Ratings33
Average rating3.2
A deliciously funny, remarkably poignant “beach read to end all beach reads” (Entertainment Weekly) about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through all of life’s ups and downs—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Good in Bed and Best Friends Forever. Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song. A sparkling, “insightful page-turner” (Real Simple) about the complexities of female relationships, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.
Reviews with the most likes.
“Big Summer” was an easy read with a likable protagonist in Daphne. Basically it's about love, friendship and forgiveness but also about realizing one's own self-worth. A few twists along the way to make it interesting.
If they had half stars, I would have given it a 3.5. Like many others, I was non-plussed by the total genre shift if the middle. However, unlike many others, I actually enjoyed the whodunnit more than the overcoming the fat-shaming mean girl narrative.
While there wasn't anything wrong with the Daphne character, there wasn't really anything profound about her journey, either. Or maybe it's because I recently read One to Watch & that book explored the theme so much deeper & more true.
This is the first of Jennifer Weiner's books that I've read, and I liked it. It's a story of a young woman who struggles with her weight and how it impacts her self image and her relationships contrasted to another young woman who appears to have it all. It's a story that needs telling about the power and falsehoods of social media and the world in which young people live in 2020. Themes include body image, family, friendships, forgiveness, acceptance, and appearances. This would be a good book club pick. It's a quick read and there are a lot of topics that could make for a good discussion.