Thoughts

Summer Girls is an easy light beach read wrapping around the lives of three friends, Kate, Dani and Vanessa. Totally different styles and life situations encapsulates the women, but their easy friendships help them deal with life's storms- or rather the storm that sort of ripped them apart eight years prior. Most of the story which takes place in the present- is a flashback to the past leading up to the secrets each woman is carrying over an event that devastated them.

While this is a lovely summer beach read, the book itself touches on some heavy hitting issues including: death, substance abuse, and depression. I loved the feel of Donohue's story however I failed to really connect with story, the biggest reason being the writing style in third person- third person and I have issues. The plot was overall predictable with a less than thrilling end, but the characters were well drawn out and in some spots emotionally moving.

Recommended to readers who love light, contemporary fiction.

Meg Donohue is the author of How to Eat a Cupcake. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, their two young daughters, and their dog.

Find out more about Meg at her website, connect with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.