REVIEW #136: Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Title: Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Pages: 468, Hardcover
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

There are so many things going on in this book. The last time Taylor was at her lake house in the Poconos was when she was 12. But given her bad habit of running away when things got hard, she left the two people she cared for most behind and hurt, suddenly and with no explanation. She never expected to go back and have to deal with the consequences of her choices. And she has almost succeeded in forgetting abotu them. But 5 years later, the Edwards family has returned and this time Taylor can't run away. And they come back into her life by storm.

Henry and Lucy are less than thrilled to see Taylor and she struggles to give them the apology they deserve. She's more cowardly than she cares to admit. But once she works up the courage to say what needs to be said, she starts on the long road to mending the two friendships that meant so much to her five summers ago. And with Henry, she rekindles a romance that never really escaped her. 

I really enjoyed Henry and Lucy as secondary characters. They weren't given too much of their own story but their connection with Taylor was palpable. Both relationships were sweet and comforting and enduring. 

But the real heart and soul of this book lies in the story of Taylor's father. 

Taylor's father has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and only has a few months to live. Taylor doesn't know how to cope with losing her father or the dramatic changes she sees in him as his illness progresses. And since her family has grown apart over the years, she doesn't know where or how to find comfort. She feels more alone and lost than ever. 

But slowly her family comes together and learns to lean on each other for support. And Taylor makes the most of the time she has left with her father, appreciating the moments they share. The moments she once took advantage of.

Her father has such a strong presence in this book. I loved everything about their relationship and the final summer they spent together (well obviously except for the ending). I could feel how previous these moments were to them and I cherished reading them. I easily cried when the end came. Oh, and I loveed the pun jokes that they shared. It was such a joyful addition to the story.

But Taylor is conflicted because she feels like she should be focusing on her father and her family, not galivanting about with Henry and Lucy, worrying over matters that are trivial in comparrison to his illness. She struggles to let anyone close and to trust in herself and her heart.

We see so much change in Taylor over the course of this book. At the start she is timid and guarded, but by the end she is braver and more open. I really admired her personal growth. But I didn't connect with her that strongly. I didn't see myself in her and I don't believe that I myself would make some of the same decisions she did. That is ultimately the reason why I gave this book 4.5 and not 5 stars.

The writing is just so beautiful. Everything about this story felt so honest and real and personal. I think everyone can connect to it on some level.

Second Chance Summer is a heartwarming and heartbreaking journey.