I received a free e-ARC of Girls of July by Alex Flinn. This was my first read by her, even though she has several other titles out. But I usually love all Young Adult contemporary, and I loved the cover and the blurb, so I was excited to get this one!
Spider and her grandmother devise a plan to make payments on the family cabin easier by renting the extra rooms out for the month of July. Kate, Meredith, and Britta each rent a room, wanting to get away for the summer for different reasons.
I love romance, and I just can’t help it, so true to form, my favorite part of the book came when one of the girls meets a cute local boy who’s also a budding nature photographer. The relationship is done so well, with tons of cute banter and flirting. And best of all, it represents a real character arc for the MC, which is perfect!
Aside from the kissing (ha!), the growth of all four MCs was done really well, and the storyline was very reminiscent of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The girls are each so different, but they learn from each other as well as from having time away from their individual circumstances. Britta is bubbly and open but she’s running from problems with her mom’s boyfriend, Meredith is driven and smart but overwhelmed, Kate is hiding a family secret she’s not sure she can face, and Spider is closed off to everyone. It’s a joy to watch them all grow and come to terms with their selves in a way that’s true-to-teenage emotions and though processes.
If you like girl friend groups, summer romances, realistic portrayals of friendship dynamics family issues, you’ll really enjoy Girls of July.
Haleigh Wenger 