Ten Books to Read if you Loved SECOND CHANCE SUMMER
Top Ten Tuesdays are hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make lists of our top ten books (or something else!) based on that week’s prompt. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Book links bring you to Goodreads or my review.
A well-rounded summer contemporary with heavier issues & family feels
Morgan Matson is a wonderful contemporary writer that almost every blogger has read at least one book by. My favorite of hers, so far, is Second Chance Summer. I cried like a baby throughout the ending and was constantly hit with different types of feels throughout. To me, this book is such a perfectly well-rounded summer contemporary. It had families dealing with complex issues (including father-daughter feels and sibling relationships), a childhood love that was reignited, unique themes of friendship and moving on from past mistakes, and an overall summer contemporary with heavier issues. I have a lot of recommendations for books based on these themes, so I figured that’d be a fun topic for this TTT! Here are all of the books I’d recommend based on specific elements of Second Chance Summer. KEEP IN MIND that I’m assuming you’ve read this book! Most of these stories flew under the radar, but there are a few more popular books intermixed here.
What are you looking for?
A book featuring a long lost or childhood love that comes back into the picture
In Second Chance Summer, Taylor reunites with the boy she left behind years ago.
Five Summers by Una LaMarche involves one girl coming back in contact with the boy she’s never stopped crushing on since her days at summer camp. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway brings a boy who was kidnapped back to his hometown, and back in contact with his childhood neighbor/best friend.
A book featuring a father-daughter relationship on the mend
In Second Chance Summer, Taylor tries to gain closure with her father at their lake house.
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally shows how badass female quarterback Jordan and her father, a former NFL star, can get on the same page about her playing football. A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger involves a girl and her father attempt to work on their relationship while she’s falling for her stepbrother.
A book with strong family and sibling feels
In Second Chance Summer, Taylor’s family moves past their differences in the face of tragedy.
Can’t Look Away by Donna Cooner shows how popular beauty vlogger Torrey comes to terms with her sister’s death, which she feels personally responsible for. (This book me appreciate my sister much, much more.) Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young is a dual-timeline book based on the consequences of a decision. Caroline’s family situation plays out in two very different ways.
A book with memorable friendships, or strained ones that require forgiveness
In Second Chance Summer, Taylor is faced with her friends at the lake that she left behind.
Aspen by Rebecca Crane has some amazing friendships between Aspen and all of the secondary characters. When faced with a major accident, everyone handles things in a mature way – unlike anything I’ve seen for a book set in high school. Rules of Summer by Joanna Philbin involves a summer romance that jeopardizes a new friendship. The sequel featured even more complicated issues between the characters and friendships were definitely tested.
A summer contemporary with less fluff and more heavier topics
In Second Chance Summer, there is a big emphasis on death and closure.
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler features the complicated relationship between Anna and Frankie. Anna hides her relationship with Frankie’s brother, who recently passed away, and the girls struggle with moving on in different ways. I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios is definitely more hyped than other books here, but features one of the heaviest summer contemporaries I’ve read before. It involves poverty, PTSD, and related tough choices.
Admittedly I need to read Second Chance Summer first! But I’m also interested in Emmy & Oliver, A Midsummer’s Nightmare and I’ll Meet You There. You’ve given me a good list to work through next summer. ?
Glad to hear it!!
I love these recommendations! I recently bought Second Chance Summer and I am so excited to read it. I have read Catching Jordan and I’ll Meet You There and I loved both of them. Even though I haven’t read Second Chance Summer yet, that is enough for me to check out your recommendations. 🙂 Here is my top ten list: http://bookbinges.blogspot.it/2015/09/top-ten-tuesday-young-adultadult.html
Yes, definitely do!
Second Chance Summer is next on my stack. I need to get to it ASAP because I was hoping to finish it this month – not gonna happen. I’ll come back and check out these recommendations when I finish.
Good luck!
I have about 70 pages yet, and I am absolutely loving this book! I should finish tonight. I just added a ton of these other books to my TBR list. Thanks!
Of course! 😀
You went all out for this TTT! These are some really great recommendations. I just recently bought Five Summers, and now I’m looking forward to reading it even more!
Thank you 😀