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Such Sweet Summer #3
Beach Bum
Gay YA Fiction
Charlie Powell doesn’t date.
Until he meets Bryce Davenport.
Bryce Davenport writes appointments in a day planner, pays attention in class, and tries his best at anything he does. And his name is Bryce Davenport, which is pretty pretentious.
Charlie should find him repulsive, but Bryce is sweet and bossy and a million things that make Charlie’s heart beat a little faster and his palms sweat.
The problem?
Bryce has goals and ambitions. Charlie spends his days lounging at the beach. Bryce plays sports and loves staying busy. Smoking marijuana probably isn’t a sport, but Charlie would excel at it if it was.
Can the beach bum find his happily ever after with the perfect guy or will it all go up in smoke?
~~~
This is a coming of age story that features romance, humor, and growing up. It's also super gay.
Charlie Powell doesn’t date.
Until he meets Bryce Davenport.
Bryce Davenport writes appointments in a day planner, pays attention in class, and tries his best at anything he does. And his name is Bryce Davenport, which is pretty pretentious.
Charlie should find him repulsive, but Bryce is sweet and bossy and a million things that make Charlie’s heart beat a little faster and his palms sweat.
The problem?
Bryce has goals and ambitions. Charlie spends his days lounging at the beach. Bryce plays sports and loves staying busy. Smoking marijuana probably isn’t a sport, but Charlie would excel at it if it was.
Can the beach bum find his happily ever after with the perfect guy or will it all go up in smoke?
~~~
This is a coming of age story that features romance, humor, and growing up. It's also super gay.
- GenresLGBTYoung Adult
ebook
First published June 17, 2018
30 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 5, 2018
Reality for some is a beach bum.
For some life is a beach. For others the edge of an ocean. Sand and sun, often with friends. Alcohol and drugs allowed passive resistance to life and reality. Without motivation to care, the sand won for life on the edge. But sometimes a trickle of something makes it through the dull senses and allows love to influence a bum to try harder to become something more than a rock on the beach. This is a good insight to sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
I used to tell people when asked that my goal in life was to be an educated bum. I loved learning about almost anything, often taking jobs in different fields to learn enough about them to have a good overview and be useful. But by the time I was feeling educated enough to talk on most subjects, my experience had taken me too far past bum to be successful at it, and my family would not have understood. Besides, being a successful bum is hard work.
But this book had the feel of YA angst as our hero tried to avoid growing up, but was unable to successfully be a bum as life's experiences provided an education in life, even if not wanted. I should have just read the book.
For some life is a beach. For others the edge of an ocean. Sand and sun, often with friends. Alcohol and drugs allowed passive resistance to life and reality. Without motivation to care, the sand won for life on the edge. But sometimes a trickle of something makes it through the dull senses and allows love to influence a bum to try harder to become something more than a rock on the beach. This is a good insight to sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
I used to tell people when asked that my goal in life was to be an educated bum. I loved learning about almost anything, often taking jobs in different fields to learn enough about them to have a good overview and be useful. But by the time I was feeling educated enough to talk on most subjects, my experience had taken me too far past bum to be successful at it, and my family would not have understood. Besides, being a successful bum is hard work.
But this book had the feel of YA angst as our hero tried to avoid growing up, but was unable to successfully be a bum as life's experiences provided an education in life, even if not wanted. I should have just read the book.
January 1, 2020
Good Story
The story here was really good, one I enjoyed.
Charlie's life was the pits, nothing to live for, drank and did drugs, lazed around the beach because, why not? No obligations to those who don't care about him, not even to himself.
Enter Bryce who takes a genuine interest in Charlie. This causes confusion for Charlie, as he's not used to feeling real feelings. He doesn't know what to do.
This book explores Charlie's life of nothing, and how he ends up thinking that maybe there is something good about life after all. This is a theme I enjoy reading.
The narrative, how it was written, intrigued me. I followed along perfectly and it was really fun. I loved Charlie's inner monologue, thoughts, ramblings. I loved how he struggled to open up. You could tell he was trying to make sense of things. I totally get his position... when majority of the people in your life believe the worst of you, you grow up with that mindset and believe it as well. It's not easy to believe anything other than what everyone else believes. I have a lot of personal experience with this.
As good as the story is, this book could use a lot of editing. Spelling Grammar Punctuation are the culprits here and some sentences feel jagged, incomplete, or just need to be reread a few times to actually get what it was saying. Plus, the ending was nice but it felt rushed. I didn't realise it ended until I saw a preview for another book.
Anyway, editing would be great but the actual story itself is solid and so is the theme.
Thank you!
The story here was really good, one I enjoyed.
Charlie's life was the pits, nothing to live for, drank and did drugs, lazed around the beach because, why not? No obligations to those who don't care about him, not even to himself.
Enter Bryce who takes a genuine interest in Charlie. This causes confusion for Charlie, as he's not used to feeling real feelings. He doesn't know what to do.
This book explores Charlie's life of nothing, and how he ends up thinking that maybe there is something good about life after all. This is a theme I enjoy reading.
The narrative, how it was written, intrigued me. I followed along perfectly and it was really fun. I loved Charlie's inner monologue, thoughts, ramblings. I loved how he struggled to open up. You could tell he was trying to make sense of things. I totally get his position... when majority of the people in your life believe the worst of you, you grow up with that mindset and believe it as well. It's not easy to believe anything other than what everyone else believes. I have a lot of personal experience with this.
As good as the story is, this book could use a lot of editing. Spelling Grammar Punctuation are the culprits here and some sentences feel jagged, incomplete, or just need to be reread a few times to actually get what it was saying. Plus, the ending was nice but it felt rushed. I didn't realise it ended until I saw a preview for another book.
Anyway, editing would be great but the actual story itself is solid and so is the theme.
Thank you!
February 10, 2025
I sort of reviewed this book before i finished it because it pissed me off. It isn't a bad book, just so not my cup of tea. Teen drinking and drugs is such a topic that is a real issue, but this book doesn't explore the horrible le side of what can happen. In fact, the time when Charlie does OD, it happens off the page, so consequences be damned. Yes, his mother shows up 4 months late dragging her new family with her, but Gid, how awful is that?
Charlie never gets it throughout the book. He cleans up his act, but is serious not fixing his family issues with his dad, so how will he ever get better.
Sometimes, I was lost as to Charlie's internal thinking and even sober. He sounded high or drunk.
I wanted fun, but I got a high teenager angsting over his own created mess.
Charlie never gets it throughout the book. He cleans up his act, but is serious not fixing his family issues with his dad, so how will he ever get better.
Sometimes, I was lost as to Charlie's internal thinking and even sober. He sounded high or drunk.
I wanted fun, but I got a high teenager angsting over his own created mess.
February 10, 2020
I may be too old fashioned
I read the first of the summer series and really enjoyed it. I did have to agree with some other reviewers, the ending was a bit abrupt. I picked up this book thinking it would take off from where the other one abruptly ended. Nope, completely different story with all new people. I think my biggest objection to the story was teen alcohol and drug use. I was also not happy with the lack of environment by the parents. I was trying to see if there was some value in this book helping other teens with similar problems. Not sure if it would help. I still like the writers style, just didn’t like the story told.
I read the first of the summer series and really enjoyed it. I did have to agree with some other reviewers, the ending was a bit abrupt. I picked up this book thinking it would take off from where the other one abruptly ended. Nope, completely different story with all new people. I think my biggest objection to the story was teen alcohol and drug use. I was also not happy with the lack of environment by the parents. I was trying to see if there was some value in this book helping other teens with similar problems. Not sure if it would help. I still like the writers style, just didn’t like the story told.
July 22, 2018
I liked this story more than I though I would. It seemed to start out as a PSA about the evils of substance abuse but morphed into so much more. How damaging to the soul is it when the ones who are supposed to love and support you don't? Is it possible to turn things around once you have decided to stop caring or living? Can someone come into your life that motivates you to turn things around? This one hit me hard. Loved it.
August 5, 2018
I’ve read several Finn Manning books and I think this one is his best. The characters are authentic. Charlie talks and thinks just like you would expect a teen in his predicament would. Charlie has pretty much given up on life, mainly because nobody has ever given him the love and support a boy needs growing up.. He fills his days with liquor, drugs and random sex. Until he meets Bryce.
January 19, 2019
I almost gave up on this one but I'm glad I didn't throw it into the DNF pile. It took a while to get into the groove of the story but once I did I found it enjoyable. I loved the humor and the fact that Charlie felt very much like a seventeen year old bum.
February 9, 2025
This was more Tried to Read instead of Read.
I thought the main character was so self-absorbed and copious amounts of drug and alcohol 20% in the book . . . Basically non-stop is dull.
It might redeem itself, but I don't have the patience right now. Maybe another tome.
I thought the main character was so self-absorbed and copious amounts of drug and alcohol 20% in the book . . . Basically non-stop is dull.
It might redeem itself, but I don't have the patience right now. Maybe another tome.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews