Big Summer

Image Source: Pixabay

Bryanna Wallis
Contributor

This book was a breath of fresh air for me during quarantine. ‘Big Summer’ by Jennifer Weiner is about a young social media influencer, Daphne Berg, who runs into her ex-best friend, Drue Cavanaugh, six years after their fight that ended their friendship. When Drue asks Daphne to be her maid of honor in her wedding, Daphne isn’t sure if she should let Drue back into her life.

When my mom first recommended this book to me, I wasn’t entirely convinced mostly because Jennifer Weiner is known for her light-hearted and ‘fluffy’ stories. As much as this was true, this specific book had so much more to it than I initially expected. Weiner did an incredible job of talking about delicate topics that are not talked about enough in books. She approached the subject of body positivity, connecting it to social media, and how much young girls truly struggle in our society.

There were some points of view I didn’t necessarily agree with, however I still like her choice of subjects. I personally loved how she showed Daphne’s growth throughout the story, how she learned to love and respect herself even if she didn’t look like society’s ‘ideal’ body. We all know how complicated and difficult female friendships can be, so it was interesting to see how it was represented between Daphne, Drue and Darshi. I didn’t quite see myself in any of the characters, but I could still connect to some of their feelings and actions.

What I was totally not expecting, but still enjoyed, was the plot twist into a MURDER MYSTERY! This part of the novel kept me on my toes and convinced me to stay up late and finish the book. I would give this 4 out of 5 stars. It was a hilarious, thought-provoking, shocking, dramatic, and entertaining novel.

Originally Published on www.bandersnatch.ca Vol.50 Issue 01 on September 9th, 2020