I couldn't really figure out the genre of this book. It's about four girls in the summer of 77. They're all best friends and they've played a prank at a university and instead of serving their punishment picking up litter on the side of the road, the judge agrees to let them be camp counsellors for the summer. They're all hiding secrets from each other. It goes back and forth between that storyline and the girls in 1997. There was a true life murder of three girls in a camp during that time and that is a part of this story. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a suspense or a mystery or a coming of age.
It kind of jumped around a lot and at times felt a bit unresolved. There is one part where one of the girls sees a big tent and hears music and as she walks by someone sitting at the fire pit he can't see or hear her and the next morning everyone wondered where she had been. Was she dreaming? hallucinating? Was it real?
I did enjoy the book and was curious to see where it was going but there were also the points above that I didn't enjoy. It just didn't feel like a cohesive story but I found it entertaining.
This book was reviewed on the Literary Club Podcast episode 62
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1984185 ( )

Wow! This book really touches the heart. The characters are so realistic and relatable. Each one faces different and difficult circumstances during what should be the best summer of their lives. The emotions that come across the page are, at times, raw and heartbreaking.

There are themes of friendship, love, and faith. I love the Preacher! He's always there; even when you're in the desert.

I took away two things from this book. #1- Friendship is important. Forgiveness is essential in friendship.
#2- God is more important! Listening for His voice, always. He will speak, and He does listen

Read this book! You won't be disappointed!! ( )

When you’re young and have close friends, you could never imagine them not in your live as you grow up. This story takes us back to the summer after high school for four close friends, but flashes ahead in parts to show at what point in life the characters are as adults. I really enjoyed this coming of age story, but at the same time getting to see how things turned out, which as we know is never perfect.
I received a free copy of this book through the Early Reviewers Program in exchange for an honest review.

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I give this book four stars because I am not a great fan of going back and forth in time. I enjoyed the contemporary story, but the one in the past could have been told in a much shorter way. It was easy to figure out the past with a lot less information. I skipped a lot of it. The writing was good, but I guess I am just an impatient reader. ( )

I feel that The Best Summer of Our Lives is a bit of a departure from what you would expect from a novel by Rachel Hauck. The book centers around four long-time best friends who are embarking into adulthood. Having graduated from high school and caught pulling an over the top prank, they are sentenced to work as camp counselors in Tumbleweed, Oklahoma. The Four Seasons as they are known to family, friends, and classmates grow up a lot during the 8 weeks they spend in the isolated camp, but that is only the beginning of this coming-of-age story.

I have to admit that I did not like the names of the 4 girls — Spring, Summer, Autumn (aka Fall), and Margaret “Snow” Snowden. You see why they are dubbed the 4 Seasons. But, for me, the names really got in the way of getting to know the characters. I kept getting confused on who was who. It took me about half the book to become comfortable with who they were. The book really is Summer’s story, with side plots of her best friends. My book club wished there had been more Summer and less the other characters. We really liked the Prodigal aspect of the book, and Summer’s encounters with The Preacher presented some powerful scenes. But there were other times when the book seemed like a soap opera (I won’t share specifics because that would reveal spoilers) involving the other members of the Seasons. I also really liked that most of the men in the book were generally good guys. Reconciliation, grace, and forgiveness are strong themes.

The Best Summer of Our Lives has gotten really great reviews, so I urge you to look at those. Reviewing is subjective and a lot of things can influence how someone feels about a book. While I am glad I read it, it is not a favorite of mine from Hauck.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )