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The Summer It Came for Us
No one believes Remi’s account of the night Vincent disappeared.
How the night sky lit up like day, how they lost control of the car and crashed into a ravine, how she remembers seeing a nine-foot-tall man—and how when she woke up the next morning, the only thing left of her best friend were his footprints, fleeing off into the dark woods only to come to an end, inexplicably, in the middle of a clearing.
If the urban legends are to be believed, he’s been swallowed by an ancient, nameless evil.
And she’s next.
How the night sky lit up like day, how they lost control of the car and crashed into a ravine, how she remembers seeing a nine-foot-tall man—and how when she woke up the next morning, the only thing left of her best friend were his footprints, fleeing off into the dark woods only to come to an end, inexplicably, in the middle of a clearing.
If the urban legends are to be believed, he’s been swallowed by an ancient, nameless evil.
And she’s next.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2017
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801 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 22, 2017
BEWARE: THIS BOOK WILL HAVE YOU EXTREMELY AFRAID OF SHADOWS FOR AT LEAST THE DURATION OF THE BOOK
This was me basically the entire book. Omg the suspense was amazing. You never knew what was going to happen next. What dangers lay ahead. You just knew Vincent was gone, memories were erased, and nothing was right anymore. You knew things were about to go downhill fast and in a crazy way.
And just when you think you've got things all figured out...
Everything got turned around and flipped again. There was so much action, a little romance, and a lot of mysteries needing solving.
This was me basically the entire book. Omg the suspense was amazing. You never knew what was going to happen next. What dangers lay ahead. You just knew Vincent was gone, memories were erased, and nothing was right anymore. You knew things were about to go downhill fast and in a crazy way.
And just when you think you've got things all figured out...
Everything got turned around and flipped again. There was so much action, a little romance, and a lot of mysteries needing solving.
December 24, 2017
To begin with the positive, this is an awesome, mind-trippy science fiction tale, and I really enjoyed the actual plot. It's a young adult story, and I think I would have absolutely loved it when I was in high school. I'm not going to say any more about the plot--not one single word--because this is one of those stories where spoilers are deadly. If you like this sort of thing (mind trippy sci fi tales where you spend most of the story trying to figure out what on earth is happening), then I would say definitely give The Summer It Came for Us a try.
Now for the frustrating part--it's an awesome story but, in my admittedly critical opinion, only an okay book. An extra round of editing would probably have made all the difference. The pacing was a bit off (bogging down in several repetitive sections of dialogue, where all the characters kept shouting this like, "Guys, look at this!" "Guys, I have an idea!" "Guys, you won't believe what just happened!" -- not exact quotes, just my overall impression of the dialogue, mind you). The romance wasn't very convincing for me, either. While I do enjoy a good romance, this one seemed shoe-horned in just to have a romance subplot, and it ended up bogging down the story at times as well. Finally, I was not thrilled with an entirely unnecessary scene involving a racial slur and the characters immediately jumping in to defend the insulted character. The whole scene seemed very awkward to me, and I'm of the opinion that if you're going to include racial slurs in your story, there had better be a very good reason for it. In this case, that whole scene could have been cut with no change to any other scene. So, why have it in there to start with?
Despite these issues, overall this was a fun and fast-paced story, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of the genre.
Now for the frustrating part--it's an awesome story but, in my admittedly critical opinion, only an okay book. An extra round of editing would probably have made all the difference. The pacing was a bit off (bogging down in several repetitive sections of dialogue, where all the characters kept shouting this like, "Guys, look at this!" "Guys, I have an idea!" "Guys, you won't believe what just happened!" -- not exact quotes, just my overall impression of the dialogue, mind you). The romance wasn't very convincing for me, either. While I do enjoy a good romance, this one seemed shoe-horned in just to have a romance subplot, and it ended up bogging down the story at times as well. Finally, I was not thrilled with an entirely unnecessary scene involving a racial slur and the characters immediately jumping in to defend the insulted character. The whole scene seemed very awkward to me, and I'm of the opinion that if you're going to include racial slurs in your story, there had better be a very good reason for it. In this case, that whole scene could have been cut with no change to any other scene. So, why have it in there to start with?
Despite these issues, overall this was a fun and fast-paced story, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans of the genre.
March 27, 2017
OH.
MY.
GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if you put mystery, sci-fi, and lovecraftian eldritch nightmares in a large hadron collider, this book would be what popped out. and it is damn good. honestly, i think this one might be one of my new favourite books literally ever???
if this review is incoherent, that is because i am incoherent. goddamn. this novel was an absolute masterpiece. the writing and the pacing was impeccable the main character Remi is such an excellent, multi-faceted character, the mystery was genuinely absolutely baffling (i thought i figured it out and i was like fuck yes i am Sherlock Actual Holmes and then it turned out i literally was 101% wrong. fantastic).
and it was so. goddamn. clever. like holy shit, if you know me at all you'll know i am a gigantic nerd and i get really pissed off when sci-fi contradicts actual science, but this book managed to meld actual science with a fiction-twist in the most perfect, creepy, cerebral way imaginable. that wasn't actually a spoiler btw it was a rant about another sci-fi book i read that was horribly inaccurate and how The Summer It Came For Us is vastly superior lmao so if you wanna click it go ahead
anyway. this was 101% the best YA sci-fi you'll ever read. or the best YA. or the best sci-fi. just the best everything tbh.
read it now or the Glipper will come and haunt you in your dreams. (or at least, I will.)
(I'M NOT JOKING YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE TO READ IT NOW. CHOP CHOP.)
MY.
GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if you put mystery, sci-fi, and lovecraftian eldritch nightmares in a large hadron collider, this book would be what popped out. and it is damn good. honestly, i think this one might be one of my new favourite books literally ever???
if this review is incoherent, that is because i am incoherent. goddamn. this novel was an absolute masterpiece. the writing and the pacing was impeccable the main character Remi is such an excellent, multi-faceted character, the mystery was genuinely absolutely baffling (i thought i figured it out and i was like fuck yes i am Sherlock Actual Holmes and then it turned out i literally was 101% wrong. fantastic).
and it was so. goddamn. clever. like holy shit, if you know me at all you'll know i am a gigantic nerd and i get really pissed off when sci-fi contradicts actual science, but this book managed to meld actual science with a fiction-twist in the most perfect, creepy, cerebral way imaginable. that wasn't actually a spoiler btw it was a rant about another sci-fi book i read that was horribly inaccurate and how The Summer It Came For Us is vastly superior lmao so if you wanna click it go ahead
anyway. this was 101% the best YA sci-fi you'll ever read. or the best YA. or the best sci-fi. just the best everything tbh.
read it now or the Glipper will come and haunt you in your dreams. (or at least, I will.)
(I'M NOT JOKING YOU SERIOUSLY HAVE TO READ IT NOW. CHOP CHOP.)
November 21, 2018
This has to be my most favoured book from Dan Rix so far! ‘The Summer It Came For Us’ starts off with a bang and never lets up.
The characters are nuanced and typically YA – but not in an annoying way. I’ve found many of Rix’s characters can get on my nerves, but in ‘The Summer It Came For Us’ the cast were realistic, relatable, and often comical.
Protagonist Remi was like every horror movie heroine. Sufficiently girlie, stubborn, and has some guts; empathic and curious. I enjoyed her journey of self-discovery the most. Though she was a strong character, there was still something forgettable – or I should say, typical about her. I think because there is so much action, and running, that we don’t get to see her personality develop outside the immediate threat. Maybe a few scenes alluding to her past could have fleshed out her character a bit more, made her more memorable. But that is me being nit-picky. Remi is interesting, sensible, intelligent, and not afraid to stand up when it really counts.
Love interest Malcolm - we see him set up as a bit of a dick. And at first I was really confused why he deserved that wrap. And after finishing the novel, I’m still perplexed. He did not exhibit any of the phallic behaviour that we’d expect. I’m putting it down to him having a home life of a drug addicted mother and an alcoholic father: everyone just assumed he was bad news. Yes, he was guarded and stoic – but wouldn’t you be if you grew up in that environment? It was some great misdirection. Though I would have liked his undeserved reputation established a bit more solidly in the beginning to really drive home his character arc.
Vincent, Remi’s little brother’s best friend (and person of colour) is the most endearing character. A true innocent victim of circumstance. He seems to be the object around which all the other characters revolve – even if they don’t notice it.
Zoe. Insert any blonde haired best friend here. Hysterical. Screaming and running. The kind of chick that gets bumped off early in any horror movie. Though she was supportive, I was hoping she would lend more to the storyline than a potential victim.
The final character to round out this gang of bumbling teens is Jace, who wraps up every teen boy I went to high school with. A loud annoying prankster. Doesn’t listen to anyone. Again. Like with Zoe, I kind of wanted him to contribute more towards the plot. Give some insight or expose a plot point. It’s not that I don’t like either of these characters, just that I didn’t want them to be so generic. *spoiler* because when it appears we lost them I was not affected emotionally *end spoiler*
I pretty much guessed the science behind the story within the first three chapters – and that hypothesis was confirmed more and more as clues were dropped. The only thing that was threw me was the Glipper... I mean WTF was that. It was a bit of paranormal, a bit of mystic, a bit of alien added into the theoretical science of it all. While part of me feels like it shouldn’t have been there, that it didn’t make sense; another part loved the monster concept, and a voice in the back of my head saying aliens, or alien technology could look like magic to us. So, although the Glipper is not fully explained, I enjoyed its part in the story and loved the tension it played on our cast.
There is a clear evolution in Rix’s writing he is definitely getting better with each novel. The pacing and tension are so much tighter than I’ve experienced from his previous works. The writing style is light and quick to read. I’d love to see him start to bring in some more complexity in word usage – he’s drawing on some pretty variegated scientific theories, and I’d love to see some of that cerebral matter transpose into the narrative. Maybe if the protagonists weren’t always young adults we’d see a much different tone? That is a book I’d love to read.
Completed in a day and something I’d happily recommend to YA lovers, or those looking for a light sci-fi thriller.
The characters are nuanced and typically YA – but not in an annoying way. I’ve found many of Rix’s characters can get on my nerves, but in ‘The Summer It Came For Us’ the cast were realistic, relatable, and often comical.
Protagonist Remi was like every horror movie heroine. Sufficiently girlie, stubborn, and has some guts; empathic and curious. I enjoyed her journey of self-discovery the most. Though she was a strong character, there was still something forgettable – or I should say, typical about her. I think because there is so much action, and running, that we don’t get to see her personality develop outside the immediate threat. Maybe a few scenes alluding to her past could have fleshed out her character a bit more, made her more memorable. But that is me being nit-picky. Remi is interesting, sensible, intelligent, and not afraid to stand up when it really counts.
Love interest Malcolm - we see him set up as a bit of a dick. And at first I was really confused why he deserved that wrap. And after finishing the novel, I’m still perplexed. He did not exhibit any of the phallic behaviour that we’d expect. I’m putting it down to him having a home life of a drug addicted mother and an alcoholic father: everyone just assumed he was bad news. Yes, he was guarded and stoic – but wouldn’t you be if you grew up in that environment? It was some great misdirection. Though I would have liked his undeserved reputation established a bit more solidly in the beginning to really drive home his character arc.
Vincent, Remi’s little brother’s best friend (and person of colour) is the most endearing character. A true innocent victim of circumstance. He seems to be the object around which all the other characters revolve – even if they don’t notice it.
Zoe. Insert any blonde haired best friend here. Hysterical. Screaming and running. The kind of chick that gets bumped off early in any horror movie. Though she was supportive, I was hoping she would lend more to the storyline than a potential victim.
The final character to round out this gang of bumbling teens is Jace, who wraps up every teen boy I went to high school with. A loud annoying prankster. Doesn’t listen to anyone. Again. Like with Zoe, I kind of wanted him to contribute more towards the plot. Give some insight or expose a plot point. It’s not that I don’t like either of these characters, just that I didn’t want them to be so generic. *spoiler* because when it appears we lost them I was not affected emotionally *end spoiler*
I pretty much guessed the science behind the story within the first three chapters – and that hypothesis was confirmed more and more as clues were dropped. The only thing that was threw me was the Glipper... I mean WTF was that. It was a bit of paranormal, a bit of mystic, a bit of alien added into the theoretical science of it all. While part of me feels like it shouldn’t have been there, that it didn’t make sense; another part loved the monster concept, and a voice in the back of my head saying aliens, or alien technology could look like magic to us. So, although the Glipper is not fully explained, I enjoyed its part in the story and loved the tension it played on our cast.
There is a clear evolution in Rix’s writing he is definitely getting better with each novel. The pacing and tension are so much tighter than I’ve experienced from his previous works. The writing style is light and quick to read. I’d love to see him start to bring in some more complexity in word usage – he’s drawing on some pretty variegated scientific theories, and I’d love to see some of that cerebral matter transpose into the narrative. Maybe if the protagonists weren’t always young adults we’d see a much different tone? That is a book I’d love to read.
Completed in a day and something I’d happily recommend to YA lovers, or those looking for a light sci-fi thriller.
May 6, 2017
A fun, easy read for fans of lighter horror movies
A well thought out and creative sci-fi horror/suspenseful mystery that, to me, reads like a fun, spooky movie you would watch with friends at a bonfire or sleepover party. This book was exciting and suspenseful with a huge, baffling mystery that seamlessly falls into place in the end, with fascinating complex science explained well enough for anyone to understand. I was already a fan of Dan Rix and his incredible mind boggling sciencey stories (seriously, how does he come up with all his crap??), and this book definitely does not disappoint. In fact, I would go so far as to label this one as my favorite. If you like the specific brand of horror movies that are on the lighter side and are centered around a group of teenagers who, while being teenagers, end up getting into trouble with paranormal beings and forces out of their control, this book is definitely for you.
A well thought out and creative sci-fi horror/suspenseful mystery that, to me, reads like a fun, spooky movie you would watch with friends at a bonfire or sleepover party. This book was exciting and suspenseful with a huge, baffling mystery that seamlessly falls into place in the end, with fascinating complex science explained well enough for anyone to understand. I was already a fan of Dan Rix and his incredible mind boggling sciencey stories (seriously, how does he come up with all his crap??), and this book definitely does not disappoint. In fact, I would go so far as to label this one as my favorite. If you like the specific brand of horror movies that are on the lighter side and are centered around a group of teenagers who, while being teenagers, end up getting into trouble with paranormal beings and forces out of their control, this book is definitely for you.
February 7, 2018
Sci-fic , mystery, suspense ...........
I loved everything about the book,even though am not much of a sci -fic person. The characters were so dynamic and relatable especially remi, the plot got me hooked on the book. I definitely recommend this book to pple who love mystery and suspense.
I loved everything about the book,even though am not much of a sci -fic person. The characters were so dynamic and relatable especially remi, the plot got me hooked on the book. I definitely recommend this book to pple who love mystery and suspense.
February 6, 2017
The night after the horrible car crash, Remi wakes up at home with no recollection of how she got there. All her other friends are a little scratched up but okay - except for Vincent. Vincent is gone. Even worse, he seems to have been wiped off the memories of everyone else in town. Besides having to find Vincent, they also have to contend with the fact that there’s a strange nine-foot tall shadow after them. And really weird stuff happening where they crashed, near the Shasta-Trinity Supercollider complex, involving even the Defense Department.
The Summer It Came for Us starts off with a little leftover paranormal/horror vibe I got from Translucent, but quickly slips into something more in the vein of Timeloopers and God’s Loophole. Meaning, it's more science than spirits, though there's a little bit of overlap. They can both be pretty freaky when unexplained. Hint (which I hope is not spoilery): It’s fast-paced and suddenly much shorter (at 2 hours) than the 5 - 10-hour tomes I’ve been reading lately. And also pretty much engrossing, so you don't quite realise that you've spent a bunch of time reading. Which is fine by me.
It's been a while since I've read Rix, so it was a nice look back into all the wonderful stories that he has entertained me with! I see that Rix is still playing with the good girl/bad boy trope; fine, Remi isn't exactly a 100% innocent, and Malcom's badness is more aggressive, military edge (Americans and their guns, sheesh) than anything dangerous, but it still gives off a bit of that vibe. There's a little less absentee parenting here compared to his previous books, with more (even active) involvement from most of their parents except for Malcolm's (who are described as abusive/neglectful).
Themes touched on include acceptance, bullying, and teen suicide - very pertinent issues amongst the YA crowd - as well as some discussion on when/whether something should be taken to the relevant authority figures. Most current YA books make it seem like the protagonists live in a bubble and no one older or vaguely wiser can help them - or worse, makes all authority figures unreliable/antagonistic, but Rix creates a situation where they at least debate about looking for help. Whilst there is at least one unreliable authority figure, there are others who are sympathetic AND able to offer help/advice.
All in all, I enjoyed the book very much!
*Note: I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Summer It Came for Us starts off with a little leftover paranormal/horror vibe I got from Translucent, but quickly slips into something more in the vein of Timeloopers and God’s Loophole. Meaning, it's more science than spirits, though there's a little bit of overlap. They can both be pretty freaky when unexplained. Hint (which I hope is not spoilery): It’s fast-paced and suddenly much shorter (at 2 hours) than the 5 - 10-hour tomes I’ve been reading lately. And also pretty much engrossing, so you don't quite realise that you've spent a bunch of time reading. Which is fine by me.
It's been a while since I've read Rix, so it was a nice look back into all the wonderful stories that he has entertained me with! I see that Rix is still playing with the good girl/bad boy trope; fine, Remi isn't exactly a 100% innocent, and Malcom's badness is more aggressive, military edge (Americans and their guns, sheesh) than anything dangerous, but it still gives off a bit of that vibe. There's a little less absentee parenting here compared to his previous books, with more (even active) involvement from most of their parents except for Malcolm's (who are described as abusive/neglectful).
Themes touched on include acceptance, bullying, and teen suicide - very pertinent issues amongst the YA crowd - as well as some discussion on when/whether something should be taken to the relevant authority figures. Most current YA books make it seem like the protagonists live in a bubble and no one older or vaguely wiser can help them - or worse, makes all authority figures unreliable/antagonistic, but Rix creates a situation where they at least debate about looking for help. Whilst there is at least one unreliable authority figure, there are others who are sympathetic AND able to offer help/advice.
All in all, I enjoyed the book very much!
*Note: I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2017
Another Enthralling Book by Dan Rix
Just like his other books, I couldn't put this book down. This was a very imaginatively creative story, I read the book in two sessions in one day! I really love the science the author incorporates into his books. Him and his wife have amazing talent. Happy Reading!!
-rcc
Just like his other books, I couldn't put this book down. This was a very imaginatively creative story, I read the book in two sessions in one day! I really love the science the author incorporates into his books. Him and his wife have amazing talent. Happy Reading!!
-rcc
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews