Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Poppy
Source: Publisher
Summary
THE RULES OF SUMMER is about two 17 year-old girls living in the same beachfront mansion in East Hampton for the summer, one “upstairs” (the daughter of a very blue-blooded family) and one “downstairs” (the niece of the family’s housekeeper.) Isabel is the privileged daughter who’s used to having guys fall at her feet. Rory is the no-nonsense girl from a small New Jersey town who’s always been the friend, never the girlfriend. Besides becoming each other’s unlikely allies, both Rory and Isabel have a summer romance that will change their lives. (courtesy of Goodreads.)
Review
I love Joanna Philbin's Daughters series. I was sad to see it end, but thrilled to see what she had in store for us next. Like the Daughters books, Rules of Summer is a feel-good, light read featuring the lives of wealthy (and not-so-wealthy) teens.
Rory lives with her single mom in rural New Jersey. She is the adult in the relationship as her mom is more interested in her boyfriends than she is in paying the bills or supporting her daughter. So Rory leaps at the chance to spend the summer at a mansion in the Hamptons even if it means being an unpaid servant. Rory is a good girl. Not that she's a goody two shoes but rather she's shaped by the fact that if she's not responsible, she'll starve. Her fierceness and her talent at dealing with difficult people come in handy during her summer with the passive aggressive and sometimes unreasonable Rule family.
Rules of Summer alternates between Rory and Isabelle's points of view. Isabelle is the youngest Rule child. She comes off as a stuck up snob in her actions with others and in her inner thoughts. It is easy to hate her as a poor little rich girl who doesn't realize how good her life is. But I couldn't help sympathizing and eventually liking her. Her hard shell hides a vulnerable girl who is disenchanted with the fakeness of high society and feels lost in her own family.
This is the summer for romance for both Rory and Isabelle. Isabelle falls for an older guy - a 21 year old townie. He's handsome, confident, mature, and seems so down to earth compared to her uber wealthy agemates. But relationships between 17 year olds and 21 year olds are rarely trouble free. Perhaps I would see things differently if I was a teenager, but from an adult perspective, Isabelle seems so very young and pitiable in her summer romance.
Rory has a troubled romance for a different reason. She develops a crush on Connor, the youngest Rule son, who's home from college. He is kinder and more genuine than the rest of his family. Rory has enough perspective to realize that relationships between the privileged and the "Help" are problematic so she tries to keep her distance, which electrifies the tension.
Rules of Summer is the quintessential beach read. It's a little soap opera-ey and the characters' problems are resolved too easily, but I'm not looking for complexity. I want a few good "awwww" moments and an inside view of the summer homes of the incredibly wealthy and that's exactly what I got. As the daughter of Regis Philbin, Joanna has experienced the lifestyle of wealthy New Yorkers. More than in the Daughters series, Rules of Summer paints the Hamptons, with its exclusive clubs and servant strewn households, as somewhat superficial. But I like that she neither vilified nor sanctified any of the characters.
I have read every one of Joanna Philbin's books with fervor and I will continue to do so. I love to live the high life vicariously, watch her characters grow into stronger and better people, and finish off with a satisfying Happily Ever After. When you head to the beach this summer or even just head out to your backyard, I highly recommend you include Rules of Summer in your stack of reads!
Rating: 4 / 5
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It's the first time I hear about this book and it sounds great!!
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing a very heavy, emotional read yesterday I really need to read something light and summer-ish like this book.
Rory sounds like a great character.
Great review and thanks for sharing!!!
Sapir @ Diary of a Wimpy Teen Girl
YES! Thank you! I'm so glad to see another strong review of this book, as well as another ardent fan of Joanna Philbin's writing. Seriously, she has a way of making contemporary work for me...and that's saying something. Lovely review, Alison! :)
ReplyDeleteHum...haven't read this series but it sounds like I'm missing out! I do agree about the 17/21 romance. When you're 17, it seems so romantic, the older guy (just old enough to be hot but not too old to be gross) but, now that I'm older, I can spot the trouble with that.
ReplyDeleteSounds like I need to check out the Daughters series. This book sounds like the perfect summer read - drama, beach, romance!
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
I've never heard of this before today, but it definitely sounds like my cup of tea! Love discovering new books (especially new romance novels - I'm such a softie at heart), so thanks for this Alison. I'll be sure to pick myself up a copy :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great review! I'm hoping to read this book by the beach or at least the pool. :)
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ReplyDeleteI'm so grateful to see another powerful evaluation of this guide, as well as another enthusiastic fan of Joanna Philbin's composing.
This sounds like a perfect summer read! Thanks for the review and bringing it to my attention.
ReplyDeleteKay @ It's a Book Life
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