Review: The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Published: May 10th, 2012 | Speak
Acquired: Netgalley
Genre: YA Contemporary
Overall: ½
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Elizabeth Margaret--better known as Em--has always known what her life would contain: an internship at her father's firm, a degree from Harvard, and a career as a lawyer. The only problem is, it's not what she wants. So when she gets the opportunity to get away and spend a month with the aunt she never knew, she jumps at the chance. While there, Em learns that her family has some pretty significant secrets. And then there's Cade, the laid-back local surfer boy who seems to be everything Em isn't. Naturally, she can't resist him, and as their romance blossoms, Em feels that for the first time ever, she is really living life on her own terms.

My thoughts:
This is one of those books that are perfect for a quick beach or weekend read. Not too much depth, straight to the point, emotions, a little rough times, but over all romance. And that's all we need sometimes.

Elizabeth Margaret (gag on that name) had lived her life under her parent and grandmother's very watchful eye. Her sister the only one keeping her sane and hiding her love for cooking. She wanted to make sure she always pleased her parents, never daring to let them know that her path of being a lawyer and going to Harvard just wasn't what she wanted. But when she receives a letter from her eccentric aunt who lives on an island, she sees it as her opportunity to break away from her perfect life and see how the other half lives.
I knew that I'd like Elizabeth Margaret - ahem, Em - from how close she is with her sister and her passion for cooking and life. When she arrives at the island resort I couldn't wait to meet her aunt and the boy that she would inevitably come across. And I knew I'd love them. I just wish I had more to love. They really weren't in the book as much, yet every page either involved her aunt or Cade. I just craved them!

There was a surprising amount of depth to this book, though still a bit shallow, the real life angst and issues, though not surprising, still I loved learning about Cade and Em's life, their past and together.

Their romance felt real and honest and I loved that. There wasn't much to truly grasp with how short this book is, but I still loved them.
Every character on the island was fun and had so much life that it made me want to live on a resort on an island as well.

When Em learns a family secret that completely changes her entire life, I was genuinely shocked and just as confused as Em was. I was also surprised by how her family, especially her younger sister took the news.
Her decisions in the end seemed a bit forced, yet right for her.

I may have to check out more from Shannon Greenland soon!

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Author Info:
Shannon Greenland has gone hiking, rafting, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, surfing, mountain biking, spelunking, canoeing, power lifting, running, camping, para sailing . . . well, you get the drift. She’s traveled the world extensively and is thrilled to be living in northern Virginia, looking for her new adventure. Believe it or not, Shannon dreaded reading and writing when she was a kid. How ironic that she’s now an award winning author.
More on her: website |  twitter | facebook | goodreads