Reviews

The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin

duongcarolyn12's review

1.0

Honestly, it was uninteresting and boring. I loved the book trailer but the book I self was vague.

patke's review

3.0

Full review on Sniff Books, Not Drugs: http://tinyurl.com/3csl5z3

To Sum It Up
Touching, nostalgic read.
Accurate portrayal of being 12 years old and the trials that often come with the age.
Interesting facts and information about the soldiers in the National Guard.

*Thank you Galley Grab!

nicolec417's review

3.0

A sweet, innocent novel with a good ending.

peterpokeypanda's review

3.0

I really, really liked Anything But Typical, so I expected to like this book, but I didn't as much. It just . . . hurt to read. So much discomfort, so much expectation, so much waiting for the inevitable bad thing to happen and so little recovery from it. I think it was well written, though, and I've bumped its rating up to three stars because I think it's quality, even though I personally didn't particularly enjoy reading it. At least it has a happy ending!

bitterseason's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

book_nut's review

4.0

Very tender and sweet.

jhillier19's review

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tcbueti's review

5.0

Another terrific Baskin book--she just keeps getting better. Here, she vividly captures that feeling of "Do I want him to notice me? Oh, no, he's looking this way." or worse "He didn't look this way." And how everything else in the world can fade away in the face of --the first kiss--will he? Should I? And how hard it can be to maintain a friendship in the face of such irresistible craziness.

Julia is spending the summer with her cousin Eliza, whose dad works at Mohonk (here called "Mohawk") Mountain House, the amazing Victorian resort. Julia's mom is in the National Guard, deployed in Iraq, and her dad is busy working. These girls have lots of history together--they like to improvise all kinds of pretend scenarios. But all that pales in the face of ...MICHAEL. Julia basically loses her mind over him. Then what?

Baskin's gift for describing settings, physical feelings and emotions is wonderful. Julia's thoughts and fears for her mom, and those of her classmate, whom she knows through a school support group for military kids, are really poignant.

I really enjoyed this one and think lots of girls becoming young women will, too.

dlarca's review

4.0

Julia is spending the summer with her best friend Eliza because her mother is deployed in Iraq and her father has to work. In summers past, Julia has loved being with Eliza, playing make-believe and roaming the trails around Mohawk Mountain Lodge. But this summer is different. This summer the magic isn't made in the games Julia and Eliza play, but in the interactions Julia has with Michael, the first boy she's ever wanted to kiss. And overshadowing everything is the nawing worry about her mom. Will she be the same when she comes back? Will she come back at all?

The Summer Before Boys is a poignant story about that awkward time between childhood and adolescence. Baskin weaves in flashbacks and facts about women in the army that add to the richness of this touching tale.

oliviacumplido's review

4.0

This is a great book for 11-13 year old girls. It’s lighthearted. Probably one of the first “romance” books they will read. The story is short and adorable and as a young girl you can really understand the transition the book is going through. Definitely recommend.