Cruel Summer

by Alyson Noel

"This was supposed to be my best summer yet, the one I've been working toward since practically forever. Now I'm being banished from everything I know and love, and it just doesn't make any sense."

Having recently discarded her dorky image--and the best friend that went with it--Colby Cavendish is looking forward to a long hot season of parties, beach BBQ's, and hopefully, more hook-ups with Levi Bonham, the hottest guy in school. But her world comes crashing down when her parents send her away to spend the summer in Greece with her crazy aunt Tally.

Stranded on a boring island with no malls, no cell phone reception, and an aunt who talks to her plants, Colby worries that her new friends have forgotten all about her. But when she meets Yannis, a cute Greek local, everything changes. She experiences something deeper and more intense than a summer fling, and it forces her to see herself, and the life she left behind, in a whole new way, in Alyson Noël 's Cruel Summer.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Summer, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction, Fiction

229 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2008

About the author

*Note to readers: I'm slowly adding to the long list of books I've read, books I'm reading, and books I want to read. I only add books I loved, hence all my ratings are 5 stars.


Alyson Noël is the #1 NYT best-selling author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for readers of all ages.

With 9 NYT bestsellers and millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, and have topped the NYT, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, as well as several international bestsellers lists.

She is best known for THE IMMORTALS series, THE RILEY BLOOM series, and SAVING ZOË, which was adapted into a movie now available on Amazon.

Upcoming works include:

RULING DESTINY- book 2, in the STEALING INFINITY series

STEALING INFINITY- Optioned for TV by Valhalla Entertainment - available now!

FIELD GUIDE TO THE SUPERNATURAL UNIVERSE - Optioned for TV by producers Charles Matthau and Michael Zoumas with Andrew Orenstein and Matt Hastings attached as show runners

Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California. Learn more at www.alysonnoel.com.

Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alyson_noel

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlysonNoel/

Facebook:
Official me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyson...

Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/alysonnoel/

Reviews

[Sonja Rosa Lisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colby, die eigentlich in Kalifornien lebt, wird über die Sommermonate von ihren Eltern zu ihrer Tante geschickt, die auf einer kleinen griechischen Insel lebt. Colby findet das ganz fürchterlich und möchte unbedingt zurück, doch schließlich wird es doch noch ein schöner Sommer, u.a. weil sie Yannis kennenlernt...
💗 Am Anfang fand ich Colby nicht sehr sympathisch. Sie erschien mir für ein 17-jähriges Mädchen recht unreif und oberflächlich. Aber sie entwickelt sich, und ein bisschen nachvollziehen konnte ich ihre Lage auch...
Letztendlich ist es ein schöner Jugendroman, leicht geschrieben mit Tagebucheinträgen, Briefen und Mails und einer schönen sommerlichen Atmosphäre.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I first started reading Cruel Summer, I almost put it down. It wasn't horrible, but it was definitely not for me. Colby seemed annoying and spoiled, but around the middle of the novel, she got likable enough that I could continue reading. Thats not very good. I grabbed this book because it takes place in Greece, which is one of my favorite places in the world, but was disappointed when all Colby did was complain about it.
I decided to give Alyson Noel another chance after reading Saving Zoe, so because I was short on money, I got this book from the library. I'm glad I did. Cruel Summer was written only through blog entries, letters, diary entries, and texts, which was confusing because it didn't show anyone's messages but Colby's and left the minor characters undeveloped. I also felt that everything that happened was predictable. The plot was very unoriginal, and even the "twists" in the story were not unexpected or surprising. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone :/

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a little bit disappointed to see the low rating of this book, but I understand why. It's clear that this book can get annoying- main character, writing, the letters, the journal, etc. BUT, for some reason, I find myself having to defend this book. Here's why:

I started out this book thinking it's going to be absolutely cheesy and boring. I was thinking in my head that this would be another book I would have to put down and not finish. (Quite annoyed, since I've not been able to find a good book lately that I want to actually finish reading.) Hey, I was sort of right too about the cheesy and boring. For some odd reason though, I read this book in a whole day and pretty much fell in love with it. The funny thing is I'm not exactly sure why. Sure there were parts where everything got annoying, but I was like hooked to it. I kept wanting to know what happened. It is quite predicatable, but I still enjoyed it. I'm not like the main character, but there are a few things I can relate to her about.

Overall, good book. It does contain a good meaning, and the main character ends up learning quite a few things.

[Yan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written like a form of a diary, I only enjoyed the latter half of this book. The beginning was very much annoying, way too bipolar. One moment she’s miserable, depressed, complaining to the world through blogging, next she’s happy as a clam, dating a superhot Greek guy.

Colby isn’t someone I like to read about, her qualities as a friend really turned me off, “Which kind of required me to get rid of my old best friend. But since we were kind of in a fight anyways, I decided to go with it and never look back.” Really what kind of person would do that!? If someone who had some form of popularity shows a slight interest in you, you just ditch your best friend since you guys were fighting anyway, and that made it alright?

This book was also far too predictable, from the anonymous commenter to the appearance of almost all the characters. Blond, tan, blue-eyed Amanda, to the smokin’ hot, tanned and toned, piercing green-eyed, an adorable accented Yannis. I already knew almost everything that happened before it actually happened.

Plot was very rushed, actually there wasn’t very much of a plot. Well what was left of it didn’t really interest me. Girl goes to visit her crazy aunt in some a small island, girl is annoyed/miserable about being there, girl meets boy, boy and girl fall in love in a VERY short amount of time, girl goes back home and stays in touch with said boy. That’s all, really :D

Okay so I said it got better in the second half. Really it did. I much prefer happy outgoing Colby than said mentioned before. Here’s a cute quote that I liked, “Apparently cats have short memories. Which means my next pet will be an elephant.” Some scenes were also nice, a get-together with some people at the island, a date on the beach, and some of that sort.

Overall: A disappointing book from Alyson. This was my first books by her and I’m crossing my fingers for her other books—especially Evermore since many people seem to like it. Pick it up if you’re bored, a quick easy read for the summer (it took me less than a day to day, 2-3 hours). Just be prepared to not like the first half of this book, or maybe some of the second half…

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I went to the bookstore, I'd have to say that this one caught my eye just by the cover. Simple yet beautiful. Plus, I had been looking for good summer reads, so I decided to give it a try.

So when I started it, I'll be completely honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to finish it. The journal entry/email/text message format was very hard to get used to. Also, in the beginning, I didn't find the main character, Colby, likeable at all. She reminded me exactly why most people hate our generation. She was bratty, whiny, judgemental, and spoiled.

But then, as the book went on, she began to discover her true self little by little. And with some parts, I just couldn't help but sympathize with her. Near the middle, the reader realizes that Colby isn't bitter, but instead she's completely confused. It was this confusion that led her to make those less than honorable decisions, and near the end, she realizes that the life she left behind just wasn't worth it anymore.

And her relationship with Yannis was very cute. The romance was alot deeper than I expected it to be, but Alyson Noel wrote it in a way that didn't make it too heavy for the lightness of Colby's point of view.

Very good. And the fact that there weren't chapters made it easier to breeze through.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part of this book was the cover. ;) It was a typical teen romance. Cute but nothing special.

[Judit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normálne že Noelka toto napísala??!!

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: divorcing parents, death.

This was...fine? But also, I strongly suspect, quite forgettable. So essentially, it's told in diary entries, emails and letters from a teenage girl sent from California to Greece to stay with her aunt while her parents sort out their messy divorce.

The setting shines in some ways, but also Colby spends most of her time in the local internet cafe because her aunt doesn't have a computer at home. The text speak that's used in Colby's emails to some of her friends is INDESCRIBABLY cringeworthy and I definitely struggled my way through some of her "blog posts" where she's essentially just describing a bunch of images that are supposedly in the post.

But it was a quick easy read so I guess there's that.

[Adele · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this is a beautiful, simple cover featuring the stark tranquility of the sky and great body language of the models. It jumped out at me from the shelves of my book store despite someone obviously already having read it (grrrr). I hadn't heard of Alyson Noel before I read this last night and I haven't seen her books on the shelves here in Adelaide, Australia but I will be seeking her out from now on. What I loved about this book was the very fluid, chatty writing style that flowed throughout. It may be a more casual style but don't assume there's no substance. We are able to access Colby's thoughts through letters, blog entries, texts, and diary entries and I found myself laughing and joyfully turning page after page. I particularly loved it when one piece of correspondance contradicted another as I felt that is was very true to the protagonist.

Colby suffers and she explains her suffering, at length. But she does it in such a whiney, bratty and remarkably unconscious way that it paves the way for actual, organic character development. Our heroine may dump her best friend, hook up with a shallow loser, break some rules and make really bad decisions but we don't hate her because of it. Why? Because Noel sprinkles comments about her homelife that make it truly impossible not to wish happiness for her. Divorce is pretty common these days and Colby's parents choose the road most travelled in their management of it. By that I mean...just plain mean to each other and periodically, Colby. I loved the flippancy and liveliness of this character, she possesses that classic impetuousness and enthusiam that you love to death in a person but which also drives you up the wall.

I loved the minor characters. Natalie, though we never witness any actual interaction with one another than some emails from Colby, is my fave. She is a true friend and someone that Colby eventually sees the value in. I have a real soft spot for Tally, Tassos and the beligerant Petros. Yannis sounds divine but I could take or leave him, the real story here is Colby and her striving unconsciously to be a better person.

Alyson Noel, I think I adore thee

[Annabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Colby is forced to live in Greece with her "crazy" aunt and uncle, apperantley to get away from the chaos of her parents divorce. She had just broken into the "in" crowd, and she was really frustrated to be leaving them for the summer. She worries that they will forget about her and move on, so she creates a blog where they can read all about what she's doing. She has to go to a very boring, plain part of Greece that she hates. She meets a Greek boy named Yanni, and they start going out. Then Colby goes to a fancy part of Greece (without telling Yanni) to meet up with a popular boy (Levi) who she spontaneoulsy lost her virginity to the night before coming to Greece. Colby doesn't know that Yanni knows about her blog, so she posts pictures of her and Levi hanging out and having a good time. Yanni gets mad and stops talking to her. Then Colby realizes what she did, and why it was wrong, and she realizes that she really actually likes Yanni, and that he's the one for her. They are both very very sad when she quickly has to return home at the end of the summer.
I liked this book because it was a really powerful read (even though it may not seem like it!) =) In the end, Colby learns a ton about herself, and eventually stands up to Amanda, the leader of the popular crowd. I think this book shows the amazing transformation Colby goes to by living in Greece for a summer, and I also thought it taught a lesson about having an open mind. This is because at first Colby really didn't want to be in Greece and she hated it, but then at the end she ended up wanting to live there forever!
I would recommened this book although some others may think some parts are a bit slow (like the beggining). Overall it was great!!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok first of all lets just get this out there...I'm 38, what am I doing reading a book that my 16 year old if not my 11 year old should be reading?!?!?!!!!

Ok that's out there and now that aside....ok wait I can't put that aside because I think that is my main problem with this book.

Ok so Colby's parents are getting a divorce. To save her from all the drama and ugliness they send her to stay with her not well known aunt. She's eccentric...but really who cares SHE LIVES IN GREECE. Wait wait that's the 38 year old in me talking again. Ok so she has to go spend the summer before her junior year with her aunt IN GREECE, sorry just seems like that should be in caps.

So basically all I could keep thinking in the beginning of this book as she's whining about being homesick and her new friendship with the most popular girl in school and her new almost relationship with hottest guy in school was going to suffer....IS WHO CARES YOURE IN GREECE!!!

So eventually Colby starts to come around to that fact and the fact that there's lots of hot boys IN GREECE. Can summer romances matter when you're in anther country. What happens when a piece of your life from home invades your now ideal life IN GREECE. Who knows but the fact that she's IN GREECE makes it all that much better.

Honestly it's a cute story with many real life issues teens face. I laughed with Clolby, I laughed at Colby, I cried with Colby, and I especially empathized with what Colby was going through with her home life. In fact there's a few life lessons I will walk away with and use when communicating with my own teen girls. For that reason alone I call reason this book a success. IN GREECE! Sorry just had to get it in there one more time!

[Pixie/PageTurners Blog(Amber) C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute story about Colby figuring out who she is; we take the journey with her, through diary entries, blog post, emails and text messages. Colby has always been one of the girls that wasn't in the inner circle but wanted to be. After a lucky shot in volleyball, the most popular girl in school befriends her. To accept this friendship Colby has to give up her old life and shun her best friend Natalie.

Colby is in the in crowd, attending parties, has a "boyfriend" and staying out pass curfew - her parents are in the middle of a divorce and decided to send Colby to Greece for the summer, while their divorce gets ugly(wished that was my summer before my sr. year) Colby is extremely upset with her parents. She doesn't understand why they are punishing her for their problems. This was supposed to be the summer of her dreams. They are sending her to stay with an aunt; they have always called Crazy aunt Tally.

Colby arrives in Greece and has to take a boat to the small secluded island of Tinos. It is her worst nightmare- no cell service, no Internet, no TV. Luckily she does find an Internet Cafe with her laptop and a frappacino in had she starts a blog called Cruel Summer.

During the three months Colby spends on the island she learns that what she thought was love, was just a crush, that her new best friend isn't much of a friend, that best friends will fight, but they are able to move past it and that Crazy aunt Tally, isn’t so crazy after all.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shoot me in the face. I hated this book. I couldn't relate or sympathize or even begin to like the main character. She was just a selfish brat. It was predicatable, cliche, and boring. Maybe if the author had written the book as an acutal story and not as a diary I would have liked it.

[Pia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vielen Dank an den Verlag CBT für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplares!

Colby hat es gerade geschafft, in Amandas angesagte Clique aufgenommen zu werden. Eigentlich sollte das der beste Sommer überhaupt werden, sogar der supercoole Levi beachtet sie auf einmal. Da schicken sie ihre Eltern zu ihrer verrückten Tante auf eine griechische Insel am Ende der Welt … ohne Internetanschluss! Verzweifelt versucht Colby, Kontakt mit Amanda und Levi zu halten. Alles auf dieser griechischen Insel ist total nervig. Wirklich alles? Auf einer Party lernt sie Yannis kennen, einen gut aussehenden Jungen, der ihr schon auf der Fähre aufgefallen ist. Und auf einmal beginnt dieser schreckliche Sommer doch ganz nett zu werden …

Rezension:
Colby kann es nicht fassen. Ihre Eltern lassen sich scheiden und schicken sie währenddessen zu ihrer verrückten Tante auf eine griechische Insel geschickt. Wie soll sie den Kontakt zu Amanda wahren, der beliebten Freundin, die sie sich erkämpft hat? Diese hat nämlich die Aufmerksamkeitsfassung einer Eintagsfliege und flattert, in dem Moment während Colby auf der Insel ohne Handy und Internetverbindung festsitzt, wahrscheinlich zu dem nächsten! Und da ist auch noch der hübsche Levi, dem sie ihre Unschuldigkeit geschenkt hat...

Doch als sie auf der Insel ankommt, realisiert sie bald, dass ihr Leben in Kalifornien doch nicht so toll war. Wieso meldet Amanda nicht mehr so oft? So lernt sie noch mehr Leute aus dem Dorf kennen, darunter ist auch der süße Yannis, den sie schon auf der Fähre sah. Wie dieser Sommer wohl enden wird?

Der Schreibstil ist etwas eigenartig, aber dennoch nicht schlecht. Hibiskussommer ist in den Tagebucheinträgen, Briefen, Blogeinträgen und Emails die Colby aus ihrer Zeit in Griechenland verschickt, verfasst. Colby benutzt manchmal sehr stark die Jugendsprache (meistens wird ein "oder so" und so weiter angehängt - nicht wundern, das haben wir gerade in Deutsch ;)), was den Lesefluss am Anfang etwas stört. Nach einiger Zeit lässt dies aber nach und lässt den Leser in einer außergewöhnlichen Art in ihre Welt eintauchen.

Zugegebenermaßen ist die Handlung nichts besonderes - Ein verwöhntes Mädchen wird für einige Zeit in ein verlassenes Dorf (in diesem Fall eine verlassene Insel) verfrachtet und soll sich dort ändern und so weiter. Ob sie in diesem Fall alles einsieht, was sie falsch gemacht hat, behalte ich jetzt einmal besser für mich. Genau deswegen ist Hibiskussommer leider nicht sehr spannungsgeladen und sehr vorhersehbar, was man beim Lesen aber definitiv schnell vergessen kann.

Dennoch hat das Buch mich auf seine eigene Weise gefesselt. Colby ist zwischen dem verwöhnten, beliebten Mädchen und dem, das macht, was sie will hin und her gerissen. Soll sie Yannis - eine Art Urlaubsbekanntschaft - vergessen und sich weiter an dem stillen Levi aus ihrer Clique in Amerika versuchen?
Das hört sich jetzt nicht wirklich spannend an, aber ich konnte mich als Leser sehr gut in die Protagonistin und ihre Probleme hineinversetzen. Sie verhällt sich genau so, wie ich mich verhalten hätte - Am Anfang rebelliert sie und bittet ihre Eltern, bis kurz vor dem Ende, sie vorzeitig von der griechischen Insel runterzuholen. Genau das hat Colby im Endeffekt so verständnisvoll für mich gemacht, da ich, wie gesagt, meistens auch so wie sie gehandelt hätte.

Zugegeben: Auch wenn ich mich wahrscheinlich ähnlich verhalten hätte, ist mir Colbys Verhalten am Anfang des Buches etwas auf den Keks gegangen. Kein Grund für mich, das Buch abzubrechen - aber trotzdem solltet ihr wissen, dass sie Anfangs nicht ganz einfach ist. Für mich ist das mehr oder wichtig zu erwähnen, da ich glaube, dass viele Leser so eine Protagonistin eventuell nicht aushallten könnten.

Besonders die Liebesgeschichte zwischen Yannis und ihr hat mir gefallen. Noel zeigt dem Leser die wunderbare Welt Griechenlands, was in mir sofort den Drang auslöste, auch dorthin zu fahren. Colby erzählt von wunderbaren Festen und ausgelassenem Tanzen, fehlender Alkoholkontrolle und wunderschönen Abenden mit der Familie und oder den Freunden.
Besonders die Dinge, die Yannis mit ihr gemacht hat, haben mich gerührt (auch wenn sie eigentlich ziemlich kitschig waren). Aber auch das war für mich ein großer Pluspunkt - Ich kenne diese Art von Liebesgeschichte mittlerweile in- und auswendig, weswegen ich wahrscheinlich nicht so leicht zu begeistern bin. Meistens laufen sie eh nach dem Schema - Mädchen denkt, er beachtet sie nicht; Er kommt extra wegen ihr irgendwo hin und hat aufeinmal doch interesse; Mädchen sieht ihn mit anderen Mädchen und vergeht vor Eifersucht; Mädchen und Junge treffen sich; verlieben sich. Und Yannis und Colby haben mich aufjedenfall begeistert und fasziniert!
Die Charaktere sind definitiv sehr facettenreich. Bei Colby fehlt es am Anfang ein wenig, da sie da eher wie ein verzogenes Gör herüberkommt, weswegen aber die Veränderungen, die sie auf Tinos durchlebt, deutlicher werden. Irgendwie hat sie es aber trotzdem geschafft, dass ich mich voll und ganz einsehen konnte, wieso sie denjenigen und diejenige hasst oder nicht mag. Ihr glaubt garnicht, wie sehr ich ihre Eltern nicht mochte ;P
Yannis und die anderen Inselbewohner fand ich besonders nett und besonders Yannis ist mir ans Herz gewachsen. Es sind zwar alles nicht orginelle Charaktere, die entweder unvorhersehbar oder nicht in irgendeinem Klischee hängen, aber trotzdem waren sie sehr liebevoll. Das, ist, wie oben bei der Liebesgeschichte, auch für mich ein guter Pluspunkt - Manchmal überzeugt man eben dadurch, dass das Normale besonders gut wird.

Mein Fazit: Hibiskussommer ist eine wunderbare Sommerlektüre für zwischendurch, die mich mit nach Griechenland genommen hat und mich in so eine tolle Welt versetzt, dass ich am liebsten dort geblieben wäre. Das Buch hat mich außerdem durch seinen besonderen Schreibstil bzw. die besondere Schreibart überzeugt, die für mich etwas fast ganz neues war. Absolut empfehlenswert!

Das Cover:
Zu Hibiskussommer passt thematisch das englische Cover um einiges besser. Das Mädchen auf dem Cover hat sogar die passende Haarfarbe wie Colby, gleiches gilt für den Jungen. Optisch nicht schlecht, aber nicht so toll wie das deutsche Cover.
Mir gefällt das deutsche aufjedenfall besser. Es passt auch aufjedenfall zu dem Buch, da in dem dort auch Lilien (ich bin mir nicht ganz sicher, aber ich glaube auch rote) vor kommen. Für mich ist das Cover aber auch rein optisch wirklich toll!

[Britt Meter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Alyson Noel second novel I've read this year and comparing to this book with the other book "Saving Zoe" this book was a straight forward contemporary novel, and also the easiest book to read and understand. The main character Colby is going on holiday in Greece with her aunty for 3 months because her parents are getting a divorce, even on her holiday she has her drama back in California where she lives, studies and her best friends are and also her boyfriend. But also there are drama in Greece where she falls in love with a boy, stopping her parents from getting divorced and also re-discovering who her friends are (popular verse the minority group of friends are) but it's short, quick read for me, Colby is a strong, independent, dramatic seventeen year old. I'm looking forward to reading some of Alyson Noel's other books.

[Zuzia Piskorska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tak się składa ze jestem na krecie hehe
Bawiłam się bardzo dobrze przy tej książce ale daje 3,5 bo na początku ta główna bohaterka była mega irytująca
Ale ogólnie idealnie odmóżdżająca wakacyjna młodzieżówka😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[Lynne Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute book. The main character was a bit too whiney for me to want to give this 4 or 5 stars, but I did like the arc, and I thought writing via texts, blog, journal was creative.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colbie Cavendish is looking forward to a fun summer spenet partying with her new (and über-popular) circle of friends. Unfortunately, her fighting parents decide to send her to a tiny Greek island no one’s ever heard of to stay with her crazy aunt Tally. This is practically unforgivable to Colbie since she’ll only have minimal contact with her new friends (email) and is worried they’ll forget her. But when Colbie finally takes a break from being depressed about her vacation when she spends mostly in an Internet café, she realizes that maybe she should be out living instead of mourning all the changes to her old life. And that’s when she meets Yannis, a gorgeous Greek guy who’s just as interested in her as she is in him. It seems Colbie’s vacation isn’t as miserable as she thought it would be; it changes her perspective on her entire life.

I really enjoyed Alyson Noël’s writing in her other novels that I’ve read, Faking 19 and Saving Zoë, and Cruel Summer was no different. While the plot isn’t fast-paced and exciting, it’s the well-developed characters that really caught my attention, though in this case, Colbie was the only well-developed character as the story was told from her point-of-view. Alyson Noël has a subtle way of making her stories much deeper and more meaningful than they may appear on the surface, and this makes them seem real. For example, Colbie is initially portrayed as a whiny and insecure girl, but as her vacation progresses, she starts to appreciate or at least accept what she has in life. I also liked how romance was incorporated into Colbie’s story, because she really deserved Yannis in the midst of all her other problems. In all, Cruel Summer was a very enjoyable story and, despite the cover, much better than just a beach read.

In a strange way, although none of her novels rank very high among my favorites, Alyson Noël is one of my favorite authors. It’s not just because she’s an Orange County resident like me and often writes about that setting; Alyson Noël just has a really great writing style. I definitely recommend Cruel Summer as well as her other novels that I’ve read, Faking 19 and Saving Zoë. I also look forward to reading Art Geeks and Prom Queens and Kiss & Blog sometime in the future.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Reut · Rating 2 out of 5]

Original review at http://reutreads.wordpress.com/2011/0...

Cruel Summer is a relatively normal beach read. Nothing too exciting. I like Alyson Noel's Immortals series, and have the first book in the spin-off series, Radiance in my tbr-pile, and almost cried during Saving Zoe. But this one was not really a game-changer for me. Didn't cut the cheesecake, if you know what I'm saying.

Cruel Summer is a "mixed media" kind of book that takes different formats, like blog posts and journal entries, and mixes them in with some letters and narration. For one thing, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more if the other media "chapters" had had a different kind of template? If that makes any sense at all? I love epistolary books, like Jaclyn Moriarty's Ashbury/Brookfield Sequence (Check them out, they're amazing!) and I wished that this book could have been one of those.

One thing I liked was the premise of the book. The whole girl gets sent away to an exotic place appeals to me, and add in a divorce and some crappy best friends, and the book has some potential. The initial plotline was good, it was just the details I didn't really like.

Can I just say that I am tired of the books with a "mystery" I can figure out from miles away? Nothing against this book in particular, but when the main character I am supposed to like fails to see the obvious conclusion, it exasperates me. Here, there was supposedly some kind of "what just happened?" that I could not thoroughly enjoy because I already knew what had happened.

I did genuinely like the journey Alyson took Colby on. It was a bit rushed at times--and I have to admit I don't know why, this was a short read--but Alyson manages to gradually take Colby from being a typical Cady Heron type (Mean Girls reference! Boo-yah!) to being a normal person. Yay!

Try this if you're looking for a beach read that is deeper than a kiddy pool, but otherwise, read Saving Zoe instead if you just want to read something else by Alyson Noel.

[Diane ϟ [ Lestrange ] · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5
This is the only book (so far) that I felt like giving up numerous of times! but I didn't.

Told entirely through Colby's letters, journal entries, and blog posts, this story is one of a girl's search for her identity and struggle to fit in. And this, like so many other young adult novels, is a great idea. I just wish I found Colby a little more likable. She's just so whiny. I mean, sure, teens are typically an unhappy and angsty bunch when things don't go their way, but Colby is more like a petulant child than an angst ridden teenager. It's obvious that she cares about the social politics of high school, like most of Noel's characters in her other novels, but I couldn't really bring myself to care about her.

My view of Colby as little more than a whiny little girl is probably due in part to the format of the novel. Normally, a book that tells its story solely in correspondence gives the reader letters from both the main character and the people they spend their time writing to. Not the case here. Even when Colby emails people from back home at the internet cafe, we don't get to see their responses to her. Anonymous comments on her blog are the only voice other than her own in the whole novel. It makes for some very one sided conversations, and I don't think it works quite as well as if Colby was allowing the readers to see what other characters had to say.

Now, none of this means the story is particularly bad. I know quite a few people who enjoyed it. The way the story was told just wasn't my cup of tea. If you want more interesting stories of teenage girls finding themselves in summer settings, I'd go for a Sarah Dessen novel instead.

[Liznell Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This brilliant book by Alyson Noel was truly eye-opening. She describes the disrupted summer of a popularity obsessed teenager, Colby Cavendish. When Colby's parents file for a divorce, they think it is best if she stays with her aunt Tally until it is finalized. The only problem is that Tally lives in Tinos, Greece. Colby is not looking forward to living in Greece for the summer because she recently became friends with the most popular girl at school, Amanda Harman. She is worried Amanda will replace her if she is gone too long. After all, Colby blew off her best friend for Amanda just to be popular. After countless failed attempts of changing her parent's minds, she ends up in Greece. While there Colby is oblivious to the beauty of the land she is on. She spends most of her days at the cyber cafe emailing Amanda and blogging. That is insane! This made me realize how technology and popularity consumed teenagers can be! She would rather use her laptop then go sightseeing in Greece! But, it is not long before something, or someone, catches her eye. Will it be a sudden realization or a blooming romance that tears Colby away from her laptop? Find out by getting a hold of this great read!

[Freya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich machs mal auf Deutsch. Also. Das Buch ist jetzt nicht unbedingt lesenswert. Positiv fand ich zum Beispiel das Cover (das deutsche) und die Form, in der das Buch verfasst ist. Es besteht nämlich nur aus SMSn, Emails, Briefen, Tagebuch- und Blogeinträgen der Hauptfigur Colby an irgendwelche Personen. Positiv ist im Nachhinein auch Colbys Entwicklung.
Negativ sind erst mal die Identifikationsprobleme mit Colby. Sie ist ziemlich oberflächlich, lässt richtige Freunde für falsche Freunde fallen und merkt nicht mal, dass da irgendwas nicht richtig ist. Die vielen Aufzählungen, ihr Gejammer und ihre negativ Einstellung sind auf Dauer auch etwas nervig, dabei ist das Buch nur so kurz. Außerdem war es teilweise etwas vorhersehbar. Ich verrate nicht zu viel, wenn ich von der anonymen Person erzähle, die ihren Blog kommentiert. Ich wusste sofort, wer es ist. Deswegen fand ich es nicht besonders gelungen, weil ich Colby, obwohl ich fast genauso alt bin, nicht besonders sympathisch fand oder verstehen konnte. Das Cover und der Titel täuschen deswegen leider so ein bisschen. Für ne Zwei-Tage-Lektüre kann es echt nicht schaden, aber es könnte besser sein.

[Erik Fazekas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mne sa to pacilo, co s tym narobim. Colby, nasu hlavnu hrdinku poslu rozvadzajuci sa rodicia do Grecka za strelenou tetou Tally. A tam sa deje vsetko co sa v letnej knizke diat ma. Cele je to pisane formou listou, esemesiek, e-mailov, blogu a dennika z Colbinej strany. Noelova tymto naozaj prekvapila, ziadne sprosta hrdinka, ziadne nerealno, lahky letny pribeh, ktory sa hodi ako citanie na plaz, prvu polovicu precitate kym si opalite predok, druhu kym zadok.
Necakajte ziadnu tazku literaturu a inde ako na plazi to ani necitajte, lebo inak to bude pre vas blbost:)

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alyson Noel has released another work of art. This book was humorous, engaging, captivating, and entertaining. I read it one sitting. And although I might have found it in the young adult section. I'm nearly 30 and I thought it was brilliant! Either I'm still a teen at heart, or this book has the power to appeal to anyone...at any age!

[Jenyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ITS RLY GOOD!
I am so proud Of reading this book but the ending was so sad I wish they would end up being together and meeting each other again somehow other than parting away and living in different countries. I loved everything in this book but the ending should be different. Better I suppose...

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main character REALLY annoyed me for the first half of the book. But she grew on me, and in the end I actually liked her. The concept of the story is also really cute (and cliche but..). I enjoyed the overall message that the story was trying to tell. I don't know if I would recommend this book, but I am glad that I finished it.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

romantic????
Yes it is.

[Natalie R]

Colby Cavendish, a teenage girl in Cruel Summer that is struggling to see that no matter what happens, everything will be ok. It is reared by a family that is having a hard time finding their way, and some distant relatives that help Colby find herself again. A book about self perseverance and finding the good in what you have.
Cruel summer is a realistic nonfiction book. It is the only book in its series. The book is easy to read and comprehend with about 230 pages.
The book takes place in California then it switches to Greece. It is all in the present with all realistic things. It captures all of the Greece culture, food, and way of life. I could picture the setting in my head in every page with full clarity.
A struggling teen is forced to leave her life in California and go all the way to Greece due to the issues of her parents. She hated the idea of leaving all of her friends and her way of life until she comes upon something that changes her mind completely.
The main character is Colby, but other important characters are her uncle and aunt Tally and Tinos and this boy Yannis. They are interesting because they come from a different culture is it is cool to see how they live and act. All of them are human and they all act with no evil. Colby is the only one who faces a conflict and it is an internal conflict. They connect with each other by helping each other find their way and think positive about everything.
The theme is to face your challenges and no matter what you are going through you always have to think positive.
I think other people would enjoy this because it is so visual and self motivating. I was laughing the entire book, but then it would make me want to cry. I think the author achieved what she was going for she wrote the book so well. It is one of my favorite books I have read.
The book is a terrific choice for those who like to laugh and get taught a great lesson with love it also being a love story.
I would give it 5 stars, I loved it. Full of love and emotion.

[LadyMuffinchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colby hat es gerade geschafft, in Amandas angesagte Clique aufgenommen zu werden. Eigentlich sollte das der beste Sommer überhaupt werden, sogar der supercoole Levi beachtet sie auf einmal. Da schicken sie ihre Eltern zu ihrer verrückten Tante auf eine griechische Insel am Ende der Welt … ohne Internetanschluss! Verzweifelt versucht Colby, Kontakt mit Amanda und Levi zu halten. Alles auf dieser griechischen Insel ist total nervig. Wirklich alles? Auf einer Party lernt sie Yannis kennen, einen gut aussehenden Jungen, der ihr schon auf der Fähre aufgefallen ist. Und auf einmal beginnt dieser schreckliche Sommer doch ganz nett zu werden …

Das Buch ist aufgeteilt in Tagebucheinträge, E-Mails, sowie Briefe und Blogeinträge von Colby. Dabei wird alles aus ihrer Sicht geschildert. An und für sich eine nette Idee, denn so kommt Abwechslung in die Sache.

Im Vordergrund steht hier die Scheidung ihrer Eltern und die damit verbundenen Konsequenzen, die diese für Colby mit sich bringt. Der Sommer in Griechenland, den sie nicht will und gleichzeitig die Trennung von ihrer neuen Clique mit ihrer vermeintlichen neuen besten Freundin; der ausstehende Umzug in ein neues Haus/eine neue Wohnung und einfach gefühlt sonst jede - wirklich schon fast - Kleinigkeit.

Colby schreibt in jeder Mail und in jedem Brief, wie furchtbar sie alles findet und dass man ihr das doch alles nicht antun möge. Außerdem will sie nach Hause. Dabei greift sie zu unmöglichen Formeln und wird wirklich mehr als frech. Natürlich ist die Scheidung der Eltern nicht angenehm, jedoch sind ihre Versuche wirklich peinlich und entsprechen ganz und gar nicht dem Verhalten einer 17 Jährigen... Dabei hilft auch der von ihr genutzte Sarkasmus nur bedingt, alsbald man sich nicht vor im Erdboden versinken nur fremdschämt.

Auch die Blogeinträge sind so lala. Neben wirklich schönen Beschreibungen der griechischen Insel und der ein oder anderen hübschen Sache, macht sie alles schlecht und dabei ging sie mir wirklich auf den Keks. Sie ist kindisch, naiv und absolut unreif. Ebenfalls in den Mails zu sehen, welche sie mit ihrer neuen "Freundin" austauscht. Soweit man von einem Austausch sprechen kann. Da man nur Colbys Dinge liest, kann ich von deren Inhalten aus gesehen nur davon ausgehen, dass sie häufig auch mehr oder weniger mit sich selbst geschrieben hat. Auch ihre Liebe von zu Hause ist eine Heuchelei sondergleichen und sie weiß es, obwohl sie es nicht wahrhaben will.

Während sie also in Egoismus und Selbstmitleid versinkt, bemerkt sie nicht, wie wunderbar alles um sie herum ist und in welchem Paradies sie wohnt. Erst gegen Ende bemerkt sie selbst, dass ihre richtige Freunde, welche sie aufs Abstellgleis gestellt hat Colbys Verhalten nicht verdient hat und wie wundervoll ihre Tante eigentlich ist. Mehr noch: Wie viel Glück sie hat auf der Insel zu sein mit einem Jungen, der sie mag (warum auch immer), wie sie ist, einer, der sie auch sieht.

Natürlich entwickelt sie sich etwas in dem Buch, aber so kleinschrittig und am Ende scheint es, als hätte sie die Erleuchtung gehabt. Das war mehr als unrealistisch und hat mir nur semi gut gefallen. Besser haben mir da ihre Tante und deren Mann, ebenso, wie Yannis gefallen. Sie waren echt und ich konnte sie in ihren Handlungen viel besser nachvollziehen.

Der Schreibstil des Buches hat es mir jedoch wirklich leicht gemacht es flott zu lesen. Die Sprache von Colby ist eher einfach und locker, weshalb man es wirklich gut in einem Rutsch durchlesen kann, soweit man sich nicht an Colby stört.

Hier werden definitiv Sommergefühle vermittelt, wer also ein wenig Urlaubsfeeling möchte und sich nicht an laschen und nervigen Protagonisten stört, kann dieses Buch gut lesen.

[Hailey Newbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, this book was VERY different from what I am used to reading. The format of this book is in emails, blogs, and in a journal of the narrator, Colby Catherine Cavendish. It took me a bit to get used to the format (with no definite chapters), but the overall story line was enjoyable. Colby is sent away to live with her "crazy" Aunt Tally and her boyfriend (Tassos) in Greece while her parents are fighting and eventually divorce. And just as Colby was anticipating a summer with the popular kids at school (she dumped her friend of like 7 years for this popular group), she has to spend her summer in Greece. With no cell-phone reception, no tv or computers, Colby spends the first half of her summer mostly in an internet cafe, posting a blog. She soon meets Yannis, a Greek local, who makes her realize that Americans are to materialistic, and forces her to see herself and the life she left behind in a totally new way. From Tally, Tassos, and Yannis, Colby discovers her true self, in which I soon began to sympathize her. Beginning as a spoiled, bratty, whiny teenager, and becoming so much more really made the book readable. If you are looking for a short and quick read of teen romance (that is not steamy), then this is the perfect summer read!!:)