A year after Janey’s suicide, her friends reunite at a remote Spanish villa, desperate to put the past behind them. However, an unwelcome guest arrives claiming to have evidence that Jane was murdered. When she is found floating in the pool, it becomes clear one of them is a killer. Only one thing is for certain, surviving this holiday is going to be murder…
A compelling and psychological thriller - with a dash of romance.
"Just do it, you coward. Show him what he made you do. They'll never forget you after this."
In the midst of myriad "murder-mystery-on-a-beach" YA novels, James Dawson's Cruel Summer stands out. Not because it has an extremely shocking ending, or a great number of plot twists, but because it's a unique (for YA novels, at least) blend of a grisly murder mystery and British humour, with an interesting focus on character relationships. It's no Dangerous Girls, but it's an intriguing summer read.
This was basically a movie/TV series within a book. The book was divided into "scenes" rather than chapters, and the internal monologue of Ryan (our main character, and narrator for most of the book), who imagined the scenes in the book as part of a script. The book was never dull. Even the flashbacks - which I usually detest reading - managed to keep me thoroughly entertained. The story was littered with red herrings, which I felt were a wonderful addition to the storyline and made it even more addictive.
The characters fit the stereotypes of characters in a typical teen "horror" movie, and the plot is also rather similar to one. However, Dawson adds his own flair to the story, and laces it with twists and turns that keep the reader hungry for more. The characters each have their own lives with their own fair share of drama, which ensures maximum entertainment. The story was, pleasantly, not too dark or eerie, and was a lighter read than most. Nonetheless, it was still worthy of being called a good thriller novel.
The climax wasn't too shocking, having figured out the killer early on, but the thrill of reading about the revelation of the killer's identity remained. The ending itself was reminiscent of Gretchen McNeil's Ten (spoiler alert: it was heartbreaking). Those looking for a gripping page-turner to amuse them during the summer, I'd highly recommend Cruel Summer.
On a side note, I could totally see this book being turned into a TV mini-series.
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