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W niejasnych okolicznościach podczas balu maturalnego ginie Janey Bradshaw. Policja, rodzina i większość znajomych uważa, że popełniła samobójstwo, rzucając się z klifu w morze. Do momentu, aż u jej przyjaciół pojawia się nieoczekiwany gość…
Wciągający i psychologiczny thriller.
W niejasnych okolicznościach podczas balu maturalnego ginie Janey Bradshaw. Policja, rodzina i większość znajomych uważa, że popełniła samobójstwo, rzucając się z klifu w morze. Do momentu, aż u jej przyjaciół pojawia się nieoczekiwany gość…
Wciągający i psychologiczny thriller.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2013
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3883 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
April 30, 2015
Rating: 4/5
Cruel Summer was the first book by James Dawson that I've ever read but it won't be the last.
The story of this book centers around a group of friends that had been estranged for the past year, after the death of one of their group Janey, and decide to spend their summer vacation together in a Spanish Villa. In that seclude place a surprise visit from someone who claims to their secrets will turn their summer into a nightmare.
This book was really great. One of the main narrators, Ryan, has this way of setting the scene like a movie which really drew me in. His way of thinking reminded me a lot of my own and I loved his PoV. Also, this book kind of reminds me of Ten by Gretchen McNeil and And Then There Were None by Agatha Cristie, and pretty much any good old horror movie. There is a group of kids with secrets, a dead body (or more) and mystery all along the way. It was really hard figuring this one out and I have to say I failed but when the reveals started I was shocked that every little things made sense. This story was beautifully put together.
Another aspect that I really enjoyed was that even though there seemed to be a lot of romance all around, it didn't pull away from the main mystery. I hate it when characters seem to ignore everything around them just to lust over someone. Also, the relationships and problems in this books were well built and seemed so real.
All in all, I really enjoyed Cruel Summer and I can't wait to read more by James Dawson in the future.
Cruel Summer was the first book by James Dawson that I've ever read but it won't be the last.
The story of this book centers around a group of friends that had been estranged for the past year, after the death of one of their group Janey, and decide to spend their summer vacation together in a Spanish Villa. In that seclude place a surprise visit from someone who claims to their secrets will turn their summer into a nightmare.
This book was really great. One of the main narrators, Ryan, has this way of setting the scene like a movie which really drew me in. His way of thinking reminded me a lot of my own and I loved his PoV. Also, this book kind of reminds me of Ten by Gretchen McNeil and And Then There Were None by Agatha Cristie, and pretty much any good old horror movie. There is a group of kids with secrets, a dead body (or more) and mystery all along the way. It was really hard figuring this one out and I have to say I failed but when the reveals started I was shocked that every little things made sense. This story was beautifully put together.
Another aspect that I really enjoyed was that even though there seemed to be a lot of romance all around, it didn't pull away from the main mystery. I hate it when characters seem to ignore everything around them just to lust over someone. Also, the relationships and problems in this books were well built and seemed so real.
All in all, I really enjoyed Cruel Summer and I can't wait to read more by James Dawson in the future.
January 17, 2023
Who says fictional teenage murder cannot be fun? Not Juno Dawson. Cruel Summer is a brilliant mix of the adolescent drama in Pretty Little Liars and ridiculous humour combined with crazy violence in Scream. It's just what you need after a hard day's work.
For Ryan, our main character and star of the show, life is a movie (or, at least, a teen drama) taking place on a studio set, right up to the point where the chapters are called 'scenes'. He is currently hanging out at his good friend Katie's holiday villa in Spain, with a bunch of old school friends that'd fit in one of his films perfectly. Greg's the Jock and his twin Alisha's the Bad Girl, while Katie's the Good Girl. Greg's girlfriend Erin is the New Girl and their friend Ben is the Geek. Ryan's certain he knows who would survive this 'low-budget Spanish bloodbath', but he's not quite prepared for what's about to come...
Cruel Summer is layered with macabre mystery and British wit, full of murder and secrets – you won't know who to trust. I enjoyed Ryan's narrative and his internal monologue that constantly imagines life as a script, plus the storyline surrounding Janey – did she really commit suicide or was it murder? – wasn't easy to guess, which only added to the intrigue. It's a little bit ridiculous, but on purpose, and more light-hearted than other YA mysteries I've read lately, such as Tanya Byrne's Follow Me Down. Cruel Summer is more like the Scream movies we all watched in the late 1990s or early 2000s – a bit silly, a little less violent, and complete fun to read.
Juno Dawson's voice and personality stand out, like this story could not be told by anyone else. I couldn't help but imagine her reading the book aloud. Its unique mix of British (specifically, Northern English) narrative and psycho plot make it a compelling read. Will it leave you thinking that this could happen to you? No. Will it leave you wanting it to be made into a TV show right now? Absolutely.
Cruel Summer is a seriously fun, beach thriller (who knew they existed?), with a motivation for murder that you'll never guess.
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
For Ryan, our main character and star of the show, life is a movie (or, at least, a teen drama) taking place on a studio set, right up to the point where the chapters are called 'scenes'. He is currently hanging out at his good friend Katie's holiday villa in Spain, with a bunch of old school friends that'd fit in one of his films perfectly. Greg's the Jock and his twin Alisha's the Bad Girl, while Katie's the Good Girl. Greg's girlfriend Erin is the New Girl and their friend Ben is the Geek. Ryan's certain he knows who would survive this 'low-budget Spanish bloodbath', but he's not quite prepared for what's about to come...
Cruel Summer is layered with macabre mystery and British wit, full of murder and secrets – you won't know who to trust. I enjoyed Ryan's narrative and his internal monologue that constantly imagines life as a script, plus the storyline surrounding Janey – did she really commit suicide or was it murder? – wasn't easy to guess, which only added to the intrigue. It's a little bit ridiculous, but on purpose, and more light-hearted than other YA mysteries I've read lately, such as Tanya Byrne's Follow Me Down. Cruel Summer is more like the Scream movies we all watched in the late 1990s or early 2000s – a bit silly, a little less violent, and complete fun to read.
Juno Dawson's voice and personality stand out, like this story could not be told by anyone else. I couldn't help but imagine her reading the book aloud. Its unique mix of British (specifically, Northern English) narrative and psycho plot make it a compelling read. Will it leave you thinking that this could happen to you? No. Will it leave you wanting it to be made into a TV show right now? Absolutely.
Cruel Summer is a seriously fun, beach thriller (who knew they existed?), with a motivation for murder that you'll never guess.
I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books.
January 27, 2016
If you're aware of the video game 'Until Dawn', this is kind of like that, expect the killer is among one of the group of friends. 'Cruel Summer' fits well into its genre, and I really liked how aware the characters were of their situation, compared to a horror movie!
January 10, 2014
I’ve heard a million wonderful things about this book even before I picked it up so I was pretty sure I was in for a treat, but I would have never predicted how much of a nail-shredder it actually is and how much I fell in love with it by the end. If I had to sum it up in a nutshell, I would say Cruel Summer is like a modern, young adult version of Agatha Christie’s timeless classic (and one of my favourite books of all time), And Then There Were None. It’s just as twisted, just as gripping as Christie’s book and is a definite must-read for adults and younger readers alike.
When I started reading the book it seemed a little slow paced compared to what I was expecting but once you get through the first couple of chapters it all makes sense. Every little detail from the characters’ past is relevant to the plot and what they’re going through at the moment and – as much as I dreaded it – it never gets dull. Not for one moment. In fact, once you realize that all of these characters all had a lot to lose and could have easily killed Janey you just won’t be able to put the book down. I raced through the second half of the story in no time and couldn’t get it out of my head ever since.
Read more >>
When I started reading the book it seemed a little slow paced compared to what I was expecting but once you get through the first couple of chapters it all makes sense. Every little detail from the characters’ past is relevant to the plot and what they’re going through at the moment and – as much as I dreaded it – it never gets dull. Not for one moment. In fact, once you realize that all of these characters all had a lot to lose and could have easily killed Janey you just won’t be able to put the book down. I raced through the second half of the story in no time and couldn’t get it out of my head ever since.
Read more >>
November 18, 2017
This was an alright read. The story is set up like a play, and it was not that great. I was not really liking the characters. I did like the mystery, just wish there was more of it. I was pretty bored during the read. I had to put it down a couple of times. I thought the story had potential, but it lacked execution. The writing style was not for me. I will see what other books that this author wrote, hopefully I have more luck with those books. Overall, an okay read.
November 5, 2018
"Everyone has the face they show people and the face for when they’re alone in bed with only their thoughts."
"In a weird way Alisha had got her wish – the old gang was back together again. For eternity. They were all bound together by their terrible secret, until the day they died. That was a terrifying thought."
Another Dawson Dazzler!
Juno Dawson is quickly becoming one of my favourite YA writers having devoured two of her books in as many weeks. I would highly recommend her book Clean which is one of my favourite reads this year.
Cruel Summer was a wonderful mix mystery, witty British dialogue and friendship that from the first page was impossible to put down. With wonderful pacing as the story developed up until the heart-pounding ending (and make no mistake my heart was actually pounding) I could not pry myself away and when I absolutely had to I was counting down the minutes until I could reunite with the gang in their Spanish villa.
Dawson has a wonderful way of luring you into the world that she is creating, with characters that are constantly developing in a very holistic way until the last word. All of the characters have their flaws but they have this sense that you have met these people before that allows the reader to feel like these are your friends, they all have a great depth without taking away from the flow of the story by becoming overly cumbersome with backstory.
The framing of the story as a TV show in the imagination of Ryan (in my head it came to life as a The OC meets Pretty Little Liars meets I Know What You Did Last Summer) was expertly done and framed the story in wonderful way. I have to say this element really drew me into story and allowed the author to create an element of realness in this clever and twisty mystery, allowing the main narrator to acknowledge that in a TV show this would represent different elements of the season which would be expected but in real life it was insane. It was also a very interesting way to show a different type of coping mechanism as Ryan uses this as a way of trying to disassociate harder times in his life from the reality of what is happening.
Throughout the story there were so many times that I (smugly) thought that I had beaten the author and figured out who had done it, only to completely change my opinion in the next chapter. The story is so cleverly plotted that I had a blast reading it. I hope that Dawson continues to write stories like that this for a long time to come, she is one of the most captivating authors that I have read in very long time.
This need to be mad into a movie because it would be perfect and it is about time we had another great ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ style of movie.
If you haven’t read this I would highly, highly recommend it. I am actually worried for the next book I read because Juno Dawson is setting the bar high.
"In a weird way Alisha had got her wish – the old gang was back together again. For eternity. They were all bound together by their terrible secret, until the day they died. That was a terrifying thought."
Another Dawson Dazzler!
Juno Dawson is quickly becoming one of my favourite YA writers having devoured two of her books in as many weeks. I would highly recommend her book Clean which is one of my favourite reads this year.
Cruel Summer was a wonderful mix mystery, witty British dialogue and friendship that from the first page was impossible to put down. With wonderful pacing as the story developed up until the heart-pounding ending (and make no mistake my heart was actually pounding) I could not pry myself away and when I absolutely had to I was counting down the minutes until I could reunite with the gang in their Spanish villa.
Dawson has a wonderful way of luring you into the world that she is creating, with characters that are constantly developing in a very holistic way until the last word. All of the characters have their flaws but they have this sense that you have met these people before that allows the reader to feel like these are your friends, they all have a great depth without taking away from the flow of the story by becoming overly cumbersome with backstory.
The framing of the story as a TV show in the imagination of Ryan (in my head it came to life as a The OC meets Pretty Little Liars meets I Know What You Did Last Summer) was expertly done and framed the story in wonderful way. I have to say this element really drew me into story and allowed the author to create an element of realness in this clever and twisty mystery, allowing the main narrator to acknowledge that in a TV show this would represent different elements of the season which would be expected but in real life it was insane. It was also a very interesting way to show a different type of coping mechanism as Ryan uses this as a way of trying to disassociate harder times in his life from the reality of what is happening.
Throughout the story there were so many times that I (smugly) thought that I had beaten the author and figured out who had done it, only to completely change my opinion in the next chapter. The story is so cleverly plotted that I had a blast reading it. I hope that Dawson continues to write stories like that this for a long time to come, she is one of the most captivating authors that I have read in very long time.
This need to be mad into a movie because it would be perfect and it is about time we had another great ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ style of movie.
If you haven’t read this I would highly, highly recommend it. I am actually worried for the next book I read because Juno Dawson is setting the bar high.
July 23, 2013
Can I please have more books like this? Ah-mazing! FYI: I figured out the 'who' before the reveal, but was wrong on the 'why'. Would make a very fun (in a dark and twisted 'Scream'/'I Know What You Did Last Summer' type way) movie (and the cast would be SO HOT!). Ryan did make me laugh. All the drama with that boy!
For fans of: Christopher Pike, Gretchen McNeil's 'Ten'.
For fans of: Christopher Pike, Gretchen McNeil's 'Ten'.
August 23, 2021
CN: Mentions of homophobia, racism and the practicality of murder
Actual Rating: 2 Stars
Eh. Definitely the weakest of Juno Dawson's horror novels/thrillers. I adored Hollow Pike, Say Her Name was solid and this one really had potential but it was so chock-full of lame tropes, dumbassery and harmful stereotypes that it just fell flat for me.
The Good:
+ This book is from 2013. For its time, the representation is okay - not without its problems but decent. Two mixed black characters, one gay character, one not further defined queer character. Mentions of homophobia and racism aren't shied away from
+ Everyone in this book is insufferable except for Alisha. This is a positive because it seems to have been intended that way and was executed well for the most part imo. Also, I just want good things for Alisha
+ The writing itself, Juno Dawson knows her stuff, especially how to build suspense
+ The relationships! Both of the eventual couples had good chemistry
+ The plot construction. It was a fairly easy read because of that - a beach read, some would say
The Bad:
1. Ryan's insipid need to compare everything to a TV show, my god. I didn't mind Ryan himself that much but this character trait of his... just... no. It might be because I've just read Riley Sager's new book, Survive the Night, which has a movie obsessed protagonist and while it had its own issues, it did the whole "we're all just characters in a movie" schtick A LOT better. Or maybe I just haven't met enough theatre gays - which, weird because I am a theatre gay and know a lot of theatre gays - but he didn't feel realistic in the slightest. He was highly stylized and cliché like the rest of them but since he was a POV character, this stuck out to me a lot more I suppose?
2. I get it, they're teenagers, barely out of school and it's not everyday you find a dead body. But my god, what kind of stupid decision is it to NOT call the police? What did that accomplish other than drive the plot forward?? "We're all going to prison for this" yeah okay sure whatever but at least you're not stuck inside a McMansion with a murderer??? And HELPING them dump the body, at that? Katie did have a point when she said they were all self-obsessed but she failed to mention that they are also dumb as a brick, herself included. Because if she had been smart about this, she wouldn't have had to kill two uninvolved people.
3. On the topic of Katie, tho. Her MOTIVE, I'm screaming. Katie, beloved, I'm sorry to tell you this but your grandma was a racist bitch and your friends played a mean-spirited prank on her because she racially targeted two of them while they were under her care. She had it coming, bestie, for real. And they didn't even kill her directly, she died MONTHS later. But I guess grief does weird things to the human mind....?
4. Also, while I'm no expert and please correct me if I'm wrong about this, I am pretty sure that rat poison does NOT kill this quickly. If it kills at all, that is. That's why I assumed at first that they'd all make it tbh and it would live up to the expectations I had - for it to be parodic.
What I mean to say is that the rat poison as a murder weapon of choice completely took me out of the story to the point where I had to put the book down to google it.
The Ugly:
I mentioned that I didn't like some of the tropes and stereotypes that were utilised in this book and I just wanted to elaborate on that real quick.
There's a bunch of casual -isms in the story that I feel are not uncommon for books written during that time - I'm saying this for context, not to excuse it. Most of them just made me cringe but one thing I really could've lived without was Ryan's vaguely biphobic insistence that Greg's girlfriends were all just "beards." Like, he seems to accept that Greg could be bisexual but at the same time he throws around terms like "bicurious" and questions Greg's attraction to the girls he dated. We never get Greg's perspective to confirm or deny either but I wish it would've just been left completely ambigous because at the end of the day, what matters is that he's deeply closeted, harbors a lot of internalised homophobia and is obviously in love with Ryan.
Mentioning Greg, the scene where he loses it and strangles Katie out of anger was so unnecessary. We did NOT need the "violent black guy assaulting the innocent white girl" stereotype, seriously. Apart from the obvious racist implications, it also seems to clash with the rest of his characterisation - he has a temper, sure but for the rest of the book, we're assured that he's actually a kind and loveable guy (tho I guess Alisha would disagree with that, he treated her terribly in that one flashback and it wasn't really adressed ever again).
And then finally, when I was already kinda done with the book and wanted it to be over, Juno pulled a Bury Your Gays on me. I don't think I would've been as mad about it if Ben had died with the rest of them? Like, this thriller turned into a classic teen slasher horror during the last 20% or so, I would expect everyone to die except the aptly named Final Girl (which is a trope Ryan literally mentions by name before he dies!) - and while I was happy for Alisha's sake that Ben made it, it just left a bad taste in my mouth that out of the characters we're supposed to care about, it's only the killer and the tragic gays that die. Especially since this book reads so self-aware of genre conventions and tropes, I would've at least expected it to go that extra mile and truly lean into the parody aspect. But their death scene was surprisingly sincere instead, Greg's final line to Ryan the only part of the book I highlighted on my Kindle. Which is nice, I guess? Wish they had survived instead tho.
This is an overly long way of saying that this book, while an easy read with solid writing, ultimately wasn't worth my time. It is especially disappointing because my expectations for it were high based on other novels by this author. I wish Juno Dawson would write horror again, I'm sure had she written this book in 2021, it would've been incredible.
Actual Rating: 2 Stars
Eh. Definitely the weakest of Juno Dawson's horror novels/thrillers. I adored Hollow Pike, Say Her Name was solid and this one really had potential but it was so chock-full of lame tropes, dumbassery and harmful stereotypes that it just fell flat for me.
The Good:
+ This book is from 2013. For its time, the representation is okay - not without its problems but decent. Two mixed black characters, one gay character, one not further defined queer character. Mentions of homophobia and racism aren't shied away from
+ Everyone in this book is insufferable except for Alisha. This is a positive because it seems to have been intended that way and was executed well for the most part imo. Also, I just want good things for Alisha
+ The writing itself, Juno Dawson knows her stuff, especially how to build suspense
+ The relationships! Both of the eventual couples had good chemistry
+ The plot construction. It was a fairly easy read because of that - a beach read, some would say
The Bad:
1. Ryan's insipid need to compare everything to a TV show, my god. I didn't mind Ryan himself that much but this character trait of his... just... no. It might be because I've just read Riley Sager's new book, Survive the Night, which has a movie obsessed protagonist and while it had its own issues, it did the whole "we're all just characters in a movie" schtick A LOT better. Or maybe I just haven't met enough theatre gays - which, weird because I am a theatre gay and know a lot of theatre gays - but he didn't feel realistic in the slightest. He was highly stylized and cliché like the rest of them but since he was a POV character, this stuck out to me a lot more I suppose?
2. I get it, they're teenagers, barely out of school and it's not everyday you find a dead body. But my god, what kind of stupid decision is it to NOT call the police? What did that accomplish other than drive the plot forward?? "We're all going to prison for this" yeah okay sure whatever but at least you're not stuck inside a McMansion with a murderer??? And HELPING them dump the body, at that? Katie did have a point when she said they were all self-obsessed but she failed to mention that they are also dumb as a brick, herself included. Because if she had been smart about this, she wouldn't have had to kill two uninvolved people.
3. On the topic of Katie, tho. Her MOTIVE, I'm screaming. Katie, beloved, I'm sorry to tell you this but your grandma was a racist bitch and your friends played a mean-spirited prank on her because she racially targeted two of them while they were under her care. She had it coming, bestie, for real. And they didn't even kill her directly, she died MONTHS later. But I guess grief does weird things to the human mind....?
4. Also, while I'm no expert and please correct me if I'm wrong about this, I am pretty sure that rat poison does NOT kill this quickly. If it kills at all, that is. That's why I assumed at first that they'd all make it tbh and it would live up to the expectations I had - for it to be parodic.
What I mean to say is that the rat poison as a murder weapon of choice completely took me out of the story to the point where I had to put the book down to google it.
The Ugly:
I mentioned that I didn't like some of the tropes and stereotypes that were utilised in this book and I just wanted to elaborate on that real quick.
There's a bunch of casual -isms in the story that I feel are not uncommon for books written during that time - I'm saying this for context, not to excuse it. Most of them just made me cringe but one thing I really could've lived without was Ryan's vaguely biphobic insistence that Greg's girlfriends were all just "beards." Like, he seems to accept that Greg could be bisexual but at the same time he throws around terms like "bicurious" and questions Greg's attraction to the girls he dated. We never get Greg's perspective to confirm or deny either but I wish it would've just been left completely ambigous because at the end of the day, what matters is that he's deeply closeted, harbors a lot of internalised homophobia and is obviously in love with Ryan.
Mentioning Greg, the scene where he loses it and strangles Katie out of anger was so unnecessary. We did NOT need the "violent black guy assaulting the innocent white girl" stereotype, seriously. Apart from the obvious racist implications, it also seems to clash with the rest of his characterisation - he has a temper, sure but for the rest of the book, we're assured that he's actually a kind and loveable guy (tho I guess Alisha would disagree with that, he treated her terribly in that one flashback and it wasn't really adressed ever again).
And then finally, when I was already kinda done with the book and wanted it to be over, Juno pulled a Bury Your Gays on me. I don't think I would've been as mad about it if Ben had died with the rest of them? Like, this thriller turned into a classic teen slasher horror during the last 20% or so, I would expect everyone to die except the aptly named Final Girl (which is a trope Ryan literally mentions by name before he dies!) - and while I was happy for Alisha's sake that Ben made it, it just left a bad taste in my mouth that out of the characters we're supposed to care about, it's only the killer and the tragic gays that die. Especially since this book reads so self-aware of genre conventions and tropes, I would've at least expected it to go that extra mile and truly lean into the parody aspect. But their death scene was surprisingly sincere instead, Greg's final line to Ryan the only part of the book I highlighted on my Kindle. Which is nice, I guess? Wish they had survived instead tho.
This is an overly long way of saying that this book, while an easy read with solid writing, ultimately wasn't worth my time. It is especially disappointing because my expectations for it were high based on other novels by this author. I wish Juno Dawson would write horror again, I'm sure had she written this book in 2021, it would've been incredible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2016
*SPOILER FREE*
You can check this review with more details on my blog (x)
OR my video review on my channel here - (SOON!)
“Everyone has the face they show people and the face for when they’re alone in bed with only their thoughts.”
My rating: 4 stars out of 5
I was super excited to read this book since I read the synopsis a while ago and since it’s summer it seemed like the perfect time to do it. If you like mystery but not that super elaborated adult books that can get kind of boring this is the book for you. It’s exciting and intriguing and can make you LIVE the story yourself. I also had a lot of fun trying to figure out who had really killed Janey.
I just recently started reading mysteries and thrillers more often so I’m not sure If I’m the best person to say if there are other books similar with this one but for me it was a different and very fun experience to go through.
Although the letter size in the version of the book I own is smaller than normal I was still able to read this book very quickly because of the engaging story. The cover it’s not the most special thing in the world but it fits really well in the contemporary genre and looks quite acceptable on my shelf.
Okay, let’s talk about character development which is one thing that it’s a necessity for me to enjoy a book. Every character in this book has his own distinct personality, being the same good or bad and that is a major point, especially in a mystery/thriller book like this one. We get to see different typos like the jock, the nerd, the bad girl, the good girl and the new girl which are no less interesting even if they are stereotypes.
The action can take some dozens of pages to start but in those we are able to get to know most of the characters and a bit of the past which was still captivating to me. When we finally get to the main story almost every chapter finishes with a climatic ending that keeps our eyes on the book wanting more and more. But not all is good and the only reason that I didn’t gave this book a five star rating was because I predicted some events and those ended up not being that surprising to me.
Putting that aside, Cruel Summer was a fun, weird and mysterious ride that was totally worth it and made me search all about James Dawson and his other books for future reading.
------------------
That was it guys, comment below your opinion on this book, if you feel like reading it now or if you just want to add some info to what I said :)
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr (blog)
You can check this review with more details on my blog (x)
OR my video review on my channel here - (SOON!)
“Everyone has the face they show people and the face for when they’re alone in bed with only their thoughts.”
My rating: 4 stars out of 5
I was super excited to read this book since I read the synopsis a while ago and since it’s summer it seemed like the perfect time to do it. If you like mystery but not that super elaborated adult books that can get kind of boring this is the book for you. It’s exciting and intriguing and can make you LIVE the story yourself. I also had a lot of fun trying to figure out who had really killed Janey.
I just recently started reading mysteries and thrillers more often so I’m not sure If I’m the best person to say if there are other books similar with this one but for me it was a different and very fun experience to go through.
Although the letter size in the version of the book I own is smaller than normal I was still able to read this book very quickly because of the engaging story. The cover it’s not the most special thing in the world but it fits really well in the contemporary genre and looks quite acceptable on my shelf.
Okay, let’s talk about character development which is one thing that it’s a necessity for me to enjoy a book. Every character in this book has his own distinct personality, being the same good or bad and that is a major point, especially in a mystery/thriller book like this one. We get to see different typos like the jock, the nerd, the bad girl, the good girl and the new girl which are no less interesting even if they are stereotypes.
The action can take some dozens of pages to start but in those we are able to get to know most of the characters and a bit of the past which was still captivating to me. When we finally get to the main story almost every chapter finishes with a climatic ending that keeps our eyes on the book wanting more and more. But not all is good and the only reason that I didn’t gave this book a five star rating was because I predicted some events and those ended up not being that surprising to me.
Putting that aside, Cruel Summer was a fun, weird and mysterious ride that was totally worth it and made me search all about James Dawson and his other books for future reading.
------------------
That was it guys, comment below your opinion on this book, if you feel like reading it now or if you just want to add some info to what I said :)
Youtube | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr (blog)
July 13, 2017
I think I will stop reading this book by now, after reading to page 106, my gut feeling told me: "This person is really suspicious! " So I skimmed to the last few chapters only to confirm my suspicion...so this person is the real killer!
Q: What a girl to do at this point?
A: Skimmed further into the story to learn more about the key parts of the mystery without lingering too long in the story.
PS: I'm by no mean saying this book is badly written, but the pacing is REALLY SLOW and I figured out the mystery half way, so I won't invest myself more into the story. I hope I will enjoy James Dawson's other novels better, I like his Hollow Pike well enough.
Q: What a girl to do at this point?
A: Skimmed further into the story to learn more about the key parts of the mystery without lingering too long in the story.
PS: I'm by no mean saying this book is badly written, but the pacing is REALLY SLOW and I figured out the mystery half way, so I won't invest myself more into the story. I hope I will enjoy James Dawson's other novels better, I like his Hollow Pike well enough.
May 27, 2014
I have only read one of James Dawson’s novels before which I enjoyed but I had high expectations for this one after a rave review from my sister and fellow blogger Chrissi Reads, whose opinion I definitely trust if she thinks I will enjoy something. Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed! The story revolves around a group of friends who meet for a relaxing break in sunny Spain but have barely seen each other since the previous summer when tragedy struck and one of their friends Janey lost her life. From the very beginning however it becomes clear that what was thought of as a suicide attempt on the part of Janey may have actually been a murder which had to have been carried out by one of the members of the group. This is corroborated when an extra (unwanted?) guest turns up at their villa and confirms that she has the evidence that Janey’s death was neither an accident or suicide and if they want her to keep schtum, they had better pay up.
Then, just like in a horror movie, the hand of Death strikes again, and the group of friends now have to deal with the fact that there may be a murderer amongst them, and we have a pretty mixed bag of characters/potential villains. Furthermore, the group find themselves in a situation way over their heads and contacting the police for assistance is no longer an option. I have to admit I did end up guessing the identity of the killer in the end but not their reasons behind it which was fantastically drawn by our author. One of the things I loved most about this novel is the way it was written, in other words imagined as a film script by one of our lead characters Ryan (superstar wannabe and theatre darling) who I completely fell in love with. In this way we also heard the voices of several other characters as well as Ryan, which was a very effective way of getting into their mindset and motive for murder as they grieve (or cry crocodile tears) over the friend they lost a year ago.
There are so many delicious twists and turns to this novel, and it really reminded me of some of the Point Horror books I devoured as a teenager. As with those, the author kept me turning the pages while I tried to figure out exactly what was happening and who was responsible. And the ending? The pacing just builds and builds right to the nail-biting finale and the dramatic revelations. I found this novel a perfect and exciting young adult read from a very talented author who I hope keeps churning books like these out for a long time to come.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Then, just like in a horror movie, the hand of Death strikes again, and the group of friends now have to deal with the fact that there may be a murderer amongst them, and we have a pretty mixed bag of characters/potential villains. Furthermore, the group find themselves in a situation way over their heads and contacting the police for assistance is no longer an option. I have to admit I did end up guessing the identity of the killer in the end but not their reasons behind it which was fantastically drawn by our author. One of the things I loved most about this novel is the way it was written, in other words imagined as a film script by one of our lead characters Ryan (superstar wannabe and theatre darling) who I completely fell in love with. In this way we also heard the voices of several other characters as well as Ryan, which was a very effective way of getting into their mindset and motive for murder as they grieve (or cry crocodile tears) over the friend they lost a year ago.
There are so many delicious twists and turns to this novel, and it really reminded me of some of the Point Horror books I devoured as a teenager. As with those, the author kept me turning the pages while I tried to figure out exactly what was happening and who was responsible. And the ending? The pacing just builds and builds right to the nail-biting finale and the dramatic revelations. I found this novel a perfect and exciting young adult read from a very talented author who I hope keeps churning books like these out for a long time to come.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
August 30, 2013
Right. I’d heard good things about this one so I was dying to get into it and get into it I did…it grabbed me by the throat and led me kicking and screaming through an enthralling tale of Friendship, Murder and Mayhem under the sun and didnt let go until the stunning finale. Then I needed a few hours sleep…..
A group of friends gather at a villa in Spain, one year after the suicide of one of their number, to reconnect and have some fun and frolics. Things don’t go according to plan however as it becomes increasingly apparent that one of them hides a dark secret….
I loved this book in the way that I love all twisty turny tales, with a fiery passion – even more so because this really was a movie in a book. I played my favourite game of “Beat the Author” whilst getting completely entangled in the world of Ryan, Katie and co…the snappy writing and a unique chapter style made it a brilliantly page turning glorious read. And I really do hope that there IS a movie…I would love to see these characters come to life on screen in the way they did in my head whilst I was reading.
Ok, so James Dawson did not beat me – My twisty brain had the answer about half way through..but the beauty of this book is that this really won’t be the case for most people. Sharing Mr Dawsons love of Horror films probably helped me along the way…I know the “rules” well and yet he manages to put his own twist on things and keep the story intriguing and brain bending throughout. Compelling characterisation made things even more interesting…how many of us had the same grouping of friends personality wise at school and beyond I wonder…probably most. Cleverly realistic and always fascinating this is a must read for anyone who loves a good mystery, backed up by great characters and great writing. Read it. Read it now.
A group of friends gather at a villa in Spain, one year after the suicide of one of their number, to reconnect and have some fun and frolics. Things don’t go according to plan however as it becomes increasingly apparent that one of them hides a dark secret….
I loved this book in the way that I love all twisty turny tales, with a fiery passion – even more so because this really was a movie in a book. I played my favourite game of “Beat the Author” whilst getting completely entangled in the world of Ryan, Katie and co…the snappy writing and a unique chapter style made it a brilliantly page turning glorious read. And I really do hope that there IS a movie…I would love to see these characters come to life on screen in the way they did in my head whilst I was reading.
Ok, so James Dawson did not beat me – My twisty brain had the answer about half way through..but the beauty of this book is that this really won’t be the case for most people. Sharing Mr Dawsons love of Horror films probably helped me along the way…I know the “rules” well and yet he manages to put his own twist on things and keep the story intriguing and brain bending throughout. Compelling characterisation made things even more interesting…how many of us had the same grouping of friends personality wise at school and beyond I wonder…probably most. Cleverly realistic and always fascinating this is a must read for anyone who loves a good mystery, backed up by great characters and great writing. Read it. Read it now.
September 22, 2018
Całkiem dobry dreszczowiec z udziałem nastolatków. Do pewnego momentu akcja naprawdę mi się podobała, podejrzany nie był oczywisty, a każdy z bohaterów wydawał się mieć motyw. Niestety końcówka mnie rozczarowała, nie finałem pt. "Kto zabił", chociaż moje nieśmiałe podejrzenia się sprawdziły, to bardziej chodzi mi o to, że akcja zaczęła przypominać tani horror z psychopatą na głównym planie. Trochę żenujące. Mimo wszystko dobrze bawiłam się przy czytaniu książki i nie nudziłam się ani razu. Polecam bardzo. :)
August 8, 2013
Ooh, solid murder mystery with a great voice. Reminds me of The O.C. and every other teen soap you love. Crazy ending, I couldn't stop reading it!
March 31, 2017
So actually this book got 3 and a half star because it was difficult to pick between 3 and 4 but after some thinking I made it to 3. (GOODREADS HALF STARS PLEASE). However this book reminded me a bit too much of Pretty Little Liars, they were all perfect and all and the whole idea was craycray but that wasn't the problem, it was really the all in all vibe. At first I liked it but than the picture perfect was too much and I found it a bit of a shame. Not saying that it was too much like Pretty Little Liars but they were all rich and perfect at what they were doing. The lying over Janey her death was cringe worthy but that's also because I studied law and I can't see why you would lie to the police when it wasn't your fault.
The writing however was brilliant, it was like a movie and I liked Ryan his character absolutely. Shame of the ending. But he wasn't enough to make me love the rest. I hated Greg, I disliked Ben, Katie was my number one no go, Alisha was fine and Erin was good too.
The setting with a middle of no where summer house is asking for trouble, something that Ryan mentions the moment he thinks about a horror, the slaming of the doors: hello wind, nice to hear you too. I am glad that I'm not in a rich clinque like they are, the fact how Rox handled their leaver's ball and the whole situation with being a pro footballer, alcoholic person and so on and most of all the craycray last person that had this ridiculous idea of revenge. Well boo hoo, I can't really believe it, but it was a fun read! Don't get me wrong. But this came especially because of the writing! :)
The writing however was brilliant, it was like a movie and I liked Ryan his character absolutely. Shame of the ending. But he wasn't enough to make me love the rest. I hated Greg, I disliked Ben, Katie was my number one no go, Alisha was fine and Erin was good too.
The setting with a middle of no where summer house is asking for trouble, something that Ryan mentions the moment he thinks about a horror, the slaming of the doors: hello wind, nice to hear you too. I am glad that I'm not in a rich clinque like they are, the fact how Rox handled their leaver's ball and the whole situation with being a pro footballer, alcoholic person and so on and most of all the craycray last person that had this ridiculous idea of revenge. Well boo hoo, I can't really believe it, but it was a fun read! Don't get me wrong. But this came especially because of the writing! :)
July 31, 2023
bardzo dobry thriller z zaskakującym zakończeniem, którego osobiście chyba nie jestem fanką, ale z drugiej strony muszę przyznać, że w ogóle nie spodziewałam się takiego zwieńczenia tej historii + naprawdę można się zestresować na tych końcowych stu stronach
July 11, 2021
I'm sorry, I wanted more!
August 4, 2025
3,5
Mam wrażenie, że to mogło być inspiracją dla muchomorów w cukrze 🤨 Większość postaci była mi dość obojętna, sama końcówka była zbyt chaotyczna ale naprawdę dobrze mi się to czytało i szczerze spodziewałam się wszystkiego tylko nie takiego plottwistu
Mam wrażenie, że to mogło być inspiracją dla muchomorów w cukrze 🤨 Większość postaci była mi dość obojętna, sama końcówka była zbyt chaotyczna ale naprawdę dobrze mi się to czytało i szczerze spodziewałam się wszystkiego tylko nie takiego plottwistu
March 30, 2014
If you know me at all, you’ll know that I’m a big champion of UKYA, and Cruel Summer has been flitting across my radar since it was released. Having not read many books like this one, I was a bit hesitant beforehand but I was super pleased when the opportunity to review it came up and I jumped at the chance.
When Janey Bradshaw is murdered on the night of Telscombe Cliffs’ prom, nothing is brought up until her group of friends meet up the summer after in Spain. There’s Ryan, Katie, Alisha, Ben, Greg, and Greg’s girlfriend, Erin. But when events are brought up to the surface again, one thing is made clear: one of the gang murdered Janey Bradshaw, but which one of them was it?
I haven’t read a book in a long time that gripped me as much as Cruel Summer did. One of the things that I loved the most was that it engaged the reader and I was certainly involved; I felt like I was a spectator and was constantly wondering who the murderer was, much like the friends would have been doing.
5 stars is not a high enough rating for this book. I want to create a whole new rating system for it. It’s a book that I’m going to be recommending non-stop and I just want to gush about it.
I really loved Ryan and his way of thinking. He would imagine life as a TV programme in scenes and series and it’s something that, with my wild imagination, I would probably do myself and that was his coping mechanism. I know that sometimes I’ll imagine I’m somebody from a book or a TV show because it’s a way of explaining life and getting through the day. It helped Ryan detach himself from the drama that was going on and I liked that.
Alisha was another of my favourite characters and the novel alternated between following Ryan and Alisha so it was fitting that I loved them both. Alisha was more fiery and spirited than Katie or Erin and I found her a lot more interesting and easy to get to know. I felt comfortable reading about her and wanted to know more. She was one of the reasons for me being so hooked.
Without giving anything away, Dawson is able to write mystery perfectly. There were so many twists and red herrings. I was sure I knew who the murderer was and then something would happen and I would change my mind. There was always an inkling of doubt in my mind whenever I thought I knew who it was and it was easy to put myself into the characters’ minds.
Cruel Summer showcases effortlessly how fab UKYA is and I know that I will be thrusting it into the hands of whoever is brave enough to come near me when I have my bookish head on. Everybody must read this book!
When Janey Bradshaw is murdered on the night of Telscombe Cliffs’ prom, nothing is brought up until her group of friends meet up the summer after in Spain. There’s Ryan, Katie, Alisha, Ben, Greg, and Greg’s girlfriend, Erin. But when events are brought up to the surface again, one thing is made clear: one of the gang murdered Janey Bradshaw, but which one of them was it?
I haven’t read a book in a long time that gripped me as much as Cruel Summer did. One of the things that I loved the most was that it engaged the reader and I was certainly involved; I felt like I was a spectator and was constantly wondering who the murderer was, much like the friends would have been doing.
5 stars is not a high enough rating for this book. I want to create a whole new rating system for it. It’s a book that I’m going to be recommending non-stop and I just want to gush about it.
I really loved Ryan and his way of thinking. He would imagine life as a TV programme in scenes and series and it’s something that, with my wild imagination, I would probably do myself and that was his coping mechanism. I know that sometimes I’ll imagine I’m somebody from a book or a TV show because it’s a way of explaining life and getting through the day. It helped Ryan detach himself from the drama that was going on and I liked that.
Alisha was another of my favourite characters and the novel alternated between following Ryan and Alisha so it was fitting that I loved them both. Alisha was more fiery and spirited than Katie or Erin and I found her a lot more interesting and easy to get to know. I felt comfortable reading about her and wanted to know more. She was one of the reasons for me being so hooked.
Without giving anything away, Dawson is able to write mystery perfectly. There were so many twists and red herrings. I was sure I knew who the murderer was and then something would happen and I would change my mind. There was always an inkling of doubt in my mind whenever I thought I knew who it was and it was easy to put myself into the characters’ minds.
Cruel Summer showcases effortlessly how fab UKYA is and I know that I will be thrusting it into the hands of whoever is brave enough to come near me when I have my bookish head on. Everybody must read this book!
September 9, 2013
I had heard so many good things about James Dawson’s writing for quite some time now. I haven’t read his debut novel, but I’ll definitely be purchasing a copy after reading Cruel Summer. Cruel Summer was a gripping, intriguing page-turner that I couldn’t put down. There are some amazing twists and James successfully always keeps the reader guessing. I have to admit, I did begin to guess who the killer was, but I had no idea why they would do it. It wasn’t until nearer the end of the book, just before the big reveal that I became suspicious.
Cruel Summer is about five school friends on holiday together in a Spanish villa. They are getting over the death of their friend Janey a year ago. There’s Ryan and Katie, Greg and his twin sister Alisha, Greg’s new girlfriend Erin and Katie’s ex-boyfriend Ben. Just as they’re beginning to enjoy themselves, Roxanne (the stereotypical bitch) turns up claiming that Janey didn’t commit suicide.. she was murdered. It is then that everything spirals out of control with some very severe consequences…
I could easily picture this book as a horror film. It has a ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ feel about it. I loved how Ryan narrated the story. He described the events as scenes in a TV show, which actually added some humour into the story as cliché horror film scenes occurred. I loved how the book was told from mainly two perspectives, Ryan and Alisha. They were both such wonderful characters. I particularly liked Alisha, although I loved all the drama from Ryan. The chapters are short but action-packed.
Cruel Summer is so brilliantly paced. I read it so fast, because I just wanted to know what was going on. I felt the second part of the book was incredibly tense, with so many plot twists. I kept thinking I’d put it down for a bit, but then I was drawn to read yet another chapter to see what was going to happen next.
I’m so blown away by James Dawson’s writing. As I said, I’ll definitely be buying Hollow Pike, just to devour more from Mr Dawson!
Cruel Summer is about five school friends on holiday together in a Spanish villa. They are getting over the death of their friend Janey a year ago. There’s Ryan and Katie, Greg and his twin sister Alisha, Greg’s new girlfriend Erin and Katie’s ex-boyfriend Ben. Just as they’re beginning to enjoy themselves, Roxanne (the stereotypical bitch) turns up claiming that Janey didn’t commit suicide.. she was murdered. It is then that everything spirals out of control with some very severe consequences…
I could easily picture this book as a horror film. It has a ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ feel about it. I loved how Ryan narrated the story. He described the events as scenes in a TV show, which actually added some humour into the story as cliché horror film scenes occurred. I loved how the book was told from mainly two perspectives, Ryan and Alisha. They were both such wonderful characters. I particularly liked Alisha, although I loved all the drama from Ryan. The chapters are short but action-packed.
Cruel Summer is so brilliantly paced. I read it so fast, because I just wanted to know what was going on. I felt the second part of the book was incredibly tense, with so many plot twists. I kept thinking I’d put it down for a bit, but then I was drawn to read yet another chapter to see what was going to happen next.
I’m so blown away by James Dawson’s writing. As I said, I’ll definitely be buying Hollow Pike, just to devour more from Mr Dawson!
September 20, 2016
I kind of feel bad for giving this 2 stars, it more like 2 and a half because it wasn't terrible, it was just a little predictable and written a but stupid.
I didn't click with any of the characters, they all annoyed me and we're self centered little bitches.
For most of the book nothing happened and if people hadn't have been killed it sounds like it would have been a shit holiday, they didn't leave the villa for 4 days! Losers..
Anyways, I saw the killer coming but not for the reason why, that did shock me and earned this an extra half a star, but other than that it was a bit dull and I hated everyone.
I didn't click with any of the characters, they all annoyed me and we're self centered little bitches.
For most of the book nothing happened and if people hadn't have been killed it sounds like it would have been a shit holiday, they didn't leave the villa for 4 days! Losers..
Anyways, I saw the killer coming but not for the reason why, that did shock me and earned this an extra half a star, but other than that it was a bit dull and I hated everyone.
June 18, 2021
I’ll start out by saying, I only made it to chapter 14, and that required a great deal of endurance from me. I went into this book looking for a good YA thriller after someone recommended this as a similar read to the book One of Us is Lying. Sadly, I was extremely disappointed. The characters were underdeveloped, over-glamorized and all struck me as self absorbed. Normally, I find it hard to connect with a book if I don’t resonate with the characters and this book was definitely the same situation. This book is by absolutely no means a thriller, and from what I read, hardly qualifies as a mystery. Sad this turned out to be a let down for me. I was really excited to read.
October 11, 2015
When you start to read this book... Everything you think will happen is WRONG. You think you know the killer? Wrong! You think you know who will survive? Wrong! You think you know the motive behind the killer? Wrong wrong wrong this was great!!!
August 8, 2017
A difficult review to write, as I enjoyed this book but it was all just too knowing for me (without some of the elements you get when it's done really well).
The book opens with a chapter called 'Fade In'...telling us about the moment Janey died. It's strongly hinted that she was murdered. The book ends with a chapter called 'Fade Out' where we leave our characters with all manner of secrets revealed, and most of our questions answered. In-between this frame we are given a series of scenes telling us the story.
Katie and her group have friends have never really got over the apparent suicide of their friend Janey a year ago. They decide to go away on holiday to Katie's villa...and, of course, they have questions about that night. Nobody wants to talk about it, but someone is about to force their hand.
We see events through the eyes of Ryan, our TV star in the making. He views everything as if it was his own personal TV show, which is a form of coping mechanism, but it means everything is elevated to a more significant status in an attempt to show its worthiness. It also means that there's a rather irritating tendency to self-consciously deconstruct everything to tell us why it's significant, or to force us into a certain train of thought.
There's the standard cliches: jock, good girl, nerd...we think we know what to expect and Dawson plays up to this. We watch these supposedly 'perfect teens' implode as secrets are outed. Some of the secrets are given up more easily than others, and some offer more of a motive for murder than others.
Throughout, I felt like I was reading a paint-by-numbers screenplay for a teen scary movie. It was good fun, but didn't move beyond what we'd expect. If you want to know who did it, you'll have to read the book. You'll probably have sussed it very early on, but it's good fun watching our various characters work things out.
The book opens with a chapter called 'Fade In'...telling us about the moment Janey died. It's strongly hinted that she was murdered. The book ends with a chapter called 'Fade Out' where we leave our characters with all manner of secrets revealed, and most of our questions answered. In-between this frame we are given a series of scenes telling us the story.
Katie and her group have friends have never really got over the apparent suicide of their friend Janey a year ago. They decide to go away on holiday to Katie's villa...and, of course, they have questions about that night. Nobody wants to talk about it, but someone is about to force their hand.
We see events through the eyes of Ryan, our TV star in the making. He views everything as if it was his own personal TV show, which is a form of coping mechanism, but it means everything is elevated to a more significant status in an attempt to show its worthiness. It also means that there's a rather irritating tendency to self-consciously deconstruct everything to tell us why it's significant, or to force us into a certain train of thought.
There's the standard cliches: jock, good girl, nerd...we think we know what to expect and Dawson plays up to this. We watch these supposedly 'perfect teens' implode as secrets are outed. Some of the secrets are given up more easily than others, and some offer more of a motive for murder than others.
Throughout, I felt like I was reading a paint-by-numbers screenplay for a teen scary movie. It was good fun, but didn't move beyond what we'd expect. If you want to know who did it, you'll have to read the book. You'll probably have sussed it very early on, but it's good fun watching our various characters work things out.
February 19, 2022
2022 reread:
Contrary to my previous gif-filled, overly excited review, i didn’t enjoy this reread as much as before.
I’d lower my rating to a 3.5 star.
I still really enjoyed some of the characters (Ryan, Alisha), and some scenes had that suspenseful tension that i enjoy. (Boat and bracelet, finding Roxanne, cellar escape)
I’m still not convinced with the motive as before and some scenes were overly dramatic, bordering on ridiculous/ cringy (Fake Janey, Greg’s anger) and I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks either.
An underrated YA thriller that i would still recommend though.
2014:
CAUTION: reading this book may result in serious jaw pain as your jaw will be permanently hanging wiiiiiiiide open!
i have finished this book for the second time & it was as AMAZING as the first time! The edge of the seat/bed sitting!!! the screaming! the anxiety! the feeeeeeeeels! the omg-what-is-happening recations! the nail biting! the JAW DROPPING! the gasps!
reading this book, just keeps me like completely on edge. I was reading it at night, alone...& everytime something creaked or my sister shifted, my heart almost jumped out of my chest.
i loved everything about it!! (well almost everything *cough* ending *cough*)
Writing Style:
-i loved loved the fact that although it was a James Patterson style thriller novel, it wasn't just about the mystery. the characters and he whole setting was real & believable
-it had me laughing alot & thus BONUS POINTS!! i like a book that got some light moments to filter the mystery and drama
-there were also some super-cute romantic moments (Balisha♥)
-of course, i have to add that i LOVED Ryan's tv series narrative. it was refreshing & very fun.
-overall: i loved the writing. in one word: super enjoyable.
i will be keeping an eye on Mr. Dawson's future writings
Plot/Story:
-i loved the plot and story. i'm not usually a reader of mystery/thriller (if you don't count Gemma Halliday 's High Heels Mysteries) esp James Patterson and the like, i find those kind of book tedious and repetitive but this one drew me majorly!
-i loved the fact that there were two
-i loved the initial setting of the story. the fact that it didn't jump into the mystery straight away in Spain. i liked their "moments"...chilling at the pool, when they all jumped in, their rendition of their high school dance routine to a song...
-i'm not usually a fan of the WhoDunIt plot, but this one worked for me, even thoough i was 70% sure of the culprit before the reveal (i was right! :)
-so far i have only gushed about this books, but the time has come for me to be honest...i wasn't totally satisfied with the ending *gasp* i'm sorry but i had to say it!! :(
the culprit's motive was UNSATISFACTORY & just unbelievable!!!!! HOW? CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH IT?!! THEY MUST ALL DIE! I MUST HAVE MY REVENGE!!
really now? that part, that little thing just spoils the entire book for me, hence the 4 and not 5 star rating.
its like Mr. Dawson wrote the book, but towards the ending he said, darn it i need a motive! so he spun a senselessness one out of nowhere.
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-*sigh* i have another thing against this book & a particular part of the story
-THE ENDING!!
Characters:
-Ryan: by far, the best and my favorite character of all. i would be swooning over him, he's has everything i love in a fictional hunk,...looks wit sweetness etc but *sigh*, due to obvious reasons, i shall swoon over Ben instead. i loved his character so much! he was just awesome with his drama and all!
-Alisha: she was my fave girl character. she had a spunk i liked. she was super cute but not cheerleader-perky. she was a fighter that girl. i would have liked a bit more on her's and Greg's relationship though.
-Ben: ben, ben, ben. Mr Perfect♥. i felt his character, of the Big 5 (do you see what i did there :p) was the least explored. yeah he was cute and sweet and darling, but it didn't seem like there was alot of character for him.
-Katie: i really didn't like Katie. i'm not a fan of the Good Girl character. i didn't get her character unlike everyone else
-Greg: greg was a complicated character. we saw two different sides of him & so i'm kinda confused about him :/ though a couple of times i did want to punch him
-Erin: not much to say about her. i didn't like her with Greg though, bad match.
My rections/ emotions through this book told by GIF:
So yeah not much else to say except WHY ARE YOU STILL READING MY CRAPPY REVIEW??? GO AND READ THE BOOK!!!! :D
Contrary to my previous gif-filled, overly excited review, i didn’t enjoy this reread as much as before.
I’d lower my rating to a 3.5 star.
I still really enjoyed some of the characters (Ryan, Alisha), and some scenes had that suspenseful tension that i enjoy. (Boat and bracelet, finding Roxanne, cellar escape)
I’m still not convinced with the motive as before and some scenes were overly dramatic, bordering on ridiculous/ cringy (Fake Janey, Greg’s anger) and I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks either.
An underrated YA thriller that i would still recommend though.
2014:
CAUTION: reading this book may result in serious jaw pain as your jaw will be permanently hanging wiiiiiiiide open!
i have finished this book for the second time & it was as AMAZING as the first time! The edge of the seat/bed sitting!!! the screaming! the anxiety! the feeeeeeeeels! the omg-what-is-happening recations! the nail biting! the JAW DROPPING! the gasps!
reading this book, just keeps me like completely on edge. I was reading it at night, alone...& everytime something creaked or my sister shifted, my heart almost jumped out of my chest.
i loved everything about it!! (well almost everything *cough* ending *cough*)
Writing Style:
-i loved loved the fact that although it was a James Patterson style thriller novel, it wasn't just about the mystery. the characters and he whole setting was real & believable
-it had me laughing alot & thus BONUS POINTS!! i like a book that got some light moments to filter the mystery and drama
-there were also some super-cute romantic moments (Balisha♥)
-of course, i have to add that i LOVED Ryan's tv series narrative. it was refreshing & very fun.
-overall: i loved the writing. in one word: super enjoyable.
i will be keeping an eye on Mr. Dawson's future writings
Plot/Story:
-i loved the plot and story. i'm not usually a reader of mystery/thriller (if you don't count Gemma Halliday 's High Heels Mysteries) esp James Patterson and the like, i find those kind of book tedious and repetitive but this one drew me majorly!
-i loved the fact that there were two
-i loved the initial setting of the story. the fact that it didn't jump into the mystery straight away in Spain. i liked their "moments"...chilling at the pool, when they all jumped in, their rendition of their high school dance routine to a song...
-i'm not usually a fan of the WhoDunIt plot, but this one worked for me, even thoough i was 70% sure of the culprit before the reveal (i was right! :)
-so far i have only gushed about this books, but the time has come for me to be honest...i wasn't totally satisfied with the ending *gasp* i'm sorry but i had to say it!! :(
the culprit's motive was UNSATISFACTORY & just unbelievable!!!!! HOW? CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH IT?!! THEY MUST ALL DIE! I MUST HAVE MY REVENGE!!
really now? that part, that little thing just spoils the entire book for me, hence the 4 and not 5 star rating.
its like Mr. Dawson wrote the book, but towards the ending he said, darn it i need a motive! so he spun a senselessness one out of nowhere.
-*sigh* i have another thing against this book & a particular part of the story
-THE ENDING!!
Characters:
-Ryan: by far, the best and my favorite character of all. i would be swooning over him, he's has everything i love in a fictional hunk,...looks wit sweetness etc but *sigh*, due to obvious reasons, i shall swoon over Ben instead. i loved his character so much! he was just awesome with his drama and all!
-Alisha: she was my fave girl character. she had a spunk i liked. she was super cute but not cheerleader-perky. she was a fighter that girl. i would have liked a bit more on her's and Greg's relationship though.
-Ben: ben, ben, ben. Mr Perfect♥. i felt his character, of the Big 5 (do you see what i did there :p) was the least explored. yeah he was cute and sweet and darling, but it didn't seem like there was alot of character for him.
-Katie: i really didn't like Katie. i'm not a fan of the Good Girl character. i didn't get her character unlike everyone else
-Greg: greg was a complicated character. we saw two different sides of him & so i'm kinda confused about him :/ though a couple of times i did want to punch him
-Erin: not much to say about her. i didn't like her with Greg though, bad match.
My rections/ emotions through this book told by GIF:
So yeah not much else to say except WHY ARE YOU STILL READING MY CRAPPY REVIEW??? GO AND READ THE BOOK!!!! :D
August 6, 2017
Actual rating 3.25/5
Okay, so going into this I had no idea what to expect and I was also a little worried, because it's not even close to the type of novel I usually read XD I normally go for novels with fantasy elements, with the occasional highly-recommended contemporary novel thrown in. This one was a bit of a wildcard that I read as part of a Group Buddy Read.
From the start I was kinda thrown by the formatting of this novel, it seemed like a cross between a play and a Wes Craven movie and while I can't help but love the Scream series for their deconstruction of the horror/slasher genres, I really wasn't sure how it was going to work in this novel.
To be honest, I did feel like I was reading a take on Scream for quite a while XD We have our 'film geek' who explains that "we're clearly in a horror movie and this is why", our "new girl", "good girl", "bad girl", "person of colour", "jock", "alcoholic/stoner", etc. and it just wasn't really anything new at that stage... It wasn't really until much later on in the novel that things started to really come together and I found myself genuinely enjoying it. There were definitely a few unseen twists, but unfortunately I did see a lot of the surprises coming, which took some of the enjoyment out of it.
Overall, a well written novel - just a bit too cliched and similar to Scream for my taste, which meant I made far too many comparisons to truly enjoy it as a standalone novel. Oops? :(
Okay, so going into this I had no idea what to expect and I was also a little worried, because it's not even close to the type of novel I usually read XD I normally go for novels with fantasy elements, with the occasional highly-recommended contemporary novel thrown in. This one was a bit of a wildcard that I read as part of a Group Buddy Read.
From the start I was kinda thrown by the formatting of this novel, it seemed like a cross between a play and a Wes Craven movie and while I can't help but love the Scream series for their deconstruction of the horror/slasher genres, I really wasn't sure how it was going to work in this novel.
To be honest, I did feel like I was reading a take on Scream for quite a while XD We have our 'film geek' who explains that "we're clearly in a horror movie and this is why", our "new girl", "good girl", "bad girl", "person of colour", "jock", "alcoholic/stoner", etc. and it just wasn't really anything new at that stage... It wasn't really until much later on in the novel that things started to really come together and I found myself genuinely enjoying it. There were definitely a few unseen twists, but unfortunately I did see a lot of the surprises coming, which took some of the enjoyment out of it.
Overall, a well written novel - just a bit too cliched and similar to Scream for my taste, which meant I made far too many comparisons to truly enjoy it as a standalone novel. Oops? :(
January 30, 2018
“Cruel Summer” by James Dawson is a book full of drama, romance and adventure. The book begins with a flash back to prom night, where a girl is dying, which remains to be the mystery throughout the story. This mystery is about a girl who was thought to have committed suicide, but it is brought to the attention of a group of friends reuniting at a Spanish villa that their friends death was not a suicide but in fact a possible murder. Throughout the story a tension now builds about who was responsible for her death, as the murderer lies amongst the group of friends. The book is narrated from an interesting point of view, in which the story is told almost as if it were a tv show, in the way it is being split into scenes. I think this device definitely makes the book a lot better and more of an interesting read for the reader because it provides an unusual perspective while at the same time making things more interesting. I think this is a good book that’s very interesting and full of interesting parts that will cause you to think about what will happen next.
March 26, 2015
Review originally posted on Beautiful Bookish Butterflies
When it comes to James Dawson's books, I could lie and tell you that I've known about him for a long time but in reality I only really heard about him when he wrote Say Her Name.Though I haven't read it yet I was intrigued by how much everyone was going on about not only the book but the author himself, so I set out to find one to read. I came across Cruel Summer in one of my local libraries and knew that I wanted it, it since set on my shelf’s for far longer than it should have but when I picked it up I was surprised. From the get go the book reminded me of Dangerous Girls, with the friends on holiday abroad in a remote place, and Ten, friends thinking that something was laid to rest only to have strange things happening. One big difference is that Cruel Summers characters are from England and it was one of the things I loved about it, but being that we English have such unusual way's of talking and words for things sometimes, something that showed up in the book, I thought that people from overseas who picked it up could be turned off of the writing and slang because they didn't fully understand. Being from England I can hold my hands up and say that sometimes our style of talking can take some getting used to haha. (I wouldn't say that this would be a bad thing about the book because obviously the kids are going to talk the way they do and those overseas might have a problem with it like I though, but that's how I felt.)
As I started reading the book I was very interested by the characters and was looking forward to their development, however I was around 100 pages in and sadly still waiting. One thing that did grab my attention from the start was how the book is mainly set from Ryan and Alisha's point of view, you have Ryan who doesn't believe that their friend Janie would have killed herself and then you have Alisha who hasn't really said much about it. Though it's set from other peoples from time to time, these two are in my opinion the main characters and it gives you the sense that both had far more to do with the suicide than they are letting on.
As the book is about a group of 7 people a year after the death of their friend, you have a lot of different personalities and back stories to wrap your head round. You have Ryan, who is the sceptical one about the 'suicide', he's also gay, obsessed with theatre/drama and likes to think the world is one big TV show at times (the story it's self is set out like one big script). We have Ben, not only Janies boyfriend at the time of the accident but also once long-term boyfriend of Katie, a good girl who's parent's own the Vila in Spain where they will be spending the next 2 weeks. Next you have Greg and Alisha, though they may be twins they couldn't be more different. Greg is a professional athlete and Alisha was crowed 'most likely to go to rehab' in school. We also have the addition of Erin, Greg's girlfriend and someone that the rest really know nothing about. Lastly, we have the one they never expected to see, Roxanne. Not only does she have a shady past and grudges with nearly all of them, but she claims that she has prof that janies death wasn't as black and white as the polices claimed and she's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what she wants.
With so much going on and fingers being pointed left right and centre it's a pretty fair assumption to say that by now in the story you are coming up with all these different ideas about who did it, why and what’s going to happen, or was it just me?. I can't say I've ever been the best at murder mysteries and that I don't change my mind thousands of times, but there was one theory I was set on and though it was slightly different, the person and part were still right in the end so I was happy that I had uncovered the secrets. Was there still a lot of suspense and twists that I didn't see coming? Of course, I'm not that good. However because of the way the story was set out, with it being like a TV show/ typical horror film, I felt it was a little bit obvious who the culprit was once you looked at all the evidence.
So now it comes down to the point in the review where I tell you if I liked the book or not. Well the answer is half and half. I thought the theory behind the story was really good,and the scene setting was faultless, however I felt that everything I was good about this book was let down by the little things. I didn't really find any of the characters to be relatable, but that's not to say you wont. Though I have already stated it plenty of times, I did like the style of the book and how it was set out like a film, but I felt like sometimes the characters were stating the obvious and being way over the top sometimes and it was something that really started to grate on my a little as the story went on no matter how much I tried to overlook it. I also felt like the book could have don with more flashback of Lanie, considering the book was mainly about her death I don't feel like she was truly given a voice and if it was a story solely on the way the characters were dealing with her death it wouldn't have mattered that much but it became a murder mystery so I would have just liked to see more about the person who inspired it.
Over all this book was good, it was a fun read and I didn't get so frustrated that I decided to DNF which is always a good thing. However like already mentioned, there just happened to be a few things that I felt let the book down and lacking something. Would I read more of James Dawson? Without a doubt. I really think he has great potential and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books, I just don't think that Cruel Summer was 100% for me.
When it comes to James Dawson's books, I could lie and tell you that I've known about him for a long time but in reality I only really heard about him when he wrote Say Her Name.Though I haven't read it yet I was intrigued by how much everyone was going on about not only the book but the author himself, so I set out to find one to read. I came across Cruel Summer in one of my local libraries and knew that I wanted it, it since set on my shelf’s for far longer than it should have but when I picked it up I was surprised. From the get go the book reminded me of Dangerous Girls, with the friends on holiday abroad in a remote place, and Ten, friends thinking that something was laid to rest only to have strange things happening. One big difference is that Cruel Summers characters are from England and it was one of the things I loved about it, but being that we English have such unusual way's of talking and words for things sometimes, something that showed up in the book, I thought that people from overseas who picked it up could be turned off of the writing and slang because they didn't fully understand. Being from England I can hold my hands up and say that sometimes our style of talking can take some getting used to haha. (I wouldn't say that this would be a bad thing about the book because obviously the kids are going to talk the way they do and those overseas might have a problem with it like I though, but that's how I felt.)
As I started reading the book I was very interested by the characters and was looking forward to their development, however I was around 100 pages in and sadly still waiting. One thing that did grab my attention from the start was how the book is mainly set from Ryan and Alisha's point of view, you have Ryan who doesn't believe that their friend Janie would have killed herself and then you have Alisha who hasn't really said much about it. Though it's set from other peoples from time to time, these two are in my opinion the main characters and it gives you the sense that both had far more to do with the suicide than they are letting on.
As the book is about a group of 7 people a year after the death of their friend, you have a lot of different personalities and back stories to wrap your head round. You have Ryan, who is the sceptical one about the 'suicide', he's also gay, obsessed with theatre/drama and likes to think the world is one big TV show at times (the story it's self is set out like one big script). We have Ben, not only Janies boyfriend at the time of the accident but also once long-term boyfriend of Katie, a good girl who's parent's own the Vila in Spain where they will be spending the next 2 weeks. Next you have Greg and Alisha, though they may be twins they couldn't be more different. Greg is a professional athlete and Alisha was crowed 'most likely to go to rehab' in school. We also have the addition of Erin, Greg's girlfriend and someone that the rest really know nothing about. Lastly, we have the one they never expected to see, Roxanne. Not only does she have a shady past and grudges with nearly all of them, but she claims that she has prof that janies death wasn't as black and white as the polices claimed and she's willing to go to extreme lengths to get what she wants.
With so much going on and fingers being pointed left right and centre it's a pretty fair assumption to say that by now in the story you are coming up with all these different ideas about who did it, why and what’s going to happen, or was it just me?. I can't say I've ever been the best at murder mysteries and that I don't change my mind thousands of times, but there was one theory I was set on and though it was slightly different, the person and part were still right in the end so I was happy that I had uncovered the secrets. Was there still a lot of suspense and twists that I didn't see coming? Of course, I'm not that good. However because of the way the story was set out, with it being like a TV show/ typical horror film, I felt it was a little bit obvious who the culprit was once you looked at all the evidence.
So now it comes down to the point in the review where I tell you if I liked the book or not. Well the answer is half and half. I thought the theory behind the story was really good,and the scene setting was faultless, however I felt that everything I was good about this book was let down by the little things. I didn't really find any of the characters to be relatable, but that's not to say you wont. Though I have already stated it plenty of times, I did like the style of the book and how it was set out like a film, but I felt like sometimes the characters were stating the obvious and being way over the top sometimes and it was something that really started to grate on my a little as the story went on no matter how much I tried to overlook it. I also felt like the book could have don with more flashback of Lanie, considering the book was mainly about her death I don't feel like she was truly given a voice and if it was a story solely on the way the characters were dealing with her death it wouldn't have mattered that much but it became a murder mystery so I would have just liked to see more about the person who inspired it.
Over all this book was good, it was a fun read and I didn't get so frustrated that I decided to DNF which is always a good thing. However like already mentioned, there just happened to be a few things that I felt let the book down and lacking something. Would I read more of James Dawson? Without a doubt. I really think he has great potential and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books, I just don't think that Cruel Summer was 100% for me.
June 29, 2022
That was plain bad. The writing was childish from the beginning, but still, I wanted to figure out what was gonna be the deal in the end. So, I kinda fast-forwarded it hoping for something to save this...and turns out that the ending was the worst part. Just so stupid, I couldn't believe my eyes. Are you people idiots for giving this book 4 and 5 stars? I think that even if it was a parody, it still wouldn't have worked! Oh my, such a mess...
May 19, 2022
Niesamowita. Na początku była wolna, ale z każdym kolejnym rozdziałem coraz bardziej się wciągałam. Naprawdę, świetna historia! Polecam wszystkim fanom thrillerów młodzieżowych. Nie spodziewałam się zakończenia! ❤️
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