Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

My edition: 2015 eBook
First published: 2012
Pages: 480, roughly
Source: Own book

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.

Thoughts: A beautifully crafted story about everlasting love, friendship, and heartbreak. Matson knows how to connect to her audience and uses it to her advantage, Second Chance Summer is an emotional read – an ultimate tear-jerker.

Over the course of one summer, Taylor, the protagonist, and her family decide to spend the summer at their lake house. After recently finding out her dad is ill, Taylor is determined to make everyday count. Alas, her dad encourages her to do something productive during the summer and thus, Taylor consequently, finds herself running into both her old best friend and ex boyfriend. In a rapid whirlwind of one summer, Taylor is constantly reminded back to what occurred the summer five years prior, before everything had changed.

Dealing with all of this, with her old friendships and her ill Dad respectively, Taylor was a really interesting character to follow, and I think Matson, as an author, finds the perfect balance between family, friends, and love, to share Taylor’s story. Character development is a huge part of this novel and I adored every character in this book, flaws and all. I loved Taylor’s rationality, Lucy’s craziness, Henry’s good nature, and Warren’s social awkwardness.

Although there was the obvious first love and blossoming summer romance, Taylor’s relationship with her family was the main theme of this novel, and Taylor’s bond with her father is an admirable one. As Judith also points out in her review, cancer (and other terminal illnesses) is a subject in books I tend to avoid. However, Matson delicately touches on Taylor’s father’s terminal illness in a way that is (almost) impeccable. Matson portrayed cancer in such a way that indeed it was present but it felt almost natural. For example, there was no sugarcoating in this story, and as Taylor’s dad got progressively worse, you can feel the tension in the family. But I somewhat related to that turbulent relationship Taylor had with her family. Family is not always perfect, nor is life, yet the character’s love for each other was always evident. This story flowed beautifully, from beginning to end, and although I could predict the ending, I was more than satisfied with the way Matson ended it.

I loved this book, and I have adored all Matson’s novels. I’ve read and raved about Since You’ve Been Gone and Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour in the past, and Second Chance Summer didn’t disappoint. This book stayed with me after I’d read it, I cried numerous times, and I guess that’s the kind of response you want as a reader and simultaneously as an author, too. Matson’s writing is outstanding, and I am so happy to have experienced this story. Second Chance Summer was real, raw, it tested my emotions, but I can't wait to read more of Matson’s work – like her next book, The Unexpected Everything.

My rating: ★★★★★