If you’re in the mood for an entertaining beach read, check out my Big Summer book review for Jennifer Weiner’s newest novel. It’s a contemporary fiction novel that makes for a quick read. Find the rest of my book reviews here!

Big Summer

by Jennifer Weiner
fiction | contemporary | published May 2020

MY RATING: ★★★ ¾

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Synopsis

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.

My Overall Thoughts

Big Summer surprised me! I went in expecting a glitzy, fun contemporary fiction novel perfect for summer. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a beach read, but it has so many unsuspecting elements to it.

Jennifer Weiner’s Big Summer features Daphne, our protagonist who makes a living as a part-time babysitter and plus-size Instagram influencer. While some parts of the story tried a bit hard to be relatable to social media mavens (e.g. the overuse of hashtags), I thought the concept was original. I had no idea where the story was going and it definitely wasn’t predictable. Daphne is also a strong character and stays true to herself throughout the whole book.

Big Summer takes you on a whirlwind. I was enjoying reading about Daphne’s character growth and life in NYC, and then BAM—the book turns into somewhat of a mystery novel. As an avid crime/thriller reader, I loved it, but I can see how others might be thrown off by this plot point.

Speaking of plot points…there were a LOT of different themes and avenues in Big Summer. From self-acceptance to family to mystery and betrayal, it’s hard to categorize this book into one solid genre. I think contemporary fiction fits it best, and overall, I enjoyed this fast-paced beach read that is super memorable.

Should you read BIG SUMMER?

If you like beach reads with some surprising elements + thought-provoking scenes thrown in, definitely check out Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner. It’s an entertaining read with a lot going on.

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That’s it for my Big Summer book review! Let me know your favorite beach reads.