BOOK REVIEW: Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry

 

 

Jolene Perry's THE SUMMER I FOUND YOU, about a teenage girl trying to cope with her new diagnosis of type one diabetes and a teenage male veteran who is learning how to embrace his new life after losing an arm, who come together by using each other as an escape, only to discover through love and struggle that your life is what you make of it.- goodreads synopsis


4 stars -

An ARC via netgalley in excahnge for an honest review.  I requested this book on the cover art alone. It just had a very vintagey feel to it.

 

This book is mainly about two characters: Kate and Aiden

 

Kate Walker is a high school senior who was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Kate just got dumped by her longtime boyfriend, and is taking it really hard.  She also is taking the diagnosis very hard, and not doing a very good job at cehcking her insulin and keeping everything in check. Her worry is wearing an insulin pump. I get (well not first hand) how hard a diagnosis like this is, especially for a teenage girl, who you can presume from the novel was popular. Of course she is going to be a little vain about it. No excuse. But still semi-understandable. She really does need a reality check to kick her in the face for her to realize that this disease can kill her and that she really does need to give a shit about it. (foreshadowing...perhaps)

 

Aiden Connely is a 19 year old war vet who lost his arm. Obviously he is having a little PTSD. I mean, he wanted to be a soldier his whole life and suddenly he is trying to figure out how to live life within normal society, without an appendage, as well as his Sergeant who died the same time his arm went.  As I said, Kate just got dumped and needs a distraction from that and diabetes, Aiden just lost an arm and needs a distraction. Aiden is living with his aunt and uncle and his cousin Jen. Jen is Kates best friend. See how it all works out nicely? Distraction made possible.

 

They start falling for each other. Kate has no filter, and Aiden loves that. He gets the sense that everyone else is to scared to mention his arm, while Kate 'jokes' about it. Throughout all of this budding romance  Kate fails to mention her diabetes. You can probably guess where this is going so I won't spoil anything.

 

I did like this book. Yes at times it was juvenille and the writing seemed a bit like a 17 year old was writing it, but then again half of the book was written in a 17 year old girls point of view, so there is that. Kate came off as a stereotypical girl. She wasn't written as a strong role, but that's life. I think a lot of teens who will read this will undesrstand her very well and come out with the take home message that sometimes saving your life means giving up some vanity. I liked the character of Aiden better though. He seemed like a good guy dealing with some shit.

 

All in all, I give it 3.5-4 stars and would recommend it for a light YA read.