Blog Tour Review- Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories

Published: May 17th, 2016

Edited by: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Stories by: Stephanie Perkins, Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Veronica Roth, Lev Grossman, Cassandra Clare, Jennifer E. Smith, Libba Bray, Tim Ferderle, Nina LaCour, Jon Skovron, Brandy Colbert

 

Genres: YA, Anthology, Short Stories, Romance

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

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.

 

 

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Review

I had been looking forward to this anthology since I read the holiday one back in December. While this one didn’t wow me, there are some really good stories inside, and one that I love more than the others. I think if you are a fan of short stories, anthologies, or any of the authors that contributed, this will be a good read to add to your shelf. Interesting stories, and I’ll just point out some of my favorites.

A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith

This is the only story in the collection that I would give 5 stars, and I want to read a whole book about Annie. If you’ve read Smith’s books, then you know her style. I was so swept up in summer camp and these characters. 

Good Luck and Farewell by Brandy Colbert

Another one that I truly enjoyed. I like the diverse characters, and I would read a book starring Rashida and Pierre. There’s insta-love, which I guess I expected with this being summer loving. This story is really twisted, and since I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t read it, I’ll just leave it at that. I’d give this story 4 stars.

Inertia by Veronica Roth

I had no idea that there would be science-fiction in this anthology. I was hoping for mostly contemporary, with a little paranormal thrown in. With Roth writing a story, you can pretty much guess her genre. This story is all about revisiting memories through simulation(?). Anyway, I actually teared up at one point. I really wanted to know more about Claire and Matthew. Roth weaved this story beautifully, and I can see the similarities to the science she used in her Divergent trilogy. 4 Stars!

There are  couple more that really had me immersed, Brand New Attraction by Cassandra Clare, and Head Scales Tongue Tail by Leigh Bardugo.  Both are filled with magic, and I love the end result. I’m not a fan of some of these, but that’s to be expected in an anthology. When a story doesn’t interest you, move on, or endure the few pages it takes to get to the end. I recommend this one to anyone who wants variety in their reading. There’s something here for everyone, but you won’t love them all. 

 

Also Edited by Stephanie: My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

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About The Editor

Stephanie Perkins has always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. She’s the author of the international bestsellers Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door, as well as Isla and the Happily Ever After. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories is her first anthology. Stephanie and her husband live in the mountains of North Carolina.

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