Book Review: The Summer I Learned to Fly
11:53:00 PM
Blurb:
Drew's a bit of a loner. She has a pet rat, her dead dad's Book of Lists, an encyclopedic knowledge of cheese from working at her mom's cheese shop, and a crush on Nick, the surf bum who works behind the counter. It's the summer before eighth grade and Drew's days seem like business as usual, until one night after closing time, when she meets a strange boy in the alley named Emmett Crane. Who he is, why he's there, where the cut on his cheek came from, and his bottomless knowledge of rats are all mysteries Drew will untangle as they are drawn closer together, and Drew enters into the first true friendship, and adventure, of her life.
Review: ★★★★☆
I got this book from a book sale, and what made me pick it up and buy it was because of the good review Markus Zusak gave it. I am glad I did, this book was worth the read.
It's a coming-of-age story that started with a young girl named Drew, a cheese shop, and her pet rat. As the story unfolds, you'll see how she came to make the first real friend of her life.
Drew is young, so young, she's only thirteen. That was the age we all thought we were invincible, but in reality we were all confused, so was Drew. She had a hard time finding true friends, and she had to deal with all the complications going on in her life.
Then that one summer, she met a boy.
(Hold up, if you're thinking "Oh boy, here's another cliche story." You're wrong.)
He knows about rats, and he was the first person in forever to call her Robin. To her, he really is unlike any person she has ever met. However she can tell he's hiding a big secret.
I enjoyed this sweet story but the reason I gave it four stars instead of five, was because the lack of events following up to the climax of the story. At one point of the book, I felt that the plot was lacking, it became a slow read for me.
To love this story, you have to be willing to be patient and appreciate the characters. One of the many things I love about this book is that it consists of offbeat characters; Almost everyone in this book had multiple dimensions, imperfections, and yet were people I cheered for. Even the main character Drew is far from perfect, she can irresponsible, rude, and stubborn at times. But her bad sides show that she's human not another Renesmee Cullen (*cough* Twilight reference *cough*), and it makes her good qualities shine even more, and that is what makes her lovable.
It's a unique story like no other, and Drew will be a character you grow to love; Her journey was a brilliantly emotional one, with poignant realizations that affected not only the book, but me.
So, in the end if you do ask me what this story is about. I would tell you it's about: a young girl, a cheese shop, and her pet rat.
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