Title: Cruel Summer
Author: James Dawson
Series: N/A
Edition: Kindle Edition, 336 pages
Publication Details: August 1st 2013 by Orion
Genre(s): YA; Mystery
Disclosure? Nope, I bought it!
A year after Janey’s suicide, her friends reunite at a remote Spanish villa, desperate to put the past behind them. However, an unwelcome guest arrives claiming to have evidence that Janey was murdered. When she is found floating in the pool, it becomes clear one of them is a killer. Only one thing is for certain, surviving this holiday is going to be murder…
Review
It took me so long to pick up a James Dawson book, and I won’t be leaving it so long the next time, promise! I liked Cruel Summer a lot!
In one respect it was exactly what I was expecting – a YA murder mystery with a few LGBTQ characters, but I wasn’t expecting it to remind me so much of 90’s gems like teen slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer, and the of likes the Point Horror books. I could tell that that was Dawson’s inspiration even before reading his acknowledgements.
It was a quick read that was so perfect for the beach, I can’t even tell you! I was disappointed with a few things though. Such as not really clicking with any of the characters – they all seemed a bit shallow and self-involved and the whole ‘life is a TV show’ did fit with Ryan’s personality, but I found it a bit annoying after a while.
That being said, I was pretty hooked and the pages seemed to turn themselves. I look forward to reading his other offerings.
On a side note, congratulations America – FINALLY! #EqualMarriage #LoveWins
