Information
Book Title: One Italian Summer
Author: Rebecca Serle
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genres: fiction, contemporary, magical realism, romance
Moods: emotional, reflective
Pace: medium-paced
Age-rating: 14+
mature themes and mild intimate scenes
One Italian Summer Synopsis
One Italian Summer is a story about family, love, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of the beautiful Italian scenery. Katy Silver, a woman who is grieving the recent loss of her mother, Carol, decides to take the trip to Italy that she and her mother had planned, by herself. While there, she discovers the true meaning of family and love and is able to heal from her grief and find peace.
Spoiler-free Review
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Personal Thoughts
Personal Thoughts (Spoiler-free)
At times I was mad at Katy, and other times I appreciated Katy.
I know this book is one I will probably forget in a year, but, now in the present, it was such an enjoyable read. This book was out of my comfort zone a little bit (with the magic and themes discussed); however, I think it was a good, slow drift away from my comfort zone.
I think that maybe the author could have discussed the cheating a bit more because I felt it was a little shoved under the rug, but other than that, it was an enjoyable read.
For some reason, reading this book reminds me of reading as a child. It was a book that I was excited to read, one that I didn't have an obligation to read just because I had bought it (which is something I feel more often than I should). I could just read for the sake of reading and enjoying the story.
It was a book that showed human nature, how we make mistakes, and that sometimes we feel something so strong that we end up making some bad choices.
The author didn't try to make everything perfect at the end; she didn't try to fix everything that was broken. She simply allowed us to analyze how some of the broken pieces were put together and others remained broken, and she showed that it's okay to have some broken pieces; not everything has to be fixed.
One Italian Summer Book Rating
★★★★☆ (4.25/5) stars
One Italian Summer Book Rating (Spoiler-free)
I never usually read the acknowledgements or anything that comes after the story, but this time I'm glad I did. Finding out that Hotel Poisiden is a real place made me so happy! As I said earlier, I didn't appreciate how certain issues, which I felt needed to be discussed more heavily, were pushed aside. Other than that, I feel like this story is one that was told with an objective in mind: to give a message to the reader. I feel like Rebecca Serle has effectively done that. She has shown that love and the people we love are not always perfect, and that's okay! It's the imperfections that make it real.
One Italian Summer Favorite Quote
" 'What are you going to do?' I asked. 'Something different,' she said. "There is more to life than just continuing to do what we know' "
Sources, Credits & Links
Mood, genre and pace via The Storygraph
Comments