June 18, 2012 / Leslie

Review & Giveaway: Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

Summerland
by Elin Hilderbrand

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books, Little Brown
Publish Date: June 26, 2012
Format: Hardcover | 400 pages
Rating: 5 of 5

For parents of teenagers, a phone ringing in the middle of the night can be a terrifying sound. When it’s a call from the police saying there has been an accident, a parent’s worst nightmare is realized.

On a June evening following a Nantucket High graduation party, a Jeep driven by Penny Alistair crashed on Cisco Beach traveling at speeds in excess of 80 mph. Penny was killed and the three other students in the vehicle were injured. Penny’s brother, Hobby, is in a coma, and her boyfriend, Jake, and another friend, Demeter, were shaken up but unhurt.

What happened that night on the beach? The Jeep belonged to Penny’s boyfriend, Jake, but she grabbed the keys and insisted on driving. What caused her to crash? Penny was upset by something she heard that evening, but the entire story is far more complex than one conversation.

The story unfolds from multiple points of view alternating between the teens in the vehicle the night of the crash and their parents. The narrative is multi-layered with richly developed characters with depth and feeling. We see that life in a small community is not immune to the problems of the big city as each character reveals secrets, both past and present. Gradually their stories become woven together and answers emerge.

Elin Hilderbrand not only grants us varying points of view but also provides it from both the teens and the adults providing a unique perspective on some very timely and relevant subjects. Alcoholism, depression, infidelity, loneliness and grief are problems that affect people of all ages. Although this was an emotional read covering many heavy topics, they were handled in an uplifting, positive manner.

The writing is fluid and the story moves at a fast pace. While the subject matter was a little heavier than the typical summer read, overall it was enjoyable, a book I found difficult to put down and is highly recommended.

The Giveaway

The publisher has generously offered three finished, hardcover copies of Summerland for giveaway.

Contest is open to those with an address in the US or Canada, one winner per household.
To enter, fill out the form below.
The deadline for entry is Wednesday, June 27th. Winners will be chosen by random.org. They will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address, no PO Boxes.