Published June 26, 2012
About the Book:
It's June 15th, the night of Nantucket High School graduation. Four juniors are driving home from a party when something goes horribly wrong and there is a crash. The driver of the car, Penny Alistair, is killed, and her twin brother, Hobby Alistair, is left in a coma. Penny's boyfriend, Jake Randolph, and Penny's friend Demeter Castle are unhurt--but suffer tremendous emotional damage. Jake and his family move to the other side of the globe--to the west coast of Australia--in order to escape the horrors of the accident. Demeter falls prey to alcohol abuse and other self-destructive behaviors that nearly lead to her destroying her own life.
SUMMERLAND delves into the circumstances surrounding this accident, the roots of which lie deep in the past, with the first interactions between these four friends and their parents. It's a novel about how tragedy affects individuals, families, and the island community as a whole, and how healing can happen, in even the most devastating circumstances.
My Thoughts:
This was my first of Hilderbrand's books to read, and I look forward to reading more of them. The book is told from alternating points of view, which I really like when done well. Hilderbrand does it really well. I like the internal thoughts of characters that you get from first person narrative, but when told from only one point of view, it can sometimes be limiting. When told from multiple points of view, you get that from all of the central characters. I also really love how Nantucket's community itself is one of those points of view, and found that to be a great and unique touch. Small towns, such as Nantucket, do seem to have a life all their own really. I also liked how there is a nice mix of adult and teen characters, so this is a great book for adults and teens both. The characters were complex and interesting, though, some are certainly more likable than others. All are flawed, as all people truly are as well. Hilderbrand also writes in a way that allows you to actually picture Nantucket and other locales in the story. As her home, it's a place she obviously knows well and loves dearly. Her descriptions allow you to understand that love for it well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to read more by this author.
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