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Forever Summer
Forever Two Books In One from bestselling author Alyson Noë Laguna Cove & Cruel Summer
Summer. A break from the burdens of school. Deep tans, deeper thoughts. Far away from the everyday. Closer to making dreams come true . . . What does summer mean to you? For the two teenage girls in these two unforgettable novels, summer means being torn away from the familiar and finding new friends. A new place in the world. A new sense of self. And maybe even new love along the way . . .
When you're having the time of your life, you never want it to end.
Summer. A break from the burdens of school. Deep tans, deeper thoughts. Far away from the everyday. Closer to making dreams come true . . . What does summer mean to you? For the two teenage girls in these two unforgettable novels, summer means being torn away from the familiar and finding new friends. A new place in the world. A new sense of self. And maybe even new love along the way . . .
When you're having the time of your life, you never want it to end.
464 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 2011
56 people are currently reading
3192 people want to read
About the author
Alyson Noel
80 books15.7k followers*Note to readers: I'm slowly adding to the long list of books I've read, books I'm reading, and books I want to read. I only add books I loved, hence all my ratings are 5 stars.
Alyson Noël is the #1 NYT best-selling author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for readers of all ages.
With 9 NYT bestsellers and millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, and have topped the NYT, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, as well as several international bestsellers lists.
She is best known for THE IMMORTALS series, THE RILEY BLOOM series, and SAVING ZOË, which was adapted into a movie now available on Amazon.
Upcoming works include:
RULING DESTINY- book 2, in the STEALING INFINITY series
STEALING INFINITY- Optioned for TV by Valhalla Entertainment - available now!
FIELD GUIDE TO THE SUPERNATURAL UNIVERSE - Optioned for TV by producers Charles Matthau and Michael Zoumas with Andrew Orenstein and Matt Hastings attached as show runners
Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California. Learn more at www.alysonnoel.com.
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alyson_noel
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlysonNoel/
Facebook:
Official me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyson...
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/alysonnoel/
Alyson Noël is the #1 NYT best-selling author of many award-winning and critically acclaimed novels for readers of all ages.
With 9 NYT bestsellers and millions of copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, and have topped the NYT, USA Today, LA Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, as well as several international bestsellers lists.
She is best known for THE IMMORTALS series, THE RILEY BLOOM series, and SAVING ZOË, which was adapted into a movie now available on Amazon.
Upcoming works include:
RULING DESTINY- book 2, in the STEALING INFINITY series
STEALING INFINITY- Optioned for TV by Valhalla Entertainment - available now!
FIELD GUIDE TO THE SUPERNATURAL UNIVERSE - Optioned for TV by producers Charles Matthau and Michael Zoumas with Andrew Orenstein and Matt Hastings attached as show runners
Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled in Southern California. Learn more at www.alysonnoel.com.
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/alyson_noel
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AlysonNoel/
Facebook:
Official me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alyson...
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/alysonnoel/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
Want to read
January 9, 2011Lets see what this one will give us. Ever since giving up on the Immortal series, I kind of try to avoid her books. Doesn't hurt to give another chance.
March 4, 2012
Laguan Cove: I... really don't know what to say. I thought the plotline would somehow be a little more complicated... or maybe it's because of - once again - the boring fact that I've probably exhausted myself reading enough books that I find it quite challenging to find a good book to read. A book that can surprise me. Don't get me wrong - the book started out okay, but I just felt it spiralling down as it went on. It was all too predictable. Ellie won the surf competition. Anne and Chris are together. (I'd absolutely love if Ellie and Chris ended up together anyway but whatever) and Lola got back with Dean(I was a bit confused though if Dean still kind of liked her why did he even break up with her in the beginning of the book? The plot's toooooooooo simple I mean seriously), and then there's the uncertain fact - is it even a fact if it's uncertain? - acknowledgement that Jade's going to leave.
Cruel Summer: Okay one look at the first email and I closed the book immediately. It was in the format of texts and emails and I don't know if I'm the only one but I really hate those type. It doesn't even seem like a book anymore, just a collection of emails and we're supposed to read them and find out the plot of everything. No thanks, I don't find it particularly appealing, and I have other books stocking up waiting for me to pry them open, so I'm sorry but I'm going to have to pass on this book.
K.
Cruel Summer: Okay one look at the first email and I closed the book immediately. It was in the format of texts and emails and I don't know if I'm the only one but I really hate those type. It doesn't even seem like a book anymore, just a collection of emails and we're supposed to read them and find out the plot of everything. No thanks, I don't find it particularly appealing, and I have other books stocking up waiting for me to pry them open, so I'm sorry but I'm going to have to pass on this book.
K.
July 31, 2011
I love summer reads! This book contain two books of a great summer, filled with finding yourself, new loves, and new friends.
The first book, Laguna Cove is about a girl named Anne who moves half way across the country after her parents nasty divorce. Anne is dumped in an abandoned home and hates it. Let me say the both these stories deal with a divorce and finding peace in it. Anne had to learn to deal with her mom's new relationship and her dad's career. The parents I felt were selfish. For me, all I saw was that they really didn't care for their daughter but for themselves. Ann meets new friends, a new guy and find herself in surfing. I wasn't to keen on the ending. It made it seem all fake.
The second book is about Colby who is this time, sent half way across the world during her parents divorce. Put in an uncompromisable position, Colby starts a blog called Cruel Summer in which she writes down everything that she is going through. Now this story was a story that a reader can relate to. I really liked how the reader got to see the anger of Colby and how the divorce effected her. Her mistakes, her flaws, made the character Colby easier to relate. Colby in the end, dealt with the divorce as best as she could.
Both stories were good and very predictable. It was easy to read and very easy to get into. Both stories revolve around the summer forcing each girl to examine whats going on now, how to deal with it and be contempt in who they are now no matter what there parent do.
The first book, Laguna Cove is about a girl named Anne who moves half way across the country after her parents nasty divorce. Anne is dumped in an abandoned home and hates it. Let me say the both these stories deal with a divorce and finding peace in it. Anne had to learn to deal with her mom's new relationship and her dad's career. The parents I felt were selfish. For me, all I saw was that they really didn't care for their daughter but for themselves. Ann meets new friends, a new guy and find herself in surfing. I wasn't to keen on the ending. It made it seem all fake.
The second book is about Colby who is this time, sent half way across the world during her parents divorce. Put in an uncompromisable position, Colby starts a blog called Cruel Summer in which she writes down everything that she is going through. Now this story was a story that a reader can relate to. I really liked how the reader got to see the anger of Colby and how the divorce effected her. Her mistakes, her flaws, made the character Colby easier to relate. Colby in the end, dealt with the divorce as best as she could.
Both stories were good and very predictable. It was easy to read and very easy to get into. Both stories revolve around the summer forcing each girl to examine whats going on now, how to deal with it and be contempt in who they are now no matter what there parent do.
June 17, 2011
First of all this actually has 2 books in one, the first one is Laguna Cove and the second is Cruel Summer. These were my first Alyson Noel books to read and I was actually very disappointed. Normally I like summery novels like these but I found both of these books so completely boring. It took me so long to finish and I had to force myself to finish both of these books. The book "Laguna Cove" felt to me like it moved so slowly and when I finally reached the end it didn't even resolve any of the conflicts! I don't know if there is a sequel to this book but one is definitely needed. However, I will not be reading it. This one was painful enough for me. The next book, "Cruel Summer," is written entirely through emails and letters. Maybe some will find that interesting but I just found it annoying. I wanted so badly to enjoy these books and I hate that I disliked them so much but I do. I think I will just stay away from any other Alyson Noel books from now on, maybe she just isn't for me.
April 23, 2014
Laguna Cove
This book followed four girls through their first few months of their new high school year. Each girl has a different problem a majority of them revolving around guys. Most of the characters were well developed, some of their personalities more shallow then others. All the girls have "at home" problems as well as "school problems". Since all four girls are very different personality wise, you can most defiantly make a connection with at least one of them. Portrait magazine even said "Alyson Noël truly captures what it's like to be a teenager struggling to find herself a must read..."
All though this book was decent and a quick and interesting read there were a lot of ends not tied up when the book was finished, which led me to believe that there would have been a sequel, but there wasn't which kind of made me upset realizing I'm never going to know what happened to the characters. I probably wouldn't recommend the book to anyone unless they are looking for something quick to read and they don't mind imagining how the rest of the characters end up. -Hailey Flanagan
This book followed four girls through their first few months of their new high school year. Each girl has a different problem a majority of them revolving around guys. Most of the characters were well developed, some of their personalities more shallow then others. All the girls have "at home" problems as well as "school problems". Since all four girls are very different personality wise, you can most defiantly make a connection with at least one of them. Portrait magazine even said "Alyson Noël truly captures what it's like to be a teenager struggling to find herself a must read..."
All though this book was decent and a quick and interesting read there were a lot of ends not tied up when the book was finished, which led me to believe that there would have been a sequel, but there wasn't which kind of made me upset realizing I'm never going to know what happened to the characters. I probably wouldn't recommend the book to anyone unless they are looking for something quick to read and they don't mind imagining how the rest of the characters end up. -Hailey Flanagan
September 28, 2024
The plot was good in the first book, but then it just ended with no context, and there is no sequel 2/5 stars
The second book was just emails and letters. It was good in the beginning but got very boring and couldn't wait for it to end 2/5 stars overall I give it a 3/5 stars
The second book was just emails and letters. It was good in the beginning but got very boring and couldn't wait for it to end 2/5 stars overall I give it a 3/5 stars
August 28, 2012
Blah...is the only word I can summarize this book with. I didn't enjoy this book whatsoever.
November 15, 2016
Very interesting and is a different romance book than I thought. I liked how it was more unpredictable then most of the books I read.
July 28, 2020
Laguna Cove (Book 1)
It was a very easy read, but that’s probably because I’ve had this book on my shelf forever and finally decided to read it. I felt as though the plot took a very long time to thicken, and just when it finally got juicy and interesting, it ended. The ending was so rushed too, I was disappointed and left feeling unsatisfied. The second to last chapter was a bit of a build up to drama finally happening. Then the next chapter was like “everyone had an epiphany all at once, everything was sorted out perfectly and immediately and they all lived happily ever after”. I wish there was more effort put into the ending, the story just seemed to cut off to be done with it.
Cruel Summer (Book 2)
I wasn’t particularly fond of the journal entry/blog letter style of writing. However, I did like the plot of this story better than the plot in book 1. I must admit that I sorta despised the main character, she was basically just whining about her life like a selfish brat for a majority of the book. Also there was a lot of repetitiveness throughout as well, which kind of irked me. The best part was the last 20 pages, but up until then I felt it was a pretty bland book.
It was a very easy read, but that’s probably because I’ve had this book on my shelf forever and finally decided to read it. I felt as though the plot took a very long time to thicken, and just when it finally got juicy and interesting, it ended. The ending was so rushed too, I was disappointed and left feeling unsatisfied. The second to last chapter was a bit of a build up to drama finally happening. Then the next chapter was like “everyone had an epiphany all at once, everything was sorted out perfectly and immediately and they all lived happily ever after”. I wish there was more effort put into the ending, the story just seemed to cut off to be done with it.
Cruel Summer (Book 2)
I wasn’t particularly fond of the journal entry/blog letter style of writing. However, I did like the plot of this story better than the plot in book 1. I must admit that I sorta despised the main character, she was basically just whining about her life like a selfish brat for a majority of the book. Also there was a lot of repetitiveness throughout as well, which kind of irked me. The best part was the last 20 pages, but up until then I felt it was a pretty bland book.
February 8, 2019
Bon et bien, après avoir lu les deux tomes d'un coup, je dois dire que ça ne cassais pas la baraque Very Happy
Certes la plume de l'auteur est très fluide et l'idée de journal intime pour raconter l'histoire de Dorothy dans le premier tome est une idée géniale mais il est vrai que j'ai, moi aussi eu du mal à entrer dans l'histoire. Et les sms, n'en parlons même pas, j'ai eu mal aux yeux tellement la traduction est tirée par les cheveux.
Après pour les deux histoires, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait une bonne morale pour les ados en mal d'amour et de reconnaissance mais ça vole pas bien haut. Dans les deux tomes, le regard des autres importe beaucoup aux jeunes filles, et au final elles se rendent compte que ce n'est pas forcément cela qui doit ordonner leur vie. Mais bon j'ai quand même passé un bon moment à lire les deux tomes.
Certes la plume de l'auteur est très fluide et l'idée de journal intime pour raconter l'histoire de Dorothy dans le premier tome est une idée géniale mais il est vrai que j'ai, moi aussi eu du mal à entrer dans l'histoire. Et les sms, n'en parlons même pas, j'ai eu mal aux yeux tellement la traduction est tirée par les cheveux.
Après pour les deux histoires, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait une bonne morale pour les ados en mal d'amour et de reconnaissance mais ça vole pas bien haut. Dans les deux tomes, le regard des autres importe beaucoup aux jeunes filles, et au final elles se rendent compte que ce n'est pas forcément cela qui doit ordonner leur vie. Mais bon j'ai quand même passé un bon moment à lire les deux tomes.
June 27, 2013
If you’re searching for the perfect summer beach read, look no further than Forever Summer by Alyson Noël. Forever Summer consists of two books—Laguna Cove and Cruel Summer. Below, I will review each book separately and then discuss which story I preferred.
Laguna Cove
Laguna Cove follows four girls—new comer Alyson and pre-existing residents Ellie, Lola, and Jade. While Anne struggles to fit into the Californian lifestyle after moving from Connecticut, Ellie prepares to score a surfing sponsorship and please her strict father. Meanwhile, Lola tries to heal after a devastating breakup and Jade tries to help a delinquent friend. True to the California setting, Laguna Cover is filled with drama, romance, and of course, surfing.
Laguna Cove is obviously not some literary masterpiece. Clearly, it is fluff. However, the story is fast-paced and dramatic, so it’s perfect for a day at the beach. Don’t check out this book if you are searching for a book with complex characters or a deep, profound meaning. But, if you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time, you will enjoy this book for its purpose.
That being said, while I was expecting mindless fluff, I was not expecting to completely hate most of the characters. I would not want to be friends with any of these girls, except Jade because she was the only one that didn’t act like a brat or a snob. Lola isn’t as bad as the others, but she is constantly saying how she’s so gorgeous that guys just fall at her feet. Some people can say that think they are pretty and it doesn’t come across as vain. However, whenever Lola continuously talks about how beautiful she is in one chapter, I just want to gag. Ellie is a brat. Because of her crush, she’s rude to Anne throughout the entire novel… and it gets old fast. She also uses a guy’s crush on her to get back at her crush. However, she does redeem herself at the end by trying to make things right with Anne. The worst of all the characters is Anne. She never redeems herself. All she does is complain, whether it’s about moving to California, not spending enough time with her father (even though every time he tries to spend time with her, she goes off with her new boyfriend), or basically, any little thing. She’s annoying, and I honestly could not stand her or understand why the other characters thought she was so great.
The romances are nothing too special. All the guys are the typical, Californian surfers. However, some romances did not turn out the way I guessed, so I was surprised by this. It made the book less predictable than other similar beach stories.
Despite the less than stellar characters, Laguna Beach is the perfect book to keep you entertained while tanning or on a long car ride.
Cruel Summer
Unlike Laguna Cove, Cruel Summer is written in the form of letters, blog posts, and emails by the main character, Colby. While Colby’s parents work through a messy divorce back in California, Colby spends her entire summer on a tiny Greek island named Tinos with her Crazy Aunt Tally. Although Colby is less than thrilled to leave her newfound popularity behind, she finds new friends and a romance in Tinos.
Cruel Summer, like Laguna Cove, serves its purpose. It isn’t a deep book that’s going to make you contemplate life after you’ve read it. However, it’s an easy summer book that’s perfect for a quick read.
After reading both novels, I have concluded that Alyson Noël has a talent for creating whiny protagonists. Like Laguna Cove, I didn’t really like the main character. Throughout the whole first half of the story, all Colby does is whine about how she doesn’t want to go to Greece and how she can’t hang out with her new popular friend back in California. I understand that Colby is upset, but the whole first half all she does is whine about every little thing. However, it does get better in the second half when she stops whining.
As for the secondary characters, they are okay. I like how Aunt Tally added some depth to the story. However, I simply could not understand why Colby was so obsessed with the popular girl. She just seemed rude, and often times, I found her behavior made Colby behave in that manner as well.
I actually enjoyed the romance in this book. Colby doesn’t use boys to make other boys jealous or think boys drop at her feet (cough, Laguna Cove). Her relationship and attraction towards her love interest seems real and believable. I liked her relationship and (SPOILER) their online banter is pretty darn cute.
While I enjoyed the characters more, I felt like the plot is so-so. The first half moves painstakingly slow. There is not a lot of drama to keep things interesting. I often found myself bored throughout the first half of Cruel Summer because there honestly isn’t anything going on except for Colby groaning about something or pining after a boy that clearly has no feelings for her.
While Cruel Summer may not be an earth-shattering novel, you will not be disappointed if all you are searching for is a quick beach read.
Which book did I enjoy more?
Although I prefer the characters in Cruel Summer, I liked Laguna Cove a bit more. There is enough drama to keep the story interesting and moving quickly, which is what I prefer in a quick summer read.
For more reviews, check out bookswithbreanna.blogspot.com
Laguna Cove
Laguna Cove follows four girls—new comer Alyson and pre-existing residents Ellie, Lola, and Jade. While Anne struggles to fit into the Californian lifestyle after moving from Connecticut, Ellie prepares to score a surfing sponsorship and please her strict father. Meanwhile, Lola tries to heal after a devastating breakup and Jade tries to help a delinquent friend. True to the California setting, Laguna Cover is filled with drama, romance, and of course, surfing.
Laguna Cove is obviously not some literary masterpiece. Clearly, it is fluff. However, the story is fast-paced and dramatic, so it’s perfect for a day at the beach. Don’t check out this book if you are searching for a book with complex characters or a deep, profound meaning. But, if you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time, you will enjoy this book for its purpose.
That being said, while I was expecting mindless fluff, I was not expecting to completely hate most of the characters. I would not want to be friends with any of these girls, except Jade because she was the only one that didn’t act like a brat or a snob. Lola isn’t as bad as the others, but she is constantly saying how she’s so gorgeous that guys just fall at her feet. Some people can say that think they are pretty and it doesn’t come across as vain. However, whenever Lola continuously talks about how beautiful she is in one chapter, I just want to gag. Ellie is a brat. Because of her crush, she’s rude to Anne throughout the entire novel… and it gets old fast. She also uses a guy’s crush on her to get back at her crush. However, she does redeem herself at the end by trying to make things right with Anne. The worst of all the characters is Anne. She never redeems herself. All she does is complain, whether it’s about moving to California, not spending enough time with her father (even though every time he tries to spend time with her, she goes off with her new boyfriend), or basically, any little thing. She’s annoying, and I honestly could not stand her or understand why the other characters thought she was so great.
The romances are nothing too special. All the guys are the typical, Californian surfers. However, some romances did not turn out the way I guessed, so I was surprised by this. It made the book less predictable than other similar beach stories.
Despite the less than stellar characters, Laguna Beach is the perfect book to keep you entertained while tanning or on a long car ride.
Cruel Summer
Unlike Laguna Cove, Cruel Summer is written in the form of letters, blog posts, and emails by the main character, Colby. While Colby’s parents work through a messy divorce back in California, Colby spends her entire summer on a tiny Greek island named Tinos with her Crazy Aunt Tally. Although Colby is less than thrilled to leave her newfound popularity behind, she finds new friends and a romance in Tinos.
Cruel Summer, like Laguna Cove, serves its purpose. It isn’t a deep book that’s going to make you contemplate life after you’ve read it. However, it’s an easy summer book that’s perfect for a quick read.
After reading both novels, I have concluded that Alyson Noël has a talent for creating whiny protagonists. Like Laguna Cove, I didn’t really like the main character. Throughout the whole first half of the story, all Colby does is whine about how she doesn’t want to go to Greece and how she can’t hang out with her new popular friend back in California. I understand that Colby is upset, but the whole first half all she does is whine about every little thing. However, it does get better in the second half when she stops whining.
As for the secondary characters, they are okay. I like how Aunt Tally added some depth to the story. However, I simply could not understand why Colby was so obsessed with the popular girl. She just seemed rude, and often times, I found her behavior made Colby behave in that manner as well.
I actually enjoyed the romance in this book. Colby doesn’t use boys to make other boys jealous or think boys drop at her feet (cough, Laguna Cove). Her relationship and attraction towards her love interest seems real and believable. I liked her relationship and (SPOILER) their online banter is pretty darn cute.
While I enjoyed the characters more, I felt like the plot is so-so. The first half moves painstakingly slow. There is not a lot of drama to keep things interesting. I often found myself bored throughout the first half of Cruel Summer because there honestly isn’t anything going on except for Colby groaning about something or pining after a boy that clearly has no feelings for her.
While Cruel Summer may not be an earth-shattering novel, you will not be disappointed if all you are searching for is a quick beach read.
Which book did I enjoy more?
Although I prefer the characters in Cruel Summer, I liked Laguna Cove a bit more. There is enough drama to keep the story interesting and moving quickly, which is what I prefer in a quick summer read.
For more reviews, check out bookswithbreanna.blogspot.com
July 11, 2021
Laguna cove: definitely enjoyed but ended a little random. I think it’s worth it if you want an easy summer read.
Cruel summer: read one third and decided it wasn’t worth it. It’s basically just letters and emails and journal entries and that’s all, just not my thing. It also didn’t have chapters, which I throughly despise.
Cruel summer: read one third and decided it wasn’t worth it. It’s basically just letters and emails and journal entries and that’s all, just not my thing. It also didn’t have chapters, which I throughly despise.
January 24, 2021
Partindo do prospecto de que essas estórias são sobre o verão, a duologia “Forever Summer” de Alyson Nöel, consegue cumprir muito bem o seu papel.
No entanto, falha por uma falta de profundidade, principalmente na primeira estoria, “Laguna Cove”.
No entanto, falha por uma falta de profundidade, principalmente na primeira estoria, “Laguna Cove”.
July 7, 2017
was cute. well written kinda what you would expect from this sort of story.
June 13, 2018
Loved Laguna Cove but wasn’t much a fan of Cruel Summer, didn’t have the desire to finish that part of the book.
March 17, 2019
2.5 stars
August 26, 2019
Une lecture très moyenne, peut-être que je ne supporte plus des histoires d'ado', je ne sais pas trop !
July 21, 2020
A sweet summer read! Teenagers will love this and us older folks (I’m 35!) will feel a bit of nostalgia at the young love and growth of the characters.
January 28, 2021
2 books in 1. Book 1 was better than the 2nd story.
February 17, 2022
This book is okay, it was just very basic and there wasn't anything that drew me in. If you like basic girls fighting over a hot guy and underage drinking, this book is for you.
July 19, 2023
☀️☀️☀️
December 8, 2023
I didn't like the way the first book ended but I really liked the second book!
January 1, 2025
I had this book for a long time and every time I reread it it’s really good
December 12, 2023
This book is one of the best because it is about kids my age and I can actually compare their lives. My most favorite characters are Anne and chris and they just work well together and make each other better. They also really build others up. My favorite event is also When chris and annie started dating it was just something that I predicted was going to happen and It made me happy.
November 2, 2019
J’ai eu du mal à rentrer dans chacune des histoires. Cependant, ce sont des histoires réalistes avec des aventures qui pourraient arriver à n’importe lequel d’entre nous et c’est ce qui m’a aidé a finalement rentrer dans chacune des histoires. Livre à lire en été, sans prise de tête ...
July 21, 2015
This book contains two summer-based stories by the same author, though neither seem to be linked whatsoever. I will review each story separately.
Laguna Cove
Plot:
The plot reminded me a lot of Zoey Dean's The A-List, only a bit more tame. There were several storylines though the major one involves two girls being jealous with one another as well as a surfing contest. I found most of the plotlines entertaining and liked it better than The A-List. This book had a little more depth to it. Not a ton, but still a fairly fun summer read with a bit of an edge.
Setting:
Laguna Cove is on the west coast, which always makes for a fun summer read.
Characters:
For the most part I liked most of the characters in this. It would have been nice to see more character depth, but it wasn't bad for the type of book it was. Anne was an easy character to relate to, Lola was fun, and at times I even enjoyed Ellie's character. I wasn't a huge fan of most of the guys in this but only because they all seemed so similar that I could barely tell them apart.
Relationships:
Wasn't a huge fan of any of the romances, but I found the relationship between the original friends (Ellie and the gang) and with the addition of Anne to be pretty interesting. The relationship between Anne and her parents seemed interesting but unfortunately didn't go in depth.
Writing/Voice:
The writing and voice was perfect for this type of read. Very easy to get into.
Ending:
Somewhat predictable, but touching in a way. The ending did seem a little abrupt though, like the author wasn't sure where to end it.
Overall, a fun summer read that features more likable characters than most books I've read like this. Definitely has it's cliches but also has some surprising depth at times as well as complex plots and relationships. 3 stars.
Cruel Summer
Plot:
The plot of this one is nothing like in the book before it, Laguna Cove. At first, I didn't think I was going to like this one, but it didn't take long for me to get sucked into it. The only difficult feat was feeling sorry for a character who was spending an entire summer on a Greek island (and constantly complained about it!). It got better though and I actually ended up liking it better than Laguna Cove.
Setting:
Most of the book is set on Tinos, a small Greek island that the main character complains about for the most part but sounds lovely to me.
Characters:
It was a little hard to connect to and like Colby at first, but she started to grow on me. I also enjoyed Yannis, Petros, and Aunt Tally. Colby definitely sounded like a teenager and though she made some very stupid mistakes, she also grew a lot as a character.
Relationships:
The romantic relationship was much better in this book. I also enjoyed the relationship between Colby and her parents, her aunt, and Petros.
Writing/Voice:
Colby sounded like a real teenager. At first I disliked that the story was written in a series of letters, e-mails, blog posts, comments, and journal entries, but I ended up enjoying them in the end. Considering Colby's situation, the different written media helped convey that.
Ending:
More realistic than I was expecting. The final conservation was perfect.
Overall, one of the best summer reads I've come across in a long time. It was sweet and fluffy but also tackled some harder issues. Cruel Summer is definitely my favorite out of the two. 3.5 stars.
Laguna Cove
Plot:
The plot reminded me a lot of Zoey Dean's The A-List, only a bit more tame. There were several storylines though the major one involves two girls being jealous with one another as well as a surfing contest. I found most of the plotlines entertaining and liked it better than The A-List. This book had a little more depth to it. Not a ton, but still a fairly fun summer read with a bit of an edge.
Setting:
Laguna Cove is on the west coast, which always makes for a fun summer read.
Characters:
For the most part I liked most of the characters in this. It would have been nice to see more character depth, but it wasn't bad for the type of book it was. Anne was an easy character to relate to, Lola was fun, and at times I even enjoyed Ellie's character. I wasn't a huge fan of most of the guys in this but only because they all seemed so similar that I could barely tell them apart.
Relationships:
Wasn't a huge fan of any of the romances, but I found the relationship between the original friends (Ellie and the gang) and with the addition of Anne to be pretty interesting. The relationship between Anne and her parents seemed interesting but unfortunately didn't go in depth.
Writing/Voice:
The writing and voice was perfect for this type of read. Very easy to get into.
Ending:
Somewhat predictable, but touching in a way. The ending did seem a little abrupt though, like the author wasn't sure where to end it.
Overall, a fun summer read that features more likable characters than most books I've read like this. Definitely has it's cliches but also has some surprising depth at times as well as complex plots and relationships. 3 stars.
Cruel Summer
Plot:
The plot of this one is nothing like in the book before it, Laguna Cove. At first, I didn't think I was going to like this one, but it didn't take long for me to get sucked into it. The only difficult feat was feeling sorry for a character who was spending an entire summer on a Greek island (and constantly complained about it!). It got better though and I actually ended up liking it better than Laguna Cove.
Setting:
Most of the book is set on Tinos, a small Greek island that the main character complains about for the most part but sounds lovely to me.
Characters:
It was a little hard to connect to and like Colby at first, but she started to grow on me. I also enjoyed Yannis, Petros, and Aunt Tally. Colby definitely sounded like a teenager and though she made some very stupid mistakes, she also grew a lot as a character.
Relationships:
The romantic relationship was much better in this book. I also enjoyed the relationship between Colby and her parents, her aunt, and Petros.
Writing/Voice:
Colby sounded like a real teenager. At first I disliked that the story was written in a series of letters, e-mails, blog posts, comments, and journal entries, but I ended up enjoying them in the end. Considering Colby's situation, the different written media helped convey that.
Ending:
More realistic than I was expecting. The final conservation was perfect.
Overall, one of the best summer reads I've come across in a long time. It was sweet and fluffy but also tackled some harder issues. Cruel Summer is definitely my favorite out of the two. 3.5 stars.
July 13, 2013
Since two novels are included in this book, I'll review each of the two seperately, and then compare the two together.
Laguna Cove:
I found that this one was the perfect summer beach read, why didn't I read it sooner?
In Forever Summer, we have Anne, who's mother sends her to live with her director father in Laguna Beach, California. When she immediately fits in with the cool surfer crowd, Anne must choose between love and friendship, or the other way around. Learning to surf, going to her first Hollywood party, this summer for Anne will be the one of firsts and lasts.
I love where this story started and ended. I was hooked in right away, and it never left me bored.
Anne was a pretty good lead, I wouldn't say that she was the best, but she was likeable. Many readers will fall for her footsteps as she learns how to fit in.
I'd say that my favourite characters were Lola and Jade. Even though Lola has that personality of thinking too good about herself, something about her made me really like her, she's the one who didn't take chances, but when someone pushed her, she tried. Jade was the only one who wasn't bratty, and I liked her easygoing personality as well.
Ellie was a different story. To me, she was a selfish brat who wanted boys and everything to herself. She really was a whiny character who always had to get everything that she wanted, even when it wasn't easy.
The romance wasn't the best, and I think this story could've done a little better, but I really enjoyed it, anyway.
4.5/5 stars
Cruel Summer:
Alyson Noël really knows how to spice stories up, and this is a perfect example of one. Cruel Summer was the one to remember.
In Cruel Summer, we have Colby, who's parents are getting through an ugly divorce, and decides to send her away to Tinos, Greece, where her supposedly "crazy" aunt Tally lives with her boyfriend, Tassos. Colby really isn't so happy about it, leaving her new popular friends behind, and that guy she recently hooked up with. Colby is in for a summer to remember, but she really just didn't know it, yet.
I was literally obsessed with this novel, I kept raving about it to everyone around me, and wouldn't stop until the story was over.
Everything happened so fast, and I felt like I was with Colby throughtout the whole summer. I wish that she was my best friend, she knows how to have fun!
Colby wasn't what other people said about her, whiny and wanted to get the heck out of Greece. I found her as a charming, easygoing, bubbly teenager wanting to have fun in her life when everything's going wrong in California.
Here, about everything was perfect. I loved the mysterious romance, the fun, the setting, the fast-paced plot, and the whole concept and meaning.
I was upset with the ending, it kind of left us hanging, but then, really, we get to make an ending for ourselves.
I adored this whole story, inside and out.
5/5 stars
Overall:
Okay, lets just get this over with, obviously, Cruel Summer was the best out of the two.
The characters, plot, setting, and just how the story flowed was much better than Laguna Cove.
That's all, but here we had two beautiful stories!
Laguna Cove:
I found that this one was the perfect summer beach read, why didn't I read it sooner?
In Forever Summer, we have Anne, who's mother sends her to live with her director father in Laguna Beach, California. When she immediately fits in with the cool surfer crowd, Anne must choose between love and friendship, or the other way around. Learning to surf, going to her first Hollywood party, this summer for Anne will be the one of firsts and lasts.
I love where this story started and ended. I was hooked in right away, and it never left me bored.
Anne was a pretty good lead, I wouldn't say that she was the best, but she was likeable. Many readers will fall for her footsteps as she learns how to fit in.
I'd say that my favourite characters were Lola and Jade. Even though Lola has that personality of thinking too good about herself, something about her made me really like her, she's the one who didn't take chances, but when someone pushed her, she tried. Jade was the only one who wasn't bratty, and I liked her easygoing personality as well.
Ellie was a different story. To me, she was a selfish brat who wanted boys and everything to herself. She really was a whiny character who always had to get everything that she wanted, even when it wasn't easy.
The romance wasn't the best, and I think this story could've done a little better, but I really enjoyed it, anyway.
4.5/5 stars
Cruel Summer:
Alyson Noël really knows how to spice stories up, and this is a perfect example of one. Cruel Summer was the one to remember.
In Cruel Summer, we have Colby, who's parents are getting through an ugly divorce, and decides to send her away to Tinos, Greece, where her supposedly "crazy" aunt Tally lives with her boyfriend, Tassos. Colby really isn't so happy about it, leaving her new popular friends behind, and that guy she recently hooked up with. Colby is in for a summer to remember, but she really just didn't know it, yet.
I was literally obsessed with this novel, I kept raving about it to everyone around me, and wouldn't stop until the story was over.
Everything happened so fast, and I felt like I was with Colby throughtout the whole summer. I wish that she was my best friend, she knows how to have fun!
Colby wasn't what other people said about her, whiny and wanted to get the heck out of Greece. I found her as a charming, easygoing, bubbly teenager wanting to have fun in her life when everything's going wrong in California.
Here, about everything was perfect. I loved the mysterious romance, the fun, the setting, the fast-paced plot, and the whole concept and meaning.
I was upset with the ending, it kind of left us hanging, but then, really, we get to make an ending for ourselves.
I adored this whole story, inside and out.
5/5 stars
Overall:
Okay, lets just get this over with, obviously, Cruel Summer was the best out of the two.
The characters, plot, setting, and just how the story flowed was much better than Laguna Cove.
That's all, but here we had two beautiful stories!
August 27, 2012
So, as all of you probably know, this book is a 2-in-1. First off, let me just say that the cover art of this book is absolutely gorgeous. I love the body language of the models, and the sun shining down on them. So, onto the reviews:
"Laguna Cove": I really really didn't like this book. I hated how there was really no main character. Of course it was Anne, but the story seemed to focus too much on the other characters, so it didn't really seem like she was in the spotlight. Speaking of Anne, I hated her!! She was such an irritating, whiny, bratty little bitch! Ellie was almost as bad, but, I felt sorry for her because I could totally understand why she didn't like Anne. I loved the whole Lola/Dean/Diago thing. I don't really remember Jade all that much. Jake sounded cool, and I never really got a full image of Chris in my head which was weird since he was the main guy. Overall, this story annoyed the heck out of me!
"Cruel Summer": I absolutely adored this book! Because I was pretty disappointed with "Laguna Cove", I was pretty anxious to read this one. And boy, did I love it. The story focuses around 17-year-old Colby who's parents are getting a divorce and who send her to live with her aunt on a Greek island for the summer while they sort out the divorce. Colby is furious because she just finally managed to become best friends with the most popular girl in school, and hook up with the hottest guy in school, so, she knows that she must stay connected with them throughout the summer. Problem is, the Greek island of Tinos doesn't have internet, TV, or cell phone service. Colby finally manages to find an internet cafe, where she starts up a blog to record all of the terrible and boring events that happen to her over the summer. However, she doesn't count on falling in love with the gorgeous Yannis...Many people have said that they didn't like this book because it was too predictable and Colby was too much of a complainer. And while I agree 100%, I still thouroughly enjoyed this book. While she did spend a good part of it complaining and making bad decisions, you can't really blame her. She's a 17-year-old girl who's trying to find her way in the world after all her parents' bad decision making. In the end, she definetely turns out to be a girl with a big heart. This book was really fast to read because it's written in the form of letters, postcards, blog posts, e-mails, and journal entries. I loved just about every character in this book: Colby, Yannis, Natalie, Tally, Tassos, and Petros. I also loved the atmosphere that the book provided. I think that a small Greek island was the perfect place to set it. I also truly loved Colby's relationship with Yannis. It seemed so real and genuine, and Yannis seemed like such a nice guy, not to mention totally good looking. I thought the ANONYMOUS thing was really sweet too. My one problem was that I thought that the climax was a bit too short, because the time of Colby going to Mykonos, and getting back together with Yannis seemed pretty short. All-in-all though, I totally loved this book. I have read it about 5 times now, and hope to read it at least another 10.
"Laguna Cove": I really really didn't like this book. I hated how there was really no main character. Of course it was Anne, but the story seemed to focus too much on the other characters, so it didn't really seem like she was in the spotlight. Speaking of Anne, I hated her!! She was such an irritating, whiny, bratty little bitch! Ellie was almost as bad, but, I felt sorry for her because I could totally understand why she didn't like Anne. I loved the whole Lola/Dean/Diago thing. I don't really remember Jade all that much. Jake sounded cool, and I never really got a full image of Chris in my head which was weird since he was the main guy. Overall, this story annoyed the heck out of me!
"Cruel Summer": I absolutely adored this book! Because I was pretty disappointed with "Laguna Cove", I was pretty anxious to read this one. And boy, did I love it. The story focuses around 17-year-old Colby who's parents are getting a divorce and who send her to live with her aunt on a Greek island for the summer while they sort out the divorce. Colby is furious because she just finally managed to become best friends with the most popular girl in school, and hook up with the hottest guy in school, so, she knows that she must stay connected with them throughout the summer. Problem is, the Greek island of Tinos doesn't have internet, TV, or cell phone service. Colby finally manages to find an internet cafe, where she starts up a blog to record all of the terrible and boring events that happen to her over the summer. However, she doesn't count on falling in love with the gorgeous Yannis...Many people have said that they didn't like this book because it was too predictable and Colby was too much of a complainer. And while I agree 100%, I still thouroughly enjoyed this book. While she did spend a good part of it complaining and making bad decisions, you can't really blame her. She's a 17-year-old girl who's trying to find her way in the world after all her parents' bad decision making. In the end, she definetely turns out to be a girl with a big heart. This book was really fast to read because it's written in the form of letters, postcards, blog posts, e-mails, and journal entries. I loved just about every character in this book: Colby, Yannis, Natalie, Tally, Tassos, and Petros. I also loved the atmosphere that the book provided. I think that a small Greek island was the perfect place to set it. I also truly loved Colby's relationship with Yannis. It seemed so real and genuine, and Yannis seemed like such a nice guy, not to mention totally good looking. I thought the ANONYMOUS thing was really sweet too. My one problem was that I thought that the climax was a bit too short, because the time of Colby going to Mykonos, and getting back together with Yannis seemed pretty short. All-in-all though, I totally loved this book. I have read it about 5 times now, and hope to read it at least another 10.
September 12, 2012
Book 1 – Laguna Cove
This was a quick and easy read. This is the first book by Alyson Noel I’m reading, just because I happened to find it on my shelf and decided to check it out. It was quick easy, fun read. Sure there are some points I liked and others I didn’t but overall a good book to wind down from reading something heavier.
We start off by meeting Anne who has recently moved to California from CT to live with her father. Here she meets a large group of friends who have been friends forever. But when something new is introduced anywhere it’s not always liked by everyone. The entire story is told through all their prospective. You have Ellie the athletic, popular smart girl who is in love with Chris, but he doesn’t seem to notice it because he only has eyes for the new girl, Anne. Then there is Jade who is the one trying to always help people, even if they aren’t asking for it. Lola aka Lolita who just wants to rebel from her parents and then there is the mysterious Jake who works for Anne’s dad, I wish I could have learned more about him. There was something to that mystery that I wanted to explore more. But he was just a background character.
We experience Anne’s first months there and how hard it is for her to adjust and deal with her parents and people who don’t particularly like her. All the while the other characters are all going through their own little dramas. The book was interesting and it was light and easy to read that’s why I picked it up and I wasn’t completely disappointed. Sure the girls in it seemed to be complaining about stuff that if I had I wouldn’t complain about it but they are characters in California, part of a rich neighborhood going to Hollywood premiers’ etcetera. So it’s understandable but still not reasonable. Oh the grass is always greener on the other side!
Book2 – Cruel Summer
This was another fun quick and easy read. It’s about a girl whose parents are getting divorced so to keep her out of the middle of the entire ordeal is sent off to Greece to live with her Aunt Tally.
She’s reluctant for quite a bit of time, only thinking about her friends back home, the guy she recently hooked up with and what is going on with them. Staying at an Internet Café the majority of the time in the beginning she is determined to try and get home early. But then something changes. She meets someone and rekindles her friendship with someone who was way more worth her time. She starts to become happy again and excited about living in Greece. Really who wouldn’t be?
Overall the story was told through journal entries, emails, texts, and hand written letters and of course a blog. All great forms of communications and it was an interesting way to read things through. The book was good and was something fun and easy to read.
This was a quick and easy read. This is the first book by Alyson Noel I’m reading, just because I happened to find it on my shelf and decided to check it out. It was quick easy, fun read. Sure there are some points I liked and others I didn’t but overall a good book to wind down from reading something heavier.
We start off by meeting Anne who has recently moved to California from CT to live with her father. Here she meets a large group of friends who have been friends forever. But when something new is introduced anywhere it’s not always liked by everyone. The entire story is told through all their prospective. You have Ellie the athletic, popular smart girl who is in love with Chris, but he doesn’t seem to notice it because he only has eyes for the new girl, Anne. Then there is Jade who is the one trying to always help people, even if they aren’t asking for it. Lola aka Lolita who just wants to rebel from her parents and then there is the mysterious Jake who works for Anne’s dad, I wish I could have learned more about him. There was something to that mystery that I wanted to explore more. But he was just a background character.
We experience Anne’s first months there and how hard it is for her to adjust and deal with her parents and people who don’t particularly like her. All the while the other characters are all going through their own little dramas. The book was interesting and it was light and easy to read that’s why I picked it up and I wasn’t completely disappointed. Sure the girls in it seemed to be complaining about stuff that if I had I wouldn’t complain about it but they are characters in California, part of a rich neighborhood going to Hollywood premiers’ etcetera. So it’s understandable but still not reasonable. Oh the grass is always greener on the other side!
Book2 – Cruel Summer
This was another fun quick and easy read. It’s about a girl whose parents are getting divorced so to keep her out of the middle of the entire ordeal is sent off to Greece to live with her Aunt Tally.
She’s reluctant for quite a bit of time, only thinking about her friends back home, the guy she recently hooked up with and what is going on with them. Staying at an Internet Café the majority of the time in the beginning she is determined to try and get home early. But then something changes. She meets someone and rekindles her friendship with someone who was way more worth her time. She starts to become happy again and excited about living in Greece. Really who wouldn’t be?
Overall the story was told through journal entries, emails, texts, and hand written letters and of course a blog. All great forms of communications and it was an interesting way to read things through. The book was good and was something fun and easy to read.
July 9, 2018
*Re-read 2016, Actual Score 4.5 stars.
Even though it's the dead of winter here in Melbourne, Australia and we've got serve weather warnings and blistering cold fronts after watching the film 'Kings of Mykonos' I was seriously in the mood for some summer ya contemporary. I know - where is the logic in this? Perhaps I just wanted to escape the cold for a moment and pretend that I was in a world of sun kissed skin, blue skies and the endless possibilities of romance. I just keep telling myself; only a few months to go! Did I mention that Australia has the BEST summers??? No? Well I am now! So after reading 'Cruel Summer' (which is actually the second book in this bind up, why follow the norm?), which is such a cute, summery read I moved on to 'Languna Cove' which is just as fun. These books are short and easy to lose a few hours in and I love them. They are the perfect beach books, or in my case, the perfect books to read when you'd rather be anyway but in winter and need to at least try to pretend your not freezing and are actually falling asleep with your toes warm in the sand.
I couldn't tell you which one was my favorite because they are a both beautiful yet flawed in their own ways and completely different. In 'Cruel Summer' we journey with Colby through blog posts, letters, texts and diary entries to the tiny Greek island of Tinos for a summer of the unexpected and new. In 'Languna Cove', which is told more traditionally as apposed to 'Cruel Summer', we venture to Languna Beach, one of my favorite places to visit in the States, to live among the glamorous teens as they prepare for the upcoming surf meet. Both of these stories capture perfectly that summer feeling, with all of our characters torn away from their safe little worlds and cast off into the new. Great, easy reads!
Even though it's the dead of winter here in Melbourne, Australia and we've got serve weather warnings and blistering cold fronts after watching the film 'Kings of Mykonos' I was seriously in the mood for some summer ya contemporary. I know - where is the logic in this? Perhaps I just wanted to escape the cold for a moment and pretend that I was in a world of sun kissed skin, blue skies and the endless possibilities of romance. I just keep telling myself; only a few months to go! Did I mention that Australia has the BEST summers??? No? Well I am now! So after reading 'Cruel Summer' (which is actually the second book in this bind up, why follow the norm?), which is such a cute, summery read I moved on to 'Languna Cove' which is just as fun. These books are short and easy to lose a few hours in and I love them. They are the perfect beach books, or in my case, the perfect books to read when you'd rather be anyway but in winter and need to at least try to pretend your not freezing and are actually falling asleep with your toes warm in the sand.
I couldn't tell you which one was my favorite because they are a both beautiful yet flawed in their own ways and completely different. In 'Cruel Summer' we journey with Colby through blog posts, letters, texts and diary entries to the tiny Greek island of Tinos for a summer of the unexpected and new. In 'Languna Cove', which is told more traditionally as apposed to 'Cruel Summer', we venture to Languna Beach, one of my favorite places to visit in the States, to live among the glamorous teens as they prepare for the upcoming surf meet. Both of these stories capture perfectly that summer feeling, with all of our characters torn away from their safe little worlds and cast off into the new. Great, easy reads!
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