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Cruel Summer by Alyson Noel
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Alyson Noel Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 2008-05-27 ISBN: 0312355114 Number of pages: 240 Reading Level: Young Adult Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Book Reviews of Cruel SummerBook Review: Amazing Summary: 5 StarsColbie Cavendish is looking forward to a fun summer spenet partying with her new (and ?ber-popular) circle of friends. Unfortunately, her fighting parents decide to send her to a tiny Greek island no one's ever heard of to stay with her crazy aunt Tally. This is practically unforgivable to Colbie since she'll only have minimal contact with her new friends (email) and is worried they'll forget her. But when Colbie finally takes a break from being depressed about her vacation when she spends mostly in an Internet caf?, she realizes that maybe she should be out living instead of mourning all the changes to her old life. And that's when she meets Yannis, a gorgeous Greek guy who's just as interested in her as she is in him. It seems Colbie's vacation isn't as miserable as she thought it would be; it changes her perspective on her entire life.
I really enjoyed Alyson No?l's writing in her other novels that I've read, Faking 19 and Saving Zo?, and Cruel Summer was no different. While the plot isn't fast-paced and exciting, it's the well-developed characters that really caught my attention, though in this case, Colbie was the only well-developed character as the story was told from her point-of-view. Alyson No?l has a subtle way of making her stories much deeper and more meaningful than they may appear on the surface, and this makes them seem real. For example, Colbie is initially portrayed as a whiny and insecure girl, but as her vacation progresses, she starts to appreciate or at least accept what she has in life. I also liked how romance was incorporated into Colbie's story, because she really deserved Yannis in the midst of all her other problems. In all, Cruel Summer was a very enjoyable story and, despite the cover, much better than just a beach read.
In a strange way, although none of her novels rank very high among my favorites, Alyson No?l is one of my favorite authors. It's not just because she's an Orange County resident like me and often writes about that setting; Alyson No?l just has a really great writing style. I definitely recommend Cruel Summer as well as her other novels that I've read, Faking 19 and Saving Zo?. I also look forward to reading Art Geeks and Prom Queens and Kiss & Blog sometime in the future.
Summary of Cruel Summer"This was supposed to be my best summer yet, the one I've been working toward since practically forever.? Now I'm being banished from everything I know and love, and it just doesn't make any sense." Having recently discarded her dorky image--and the best friend that went with it--Colby Cavendish is looking forward to a long hot season of parties, beach BBQ's, and hopefully, more hook-ups with Levi Bonham, the hottest guy in school. But her world comes crashing down when her parents send her away to spend the summer in Greece with her crazy aunt Tally. Stranded on a boring island with no malls, no cell phone reception, and an aunt who talks to her plants, Colby worries that her new friends have forgotten all about her. But when she meets Yannis, a cute Greek local, everything changes.? She experiences something deeper and more intense than a summer fling, and it forces her to see herself, and the life she left behind, in a whole new way.
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