 2, 2017
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton is a teenager romance book. I enjoyed this book but it was not one of my favorites. This book is about a girl named Chelsea. Every summer Chelsea and her family go to their grandmothers house by the lake. This year is different though. Chelsea is afraid of having a bad summer because her grandmother passed away. She doesn't know what to do throughout the summer to begin with because her box of books were kept at home. To her surprise, there is a new book store in the town.There she met a boy that she really likes a lot. One reason that I enjoyed this book is because of the theme. The theme of the book is that even if you think your life is over, there is always a rainbow after the storm. I think this is a good theme for this book because throughout the story Chelsea and her family are having a hard time getting over their grandmothers death. Josh, the boy Chelsea meets, helps her to find her happiness again.
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton was a very good book. It is not one I would normally read but I enjoyed it. I recommend it to anyone who likes teenage romance books.
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton was a very good book. It is not one I would normally read but I enjoyed it. I recommend it to anyone who likes teenage romance books.
May 1, 2022
2.5 Stars...
This book was just ok. It did get pretty boring at times, but it's a quick beachy/summer read. I would have liked the book either have some humor or some depth to bring it to life. I feel like the book started out on one note and remained on that same note right to the very end and because of this I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Other than her red hair, I couldn't tell Chelsea apart from her 2 sisters and I didn't like how she got over her grief so quickly once a "cute" boy popped in the picture. I also didn't like Josh's out of the blue mood swings.
Overall, the book was a bit too basic for me. It really had nothing that capture me attention or held my interest. However, it was quick and I'm glad it didn't brag on.
Content: no sex, some kissing
Language: very mild (only 2 or 3)
This book was just ok. It did get pretty boring at times, but it's a quick beachy/summer read. I would have liked the book either have some humor or some depth to bring it to life. I feel like the book started out on one note and remained on that same note right to the very end and because of this I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Other than her red hair, I couldn't tell Chelsea apart from her 2 sisters and I didn't like how she got over her grief so quickly once a "cute" boy popped in the picture. I also didn't like Josh's out of the blue mood swings.
Overall, the book was a bit too basic for me. It really had nothing that capture me attention or held my interest. However, it was quick and I'm glad it didn't brag on.
Content: no sex, some kissing
Language: very mild (only 2 or 3)
August 5, 2019
Just barely 2 stars. It was entertaining enough to keep me reading, but only just. Parts were boring and a lot of it was cheesy, generic, and sometimes over the top (i.e. When Chelsea tells everyone at the coffee shop that Josh broke up with her, this line: "What?" Andrea cried, putting both hands to her face in shock. - Never once have I seen anyone but a cartoon character do this move).
It was also predictable and the drama felt unnecessary and forced. It was like, oh, things are going too well. We need some drama, so we'll just have Josh break up with her for some ridiculous reason. His jumping to breaking up after making one mistake was kind of out there for someone supposedly in love. It would have been much more realistic if his parents had blown up at him for that mistake and told him he had to break up with her or grounded him or something.
The love stuff was pretty ridiculous all on its own. I know teenagers fall in and out of "love" at the drop of a hat, but you do not fall in love with someone in a month. You do not get to know someone like no one else ever has, in a month, the way Chelsea believe she has done with Josh.
Chelsea acting like someone died after the break up was also a little silly. I get it, she was heartbroken, but it was pretty extreme for knowing the guy for such a short period of time.
And then for the whole thing to be resolved with 2 rational discussions... Why had Josh never thought to have any kind of discussion with his parents before Chelsea told him to? Is he that stupid?
Honestly, Chelsea and Josh were odd. Not in the quirky, endearing way so much, they were more just strange. Chelsea did and thought odd things. Like at the coffee shop when they know something is wrong after she and Josh broke up. Her first thought when they could tell was "but I put on makeup!" So, apparently Chelsea believes that make up conceals your facial expressions?
Or when she's thinking about knowing Josh so well - about how his dimples 'just get deeper when she's around', or something goofy like that. Um, how would she know they're deeper than when she's not around? If she's not around those other times, she can't see to compare. There were a few other little gems like that that really didn't make sense.
Another thing was, why did it never occur to her to write things in a book until she got her present from her grandmother? I mean, I write notes on scrap paper too, but those are things like phone numbers, doctor's appointments, or other general reminders that I don't care much about or intend to keep. When Chelsea started writing things down, I thought she might have some disorder and that it was some quirk that she had to do like the obsessive compulsive person who has to wash their hands 17 times or something. It was that random with no real explanation of that need to get words on paper that a writer feels.
But seriously, why not a book? It's not exactly a difficult mental leap. Particularly for someone who's so into books. If she were 7 or 8, it might be believable. Not so much for a 15 year old.
Josh was also strange. One minute he seemed annoyed with his parents, and the next minute, he was angry at them. Was he angry or irritated? If so, why exactly? There was no explanation as to why he feels responsible for any of it. Has he always been a 45 year old trapped in a kid's body? Had his parents lost a business before? And if so, why aren't they aware of how to do it again? Nope. We don't know any of that. From what I could tell, there was no real reason for his self-imposed responsibility to the store. And why not ever do anything about it? If he was angry, he could have taken a step back and let them deal with the consequences. The whole losing the store thing was a thin excuse too. It's not like a rough month or two is going to sweep the store out from under them. Maybe he thought his parents were too stupid to handle it?
But at least Josh and Chelsea are well-matched in their weirdness/stupidity, I guess.
Chelsea felt really immature at times too. And yeah, teenagers can be immature, but sometimes, it seemed like she was about 12. Which made it seem like she was much too young for a boyfriend. And her family was a little too idealized. Everyone got along perfectly and had wonderful manners. Not really the feel of an actual family. Maybe the author doesn't have any siblings?
Finally, the stuff about Chicago really bugged me. It made me wonder if the author had ever actually been there or if she just wanted to reference it for the cool factor or something. As someone who was born and raised in Chicago until 14, I can tell you that no real Chicagoan says it "Chicawgo". Someone with a thick Chicago accent (there's no such thing as a "south side of Chicago accent") would say it "ChicAHgo". Very flat A sound.
And while I'm on that, how would a 15 year old girl from L.A. be able to differentiate a "south side of Chicago" accent from a different Chicago area accent? Assuming there was an actual difference?
Also, no, Chicagoans are not weird about mustard. Yes, mustard only is a Chicago thing...I've heard anyway. I don't think I've ever even seen anyone do it before though.
It would have been more authentic for them to make a big deal about putting everything on it. That's an actual Chicago thing.
And what was with 'dese', 'dose', 'dis', and 'dat'? I'm assuming it's a play off of the old SNL skit with "Da Bears!"... but no one actually talks that way for real.
It was also predictable and the drama felt unnecessary and forced. It was like, oh, things are going too well. We need some drama, so we'll just have Josh break up with her for some ridiculous reason. His jumping to breaking up after making one mistake was kind of out there for someone supposedly in love. It would have been much more realistic if his parents had blown up at him for that mistake and told him he had to break up with her or grounded him or something.
The love stuff was pretty ridiculous all on its own. I know teenagers fall in and out of "love" at the drop of a hat, but you do not fall in love with someone in a month. You do not get to know someone like no one else ever has, in a month, the way Chelsea believe she has done with Josh.
Chelsea acting like someone died after the break up was also a little silly. I get it, she was heartbroken, but it was pretty extreme for knowing the guy for such a short period of time.
And then for the whole thing to be resolved with 2 rational discussions... Why had Josh never thought to have any kind of discussion with his parents before Chelsea told him to? Is he that stupid?
Honestly, Chelsea and Josh were odd. Not in the quirky, endearing way so much, they were more just strange. Chelsea did and thought odd things. Like at the coffee shop when they know something is wrong after she and Josh broke up. Her first thought when they could tell was "but I put on makeup!" So, apparently Chelsea believes that make up conceals your facial expressions?
Or when she's thinking about knowing Josh so well - about how his dimples 'just get deeper when she's around', or something goofy like that. Um, how would she know they're deeper than when she's not around? If she's not around those other times, she can't see to compare. There were a few other little gems like that that really didn't make sense.
Another thing was, why did it never occur to her to write things in a book until she got her present from her grandmother? I mean, I write notes on scrap paper too, but those are things like phone numbers, doctor's appointments, or other general reminders that I don't care much about or intend to keep. When Chelsea started writing things down, I thought she might have some disorder and that it was some quirk that she had to do like the obsessive compulsive person who has to wash their hands 17 times or something. It was that random with no real explanation of that need to get words on paper that a writer feels.
But seriously, why not a book? It's not exactly a difficult mental leap. Particularly for someone who's so into books. If she were 7 or 8, it might be believable. Not so much for a 15 year old.
Josh was also strange. One minute he seemed annoyed with his parents, and the next minute, he was angry at them. Was he angry or irritated? If so, why exactly? There was no explanation as to why he feels responsible for any of it. Has he always been a 45 year old trapped in a kid's body? Had his parents lost a business before? And if so, why aren't they aware of how to do it again? Nope. We don't know any of that. From what I could tell, there was no real reason for his self-imposed responsibility to the store. And why not ever do anything about it? If he was angry, he could have taken a step back and let them deal with the consequences. The whole losing the store thing was a thin excuse too. It's not like a rough month or two is going to sweep the store out from under them. Maybe he thought his parents were too stupid to handle it?
But at least Josh and Chelsea are well-matched in their weirdness/stupidity, I guess.
Chelsea felt really immature at times too. And yeah, teenagers can be immature, but sometimes, it seemed like she was about 12. Which made it seem like she was much too young for a boyfriend. And her family was a little too idealized. Everyone got along perfectly and had wonderful manners. Not really the feel of an actual family. Maybe the author doesn't have any siblings?
Finally, the stuff about Chicago really bugged me. It made me wonder if the author had ever actually been there or if she just wanted to reference it for the cool factor or something. As someone who was born and raised in Chicago until 14, I can tell you that no real Chicagoan says it "Chicawgo". Someone with a thick Chicago accent (there's no such thing as a "south side of Chicago accent") would say it "ChicAHgo". Very flat A sound.
And while I'm on that, how would a 15 year old girl from L.A. be able to differentiate a "south side of Chicago" accent from a different Chicago area accent? Assuming there was an actual difference?
Also, no, Chicagoans are not weird about mustard. Yes, mustard only is a Chicago thing...I've heard anyway. I don't think I've ever even seen anyone do it before though.
It would have been more authentic for them to make a big deal about putting everything on it. That's an actual Chicago thing.
And what was with 'dese', 'dose', 'dis', and 'dat'? I'm assuming it's a play off of the old SNL skit with "Da Bears!"... but no one actually talks that way for real.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2017
Personal Response:
I thought the author did an outstanding job writing the book. I loved how she split the months of summer up, and how she was very detailed. I hated how the book ended, but it was such a good book, that I overall really liked it.
Plot:
The book was about a family of 3 girls named Chelsea, Hannah, and Abigail. They have to go to the lake for the summer, and Chelsea isn’t excited at all. The whole family hasn’t been there since their grandma died, so it is very sad and depressing. When they got there all Chelsea wanted to do was find a book to read, so she went into town. She got into town and found a bookstore. When she was looking for a book, she found the cutest guy named Josh. Her summer was becoming great, because they became a thing and started dating. They went on super cute dates all the time, and always called each other at night. Chelsea also found a job right next to where he worked, and she was making a lot of money. When it was time to leave both of the kids were super sad, and they said their goodbyes. At the end they said they would never forget that summer when they first fell in love.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to ages 14 and up, because the characters in the book are all in high school. I also would recommend this book to those ages, because it is a higher level book that younger kids wouldn’t understand. I would highly recommend this book to girls, because it is about a love story! I think all girls that are in a relationship would love this book.
Characterization:
In this book at the beginning the character of Chelsea is super shy and self conscious of herself. Throughout the book Josh helps her to come out of her shell. She becomes a peppy and happy child, and you can tell by when she waitresses. At the end of the book she is confident with everything and is very outgoing.
I thought the author did an outstanding job writing the book. I loved how she split the months of summer up, and how she was very detailed. I hated how the book ended, but it was such a good book, that I overall really liked it.
Plot:
The book was about a family of 3 girls named Chelsea, Hannah, and Abigail. They have to go to the lake for the summer, and Chelsea isn’t excited at all. The whole family hasn’t been there since their grandma died, so it is very sad and depressing. When they got there all Chelsea wanted to do was find a book to read, so she went into town. She got into town and found a bookstore. When she was looking for a book, she found the cutest guy named Josh. Her summer was becoming great, because they became a thing and started dating. They went on super cute dates all the time, and always called each other at night. Chelsea also found a job right next to where he worked, and she was making a lot of money. When it was time to leave both of the kids were super sad, and they said their goodbyes. At the end they said they would never forget that summer when they first fell in love.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to ages 14 and up, because the characters in the book are all in high school. I also would recommend this book to those ages, because it is a higher level book that younger kids wouldn’t understand. I would highly recommend this book to girls, because it is about a love story! I think all girls that are in a relationship would love this book.
Characterization:
In this book at the beginning the character of Chelsea is super shy and self conscious of herself. Throughout the book Josh helps her to come out of her shell. She becomes a peppy and happy child, and you can tell by when she waitresses. At the end of the book she is confident with everything and is very outgoing.
February 27, 2019
I enjoyed this book so much because it is a romance novel. Especially because it is a teenage romance so people my age can relate to it alot. This book was also very interesting because there was a lot of suspense and conflict that came up in the story.
June 7, 2020
Basically what I expected after being recommended by my 13 year old neice who said, “Omg it’s sooooooo good!!!” ;-) it was cute enough!
February 1, 2015
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more reviews!
What’s that—do I hear the word “fake” in the air? That’s right. Really, small-town girl romance summer love stuff is so not for me. It’s not my type and it’s so cliché and out of my bookish-league. Fifteenth Summer was exactly as Sixteenth Summer was, and I’ve found that cheesy chick-lit like this definitely isn’t for me. There’s no backstory, no drama, just something sweet and sappy that’s getting you to wonder if the couple will stay together by the end. That’s all we’re looking for.
If you want the most simplistic book to read by the seashore while you’re on vacation and trying to concentrate on the total minimum, then I’d tell you to go for this. Michelle Dalton is an author who goes through many romance “clichés,” as well as a story with almost no plot. It’s a little more boring than spending 2 hours staring into space.
Without even reading or threading a wink at the pages, you can probably tell what this is already about. Your elementary school English teacher would be proud of you for making correct predictions on what the story is about by just looking at the cover and making a ‘visual prediction.’ A girl spending a summer in a small-town beach, falling in love, not knowing what will happen in the future or if they’ll stay together. It’s like a 50/50 chance that they’ll be together.
But what about the long-distance thing? What about their families? Isn’t 15 such an early age to be “really in love?” Those were the dumb questions that were floating around in Chelsea’s mind. (Our protagonist.) And what I can tell you is that this book was memorable to the minimum. I can’t even remember what the guy’s name was. *not looking at summary* Daniel? Jacob? Max? *looks at summary* JOSH. Oh yeah, it was Josh.
First thing’s first—the idea was cute. I mean, I was able to stand it, unlike some romances. Yes, there were a ton of moments where I just kept rolling my eyes over and over again of boredom and because of the cheesiness, but it’s kind of fun to imagine love at a young age. It’s obviously really rare, but that’s the idea of a book—things that aren’t meant to happen in reality. It’s only the author’s dream that we will dream on about their writing and the events that happened in the book and originally formed in their minds. For the idea, I’ll give it between good and bad. This was a fairly short read. 272 pages can take me about 2 hours to read? And because it was so easy to read and concentrate on, it was even more easier. Yes, the story was extremely fast-paced, but I didn’t get that much captivation out of it, coming out of the idea.
Chelsea was AMAZING. I loved her to death—especially since she was a bookworm. ONCE SHE ARRIVED TO THE TOWN SHE LOOKED FOR A BOOKSTORE AND SHE FOUND JOSH THERE, AHHH. Like, that was the perfect way to find your loved one, especially if you guys can understand each other. They were a definite ship. And Josh’s parents loved Chelsea from the moment they met her when she bought that $1 book. The funniest thing was that she actually came to look for something better but she really got nervous around Josh and ended up having to get one of the cheesiest and cheapest books in the store. But you can’t help it when you see something that excites you, no?
To be honest, I didn’t really like Josh as a character since the person on the cover ruined it for me and he was a little too show-off and macho-ee (you know what I mean, hah), but together, they were really cute. It’s amazing when a couple aren’t complete opposites and when one can understand each other 100%. Two book-nerds together? That’s the best thing ever.
With a fantastic protagonist and a quick read, Fifteenth Summer was okay. There were some tweaks that could’ve been better that I felt, such as the love interest, Josh, or the idea and concept that Dalton had going on, but the best thing was that it was so easy to read and understand. Feeling a little down and/or needy of a quick read? Go for this—it’s just as good as Sixteenth Summer.
What’s that—do I hear the word “fake” in the air? That’s right. Really, small-town girl romance summer love stuff is so not for me. It’s not my type and it’s so cliché and out of my bookish-league. Fifteenth Summer was exactly as Sixteenth Summer was, and I’ve found that cheesy chick-lit like this definitely isn’t for me. There’s no backstory, no drama, just something sweet and sappy that’s getting you to wonder if the couple will stay together by the end. That’s all we’re looking for.
If you want the most simplistic book to read by the seashore while you’re on vacation and trying to concentrate on the total minimum, then I’d tell you to go for this. Michelle Dalton is an author who goes through many romance “clichés,” as well as a story with almost no plot. It’s a little more boring than spending 2 hours staring into space.
Without even reading or threading a wink at the pages, you can probably tell what this is already about. Your elementary school English teacher would be proud of you for making correct predictions on what the story is about by just looking at the cover and making a ‘visual prediction.’ A girl spending a summer in a small-town beach, falling in love, not knowing what will happen in the future or if they’ll stay together. It’s like a 50/50 chance that they’ll be together.
But what about the long-distance thing? What about their families? Isn’t 15 such an early age to be “really in love?” Those were the dumb questions that were floating around in Chelsea’s mind. (Our protagonist.) And what I can tell you is that this book was memorable to the minimum. I can’t even remember what the guy’s name was. *not looking at summary* Daniel? Jacob? Max? *looks at summary* JOSH. Oh yeah, it was Josh.
First thing’s first—the idea was cute. I mean, I was able to stand it, unlike some romances. Yes, there were a ton of moments where I just kept rolling my eyes over and over again of boredom and because of the cheesiness, but it’s kind of fun to imagine love at a young age. It’s obviously really rare, but that’s the idea of a book—things that aren’t meant to happen in reality. It’s only the author’s dream that we will dream on about their writing and the events that happened in the book and originally formed in their minds. For the idea, I’ll give it between good and bad. This was a fairly short read. 272 pages can take me about 2 hours to read? And because it was so easy to read and concentrate on, it was even more easier. Yes, the story was extremely fast-paced, but I didn’t get that much captivation out of it, coming out of the idea.
Chelsea was AMAZING. I loved her to death—especially since she was a bookworm. ONCE SHE ARRIVED TO THE TOWN SHE LOOKED FOR A BOOKSTORE AND SHE FOUND JOSH THERE, AHHH. Like, that was the perfect way to find your loved one, especially if you guys can understand each other. They were a definite ship. And Josh’s parents loved Chelsea from the moment they met her when she bought that $1 book. The funniest thing was that she actually came to look for something better but she really got nervous around Josh and ended up having to get one of the cheesiest and cheapest books in the store. But you can’t help it when you see something that excites you, no?
To be honest, I didn’t really like Josh as a character since the person on the cover ruined it for me and he was a little too show-off and macho-ee (you know what I mean, hah), but together, they were really cute. It’s amazing when a couple aren’t complete opposites and when one can understand each other 100%. Two book-nerds together? That’s the best thing ever.
With a fantastic protagonist and a quick read, Fifteenth Summer was okay. There were some tweaks that could’ve been better that I felt, such as the love interest, Josh, or the idea and concept that Dalton had going on, but the best thing was that it was so easy to read and understand. Feeling a little down and/or needy of a quick read? Go for this—it’s just as good as Sixteenth Summer.
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