What do you think?
Rate this book
Summerhill
Summerhill is a dog with a he isn't exactly sure who he is. Living alone in a desolate world as its only inhabitant, he has no memories of his previous life-only the tantalizing clue that the answers he seeks may lie with a mysterious woman named Katherine, the hostess on a cruise ship that sails between dimensions. But Katherine has problems of her own, and if Summerhill wants her help in unlocking the secrets of his past, he'll have to help Katherine deal with hers. Together, the two will travel to different worlds, different times, and different universes in a journey where the possible and impossible can be tough to separate, and where the rules of reality can change as easily as weather.
286 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
242 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Frane
21 books31 followersKevin Frane is an author, editor, and translator from a town outside of Boston, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he got his degree in Biology and also studied Japanese. He also studied at Hokkaido University in Sapporo for a summer semester, and worked at an English conversation school in Aomori, Japan in 2001 and 2002.
From 2004 to 2010, Kevin worked as a video game localization producer at Sega of America in San Francisco, and since 2010 has been working as a freelance Japanese translator.
Several of his novels and short stories have been nominated for various small press awards, and he spends time traveling to science fiction conventions across the country to serve on writing panels. As of 2013, he has also begun to work in novel translation, with his first work released in July of 2014.
From 2004 to 2010, Kevin worked as a video game localization producer at Sega of America in San Francisco, and since 2010 has been working as a freelance Japanese translator.
Several of his novels and short stories have been nominated for various small press awards, and he spends time traveling to science fiction conventions across the country to serve on writing panels. As of 2013, he has also begun to work in novel translation, with his first work released in July of 2014.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 10, 2014
Summerhill is a difficult book to grasp at first.
The deliberate chapter mis-numbering early on is a subtle clue that the reader is in for a ride through a very shaky, nebulous sort of reality, which is exactly what Frane delivers. Summerhill is a refreshing sort of amnesiac character, in a way. He can be maddeningly frustrating to deal with both as a reader and for the characters in the book simply because unlike most portrayals of amnesia, Summerhill spends at least a large chunk of his time relishing his new experiences and "going with the flow" as it were.
He has a charming wide-eyed naivete that is reminiscent of some of the best moments of David Tennant's run on Doctor Who, but without the undertone that indicates that everyone either loves or fears him. Most simply don't know what to do with Summerhill.
The character definitely has a keen curiosity, born out of the desire to figure out what he is, where he was living for an amount of time he can't really fathom ("The World of the Pale Gray Sky"), and that curiosity and desire for experience drives him forward. Some have noted that the sex scene between Summerhill and another character seems gratuitous. My argument is that it represents the first time his curiosity and desire for experiences has serious personal and emotional consequences. It changes Summerhill. The change is subtle, but it is there.
I have read Frane's other work, Thousand Leaves, and am in the process of reading Seventh Chakra. I can say with confidence that this book is a vast departure in tone, style, and genre for Frane. It's a refreshing piece of fiction with a unique, airy style. The world hovers on the periphery of reality. Everything here is just slightly shaky, in a good way, as if Summerhill could reach into a corner, yank a thread, and unravel the whole of it to see what's beyond. And the compelling part is that we're never entirely sure that he's not about to, on a whim, do just that.
Frane's influences here seem very much to be the likes of Cathrynne Valente (Palimpsest), and David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas). The two styles seem to merge, gaining the fancifulness of Valente's world building and the airy, yet readable, prose of Mitchell, combined with Frane's own particular linguistic mastery. If you are not interested in surreal literature of the type that holds a tenuous grasp on its own cohesion and sanity, then Summerhill may not be up your alley. However, for those who want their synapses set on fire thinking of possibilities and puzzling mysteries out, I cannot recommend this book enough.
My one complaint is that, in the end, the story doesn't seem to drive as hard towards answering the questions it raises as perhaps it should. However, I prefer that to shoehorning all of the answers in, checklist style, to wrap up the story. The ending leaves room for Frane to eventually write a sequel should he choose to do so, or for the reader to allow their own imagination to carry the story wherever it may go.
The deliberate chapter mis-numbering early on is a subtle clue that the reader is in for a ride through a very shaky, nebulous sort of reality, which is exactly what Frane delivers. Summerhill is a refreshing sort of amnesiac character, in a way. He can be maddeningly frustrating to deal with both as a reader and for the characters in the book simply because unlike most portrayals of amnesia, Summerhill spends at least a large chunk of his time relishing his new experiences and "going with the flow" as it were.
He has a charming wide-eyed naivete that is reminiscent of some of the best moments of David Tennant's run on Doctor Who, but without the undertone that indicates that everyone either loves or fears him. Most simply don't know what to do with Summerhill.
The character definitely has a keen curiosity, born out of the desire to figure out what he is, where he was living for an amount of time he can't really fathom ("The World of the Pale Gray Sky"), and that curiosity and desire for experience drives him forward. Some have noted that the sex scene between Summerhill and another character seems gratuitous. My argument is that it represents the first time his curiosity and desire for experiences has serious personal and emotional consequences. It changes Summerhill. The change is subtle, but it is there.
I have read Frane's other work, Thousand Leaves, and am in the process of reading Seventh Chakra. I can say with confidence that this book is a vast departure in tone, style, and genre for Frane. It's a refreshing piece of fiction with a unique, airy style. The world hovers on the periphery of reality. Everything here is just slightly shaky, in a good way, as if Summerhill could reach into a corner, yank a thread, and unravel the whole of it to see what's beyond. And the compelling part is that we're never entirely sure that he's not about to, on a whim, do just that.
Frane's influences here seem very much to be the likes of Cathrynne Valente (Palimpsest), and David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas). The two styles seem to merge, gaining the fancifulness of Valente's world building and the airy, yet readable, prose of Mitchell, combined with Frane's own particular linguistic mastery. If you are not interested in surreal literature of the type that holds a tenuous grasp on its own cohesion and sanity, then Summerhill may not be up your alley. However, for those who want their synapses set on fire thinking of possibilities and puzzling mysteries out, I cannot recommend this book enough.
My one complaint is that, in the end, the story doesn't seem to drive as hard towards answering the questions it raises as perhaps it should. However, I prefer that to shoehorning all of the answers in, checklist style, to wrap up the story. The ending leaves room for Frane to eventually write a sequel should he choose to do so, or for the reader to allow their own imagination to carry the story wherever it may go.
July 29, 2016
I would have bought this book just for its exuberant cover, but I would have bought the book even if the cover were blank except for the title and name of the author.
Like "Thousand Leaves" before it, "Summerhill" isn't in the business of providing tidy answers to its most resonant questions, and it gives us a protagonist that's just as confused by his situation as we are.
Seems like I've been meaning to read this one for years.
Like "Thousand Leaves" before it, "Summerhill" isn't in the business of providing tidy answers to its most resonant questions, and it gives us a protagonist that's just as confused by his situation as we are.
Seems like I've been meaning to read this one for years.
July 27, 2017
Summerhill was one of those books where once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I got into learning about as much as I could about what Summerhill is and how his mission to "Stick with Katherine" takes him across several fantastic worlds and realities. The pacing is good and you're never left feeling like you need to slog past this part to get to the action again.
Despite the fact that Summerhill himself has an ability to make things work out, he manages to make some blunders along the way. In the end it does work out but it's like he decided in his journey to try to swim across a river fully clothed instead of a proper swimsuit. Maybe as an anthropomorphic canine he won't have as much of a problem as a human would. Still, he figures out a lot and it opens the door to a futher adventure. I would love to see how he takes on the Consortium in the future.
Despite the fact that Summerhill himself has an ability to make things work out, he manages to make some blunders along the way. In the end it does work out but it's like he decided in his journey to try to swim across a river fully clothed instead of a proper swimsuit. Maybe as an anthropomorphic canine he won't have as much of a problem as a human would. Still, he figures out a lot and it opens the door to a futher adventure. I would love to see how he takes on the Consortium in the future.
June 9, 2015
Frane's space opera is a fast read offering myriad sensory details and exciting worlds in this travel through space, time, and alternate universes. The eponymous protagonist, a dog who believes he's perhaps some mix of coyote, embarks on an introspective sojourn to discover who he truly is, where he comes from, and why he had been trapped in a hellscape of lifeless ennui for an unintelligible span of time.
There are some sections that are slow in the early middle, such as exploration of the neverreef and some of the banter, pantomiming and hiding from the Consortium aboard the Nesquam, where I felt like some of the chase scenes would be stronger in film, than, say, a novel. But the middle and ending barrels on ahead, and there are artful samples of prose throughout to keep many readers delighted and engrossed.
LGBT characters are present and treated respectfully. The main character is some fashion of queer, as he is at least romantically interested in males and is male, although he receives kisses from women too. An androgynous sounding captain that changes form, shape and appearance is thought of as an 'it' instead of a 'they,' which may just be due to the alien's fluidity of form rather than gender ambiguity, as most of the less humanoid aliens are assigned 'it' as a pronoun.
Summerhill was a refreshing read because it focuses on questions: how much suffering can a person inflict upon themselves to develop personal meaning? Why do we construct mental barriers? How do we pay for the consequences of "quick fixes" for personal life dilemmas? It manages to pose these questions while crafting a cohesive world reminiscent of a grab bag of Primer, Neil Gaiman's Sand Man, Satoshi Kon films, and A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Summerhill accomplishes the difficult task of balancing fun and serious, and it's impressive when a work can do this in such an eloquent fashion.
There are some sections that are slow in the early middle, such as exploration of the neverreef and some of the banter, pantomiming and hiding from the Consortium aboard the Nesquam, where I felt like some of the chase scenes would be stronger in film, than, say, a novel. But the middle and ending barrels on ahead, and there are artful samples of prose throughout to keep many readers delighted and engrossed.
LGBT characters are present and treated respectfully. The main character is some fashion of queer, as he is at least romantically interested in males and is male, although he receives kisses from women too. An androgynous sounding captain that changes form, shape and appearance is thought of as an 'it' instead of a 'they,' which may just be due to the alien's fluidity of form rather than gender ambiguity, as most of the less humanoid aliens are assigned 'it' as a pronoun.
Summerhill was a refreshing read because it focuses on questions: how much suffering can a person inflict upon themselves to develop personal meaning? Why do we construct mental barriers? How do we pay for the consequences of "quick fixes" for personal life dilemmas? It manages to pose these questions while crafting a cohesive world reminiscent of a grab bag of Primer, Neil Gaiman's Sand Man, Satoshi Kon films, and A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Summerhill accomplishes the difficult task of balancing fun and serious, and it's impressive when a work can do this in such an eloquent fashion.
January 26, 2014
Summerhill is exactly the book I didn't know I desperately needed to read.
I've been wanting to read it for some time; I didn't get a chance until it came up on ebook form. Now that I have, I can't explain how overjoyed I am. The book is an explosion of imagination and a revel in creativity. The style is akin to a fairytale, hearkening back to old childhood feelings and making me believe in the impossible again. The story is engaging from beginning to end, and Summerhill is a loveable protagonist throughout.
On the surface, it could be critiqued that the book lacked a certain coherence, and yet the shahrazad nature of it was exactly what allowed it to strike the storybook tone it was going for.
I found Summerhill a wonderful reminder of why we tell stories and the power our minds hold to create realities that fascinate others.
Thanks you, Kevin Frane. I gained so much from this book.
I've been wanting to read it for some time; I didn't get a chance until it came up on ebook form. Now that I have, I can't explain how overjoyed I am. The book is an explosion of imagination and a revel in creativity. The style is akin to a fairytale, hearkening back to old childhood feelings and making me believe in the impossible again. The story is engaging from beginning to end, and Summerhill is a loveable protagonist throughout.
On the surface, it could be critiqued that the book lacked a certain coherence, and yet the shahrazad nature of it was exactly what allowed it to strike the storybook tone it was going for.
I found Summerhill a wonderful reminder of why we tell stories and the power our minds hold to create realities that fascinate others.
Thanks you, Kevin Frane. I gained so much from this book.
February 28, 2013
First described to me as a story about a 'time-dog,' I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from this book. On a total whim, I attended a reading of it at 2013's Further Confusion and wound up purchasing a copy less than an hour later.
This is one of the most unique books I've read, and considering I have a library of at least 500 novels, that's saying quite a bit. (Yeah, I should post my backlog of reviews at some point, but we'll get there...) The characters are wonderfully written, and the pacing is very well done. I won't spoil the plot here, but suffice to say it's nothing like you're expecting. Twists, turns, and above all, self-discovery is the name of the day, in a world where the sky need no longer be grey. I can't think of anything that'd actually improve the book, so I'll end here. Go read it.
This is one of the most unique books I've read, and considering I have a library of at least 500 novels, that's saying quite a bit. (Yeah, I should post my backlog of reviews at some point, but we'll get there...) The characters are wonderfully written, and the pacing is very well done. I won't spoil the plot here, but suffice to say it's nothing like you're expecting. Twists, turns, and above all, self-discovery is the name of the day, in a world where the sky need no longer be grey. I can't think of anything that'd actually improve the book, so I'll end here. Go read it.
April 28, 2014
'Summerhill' was an interesting read, and now that I have finished it, I am left without the standard feeling of completion that usually comes with finishing a book. In fact, my thoughts and feelings about 'Summerhill' itself are as confused as Summerhill the character seems throughout most of the novel. I guess I should explain.
First off, I liked the book. I read a majority while on a cruise, so that was a nice relation to the inter-dimensional cruise ship within the book. It took me most of the month of April to finish the novel, and at no time did I want to set it aside and leave it be. In fact, I often found myself picking it up so that I could see what happened to Summerhill, and hopefully get some of the questions I had about the time/dimensional traveling canine answered.
Frane does a wonderful job with the characters of the story, and I want to talk a bit about them a bit, starting with Tek and Royeyri, two of the side characters. Both play an important yet short roll in Summerhill's life for the duration of the book. Both teach the canine something about himself and influence the canine's decisions. Frane does a good job with these two, capturing things like Tek's confusion after Summerhill and the otter's time together, and Summerhill wanting to go. Royeyri is a nicely done alien with a power that was handled interestingly and added a certain flavor to the text. Both of these characters added a lot to the text and I enjoyed them.
Katherine was by far my favorite character in the book, despite her coming and going for most of the tale. Summerhill is told to stick by her side, but for reasons of the plot, this is harder than it may seem. She also brings with her the Consortium, which Frane did an amazing job turning into an inter-dimensional/time skipping group of police bad guys. (even if they are doing their job, they are doing it like bullies) Out of all of the characters, Katherine is the only one that we get to see full glimpses into her history, building her as a character as the story progresses. Perhaps that is why I enjoy her so much, because she gets the lion share of development in increments throughout the story.
Now Summerhill, our main character, is an interesting beast. Frane has created a truly unique idea within Summerhill, and cloaked it in a mystery that drives the reader to continue reading the story. From his start in a world composed of greys, to his later abilities and growing confidence with them, Summerhill continues to baffle and amaze us with his story. That said, by the end of the story, we are no more closer to who or what Summerhill is. Nor do we know the source of his powers or his relation to the two women who represent the beginning and end of all things.
This frustrated me. I understand that this is the first book in a planned trilogy, and thus, a lot of the mysteries are set up to be solved in later novels. However, by the end of the novel we are no closer to knowing who Summerhill is than at the beginning. Though his adventures were great, the shift in his inner knowledge and powers felt rushed and spiked quickly without any true build to them. One moment Summerhill seems to be a powerless dog, the next he is swimming the stream of time/space without having done it in practice. (as he mostly does it by accident throughout the novel up until that point)
I realize that further answers will be given in the later novels. But with trilogies, the first book should be a contained story with its own completed storyline. (generally in case the remainder don't see print). From there, the other two expand and build upon the initial book. (Think Star Wars, 4-6, not the prequels. A New Hope is a fully completed story, with the later two movies building upon it) With 'Summerhill', there is no true resolution to the conflict he has been facing through the entire book:
Who/What is Summerhill?
The ending of the novel was a nice, touching one.
A few other readers had mentioned to me that the ending of the novel felt like it was missing something. To me, I attribute the feeling to what I talked about above with the lack of conflict resolution and lack of any answers to the main plot point of the novel. That's what's missing. Frane has captured time/dimensional travel extremely well, and it was fun to see where he took Summerhill and the places he created. But in doing so, I think Summerhill's inner development suffered and was toned down more than it should have been. Let me give an example:
Frane is an amazing writer, and I enjoyed 'Summerhill' and will be buying the other books in the trilogy. I have nothing but respect for him in tackling a concept (time/dimensional travel) that carries so many pitfalls and issues. I believe my main problems with this book will be solved when the other ones come out, and I would love to see them bound in an Omnibus type of work when it is all completed.
If there is anyone out there looking for a 'furry' work to introduce their friends to the concept that furry literature can be appealing outside of the fandom, this book is a prime example of the fact that yes, yes it can. Though it leaves the reader still wondering and guessing about Summerhill, I have a feeling my friends and I will be discussing who/what he is for a long time to come...
First off, I liked the book. I read a majority while on a cruise, so that was a nice relation to the inter-dimensional cruise ship within the book. It took me most of the month of April to finish the novel, and at no time did I want to set it aside and leave it be. In fact, I often found myself picking it up so that I could see what happened to Summerhill, and hopefully get some of the questions I had about the time/dimensional traveling canine answered.
Frane does a wonderful job with the characters of the story, and I want to talk a bit about them a bit, starting with Tek and Royeyri, two of the side characters. Both play an important yet short roll in Summerhill's life for the duration of the book. Both teach the canine something about himself and influence the canine's decisions. Frane does a good job with these two, capturing things like Tek's confusion after Summerhill and the otter's time together, and Summerhill wanting to go. Royeyri is a nicely done alien with a power that was handled interestingly and added a certain flavor to the text. Both of these characters added a lot to the text and I enjoyed them.
Katherine was by far my favorite character in the book, despite her coming and going for most of the tale. Summerhill is told to stick by her side, but for reasons of the plot, this is harder than it may seem. She also brings with her the Consortium, which Frane did an amazing job turning into an inter-dimensional/time skipping group of police bad guys. (even if they are doing their job, they are doing it like bullies) Out of all of the characters, Katherine is the only one that we get to see full glimpses into her history, building her as a character as the story progresses. Perhaps that is why I enjoy her so much, because she gets the lion share of development in increments throughout the story.
Now Summerhill, our main character, is an interesting beast. Frane has created a truly unique idea within Summerhill, and cloaked it in a mystery that drives the reader to continue reading the story. From his start in a world composed of greys, to his later abilities and growing confidence with them, Summerhill continues to baffle and amaze us with his story. That said, by the end of the story, we are no more closer to who or what Summerhill is. Nor do we know the source of his powers or his relation to the two women who represent the beginning and end of all things.
This frustrated me. I understand that this is the first book in a planned trilogy, and thus, a lot of the mysteries are set up to be solved in later novels. However, by the end of the novel we are no closer to knowing who Summerhill is than at the beginning. Though his adventures were great, the shift in his inner knowledge and powers felt rushed and spiked quickly without any true build to them. One moment Summerhill seems to be a powerless dog, the next he is swimming the stream of time/space without having done it in practice. (as he mostly does it by accident throughout the novel up until that point)
I realize that further answers will be given in the later novels. But with trilogies, the first book should be a contained story with its own completed storyline. (generally in case the remainder don't see print). From there, the other two expand and build upon the initial book. (Think Star Wars, 4-6, not the prequels. A New Hope is a fully completed story, with the later two movies building upon it) With 'Summerhill', there is no true resolution to the conflict he has been facing through the entire book:
Who/What is Summerhill?
The ending of the novel was a nice, touching one.
A few other readers had mentioned to me that the ending of the novel felt like it was missing something. To me, I attribute the feeling to what I talked about above with the lack of conflict resolution and lack of any answers to the main plot point of the novel. That's what's missing. Frane has captured time/dimensional travel extremely well, and it was fun to see where he took Summerhill and the places he created. But in doing so, I think Summerhill's inner development suffered and was toned down more than it should have been. Let me give an example:
Frane is an amazing writer, and I enjoyed 'Summerhill' and will be buying the other books in the trilogy. I have nothing but respect for him in tackling a concept (time/dimensional travel) that carries so many pitfalls and issues. I believe my main problems with this book will be solved when the other ones come out, and I would love to see them bound in an Omnibus type of work when it is all completed.
If there is anyone out there looking for a 'furry' work to introduce their friends to the concept that furry literature can be appealing outside of the fandom, this book is a prime example of the fact that yes, yes it can. Though it leaves the reader still wondering and guessing about Summerhill, I have a feeling my friends and I will be discussing who/what he is for a long time to come...
October 23, 2023
I feel pretty split on this book. I really enjoyed the surrealist descriptions and how you and Summerhill are learning things about him at the same time throughout the book. I thought that Katherine was going to be a character that traveled with Summerhill throughout the dimensions but she only really pops up a few times throughout the story. And while I didn't expect all of the mysteries behind Summerhill and his powers to be revealed by the end, I did think that too much was left up in the air by the end of the book. Summerhill's powers being based at least in part through nature and plants is something that I see very few furry authors try and tackle. That was a cool addition to the mysteries surrounding him. I still enjoyed the wild ride that this book took me on, but I don't think it quite lived up to my expectation of it.
August 29, 2016
(I did a review of all three of Kevin's novels to date, which is found below)
It’s the story of a thousand and one summer blockbusters. “I was really, really into it, but once it was over the plot didn’t make sense.”
Having just finished reading the last of Kevin Frane’s three novels, I found myself thinking those same words, but for different reasons. In a typical blockbuster, we turn off part of our analytical mind and just enjoy the rollercoaster for what the explosion-fueled, CGI-laden, action-packed spectacle that it is. Then, later, when we’ve finished watching and turned our analytical minds back on, and the things we didn’t focus on are shown for the plothole-riddled things they are.
Kevin’s three novels—Thousand Leaves, The Seventh Chakra, and Summerhill—are largely lacking in action spectacle (with the exception of several scenes in The Seventh Chakra), instead doing more to evoke a sense of wonder. Maybe it’s because of his experience with translation, but there is something flowing about his words, that wraps you up and carries you on with a gentle current. Watching the worlds of the novels unfold feels like watching Bob Ross paint or listening to the background chatter of a Robert Altman movie.
And then, all three novels leave with a feeling of not quite making sense. Unlike the typical Hollywood story, where coincidental or impossible things happen to cover up the writer getting themselves into a corner, here it feels more like Kevin had a much larger world going on that he didn’t have time to explain (or, perhaps, because whimsy carried him in a different direction). It still reads as flawed, but for a different reason.
To describe the novels in detail…
Thousand Leaves is Kevin Frane’s first novel, a disaster story with an ensemble cast. (Think movies like 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow.) It follows the rapidly spreading disease, which ultimately drives its victims to suicide, through the lens of a gay club in an urban metropolis. The setting is an all furry world implied to be a far future earth that has forgotten humans.
The Seventh Chakra takes place in the same world as Thousand Leaves, acting as a prequel. It is a spy novel and follows the members of a secret society on their quest to piece together the history of the world. There’s a good dose of religion and mysticism, and forgotten languages make their place as mystical macguffins.
Summerhill takes place in an unrelated world, so far as I am aware. It catalogues the adventures of the titular Summerhill, a dog with reality- and time-warping abilities as he stumbles through a series of adventures that would not be out of place in a Doctor Who episode, all the while learning more about who he is and learning how to control his powers.
The novel also show Kevin’s steady progression as a writer.
Thousand Leaves reads like a first novel, uneven and with some significant flaws. The ultimate resolution of the plague comes as a deus ex machina, while the ending adds a bunch of new characters and twists that are barely foreshadowed. The world-building is all tell and no show. (We’re told all the time how xenophobic this city is supposed to be, and we see it in maybe one line.) It does pull off several clever ideas though: though it’s not apparent at first, many of the main characters are gay for an important reason.
I feel the cons outweigh the pros of this one. It’s not a bad read, but an unsteady one, and will probably do best among fans of the disaster genre.
The Seventh Chakra does a lot better. It opens with a slick espionage-turned-action sequence that would not be out of place opening a James Bond movie. The latter half of the story is a spy mission gone wrong, paranoia thick in the air and double-crosses commonplace, feeling like classic Fleming or Le Carré. The only major fault I had with the novel was that in between these two parts, the story falls into a deep lull as we get plot exposition (that will be important later) after plot exposition (that will be important later) after plot exposition (that, you guessed it, will be important later). The Seventh Chakra also stumbles a bit on the parts where it connects up to Thousand Leaves, but it is all in all a fun spy novel.
I find it a lot easier to recommend The Seventh Chakra. Certainly if you like action or spy stories, you should pick it up, but even if your interest in those topics is only passing, it’s worth a read.
It’s at Summerhill that Kevin really hits his stride. I suspect readers will be of one of two minds on it. If you need a strong plotline and a clear story arc, then Summerhill is not for you. If, on the other hand, you need to be taken by the hand and led on a tour of the weird and wonderful, plot be damned, then what-are-you-doing-pick-this-book-up-now-no-stop-what-you-are-doing-go-to-Furplanet-and-get-this-now-I-said-NOW. Summerhill is a cavalcade of exotic locales, metaphysical mysteries, and raw imagination scrambled, cooked, and served with a side of ketchup. It’s an entire season of Doctor Who (Moffat era, not Davies) distilled down to its fantastic essence and put in book form.
Simply put, Summerhill is one of those books you read for the experience of reading it. I had a great experience reading it and would easily put it in my top five favorite furry novels. Despite having read it around the time it came out, several scenes and images from the book still stand out clearly in my mind.
It’s the story of a thousand and one summer blockbusters. “I was really, really into it, but once it was over the plot didn’t make sense.”
Having just finished reading the last of Kevin Frane’s three novels, I found myself thinking those same words, but for different reasons. In a typical blockbuster, we turn off part of our analytical mind and just enjoy the rollercoaster for what the explosion-fueled, CGI-laden, action-packed spectacle that it is. Then, later, when we’ve finished watching and turned our analytical minds back on, and the things we didn’t focus on are shown for the plothole-riddled things they are.
Kevin’s three novels—Thousand Leaves, The Seventh Chakra, and Summerhill—are largely lacking in action spectacle (with the exception of several scenes in The Seventh Chakra), instead doing more to evoke a sense of wonder. Maybe it’s because of his experience with translation, but there is something flowing about his words, that wraps you up and carries you on with a gentle current. Watching the worlds of the novels unfold feels like watching Bob Ross paint or listening to the background chatter of a Robert Altman movie.
And then, all three novels leave with a feeling of not quite making sense. Unlike the typical Hollywood story, where coincidental or impossible things happen to cover up the writer getting themselves into a corner, here it feels more like Kevin had a much larger world going on that he didn’t have time to explain (or, perhaps, because whimsy carried him in a different direction). It still reads as flawed, but for a different reason.
To describe the novels in detail…
Thousand Leaves is Kevin Frane’s first novel, a disaster story with an ensemble cast. (Think movies like 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow.) It follows the rapidly spreading disease, which ultimately drives its victims to suicide, through the lens of a gay club in an urban metropolis. The setting is an all furry world implied to be a far future earth that has forgotten humans.
The Seventh Chakra takes place in the same world as Thousand Leaves, acting as a prequel. It is a spy novel and follows the members of a secret society on their quest to piece together the history of the world. There’s a good dose of religion and mysticism, and forgotten languages make their place as mystical macguffins.
Summerhill takes place in an unrelated world, so far as I am aware. It catalogues the adventures of the titular Summerhill, a dog with reality- and time-warping abilities as he stumbles through a series of adventures that would not be out of place in a Doctor Who episode, all the while learning more about who he is and learning how to control his powers.
The novel also show Kevin’s steady progression as a writer.
Thousand Leaves reads like a first novel, uneven and with some significant flaws. The ultimate resolution of the plague comes as a deus ex machina, while the ending adds a bunch of new characters and twists that are barely foreshadowed. The world-building is all tell and no show. (We’re told all the time how xenophobic this city is supposed to be, and we see it in maybe one line.) It does pull off several clever ideas though: though it’s not apparent at first, many of the main characters are gay for an important reason.
I feel the cons outweigh the pros of this one. It’s not a bad read, but an unsteady one, and will probably do best among fans of the disaster genre.
The Seventh Chakra does a lot better. It opens with a slick espionage-turned-action sequence that would not be out of place opening a James Bond movie. The latter half of the story is a spy mission gone wrong, paranoia thick in the air and double-crosses commonplace, feeling like classic Fleming or Le Carré. The only major fault I had with the novel was that in between these two parts, the story falls into a deep lull as we get plot exposition (that will be important later) after plot exposition (that will be important later) after plot exposition (that, you guessed it, will be important later). The Seventh Chakra also stumbles a bit on the parts where it connects up to Thousand Leaves, but it is all in all a fun spy novel.
I find it a lot easier to recommend The Seventh Chakra. Certainly if you like action or spy stories, you should pick it up, but even if your interest in those topics is only passing, it’s worth a read.
It’s at Summerhill that Kevin really hits his stride. I suspect readers will be of one of two minds on it. If you need a strong plotline and a clear story arc, then Summerhill is not for you. If, on the other hand, you need to be taken by the hand and led on a tour of the weird and wonderful, plot be damned, then what-are-you-doing-pick-this-book-up-now-no-stop-what-you-are-doing-go-to-Furplanet-and-get-this-now-I-said-NOW. Summerhill is a cavalcade of exotic locales, metaphysical mysteries, and raw imagination scrambled, cooked, and served with a side of ketchup. It’s an entire season of Doctor Who (Moffat era, not Davies) distilled down to its fantastic essence and put in book form.
Simply put, Summerhill is one of those books you read for the experience of reading it. I had a great experience reading it and would easily put it in my top five favorite furry novels. Despite having read it around the time it came out, several scenes and images from the book still stand out clearly in my mind.
August 1, 2019
Summerhill is reality bending adventure that explores identity and possibly belief as well. It is super well written, but unfortunately it never really answers the questions it lays out in the beginning, the biggest one being 'who and what is Summerhill?' The book doesn't quite stick the landing and left me feeling really unsatisfied. The author took me on what was an otherwise exciting, universe spanning adventure, but in the end I just wasn't sure 'why'.
April 29, 2020
Full of vivid descriptions of interesting and surreal places and creatures, this book seems to take a sometimes trippy metaphysical approach to sci-fi. An enjoyable read, however, I feel like it falls short in the end in resolving some plot points in an entirely satisfying way, but I still think its worth a read.
April 14, 2022
It just felt completely disjointed to me. While the book explains most of the questions which it raises, the answers are rarely satisfying and rely on lazy Doctor Who-esque handwaving about how the main character can do these things because he's just special. The characters never feel fleshed out and the events just feel mostly pointless.
February 19, 2019
A confusing, yet entertaining read.
January 11, 2021
Kinda confusing, kinda fun.
May 7, 2024
Trippiest novel I’ve read all year. It’s like Alice in wonderland but out of order and so much mystery!! Sorta reminds of a trippy book I read last year. Still trying to figure that one out.
October 2, 2024
psychedelic, fast, profound in a way i can't really touch on, and very very weird. it's hard to explain to people and definitely not for everyone. it sticks with you though, little pieces of it. one of my favrote books.
January 6, 2016
Summerhill is an unconventional character in an unconventional story. The main character, Summerhill, really isn't even sure what he is and definitely doesn't know where he came from. The only place he remembers is just as blank as the rest of his memory.
From the moment you open the book you see that a couple chapters are intentionally out of sequence. The entire plot is nebulous and loose at best with Summerhill jumping between realities or times with little knowledge of where he is or why.
Summerhill is an interesting character with little memory, and little information to go on besides the name of someone named Katherine who he is supposed to stick with.
There is never really any closure or distinct answers when it comes to some of the questions in the book but that doesn't make the journey any less entertaining to read. The romance in the book would have been better left out as it never seemed to fit in my opinions.
Even though this book will likely leave you with more questions then answers this was a fun novel to read.
From the moment you open the book you see that a couple chapters are intentionally out of sequence. The entire plot is nebulous and loose at best with Summerhill jumping between realities or times with little knowledge of where he is or why.
Summerhill is an interesting character with little memory, and little information to go on besides the name of someone named Katherine who he is supposed to stick with.
There is never really any closure or distinct answers when it comes to some of the questions in the book but that doesn't make the journey any less entertaining to read. The romance in the book would have been better left out as it never seemed to fit in my opinions.
Even though this book will likely leave you with more questions then answers this was a fun novel to read.
September 3, 2013
Nobody is quite sure what or who Summerhill is, least of all Summerhill. At the start of the book he's alone on an empty world, and receiving cryptic messages from what is presumably a future version of himself which eventually lead him to escape and a series of travels through time and space.
And that's it.
This is a difficult book to classify; it meanders along with few peaks and troughs of action, and a lot of the time the protagonist is a helpless, passive participant in...whatever it is that's going on. That said, it was a pleasure to read, full of surreal imagery and interesting concepts.
And that's it.
This is a difficult book to classify; it meanders along with few peaks and troughs of action, and a lot of the time the protagonist is a helpless, passive participant in...whatever it is that's going on. That said, it was a pleasure to read, full of surreal imagery and interesting concepts.
April 21, 2015
That was quite a mindbending and very imaginative ride, filled with completely unpredictable situations, memorable characters and a good chunk of well written dialogue. One star off for the lack of resolution of... way too many things. According to reviews by others of this book it's "only" the first in a planned trilogy, something I wish I could've known beforehand because that would have saved me a "But there are only a few pages left, so how on earth can it wrap up properly?!"-experience.
Well, anyway, sign me up for the next installments. Even though I wonder (as I often do in such cases): Why not simply write a longer book?
Well, anyway, sign me up for the next installments. Even though I wonder (as I often do in such cases): Why not simply write a longer book?
April 19, 2015
I honestly wasn't sure how to rate this book.
It's both immensely good yet incredibly frustrating at the same time.
Summerhill as a character is a great enigma, and by the end of the book we are no closer to knowing who or what he is. There is little to no resolution to the book whatsoever, but somehow that's alright, because that's exactly the type of book this is. We aren't really meant to know what's going on, but should just sit back and enjoy the ride.
I have a feeling this is something close to what Hitch-hikers Guide the the Galaxy would have been were it not a comedy.
It's both immensely good yet incredibly frustrating at the same time.
Summerhill as a character is a great enigma, and by the end of the book we are no closer to knowing who or what he is. There is little to no resolution to the book whatsoever, but somehow that's alright, because that's exactly the type of book this is. We aren't really meant to know what's going on, but should just sit back and enjoy the ride.
I have a feeling this is something close to what Hitch-hikers Guide the the Galaxy would have been were it not a comedy.
February 3, 2015
I absolutely loved the premise of this book. It played with ideas that I puzzled over through between the lines and wanted to find out more. Perhaps too many ideas, though, as I found some of them to be thrown in and frustrating.
It's definitely worth checking out.
It's definitely worth checking out.
June 16, 2015
Summerhill is a surreal time travel space opera. Although it meanders at times, Frane’s effervescent style carries the reader through a narrative that is both readable and thought-provoking. And besides, who doesn’t love a good ambiguous ending?
March 13, 2015
A wonderful book from start to finish. Do you like dogs? Do you like time travel? Do you like space ships, aliens, Australians, and sexy otters?
Then this is the book for you.
Then this is the book for you.
Read
June 26, 2013Male otter and male dog fucking. No.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews