This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite
"The Summer Everything Changed" by Holly Chamberlin takes the reader to a summer resort in the coast of Maine. There, recently divorced mother Louise and her sixteen year old daughter Isobel struggle to make ends meet and at the same time, strive to fit into the small coastal town they have chosen as their home. Isobel is a somewhat Bohemian teen who, along with her best friend Gwen, searches thrift shops in order to uncover lost treasures in the form of jewelry, clothing and hats. Louise gets a high-profile wedding reservation just at the time when Isobel meets Jeff, a wealthy teen who initially strives to sweep Isobel off her feet. Despite red flags in their initial outings, Isobel continues to be enamored with the attention she receives from Jeff while ignoring observations from friends and family.
Chamberlin has developed a strong mother-daughter story in which the mother's preoccupation and the daughter's need for acceptance create a tense and abnormal relationship. While Isobel discounts important clues from her abusive boyfriend, Louise puts aside potential conflict by being involved in her own need to provide a secure place for herself and her daughter to live. In the meantime, a self-focused and narcissistic young man has his way and his way nearly buckles the mother and the daughter. The characters are real and believable as is the situation of boyfriend abuse. This is a novel which all teens may find a bit scary but one which should be read. Straying from the trust of family and friends is a lethal affair and Chamberlin does a wonderful job of revealing the consequences.
