One for the Books

When I started reading Under a Dark Summer Sky, I was immediately intrigued by the storytelling and was sucked into the novel. The author opens the novel and I could already tell that there was something stirring up. I got an instant sense of uneasiness which compelled me to continue reading as I wanted to know what was making me so uneasy and also whether or not it would ever be settled. The novel moved at a fast pace and started right in the middle of the action.
As far as the characters, there were quite a few but I enjoyed all of them. At times I did get a bit confused because there were so many characters to remember but they all added something to the plot. The dynamic of how they and their characteristics worked together (or against each other) was realistic and refreshing. For example there was an ongoing conflict between Ronald and Ike and it was not magically solved by the end of the novel. This gave their relationship a realistic aspect as most conflicts take time to resolve.
Just as I was sucked in to the first page, the author also did a great job tying up this novel at the end. I was not ready for it to end. I became attached to the characters and the fictional town, Heron Key. Every part of this novel was purposeful and well planned, even down to the gripping descriptions and scenes of the horrific hurricane and its aftermath. I loved the fact that although there were racial tensions and tensions between the Veterans and the Conchs, these things became unimportant as they all struggled with survival.
Overall, this novel was refreshing and captivating as I couldn't put it down and I became highly attached to the characters and their stories. The storytelling was powerful as the author weaved different cultural aspects of the Floridian town as well as historical elements together.
There are just so many good things to say about this novel but I’ll stop here. Read it!
I highly recommend this novel!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this novel.