Title: A Midsummer’s Nightmare
Author: Kody Keplinger
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
First published: June 5th 2012
Finished reading: June 10th 2015
Pages: 291
“They loved me no matter what the rest of the world thought. I couldn’t just stop being afraid, but for them, I could try.”
I have to admit I wasn’t sure whether A Midsummer’s Nightmare would be something I could enjoy. I’m not a fan of chicklit and this sounded too much like a cheesy romance novel. Still, since I was pleasantly surprised by Kody Keplinger‘s other novel The DUFF and I needed a story about parental relationships I decided to give it a go anyway. Like I suspected, there were quite a few cheesy scenes included and I really couldn’t stand the main character Whitley. She is arrogant, ignorant, cocky… And truly annoyed me. I can’t say that I agree with her lifestyle or thoughts, but I guess at least she felt ‘real’. A Midsummer’s Nightmare is easy to read and it would make a perfect beach read. It’s just not for me… Recommended to those who enjoy a good contemporary romance story with a little drama involved and don’t mind a character that is not exactly likeable.
Whitley’s parents divorced when she was younger and ever since she has been spending her summers with her dad. But the last summer before college everything changes… As her dad suddenly has a new fiancee and she has to deal with her new stepbother and sister. And even worse: the faincee’s son turns out to be Whitley’s one-night stand from graduation night. Oops! What was supposed to be the perfect summer suddenly turned into Whitley’s worst nightmare… And she is not sure how to deal with this new situation. Will Whitley adjust to the new situation in a small town where everybody knows who she is and judges her for her actions?
A Midsummer’s Nightmare is not a bad read, but I couldn’t really enjoy it… I guess the genre it belongs to just isn’t my cup of tea. It is a fast and easy read though, and if you like contemporary romance you will probably love this read. It looks like Kody Keplinger wants her main characters to be unlikeable, but at least the story feels real that way and I guess that’s a bonus.
I’ve just had a similar experience with another book in this genre. I’m now struggling to write a balanced review. It’s so hard when you don’t hate something, and can appreciate aspects of it, but it irritated you too!
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Yeah I know, it was quite hard to write down my thoughts on this one. I know people who love reading contemporary romance will probably enjoy this read way better than I did, but it just wasn’t for me…
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I guess these kind of books aren’t for everybody! Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the main character. š Great review though! ā¤
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Thanks! I don’t like chicklits in general because I’m not a fan of romance… But I know there are a lot of people out there that would love this one. š
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This sounds like something my sister Chrissi Reads might enjoy but I think the cheesy bits for me would be a real turn off! š¦
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If you don’t like cheesy this one is definitely a no-no… Anyone who likes contemporary romance will probably enjoy this read though.
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