Yay or Nay: Second Chance Summer (Novel)

Well, this is an eerily timed review. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson is wonderfully written, complex, story dealing with the hardships of lost friendships, betrayal, and primarily, preparing to lose a relative to terminal cancer. I say this is an eerily timed review because last year around this exact date, I lost a close relative to this exact same thing. So I will warn you, as Olga did with me when she let me borrow this book, that it deals with some strong themes that if you have some background with, can be a little difficult to get through. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful story and one that will likely make you cry at the end. So let's get right to it. 

The Story 

Taylor Edwards returns to her childhood summer home with her family in the Poconos Mountains, and returning after nearly seven years is not an easy feat, especially when she knows it will be her last summer with her father. Diagnosed with terminal stage four cancer, Taylor's family knows that her father only has (at most) three months left to live. Already a busy and sometimes overscheduled family, Taylor, her mother, and her two siblings must cram in what seems like a lifetime of togetherness in such a small time. If that wasn't hard enough, returning to the lakehouse also means facing childhood friends and first loves whom she betrayed, a best friend she lied to, and a ex named Henry whose heart she broke. But even when her life seems to be crumbling around her, this could also be the chance for Taylor to face what she's run from, and get a second-chance.  

My Thoughts

Don't get me wrong, this story is very much about Taylor coming to grips with her father dying, and becoming closer with her family through what will be their last good memories with him. The story is not distracted by this--nor is it inaccurate. As someone who went through a similar event with a family member, I can tell you the reactions, the "medical" side of cancer, and just the overall reactions to it are spot on. These are real, raw, and done accurately and respectfully, which is what emotionally, sometimes makes it hard to get through. Regardless, this novel should be commended for how well it ties this story in along with the other plotthreads--Taylor's relationships with other characters she's wronged, her best friend Lucy, and her first love, Henry. 

What I also want to say this book does extremely well is focus on the themes of character growth and evolution, as well as conflict. Taylor is one of the few protagonists I can actually say that I see significant growth emotionally and mentally throughout the novel as it progresses. She has a defining character flaw-- she runs from everything that might cause her pain, and the story, not just with her father, but with her friends too, she learns to face head-on and to grow from. She has to learn to face that what she did to Lucy was wrong and communicate that. As is the same with Henry (albeit in both cases these are a lot more complex than I'm simplifying them to be). Finally, with her father, she has to face that it will be their last summer, and that she should make it the most special summer they have. 

There's a lot of elements that just really tie this book together. As I said, character development and growth, as well as Matson's ability to tie multiple threads of plot togehther without one taking over the other should be commended here. However, one negative thing really bothered me throughout the novel, specifically pertaining to Taylor, and her "running away" problem. Now, this book is called Second Chance Summer for the reason that is she gets a second chance at many different things. Except, towards a particularly emotional part of the story at the end, when things with her father go south she breaks things off with Henry for no reason (spoilers) for a second time. She seems to take a step backwards and do exactly what she did all those years ago after growing so much over the summer, and that seemed so counterproductive to the story. It didn't seem like she learned anything, and it was more like a "third-chance" summer rather than a second because she didn't get it the second time around. That really irked me, and seemed to be out of character for as far as she got throughout the novel. 

My Rating 

So overall, this is a really good book, and if its something you want to read I would recommend giving it a buy or borrow! Just know that it is not a "happy" or "easy" book to read, and often times deals with very difficult and hard-to-get-through material. Regardless, I would recommend that you read this in any form you can! 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

~Meghan