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Summer #1-3
Beach Blondes: June Dreams / July's Promise / August Magic
Three months. Three guys. One amazing summer.
Summer Smith is in for the best summer of her life. Between the cold weather and her boyfriendless existence in Minnesota, Summer is ready for sun, sand, and boys in the Florida Keys. And by the end of the first day, she has more than enough to keep her busy: Adam, the senator's son, has looks, power, and all the money in the world. Diver, the mystery man, is mellow, intriguing, and definitely unique. And Seth, the perfect guy...only he has a girlfriend. But with new friends, cute guys, and miles of hot white sand, Summer's in for more trouble than she thinks....
Summer Smith is in for the best summer of her life. Between the cold weather and her boyfriendless existence in Minnesota, Summer is ready for sun, sand, and boys in the Florida Keys. And by the end of the first day, she has more than enough to keep her busy: Adam, the senator's son, has looks, power, and all the money in the world. Diver, the mystery man, is mellow, intriguing, and definitely unique. And Seth, the perfect guy...only he has a girlfriend. But with new friends, cute guys, and miles of hot white sand, Summer's in for more trouble than she thinks....
721 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2008
189 people are currently reading
4367 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Applegate
280 books6,273 followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
May 9, 2012
Perfect summer read. It is kind of long (721 pages) though, so you might not want to read it at the beach... if you want to keep your book in a good condition :)
"Three months. Three guys. One amazing summer.
Summer Smith is in for the best summer of her life. Between the cold weather and her boyfriendless existence in Minnesota, Summer is ready for sun, sand, and boys in the Florida Keys. And by the end of the first day, she has more than enough to keep her busy:
Adam, the senator's son, has looks, power, and all the money in the world.
Diver, the mystery man, is mellow, intriguing, and definitely unique.
And Seth, the perfect guy...only he has a girlfriend.
But with new friends, cute guys, and miles of hot white sand, Summer's in for more trouble than she thinks...."
- That's the summary of it, written on the back of the book. I first thought it would be similar to "The summer I turned pretty" by Jenny Han, but it's definitely not. (I love them both equally!)
Oh, and keep in mind that the picture on the cover of the book has nothing with the whole story: it's not about a group of girls. It's way better ( and deeper) than that.
"Three months. Three guys. One amazing summer.
Summer Smith is in for the best summer of her life. Between the cold weather and her boyfriendless existence in Minnesota, Summer is ready for sun, sand, and boys in the Florida Keys. And by the end of the first day, she has more than enough to keep her busy:
Adam, the senator's son, has looks, power, and all the money in the world.
Diver, the mystery man, is mellow, intriguing, and definitely unique.
And Seth, the perfect guy...only he has a girlfriend.
But with new friends, cute guys, and miles of hot white sand, Summer's in for more trouble than she thinks...."
- That's the summary of it, written on the back of the book. I first thought it would be similar to "The summer I turned pretty" by Jenny Han, but it's definitely not. (I love them both equally!)
Oh, and keep in mind that the picture on the cover of the book has nothing with the whole story: it's not about a group of girls. It's way better ( and deeper) than that.
August 16, 2014
It wasn't terrible but I would've edited it a lot differently than it was. For the most part, it was just a bubblegum fun story with not much substance. Great for some no brainer evenings of fun reading.
About the bad editing, there were several parts that repeated themselves almost word for word with other parts in the book, and some instances where there were total misspellings of words or wrong character names used. So unprofessional, in my opinion!
About the bad editing, there were several parts that repeated themselves almost word for word with other parts in the book, and some instances where there were total misspellings of words or wrong character names used. So unprofessional, in my opinion!
October 11, 2012
In the book "Beach Blondes", the author did not directly state the purpose for writing this book. I think that the reason the author wrote the book was to inspire teen girls to be them self and that friends should come before boyfriends or else things could become confusing.
Another reason I think that the author wrote this book was to entertain young people and to also keep the readers wanting more. That is why I think that the author chose to write this book.
The author did not directly state the theme of this book.Therefore I think that the theme of this story is that not all secrets should be kept to just yourself, some should be let out. If you keep all of your secrets in it won't do anything but make you feel guilty and could possibly put you or someone else in danger, like it did in "Beach Blondes". That is what I thin that theme is in this story.
The style of this book was a description. I do think that using this type of style was effective. I think that it was effective that author used description because I felt like I was in story because the author was so descriptive about the setting, the appearance of the characters and the thoughts of the characters.
My opinion of the book was that I loved it! What I liked about the book was that it more of my age group and of what I am going through at my age so I could in some ways relate to it. Another thing that I enjoyed about the book was that it always kept me thinking about what was going to happen next. What I disliked about the book was the length of the story, but it was worth it. The only thing that I would have changed about the book is the ending. In the ending of this book it never actually told what was going to happen to the characters. Finally, I have never read a book like "Beach Blondes".
Another reason I think that the author wrote this book was to entertain young people and to also keep the readers wanting more. That is why I think that the author chose to write this book.
The author did not directly state the theme of this book.Therefore I think that the theme of this story is that not all secrets should be kept to just yourself, some should be let out. If you keep all of your secrets in it won't do anything but make you feel guilty and could possibly put you or someone else in danger, like it did in "Beach Blondes". That is what I thin that theme is in this story.
The style of this book was a description. I do think that using this type of style was effective. I think that it was effective that author used description because I felt like I was in story because the author was so descriptive about the setting, the appearance of the characters and the thoughts of the characters.
My opinion of the book was that I loved it! What I liked about the book was that it more of my age group and of what I am going through at my age so I could in some ways relate to it. Another thing that I enjoyed about the book was that it always kept me thinking about what was going to happen next. What I disliked about the book was the length of the story, but it was worth it. The only thing that I would have changed about the book is the ending. In the ending of this book it never actually told what was going to happen to the characters. Finally, I have never read a book like "Beach Blondes".
July 24, 2010
I LOVE this series!
Its soooo good! It makes me want to move to the Keys and just have a fun time.
Just to make it clear, the order of the series is Beach Blondes, Spring Break, Tan Lines, Sun Kissed Christmas.
This series was actually written in the 90's but they republished it and replaced it with modern day celebrities. They also changed the title of the book and the covers. Beach Blondes is three books of the old series in one.
On more info on the old series check out this link!
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/k...
Its soooo good! It makes me want to move to the Keys and just have a fun time.
Just to make it clear, the order of the series is Beach Blondes, Spring Break, Tan Lines, Sun Kissed Christmas.
This series was actually written in the 90's but they republished it and replaced it with modern day celebrities. They also changed the title of the book and the covers. Beach Blondes is three books of the old series in one.
On more info on the old series check out this link!
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/k...
August 7, 2012
Honestly, this book is not very good at all. If you want a good summer novel go read The Summer I Turned Pretty series. I actually can't believe I made myself read this whole book, I kept thinking it would get better. Summer is the most annoying character I have had to read about since Bella in Twilight. She is a goodie two shoes who of course had no life untell she goes to beach town and then EVERY SINGLE GUY in the whole world notices her. Why? Not sure. The ending of the book is completely cheesy and actually rushed. You have a 720 page book and you rush the ending? Some of the stories weren't even properly explained at the end. The worst part was the way the narrator would said Summer almost ever sentence. Okay, I'm not stupid I can tell that its summer talking you don't have to say 'Summer said' 'Summer though' every second. Uhg. The only character I liked was Marques, it should have been a novel about her, Unless your like 11, don't waste your time.
June 9, 2019
The girls:
Summer - I didn’t like her all that much. How is it possible to love 4 guys at once? She was all over the place.
Marquez - She was ok I guess, but she was weirdly unemotional.
Diana - why didn’t anyone get her help?? She’s been contemplating suicide every night for years and all anyone can say is, “oh, Diana is offish” but never tried to help her! Even her own mother was completely useless.
The guys:
Seth - ugh, completely unrealistic. What 17 year old guy is thinking about marriage and kids? Also, she kissed another guy AND lied to him AND got drunk and threw up in his grandfather’s house and he never really got mad at her. He just forgave her because twoo wuv.
Adam - a creep
Sean - also a creep
Diver - very odd. He was basically a squatter who lived on the roof of the house and no one cared about that?
JT - he was okay.
Summer - I didn’t like her all that much. How is it possible to love 4 guys at once? She was all over the place.
Marquez - She was ok I guess, but she was weirdly unemotional.
Diana - why didn’t anyone get her help?? She’s been contemplating suicide every night for years and all anyone can say is, “oh, Diana is offish” but never tried to help her! Even her own mother was completely useless.
The guys:
Seth - ugh, completely unrealistic. What 17 year old guy is thinking about marriage and kids? Also, she kissed another guy AND lied to him AND got drunk and threw up in his grandfather’s house and he never really got mad at her. He just forgave her because twoo wuv.
Adam - a creep
Sean - also a creep
Diver - very odd. He was basically a squatter who lived on the roof of the house and no one cared about that?
JT - he was okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2015
One of those times that you don't just judge a book by it's cover.
June 18, 2020
4 ADORABLE Summery stars
Cute Boys, Beach days, squba diving adventures and lots of kissing! This was adorable and 100% a sweet comfort read. It was like eating ice cream on a hot Summer day. Super refreshing and low stress!! Also, soooo jealous of Summer's living arrangements.
I went into this with pretty low expectations and just enjoyed the sweetness. It's nothing crazy mind blowing but it gave me all those fun summer vibes I was wanting.
I will say what I didn't love was that it's written in third person. I found I was mostly invested in Summer's life and when it would switch to the other characters I struggled a little bit and did some skimming. The other characters were fun though and this surprised me with some of the serious topics. I definitely had a favorite guy for Summer!! They were so sweet. I kind of had to chuckle at how quickly they fell in love but I was the same as a teen.
This is a pretty massive book and it does start to drag a little bit at the end. But for the most part I was pretty engaged and really enjoyed all these fun summer vibes. So if you're looking for a cute fluffy summer read this is definitely a good one. I really liked that it wasn't too dramatic especially since there's like hardly any adults around. They were more well behaved then I would have been. I can't wait to read the next one Tanlines!
TW: attempted rape
Cute Boys, Beach days, squba diving adventures and lots of kissing! This was adorable and 100% a sweet comfort read. It was like eating ice cream on a hot Summer day. Super refreshing and low stress!! Also, soooo jealous of Summer's living arrangements.
I went into this with pretty low expectations and just enjoyed the sweetness. It's nothing crazy mind blowing but it gave me all those fun summer vibes I was wanting.
I will say what I didn't love was that it's written in third person. I found I was mostly invested in Summer's life and when it would switch to the other characters I struggled a little bit and did some skimming. The other characters were fun though and this surprised me with some of the serious topics. I definitely had a favorite guy for Summer!! They were so sweet. I kind of had to chuckle at how quickly they fell in love but I was the same as a teen.
This is a pretty massive book and it does start to drag a little bit at the end. But for the most part I was pretty engaged and really enjoyed all these fun summer vibes. So if you're looking for a cute fluffy summer read this is definitely a good one. I really liked that it wasn't too dramatic especially since there's like hardly any adults around. They were more well behaved then I would have been. I can't wait to read the next one Tanlines!
TW: attempted rape
December 20, 2012
I had no expectations when starting this book because I hadn't really heard anything about it, I just saw it on sale in my book shop and decided to give it a read. But I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot. I really did enjoy the plot. This book is definitely not your regular summer read, there is a lot of family mystery and drama as well as the typical boy and friend drama as well as rape, depression and suicide which I definitely was not expecting from this book but I did think that it add to the storyline. I loved how the story was told from multipul POV so I could see what all of the characters were thinking and feeling at different points in the book and also the pacing, I thought that the book flowed very well and was a very easy book to get through. But I do think that key points in the book were repeated throughout the book which I thought was un-needed and also that some storylines in the book and the way they turned out were pretty unrealistic.
The charcters. I wasn't really expecting much from the charcters in this book but I was really suprised I thought that they were all very well written and interesting to read about.
Summer, I really enjoyed reading about Summer's charcter. I thought that she was a very interesting and relateable character to read about. I thought that she took everything that happened to her throughout the book very well I liked seeing how she came more out of her shell in the book and even though she made some wrong choices in the book I think ultimately she has come out of her shell a lot more and has changed for the better.
Another charcter that I really enjoyed was Marquez. I thought that she had a very relateable and interesting personality and I loved reading the story from her POV. I loved her straight to the point attitude and I thought that she was a great friend for Summer to have.
The other characters that I really enjoyed were Seth and Diver. I thought that Seth was a great match for Summer and even though she made some bad choices toward the end of the book he was still there for her. Diver's charcter would have to be my favourite out of these two. he had such a unique personality and I just loved reading about him and he was always so down to earth and interesting so I cannot wait to see what happens to him in the next book.
Overall this was an enjoyable read, though not my favourite book I have read this summer. But I think this is a promising start to the series and I look foward to reading more of the books.
The plot. I really did enjoy the plot. This book is definitely not your regular summer read, there is a lot of family mystery and drama as well as the typical boy and friend drama as well as rape, depression and suicide which I definitely was not expecting from this book but I did think that it add to the storyline. I loved how the story was told from multipul POV so I could see what all of the characters were thinking and feeling at different points in the book and also the pacing, I thought that the book flowed very well and was a very easy book to get through. But I do think that key points in the book were repeated throughout the book which I thought was un-needed and also that some storylines in the book and the way they turned out were pretty unrealistic.
The charcters. I wasn't really expecting much from the charcters in this book but I was really suprised I thought that they were all very well written and interesting to read about.
Summer, I really enjoyed reading about Summer's charcter. I thought that she was a very interesting and relateable character to read about. I thought that she took everything that happened to her throughout the book very well I liked seeing how she came more out of her shell in the book and even though she made some wrong choices in the book I think ultimately she has come out of her shell a lot more and has changed for the better.
Another charcter that I really enjoyed was Marquez. I thought that she had a very relateable and interesting personality and I loved reading the story from her POV. I loved her straight to the point attitude and I thought that she was a great friend for Summer to have.
The other characters that I really enjoyed were Seth and Diver. I thought that Seth was a great match for Summer and even though she made some bad choices toward the end of the book he was still there for her. Diver's charcter would have to be my favourite out of these two. he had such a unique personality and I just loved reading about him and he was always so down to earth and interesting so I cannot wait to see what happens to him in the next book.
Overall this was an enjoyable read, though not my favourite book I have read this summer. But I think this is a promising start to the series and I look foward to reading more of the books.
September 28, 2011
Beach Blondes
Summer Smith doesn’t want to have just another lame summer in Minnesota. She wants to get away from the cold. That’s why she moves down to Crab Claw Key Florida with he cousin Diana. Besides all of the fun she is having with her friends and he new boyfriend Summer has to work at the Crab n’ Conch restaurant with her friend Marquez. Marquez notices that Summer and the main cook J.T. have some weird connection. They get burns at the exact same time and same place, they say the same things at the same time, and they are always in the same exact mood. Marquez thinks that J.T. might be Summers long lost brother Jonathan who disappeared right before Summer was born. After Marquez tells Summer about what she notices Summer starts having really weird dreams about a little boy with a red ball getting kidnapped. Then summer meets Diver. They boy who has been living in Diana’s guesthouse where summer is now living. Diver has been living there for 14 years. Summer becomes kind of suspicious. Will Summer ever find Jonathan?
Katherine Applegate did a really good job relating the book to teenagers. She makes the characters act like teenagers and do stuff that normal teens do. As I kept reading this book it felt like I was really there with Summer. I couldn’t put the book down. One thing I really liked about this book is that it is told by 3 perspectives, Summer, Diana, and Marquez. It helped me understand this story a lot better. I really recommend this book to all girls. It’s really fun to read and once you start reading it you wont want it to end.
Summer Smith doesn’t want to have just another lame summer in Minnesota. She wants to get away from the cold. That’s why she moves down to Crab Claw Key Florida with he cousin Diana. Besides all of the fun she is having with her friends and he new boyfriend Summer has to work at the Crab n’ Conch restaurant with her friend Marquez. Marquez notices that Summer and the main cook J.T. have some weird connection. They get burns at the exact same time and same place, they say the same things at the same time, and they are always in the same exact mood. Marquez thinks that J.T. might be Summers long lost brother Jonathan who disappeared right before Summer was born. After Marquez tells Summer about what she notices Summer starts having really weird dreams about a little boy with a red ball getting kidnapped. Then summer meets Diver. They boy who has been living in Diana’s guesthouse where summer is now living. Diver has been living there for 14 years. Summer becomes kind of suspicious. Will Summer ever find Jonathan?
Katherine Applegate did a really good job relating the book to teenagers. She makes the characters act like teenagers and do stuff that normal teens do. As I kept reading this book it felt like I was really there with Summer. I couldn’t put the book down. One thing I really liked about this book is that it is told by 3 perspectives, Summer, Diana, and Marquez. It helped me understand this story a lot better. I really recommend this book to all girls. It’s really fun to read and once you start reading it you wont want it to end.
May 15, 2010
I bought this book thinking it would be alot better then today's the book and the story look very promising.
The story is about a girl name Summer Smith going to Florida for the summer. A Tarot card reader tells her she will meet three guys, The perfect one, dangerous and mysterious. We meet Diana, who's depressing after something bad to her. Along the way she make friends with a girl name Marquez and meets three guys name Seth, Adam and Diver.
There were a few errors in the book like with the writing. I just felt like the story dragged it and things need to be cut-out. There were a lot few dead spots and I found the story predictable. You could just tell who's she going to be with. Anyways, I would not recommended it to anyone. I'm not going to bother reading the next one.
The story is about a girl name Summer Smith going to Florida for the summer. A Tarot card reader tells her she will meet three guys, The perfect one, dangerous and mysterious. We meet Diana, who's depressing after something bad to her. Along the way she make friends with a girl name Marquez and meets three guys name Seth, Adam and Diver.
There were a few errors in the book like with the writing. I just felt like the story dragged it and things need to be cut-out. There were a lot few dead spots and I found the story predictable. You could just tell who's she going to be with. Anyways, I would not recommended it to anyone. I'm not going to bother reading the next one.
March 25, 2011
I usually don't buy books like these, that look girly. Well I thought about it && the more I thought about it I thought that maybe this isnt something to pass up. Reluctantly I bought it, after reading about the 13th page and I was hooked! The dont judge a book by a cover slapped me across the face with this one. It isnt what you think it will be. MUST READ! I love this book. You hope for Summer, but even more secretly you hope for Marquez<3 It's funny, frustrating, and completely amazing(: The ending takes a completely different turn then what I was expecting it was crazy good(: Again, MUST READ! <3
June 2, 2011
I really ended up enjoying this book. Things happen very quickly, you get hooked within the first 20 pages! This was a perfect summer read and I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series! I couldn't help but smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside while reading about Summer and Seth, and they added interesting elements to the story so it wasn't just focused on the 3 guys. All in all, it was a very enjoyable book and I think that it's perfect for those people who love fun romance novels and reading about summer.
January 21, 2022
This book is the book that started my obsession with any kind of beachy-love read and I absolutely adore it. One of my all time favorite books.
May 24, 2023
Objectively bad but I love it
September 9, 2021
Pre-read: Going to a beach town in a few days, so figured I'd up this on my TBR pile to now - flipped to the back to read the author blurb on Applegate, and the information is clearly from the original printing and not current with the 2008 reprint - since it claims she has no children (she has at least 1, probably 2 by 2008), is wandering with her boyfriend (they've long since married - Michael Grant! - and I doubt they were still wandering in 2008), and by 2008 she was also known for the Animorphs series, as well as Everworld and Remnants. They could have at least used an updated author bio, even if it is amusing to see what it said during its original 1995 publishing.
Review
Summer Smith is trading summer in Bloomington, Minnesota for summer in Crab Claw Key, Florida, with the hopes of getting a tan and maybe her first boyfriend. What she doesn’t expect is to meet the wrong guy, a mysterious guy, and the right guy…nor all the confusion that comes from meeting so many eligible and hot guys in one place, who all notice her, when she’s used to being overlooked by all guys! Good thing she also meets Marquez, a vivacious, friendly, and artistic local, who becomes her fast friend to help sort things out. Summer’s cousin Diana just might become a friend too, if she can face her own demons first without succumbing to them.
I admit, I set my expectations very low for this – a teenage summer romance omnibus, where the big question (I thought) would be how many tropes can Applegate fit into one summer? I should never have doubted Applegate, though! Not only did she push against the tropes (at least until the very end, when they became somewhat unavoidable with the set up), but she also worked in some pretty serious topics for teens to chew on. What makes family? How do you get through when something horrible has been done to you? How do you know who you are when so much has changed around you? Do you take a chance on love even if it may break your heart – is it worth the pain? These topics and more, even when they’re just addressed with a quick nod, give this book some weight to its volume.
In it, I also saw early elements of themes that appear more and more often, and more and more evidently, in her future series, such LGBTQIA+ positive attitudes, nascent environmentalism, questions of identity when the world seems so changed, to seek justice or revenge (what are they, anyways?), the correlation between love and pain/heartbreak, what near-death experiences can bring out, and so much more. Applegate also ensures the characters are nuanced, and how even when someone seems utterly deserving of hate or worse, there’s also always room for pity, for sadness, for empathy. Diver and J.T. especially show solid intuitiveness for the ways of the world, and offer quite a bit of solid advice and framing for understanding. Naturally since this is an omnibus, each month/book has its own climax, though there are a few elements which grow throughout all three books until the final revelations and decisive actions of August. All in all, it’s definitely an eventful summer for Summer, and I’m curious to see where Summer, Marquez, Diana, J.T., Diver, and Seth are going to end up come next spring break and beyond.
Favorite quotes and things of note:
June
Page 51: Discussion about Diver, gay or not, how not a problem etc. – it’s delivered in a “it’s no big deal” kind of way
“The rules are all different here. Mostly the rule is that there aren’t any rules. […] You be what you want. Nobody here is going to care if you’re white or black or gay or straight or whatever religion you are or where you come from, all that stuff. As long as you’re cool and don’t hassle people and don’t be all judgmental, everyone’s equal.” – page 69
“I’m just saying look out for that tropical effect, that tropical rot. It eats away at everything, so that things here deteriorate faster, fall apart faster, and then it all grows back faster and wilder than before. The old stuff disappears.” [Seth] snapped his fingers. “And before you know it, something new has shot up overnight to take its place.” – page 115
Maybe he’s right, Jen [that it’s an effect of the tropics]. I don’t know. I don’t feel like I’m any different, you know? Not inside. Maybe it’s just when you take your same, normal self to a new place and are around new people that everyone else sees you differently. That’s my theory, anyway. Or is it a hypothesis?
I know, you’re thinking: typical Summer, trying to analyze everything when she should just be enjoying it. But I have to think about it, at least a little. It’s like if I’m still me, why are people acting differently toward me? And if I’m not me, then … who am I?
And if I don’t know who I am, how am I supposed to know how I feel about things? – page 130
August
Typos etc.:
Jesse/Seth moved away… page 13 – and just above it was correct, with “Jake/Seth”!
“That new Orlando Bloom movie.” – page 218 – referencing a movie Summer and Adam watched in his home theater. In 1995, though, Bloom only had a few episodes of Casualty (tv series) under his belt, according to IMDB. His first movie wasn’t until 2001, with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Did this get updated in the reprint, when so much else wasn’t?
…with a red dry marker on a white board. – page 231 – Sounds like it’s supposed to be a red dry-erase marker? Unless this is a regional usage thing?
... a real professional waitron[.]"-page 323
"Never, mind. I guess either way... - page 392 - Nevermind
Now it was if she had... - page 415 - Now it was as if she had...
All this stuff is just baloney. A big baloney sandwich. – page 467 – I always thought it was spelled bologna, like the Italian city!
“ I don’t know,” – page 495 – remove extra space after opening quotation marks
"I guess you're right," Summer said." - page 538 – no need for the quotation marks after said.
… I think it would be a good idea. – page 659 – missing closing quotation marks – guess they got moved to the above sentence instead of here, haha!
Review
Summer Smith is trading summer in Bloomington, Minnesota for summer in Crab Claw Key, Florida, with the hopes of getting a tan and maybe her first boyfriend. What she doesn’t expect is to meet the wrong guy, a mysterious guy, and the right guy…nor all the confusion that comes from meeting so many eligible and hot guys in one place, who all notice her, when she’s used to being overlooked by all guys! Good thing she also meets Marquez, a vivacious, friendly, and artistic local, who becomes her fast friend to help sort things out. Summer’s cousin Diana just might become a friend too, if she can face her own demons first without succumbing to them.
I admit, I set my expectations very low for this – a teenage summer romance omnibus, where the big question (I thought) would be how many tropes can Applegate fit into one summer? I should never have doubted Applegate, though! Not only did she push against the tropes (at least until the very end, when they became somewhat unavoidable with the set up), but she also worked in some pretty serious topics for teens to chew on. What makes family? How do you get through when something horrible has been done to you? How do you know who you are when so much has changed around you? Do you take a chance on love even if it may break your heart – is it worth the pain? These topics and more, even when they’re just addressed with a quick nod, give this book some weight to its volume.
In it, I also saw early elements of themes that appear more and more often, and more and more evidently, in her future series, such LGBTQIA+ positive attitudes, nascent environmentalism, questions of identity when the world seems so changed, to seek justice or revenge (what are they, anyways?), the correlation between love and pain/heartbreak, what near-death experiences can bring out, and so much more. Applegate also ensures the characters are nuanced, and how even when someone seems utterly deserving of hate or worse, there’s also always room for pity, for sadness, for empathy. Diver and J.T. especially show solid intuitiveness for the ways of the world, and offer quite a bit of solid advice and framing for understanding. Naturally since this is an omnibus, each month/book has its own climax, though there are a few elements which grow throughout all three books until the final revelations and decisive actions of August. All in all, it’s definitely an eventful summer for Summer, and I’m curious to see where Summer, Marquez, Diana, J.T., Diver, and Seth are going to end up come next spring break and beyond.
Favorite quotes and things of note:
June
Page 51: Discussion about Diver, gay or not, how not a problem etc. – it’s delivered in a “it’s no big deal” kind of way
“The rules are all different here. Mostly the rule is that there aren’t any rules. […] You be what you want. Nobody here is going to care if you’re white or black or gay or straight or whatever religion you are or where you come from, all that stuff. As long as you’re cool and don’t hassle people and don’t be all judgmental, everyone’s equal.” – page 69
“I’m just saying look out for that tropical effect, that tropical rot. It eats away at everything, so that things here deteriorate faster, fall apart faster, and then it all grows back faster and wilder than before. The old stuff disappears.” [Seth] snapped his fingers. “And before you know it, something new has shot up overnight to take its place.” – page 115
Maybe he’s right, Jen [that it’s an effect of the tropics]. I don’t know. I don’t feel like I’m any different, you know? Not inside. Maybe it’s just when you take your same, normal self to a new place and are around new people that everyone else sees you differently. That’s my theory, anyway. Or is it a hypothesis?
I know, you’re thinking: typical Summer, trying to analyze everything when she should just be enjoying it. But I have to think about it, at least a little. It’s like if I’m still me, why are people acting differently toward me? And if I’m not me, then … who am I?
And if I don’t know who I am, how am I supposed to know how I feel about things? – page 130
August
Typos etc.:
Jesse/Seth moved away… page 13 – and just above it was correct, with “Jake/Seth”!
“That new Orlando Bloom movie.” – page 218 – referencing a movie Summer and Adam watched in his home theater. In 1995, though, Bloom only had a few episodes of Casualty (tv series) under his belt, according to IMDB. His first movie wasn’t until 2001, with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Did this get updated in the reprint, when so much else wasn’t?
…with a red dry marker on a white board. – page 231 – Sounds like it’s supposed to be a red dry-erase marker? Unless this is a regional usage thing?
... a real professional waitron[.]"-page 323
"Never, mind. I guess either way... - page 392 - Nevermind
Now it was if she had... - page 415 - Now it was as if she had...
All this stuff is just baloney. A big baloney sandwich. – page 467 – I always thought it was spelled bologna, like the Italian city!
“ I don’t know,” – page 495 – remove extra space after opening quotation marks
"I guess you're right," Summer said." - page 538 – no need for the quotation marks after said.
… I think it would be a good idea. – page 659 – missing closing quotation marks – guess they got moved to the above sentence instead of here, haha!
August 8, 2022
Well, this is as cheesy as I remember it being when I read it as a teen. I was so excited to crack this open again after years of last reading it, and while it’s fun, it’s not like the greatest piece of literature lol. The sub par writing (if you didn’t know this book is basically 3 books in 1, you’d be like “why are they repeating the same details every 200ish pages?”), the unrealisticness of it all, etc. It all makes for a very flatline but fun read. I mean who wouldn’t wanna fall in love with 3 different guys in Florida and have your life drastically become a movie and have more drama to last a lifetime all within the matter of a week? 700+ pages and you can still finish it in like less than a week.
If you want an easy breezy cheesy drama filled summer book, this is it. However I am taking a break to read something a little more substantial before I finish with the rest of the series lol
If you want an easy breezy cheesy drama filled summer book, this is it. However I am taking a break to read something a little more substantial before I finish with the rest of the series lol
June 25, 2020
Craving a cute and fun and fluffy summer YA? This is it. It’s crazy long 🤪 June is summer fun. July is sweet romance. And August is the month of drama! There are some unexpected twists that gave me goosebumps! August is definitely a page turner! I adore Summer! And I definitely have a team 🤫🤭! Team swoon! 🥰
Read
July 7, 2022DNF
I enjoyed it for the teen drama and summer vibes. It was cute but I’m not in the mood anymore and I don’t want to waste my time. It’s clear who she ends up with anyway
I enjoyed it for the teen drama and summer vibes. It was cute but I’m not in the mood anymore and I don’t want to waste my time. It’s clear who she ends up with anyway
March 15, 2023
So much nostalgia!! I remember reading this book when I was a freshman in high school! I loved it then and I love it now!
September 20, 2025
Loveeeeee
July 30, 2017
I've had this book and all of the rest of the books in this series on my book shelf for about 5-6 years, and I had never once read them. I figured they would just be some boring girly books. While they are "girly", this book had so much going on in it that pulled me in the entire time. There's a lot of real, deep stuff in this book, to put it very, very simply. The perfect summer read. Can't wait to read the rest!
July 14, 2012
This book borders on three stars. :P Beach Blondes is a compound of three books originally written in 1995. It was a fun, cheesy and somewhat dumb summer read. Perfect for hot days when all you're doing is drinking iced tea on the porch.
Beach Blondes follows Summer Smith, (and pretty much every character gets a bit of their POV at least once) a simple girl from Minnesota who has come down to Florida to stay with her aunt and cousin for the summer. On the plane ride a woman reads her future with tarot cards, and Summer is told she'll meet three guys. The dangerous guy, the mysterious guy, and the right guy. Ensues is a wild summer she will never forget.
I definitely felt like a loser at some points, when I realized how little activity I was doing compared to these girls. That's not a good feeling for the reader, so I did take that into account. You should want to be friends with the characters, in a YA summer/romance novel like this. You shouldn't feel less than them. This feeling didn't really bother me though, because I wasn't a fan of any of the characters! They were all annoying, to put it blatantly. Summer (the main protagonist) was okay at first, but in the third book she seemed to have developed into a worse version of herself. Her logic was screwy and the way she acted around guys (Sean & Seth) was pathetic and unadmirable. On a side note and somewhat unrelated one, when your boyfriend calls you pathetic, you do not agree!! (MARQUEZ, I'M LOOKING AT YOU.)
As for the cheesiness, (e.g. Lianne's revenge plot) it didn't really affect the book overall. It was cute at some points, like Seth and Summer's romance. The aspects that really saved the book for me were the climaxes and resolutions. Whenever I started to get annoyed or disgruntled, something would happen and save me from abandoning the 700+ pages. Because it was three books originally, the little surprising points were spaced out perfectly. Katherine Applegate is very good at writing plot twists you never saw coming, but were fairly obvious afterward. They saved the book for me.
I'll probably read the rest of the series, although I recommend it to only the people who don't mind spending several days reading each book. It took me nearly a week to read Beach Blondes, and I can normally finish a 200-300ish page book in two days. If you are willing to take your time, I do think you'll enjoy this book!
Beach Blondes follows Summer Smith, (and pretty much every character gets a bit of their POV at least once) a simple girl from Minnesota who has come down to Florida to stay with her aunt and cousin for the summer. On the plane ride a woman reads her future with tarot cards, and Summer is told she'll meet three guys. The dangerous guy, the mysterious guy, and the right guy. Ensues is a wild summer she will never forget.
I definitely felt like a loser at some points, when I realized how little activity I was doing compared to these girls. That's not a good feeling for the reader, so I did take that into account. You should want to be friends with the characters, in a YA summer/romance novel like this. You shouldn't feel less than them. This feeling didn't really bother me though, because I wasn't a fan of any of the characters! They were all annoying, to put it blatantly. Summer (the main protagonist) was okay at first, but in the third book she seemed to have developed into a worse version of herself. Her logic was screwy and the way she acted around guys (Sean & Seth) was pathetic and unadmirable. On a side note and somewhat unrelated one, when your boyfriend calls you pathetic, you do not agree!! (MARQUEZ, I'M LOOKING AT YOU.)
As for the cheesiness, (e.g. Lianne's revenge plot) it didn't really affect the book overall. It was cute at some points, like Seth and Summer's romance. The aspects that really saved the book for me were the climaxes and resolutions. Whenever I started to get annoyed or disgruntled, something would happen and save me from abandoning the 700+ pages. Because it was three books originally, the little surprising points were spaced out perfectly. Katherine Applegate is very good at writing plot twists you never saw coming, but were fairly obvious afterward. They saved the book for me.
I'll probably read the rest of the series, although I recommend it to only the people who don't mind spending several days reading each book. It took me nearly a week to read Beach Blondes, and I can normally finish a 200-300ish page book in two days. If you are willing to take your time, I do think you'll enjoy this book!
July 12, 2012
I wish we could give half stars because I would really give this 3 1/2. What a long book but i finished it in 2 days.
This book is about Summer. She lives in Minnesota and has the chance to spend her summer vacation with her Aunt and cousin at their home in Crab Claw Key Florida. She's sohappy to go and get away from all the cold and snow.
On the plane down there, she meets a guy who ends up kissing her in the photo booth in the airport once they land. She is surprised but he is cute. But she doesn't know if she'll even see him again. Then as soon as she sees her aunt and her less than thrilled cousin Diana, her aunt is off on a book tour and will be gone for a week.
Diana thinks its funny to put Summer in the stilt house instead of the mansion they live in. Summer doesn't care since she's not in Minnesota and alls he wants to do is get a job and a tan.
So that's what she sets out to do. She meets a girl named Marquez on her way to find a job. This girl helps her get one at the restaurant she works at. So they become fast friends.
This book has a lot of storyline going on. Marquez is broken up with J.T., the cook but it seems both of them don't want to be. Diana is going through something completely major. So bad she contemplates nightly if it will be the night she swallows a bottle of pills to end it all. Summer has met 3 guys. The one from the plane, Seth, who is known down there for his summer trips. Adam who is Diana's ex-boyfriend who takes an instant interest in her, and Diver, an 18 yr. old kid who lives in the stilt house, unbeknownst to anyone else. All of these characters are entertwined into this storyline that makes one very good 720 page read. Parts of this storyline I figured out way before they were unveiled, but it was fun finding out that I was right all along!
I see there is a second book that I'm going to have to find, since my library doesn't have it!
This book is about Summer. She lives in Minnesota and has the chance to spend her summer vacation with her Aunt and cousin at their home in Crab Claw Key Florida. She's sohappy to go and get away from all the cold and snow.
On the plane down there, she meets a guy who ends up kissing her in the photo booth in the airport once they land. She is surprised but he is cute. But she doesn't know if she'll even see him again. Then as soon as she sees her aunt and her less than thrilled cousin Diana, her aunt is off on a book tour and will be gone for a week.
Diana thinks its funny to put Summer in the stilt house instead of the mansion they live in. Summer doesn't care since she's not in Minnesota and alls he wants to do is get a job and a tan.
So that's what she sets out to do. She meets a girl named Marquez on her way to find a job. This girl helps her get one at the restaurant she works at. So they become fast friends.
This book has a lot of storyline going on. Marquez is broken up with J.T., the cook but it seems both of them don't want to be. Diana is going through something completely major. So bad she contemplates nightly if it will be the night she swallows a bottle of pills to end it all. Summer has met 3 guys. The one from the plane, Seth, who is known down there for his summer trips. Adam who is Diana's ex-boyfriend who takes an instant interest in her, and Diver, an 18 yr. old kid who lives in the stilt house, unbeknownst to anyone else. All of these characters are entertwined into this storyline that makes one very good 720 page read. Parts of this storyline I figured out way before they were unveiled, but it was fun finding out that I was right all along!
I see there is a second book that I'm going to have to find, since my library doesn't have it!
March 25, 2014
I decided to read 'Beach Blondes', written by Katherine Applegate, because my friend recommended it to me as an interesting read. The brightly coloured cover also caught my eye, and when I read the blurb on the back it seemed like a decent book, so I got it out.
My favourite setting in Beach Blondes was the scene in the underground caves, where Seth and Summer had gotten trapped on a small, desolate island while scuba diving in an underwater cave. There had been a cave-in, causing them to find an escape and the only other way out of the cave was a small tunnel going upwards, which turned out to be an air bubble underground but above water level. They waited here in the hopes of somebody realising that they had not returned and calling for a search by the Coast Guard, which did end up happening and resulted in their rescue. I found this setting interesting because Summer and Seth thought they were going to die stuck in that cave, and it got me thinking about when I die, what I want to have achieved in life and what I will classify as 'successful'. I realised that a successful life is not so much the riches you end up with or how many prizes you win, but about how you as a person have effected the people around you. So overall I now see everything with a little more perspective and make an effort to have a positive affect on the people surrounding me even if it is a tiny act of kindness or generosity.
My favourite quote from this book was “You can't have real pain without real love. You can't feel grief and loss and hurt without real love. Love is the only way you can ever be really hurt deep down.” I found this quote interesting because it is true and the more I think about it, the more truthful I realise it is.
Something that I thought more deeply about was what I talked about in my second paragraph.
My favourite setting in Beach Blondes was the scene in the underground caves, where Seth and Summer had gotten trapped on a small, desolate island while scuba diving in an underwater cave. There had been a cave-in, causing them to find an escape and the only other way out of the cave was a small tunnel going upwards, which turned out to be an air bubble underground but above water level. They waited here in the hopes of somebody realising that they had not returned and calling for a search by the Coast Guard, which did end up happening and resulted in their rescue. I found this setting interesting because Summer and Seth thought they were going to die stuck in that cave, and it got me thinking about when I die, what I want to have achieved in life and what I will classify as 'successful'. I realised that a successful life is not so much the riches you end up with or how many prizes you win, but about how you as a person have effected the people around you. So overall I now see everything with a little more perspective and make an effort to have a positive affect on the people surrounding me even if it is a tiny act of kindness or generosity.
My favourite quote from this book was “You can't have real pain without real love. You can't feel grief and loss and hurt without real love. Love is the only way you can ever be really hurt deep down.” I found this quote interesting because it is true and the more I think about it, the more truthful I realise it is.
Something that I thought more deeply about was what I talked about in my second paragraph.
August 17, 2010
I started reading this book because my 15 year old daughter said I had to. Lol I thought it was a fun read, very easy. I became attached to the characters the more I got into the story. There were times that I laughed out loud, got chocked up, had my stomach in knots, and felt love struck. Not a whole lot of deep thoughts and I figured out parts of the story before the author revealed the answers. The REALLY ANNOYING thing about the book, was the constant repeating of things that you already knew. She'd describe things over and over, as if it was the first time you were learning that information. I almost stopped reading because of that! I couldn't though, cuz I wanted to find out about J.T.
Overall it was a cute book that I'm glad I read cuz I had fun with my daughter, trying to get her to spill answers to questions.(she never did though lol)
Overall it was a cute book that I'm glad I read cuz I had fun with my daughter, trying to get her to spill answers to questions.(she never did though lol)
June 17, 2012
I WAS HOOKED!
For a girl who really isn't patient, and didn't have a lot of time on her hands, i still made a consious effort to read, from cover to cover, this 720 page book.
I'm a real big sucker for summer teen drama novels, I don't know why, i just am, but this book is just perfect for those who need a book to read on the beach.
It incompasses everything that sound happen in a regular summer holiday for a 17 year old girl. Sand, sun, sea and sex. Love it.
This novel was just another book that made me stay awake at night. I was up literally until 3am just trying to get through it, and every lunch and recess i would be sitting there, ditching my friends, just to read this book.
Read it, and read it immediately! It will keep you thoroughly entertained :)
For a girl who really isn't patient, and didn't have a lot of time on her hands, i still made a consious effort to read, from cover to cover, this 720 page book.
I'm a real big sucker for summer teen drama novels, I don't know why, i just am, but this book is just perfect for those who need a book to read on the beach.
It incompasses everything that sound happen in a regular summer holiday for a 17 year old girl. Sand, sun, sea and sex. Love it.
This novel was just another book that made me stay awake at night. I was up literally until 3am just trying to get through it, and every lunch and recess i would be sitting there, ditching my friends, just to read this book.
Read it, and read it immediately! It will keep you thoroughly entertained :)
September 1, 2015
Really loved this book, very playful, very light hearted but does have really strong issues that are serious issues that need to be talked about and people really need to get an understanding on like depression and suicide. Definitely a summer read. Totally enjoyed this book. And I definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone!!!
May 28, 2016
Katherine Applegate really outdid herself with this book! The book had so many unexpected twists and turns to it and really had me on the edge or my seat/bed during most of the book! I can't wait to dive into the sequel to this (Tan Lines) and continue reading Summer's story! Way to go Katherine Applegate .. Way to go! (:
June 8, 2010
Well, I rated this based on how much I enjoyed reading it. It's pretty much just a soap opera wrapped up into 600 pages. So, for a summer trash novel I'd give it five stars. But for what an easy read it was, i'd take off one.
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