The Trap House Summer

by Josie Thomas

321 pages, Paperback

Published March 27, 2025

Reviews

[Johanna Carrasquillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
The Trap House Summer by Josie Thomas gave me major nostalgia for summers at the shore - bonfires, late nights, and that bittersweet freedom before real life begins.
The story follows Brady during his last summer before college as he navigates juggling new experiences with topics such as dating, friendships, and family (brother dynamic). Brady is relatable in many ways and honestly reminded me a bit of my younger siblings figuring life out in their own way. As an MMC, he has those awkward but funny moments. It really captures that in-between stage of wanting independence while still holding onto what’s familiar.
It’s an easily digestible and entertaining YA read, and I’d especially recommend it to anyone with a sibling heading off to college or anyone reminiscing about that transitional season. This was different from my typical reads, but overall it’s a warm, nostalgic story which I wish I read when I was in high school or early college! A huge thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read this fun story!

[Leah | LookLeahReads]

A quick read set in Ocean City, New Jersey that has me so excited for summer. This coming-of-age story mainly follows Brady, with a few POV chapters from other characters mixed in that added a little more depth to the story.

At its heart, this book captures that stage of life where you’re stepping into adulthood but still trying to figure out who you are and what comes next.

This was a quick, easy read that moved at a nice pace. Even though the characters are 18+, it definitely felt more geared toward teen readers, especially those who enjoy stories about change, self-discovery, relationships, and finding your way.

Thank you so much to the author, Josie Thomas, for sending me a copy of your book! I appreciate you trusting me to read and review your work! 🤍

[Bethany Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the nostalgia! This teen/young adult story brought me so many smiles reminiscing about my own summer shenanigans with friends at that age. I love that as a mom and adult I enjoyed this sweet story of friends, challenges and life lessons. I love that this can be a book I can recommend confidently to parents and YA. It has that perfect blend of embracing life’s transitions, connecting with values and beliefs your parents teach, experiencing hard lessons, and having that youthful spirit with friends, parties and crushes. Although some harder topics are sprinkled throughout it’s with that light and innocent lens of our YA characters and reads like a diary/journal. I adored it!

[Kattie]

A book about endings and new beginnings - this young adult book centers on Brady and his last summer in the OC before he starts college. He navigates new friendships, newfound freedom with parties, dating, and the health struggles of his brother and also his best friend back home. Thank you for sending me this book, Josie! I could see this being a great read for a high school reader confronted with similar issues. ☀️

[Courtney Poders · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/4 ⭐️- I thought this book was super cute! A book all about the adventures of the last summer before going off to college. It brought me right back to hanging onto each summer night with my high school besties with pool parties and bonfires right before we knew everything was going to change. I enjoyed this book and the lessons that Brady was slowly learning. Overall a cute YA book!!

[Brittany Pelletier · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ This debut novel by Josie Thomas is perfect for Young Adults. It was an easy read and cute. At points it was kind of all over but I would have loved it when I was younger. I did like hearing from the other characters and it not being just one. It did remind me of my senior year and the summer before going off to college, my friend group hanging out every night around the bonfire.