Review: Seven Days & Summer Nights Edited by Stephanie Perkins

Stand Alone
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 384
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Borrowed from Library
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 

Maybe it's the long, lazy days, or maybe it's the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.

Review

I picked this up from the library instead of buying it and I'm glad about that. I'm really just not a short story person. Especially with romance because they often feel forced or too fast.

There were three stories I really enjoyed. They were the ones by Stephanie Perkins, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E Smith. Stephanie Perkins' actually was related to the story she wrote in the Holiday anthology so it was like visiting old friends. I've never even heard of Jon Skovron, but his story was my favorite. The writing style was kind of meta which I like. And he had a ton of characters but still made it believable. Jennifer E Smith's was cute and had characters on the autism spectrum which I'm always a fan of.

For the other stories, they either weren't my style or felt forced. I'm a believer in love, but a lot of them felt like insta-love. That being said, the stories that didn't work for me I can see how it would be for the others. There are a variety of stories in characters, tone, and style. So, it is a well-curated collection if you want it to have broad appeal.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan

My True Love Gave to Me

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 14

Rating: 3 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                Honestly, I felt this story was lacking, but I’m not sure what. Maybe it’s too complex for me or it would make more sense on a re-read.

                It did have an interesting sense of humor. It was very dry which I can appreciate.

                This definitely felt like a character study of the main character. But I wish more had been revealed/explained when it came to the other characters like his boyfriend and the boyfriend’s family.

Thanks for reading!

~Holly 

It’s a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins

My True Love Gave to Me

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                I really enjoyed this story. It felt like Christmas. Or, at least, what Hallmark movies make you think Christmas should be. And this story would make a cute holiday short movie.

                Ms. Perkins did a spectacular job creating North and Marigold. They felt like well-developed characters. And I loved their relationship. They played off each other well and it was cute.

                The story also ended with so much hope and joy. You know-like any good Christmas story. And just like Rainbow Rowell’s story I’m satisfied, but would love to spend more time with these characters, because I liked them that much.

 Thanks for reading!
~Holly 

Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han

My True Love Gave to Me

Format:  Hardcover

Pages: 13

Rating: 3 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                Um…

                I’m not really sure what this story is about. And is there a romance? If I’m supposed to be supporting a romance I don’t know which one.

                This story is like the Kelly Link one where it has a lot of potential that goes unfulfilled. I think it’s interesting for Santa to have adopted a little Korean girl. And she does a fairly good job of showing what Natalie’s life has been like as the only human at the North Pole.

                My general confusion aside, my biggest complaint is Natalie, I find her whiny and childish. It’s made worst because she complains about being treated as a child. I felt she was pouting and kind of manipulative. She would use who she was to get what she wanted.

                She reminds me of Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty. That makes me wonder if these are just the kinds of characters Ms. Han writes.

                I’m curious to see if the rest of this anthology follows this trend where I only like every other story.

 Thanks for reading!
~Holly

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena

My True Love Gave to Me Anthology

Format:  Hardcover

Pages: 32

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                The first quarter of this story I thought it was going to be a disappointment. I wasn’t connecting with Shy. And I found the Mexican/racial divide bits a little heavy-handed. After finishing the story, I think the author was trying to explain a complex history in a very short time and did the best he could.

                I did end up loving Shy. Reading about his struggle with his pride was hard. It’s heartbreaking to see the situations people end up in and, sometimes, stay in because they feel like they can’t ask for help.

                I also liked Haley and the relationship she developed with Shy. They created an interesting friendship. It developed quickly, but felt natural and organic.

                The ending was definitely open-ended. But I didn’t mind. It was an ending full of hope and potential.

Thanks for reading!

~Holly