Second Chance Summer

Author: Morgan Matson
Goodreads Rating: 4.17
Pages: 468
Format: ARC from ARCycle 

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.

So back during the summer, Nikki from Fiction Freak told me that I HAD to read this book. I was pretty swamped with books from BEA, so I didn't actively pursue this book until I saw that it on the ARCycle, at which point I requested and won the book lotto. And wow, did I win the book lotto.

I didn't take my friends seriously when they told me how much this book takes out of you emotionally. This book literally took all the feels from me. The happyness, the sadness, anger and joy. All of the things were in the best way of all. I can honestly say that this book is the first book in awhile that I just sobbed for 45 minutes straight when I got to the end. No spoilers here, you know whats going to happen if you read the synopses above.

I wasn't terribly fond to Taylor to start with. I hated this habit that she had of running way, and I totally understand that everyone has their coping mechanisms, but she literally ran away from every problem that she had, and she couldn't run away from this, her father was dying that there was absolutely no from hiding that.

I adored how Taylor came to realize a whole lot about her family and how she was able to grow from that. I felt back that she seemed to be the forgotten middle child because of a super smart older brother and a dance phenom little sister. I loved that her father seemed to peg her as his favorite as he created his own special ritual with her.

I loved that Taylor was able to learn from her mistakes as she fixed things with Lucy and the cute boy next door. I liked how we were able to uncover the drama that occurred five summers earlier, and how rather than have the author tell us what happened, she showed us that time, and what it was like for Taylor which was great.

This book has everything you need and more in one pretty little package. For sure one of the best books of 2012.

The Courts Decision: