I received an early copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is cute enough with tons of representation, told from the perspective of 4 sisters who are each experiencing changes in their lives over one summer. I feel like there were a ton of different plot points and many of them felt rushed by the end, just so they could be tied up with the proverbial bow. This would be a great summer/beach read.

Review will be posted week of 7/16/18

The Garrett sisters live in Remington Hollow, Maryland, a small, quiet coastal town reminiscent of Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow. There are four Garrett sisters. First there's Des, the oldest, who feels a lot of pressure to help out her grandmother, who has fallen ill and is the sole caretaker of the girls, and she also feels a responsibility towards her younger siblings. Then there's Bea, who just graduated high school and is trying to figure it all out. She is questioning things and asking herself what she really wants. Next up is Kat, who is all about the community's theater program, but things don't go as planned when her ex-boyfriend is casted in the play as well. Lastly, there's Vi, who is a lesbian and has strong feelings for someone, but will they like her back? Can she put herself out there? The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls has something for every YA reader and it makes for a heartwarming beach read.

All four Garrett girls are memorable in their own right, but I found myself very interested in Des, the oldest. Her struggle between helping her family and doing what she wants is something that many people can relate to. I also really liked how the author switched the points of view between each girl so we could get to know them individually. I also really liked the chapters in The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls that focused on Vi and I think it's good that Spotswood included a gay character that wasn't just a caricature. I also appreciated Vi's love of YA books as well as her references to books. Bookworms will absolutely love this! I found myself nodding my head a lot when she would talk books; I would so want to be friends with her!

The setting of The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was so darn cute. It was very Stars Hollow and I love that! Everyone in town knows everyone else's stories and the fact that it's on the coast added to the town's charm. Also, the Garrett family owns an independent bookstore that Des helps run and this was just a cherry on top of the sundae for me.

This was a quiet sort of summertime read and one that I think many YA female readers will appreciate this book the most, especially the bookish sort. Plus, The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls has a feminist vibe to it, which I also found to be delightful. We need more of that in YA literature and less damsel in distress type of females. So, if you are looking for coming of age/feel good story this summer, add this one to your TBR list.

Started a little slow. But a good read I enjoyed it. I recommend it. I’d buy it for a friend. I will read more by this author.

Paperback Princess Blurb

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood is four stories interwoven into one. It's a story of four sisters navigating their own lives whilst trying to remain as one family unit, during their potentially, last summer all together.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is four stories rolled into the one book. It's a beautifully written YA contemporary novel perfect for a summer read...or for those of us "hoping" it was summer 😆

The characters of this novel really made it perfect for me. The sisters; Des, Bea, Kat & Vi, had such distinctive voices, and their own individual stories that I thoroughly enjoyed each one. It's told in alternating chapters between the four sisters, but they were in systematical order (oldest to youngest and repeat) and were also clearly labeled so there was no confusion who was who, however, once you have read a few chapters into the book you'll no longer need to be told who's chapter it was, as each girl had distinctive voices. The similarities between the four stop at their looks, they couldn't be more different.

Des is the eldest and has taken on the motherly role since they lost their parents and her Grandmother had knee surgery. She does all the cleaning and runs the family book store. She finds herself wanting more for herself, and she goes to explore these avenues, unfortunately not all her "trials" and "experiments" worked out too well, but in the journey she found herself a bit more, and found her voice.

Bea is the success story. She is going to college at Georgetown, she's got a journalism internship at the local newspaper and has a long-term boyfriend that she is assumed to be marrying in the future, but she's now unsure if she still wants the life she's created.

Kat is a drama queen (literally) and a heartbroken one at that; she's been left for another girl. In her efforts to win back her ex, she soon discovers that maybe what she originally seen in him was not what she wanted all along, and just maybe there's someone better for her.

Vi is the youngest sister and she's had a long crush on a girl she's known her whole life, but just because she's confident enough to come out to the world, not everyone is, and we see her journey into finding out whether the girl of her dreams...even likes girls!

I absolutely loved the girls, and it's definitely a character driven novel. You just fall in love with these girls, and just want things to work out for all of them, that's truly what kept me reading till the end. I was definitely invested in the characters.

I am truly amazed at Jessica's skills in how she wrote this novel; having four distinctive characters is quite hard to write, yet she did it so well, it's fluidity and distinction was well done.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is a young adult contemporary novel that is somewhat a coming of age story, each of the four sisters are on a journey to try and figure out their life, who they are and what they want. Definitely a must read for those that enjoy The Gilmore Girls, Little Women and any other novel that has bad ass feminist characters!

I knew I was going to love this book from the description! I love the relationships between sisters explored in YA (though I admit that, not having any myself, I can't speak for how realistic they are), and I love that each of the sisters was so different.

This had tropes galore, but they were all done so well that everyone else who uses these tropes needs to step it up. For example, there's a fake dating storyline. It was so adorable I screamed. I'll admit that not all of them were for me, however. Slight spoilers ahead: there was also a cheating storyline, which I am always very uncomfortable reading. I thought it was handled very well, but I still would have liked the book more without it.

My favorite part of this was the characters. I couldn't pick a favorite of the sisters, and each of their storylines was developed so well. I was a little apprehensive about having four alternating points of view, but it worked so well! I can't imagine this book working without them.

The Garrett girls are about to experience a summer that will change everything. Des is the oldest, and all of the responsibilities she has are beginning to get to her. When she makes a new friend, Des begins to do some things she never thought she'd have the courage to do. Bea is experiencing anxiety and panic attacks because she doesn't know if she wants to date her longtime boyfriend Erik anymore. She is also questioning her plans to attend college. When she meets Gabe, Bea begins to find the courage to change her plans. Kat has just been dumped by her boyfriend Adam. To get back at him, Kat plans to pretend to date Mason, who has also ended a relationship recently. Soon Kat finds herself falling for Mason, which was definitely not part of the plan. Vi makes a new friend as well, but soon she begins to feel more for her friend as well.
I thought this was an enjoyable book overall. Reading about each sister's story and perspective was interesting and unique. I found myself laughing and even crying a little by the end of the book. I particularly related to Bea and Des because of the circumstances they were going through as well as the emotions they experienced. The writing was descriptive and well done, and I found myself caring about what happened to the characters. I didn't care for the profanity or certain opinions expressed in the book, but there were some parts of the story that I enjoyed very much. I was happy with the way the book ended as well.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

If you're looking for a light-hearted, witty, summery read, The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls ticks all the boxes. It follows four sisters one summer as they try to plan their futures and discover who they truly are.

We have Bea, who's struggling with breaking up with a long-term boyfriend; Des who's always the responsible who just wants to rebel; Vi, who's openly gay and falling in love with the girl next door; and Kat, whose fake relationship starts to feel a bit too real.

The novel is written from each of their individual perspectives, following their independent story arcs, which is so cool! I thought things would get confusing, but Spotswood has written four characters who are so completely different from each other that it's impossible to mix their stories up. They're all so loveable, and I felt like the story was quite relatable in terms of having three siblings to compete with!

This was so well-written, and definitely the cute little pick-me-up I needed!

This book was just an overall great read.
We get to follow the lives of 4 sister's throughout the summer, while they deal with life challenges of being a teenager in today's world. I loved this book because it dealt with very contemporary issues that teenagers are handling and it definitely felt like it was taking place here and now. Each sister has a very distinct and unique personality and you get immersed into each of their lives as they maneuver through all sorts of relationships in their lives.
I think this is a great summer read and very relatable to teenagers or anyone who has been a teenager. I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to SourceBooks Fire and NetGalley for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book.
Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen. This was the idea that sparked Jessica Spotwood’s newest novel, The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls, an incredible and quirky read about sisterhood that is a perfect summertime read.

“The Garret Girls’ roles have long been established among themselves and around town. At fifteen, Vi is the sensitive bookish one. At sixteen, Kat is the diva: emotional, theatrical, and never afraid to make a scene. Eighteen-year-old Bea is the brilliant, ambitious one, off to Georgetown in the fall. And Des? At nineteen, Des is the oldest. The responsible one.”

Welcome to Remington Hollow (I see the Gilmore Girls reference already); a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone. Yet, the Garrett sisters are all keeping secrets in the summer that will change their lives. Each chapter is told through four alternating points of view from the Garrett sisters starting with the oldest sister, Des, to the youngest sister, Vi.

Des, Desdemona, is the oldest sister at 19. She shoulders the most responsibility for the family especially since the legal guardian and grandmother to the sisters, Gram, is recovering from surgery. Des is in charge of cooking and cleaning as well as running the family owned bookstore, Arden Books. One day she meets and befriends an artsy girl with piercings, tattoos and purple hair named Paige. She shows Des that she is allowed to have her own life and does not have to take care of everyone all of the time. Paige also helps Des realize that her calligraphy is an art form and that she should express herself. But Paige is being secretive and only in town for the summer. Is she really the best influence for Des?

Bea, Beatrice, is 17 and the overachiever of the sisters. She just graduated from high school, was the valedictorian, and will be attending Georgetown University in the fall with her long term boyfriend Erik. They have been together for 5 years and have planned their futures together. However, Bea isn’t sure if she wants the same future anymore. Through all her anxiety and late night “stress baking” she knows that she isn’t in love with Erik anymore but is afraid to breakup with him. She is keeping it from her sister’s because they adore him and consider him a part of the family. One day she meets Gabe, the grandson of one of the matriarchs in Remington Hollow. He is a total hipster and not her type but she can’t deny the spark between them.

Kat, Katerina, is 16 and the actress as well as the drama queen of the sisters. She was cheated on by her now ex-boyfriend, Adam, and is determined to get him back in order to then dump him so he can get a taste of his own medicine. Kat is in the town’s summer play with fellow students, her ex, her best friend, and Mason. Mason, who is bisexual and works at the local Tabby Cat Cafe, was also just dumped by his boyfriend who cheated on him. Kat decides to come up with a plan, she and Mason will pretend to be dating in order to make their exes jealous and hopefully get them back. Kat and Mason are the leads in the play and Kat has also started working at the cat cafe. They are spending a lot of time together, kissing, laughing and having everyone believe that they are a couple. However, what is real and what is pretend? Especially when they share a kiss or two in private without an audience.

Vi, Viola, is the youngest Garrett girl at 15 years old. She is an out and proud lesbian and not afraid to be herself. She always has on a pride related t-shirt or something quirky and fun. Vi is a total bookworm and loves reading young adult literature. Vi does have a secret: she likes to write fan fiction about characters from television shows like Riverdale or The 100. It is not a total secret from her sisters that Vi has a crush on Cece who works at her family’s restaurant next door to Arden Books. The problem is, Cece has a boyfriend and Vi is pretty sure Cece does’t like girls. That is until she discovers Cece has read almost every single LGBT young adult book that is at Arden Books.

I really loved this book! It was heartwarming and funny while dealing with some big issues. There is great representation in this book with LGBT characters. There is also a mention of mental health issues like anxiety and a character recovering from an eating disorder.

There were a ton of literary references which I found so refreshing. Some of the mentioned authors and titles were, Nina Lacour, David Levithan, Our Own Private Universe, Georgia Peaches, and Bad Feminist.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is about sisterhood, friendship, and romance. It is a remarkable coming of age story with a fantastic cast of characters. I highly recommend it as the perfect summer read of 2018!

I wanted to like this one, but I didn't think the story was all that original or well written. The story fell flat for me and I didn't feel a connection to any of the characters.

I received a Netgalley of The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls. I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into with this one. It was enjoyable. I laughed out loud a few times, found myself on the verge of crying a few times. It was heartfelt, all-encompassing, and fun to read. There's plenty of pop culture and YA shoutouts (Riverdale and Reign of the Fallen, what up?!) which when done in the right way, can be a lot of fun. TLSOTGG bordered on reference overkill, but it wasn't so much that it became annoying.

I love a book based in MD, especially when they mention things near and dear to my heart - Jessica hit both MICA (where I graduated college) and Fells Point (where I've spent more time drinking than I'd like to admit). Plus, anyone who's ever been to those small Bay towns knows the type of charm they hold, and she did a good job painting the picture for those who haven't experienced them.

The story follows four sisters, all different ages, living with their grandmother, and all going through big changes. All four girls tell their story as well as their sisters through alternating perspectives, which is something I LOVE. Four seems like a lot, and I was worried at first that the actual story would become murky in the midst of trying to keep everyone straight, but it was very easy to follow. And also easy to be invested in and care about each girl's story.

Lots of romance, lots of friendships, lots of mischief, lots of secrets, lots of LGBTQIA, lots of puppies and kittens!

I loved the bond between the Garrett sisters. These four girls each with their own unique features all share the love of family. This book takes us into the lives of the four sisters during the Summer. They are each working on their own individual identities. Finding out who you are and being happy in your own skin is a theme that runs throughout this fabulous book. I would recommend this to older students in high school. I think they would really enjoy it.

Oh, goodness. Such a cute story-- Little Women meets "Gilmore Girls" by way of Sarah Dessen, indeed! (And it only took me until the "about the author"section at the end to remember why her name seemed so familiar--we met her at the Rochester Teen Book Festival a few years back--duh!)

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is told in alternating POVs--each sister gets a turn, from oldest to youngest, which was fun even if it did sometimes feel like we were just getting into one of them when poof! it was off to the next sister. Still, I liked seeing things from each of their viewpoints. (The tense of the story was a bit strange, though--present instead of the usual past. It tended to throw me at the beginning of chapters, though for some reason mid-chapter I never seemed to take notice.) It really made understanding their motivations--especially when they made really questionable choices--a lot easier. (Bea, for example--I usually have a huge problem with people who cheat, but seeing her nearly wrecking herself with all of the pressure and the guilt made it understandable, even if she was still wrong. Also, it seemed appropriate that this article showed up in my inbox while I was reading her story.)

I already have two of Ms. Spotwood's anthologies--I'll be keeping an eye out for more of her longer fiction now too!

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

This title was archived before I had a chance to read it, but now that it is available I will be picking it up soon.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is the absolute perfect book for summertime reading. This heartwarming story of four sisters was sweet, funny, and engaging, and it will take you through the full range of teenage girl emotions. Reminiscent of Jenny Han's family of sisters in To All the Boys I've Loved Before...if you liked that one, give the Garrett Girls a try!

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If I could rate this book a ten, I would. I feel like the author crept into my brain and read my mind and discovered all of the things that I love and am obsessed with, all of the tropes and pop culture references, and put it all into a book just for me.

I was approved to read an ARC of this book on NetGalley, sort of on a whim. I read the description and thought it sounded really interesting, well I am so glad I made that choice because I will be recommending this fast, fun, summer read to everyone I know!

The author describes this book as “Little Women meets Gilmore Girls by way of Sarah Dessen” and I think that perfectly describes this book. It’s about the four Garrett sisters, Des, Bea, Kat, and Vi (all shortened versions of Shakespeare names), who all go through their own personal journies to learn more about themselves and each other. Each sister has their own chapters following their story and is told in 3rd person. They all live with their grandmother, known to them as Gran, and live in a small town where their Gran owns a bookstore called Arden.

The Garrett Girls:

Des: 19, the Responsible One, and who is struggling to find her voice and her place in her own life. She has taken over the role as the caretaker of the family. The one who cleans, and cooks and works the most shifts at Arden. But when her high school BFF comes home for the summer and feels like the small town life is no longer for her, Des worries that she fits into that category as well. Des also meets a new friend, Paige. Purple haired and tatted, Paige is bold and everything that Des wants to be. Will a summer of spontaneity do Des some good, or will it all come crashing down?

Bea: 18, the Smart One. Bea has been dating Erik since she was thirteen years old. They have a five-year plan mapped out, and a ten-year plan, but what Bea did not plan for was falling out of love with Erik. She no longer wants to attend Georgetown in the fall, something that she and Erik decided as one. And when a cute boy from out of town comes to visit his grandma for the summer, she can’t help but see how different she wishes her life was. But is she brave enough to ask for what she wants even if it hurts the people around her?

Kat: 16, the Dramatic One. Kat lives to be the center of the attention, whether it is between her sisters or on stage for the community production of Little Women. Kat’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her and she is interested in revenge. What better way to make him jealous then striking up a fake relationship with the recently dumped, fellow castmate and coworker, Mase. With his Mohawk and his guyliner, Kat thinks he is the coolest candidate to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, what she didn’t plan on was falling for him for real.

Vi: 15, the Bookish One. Vi is perfectly fine with reading her LGBTQ YA novels and writing her Beronica fanfiction, but she can’t help be tempted by real romance outside of books. This summer, Vi cannot control her overwhelming crush on Cece Perez, the pretty hostess next door. Cece loves queer romance novels too, and they bond over their love of books. When they strike up a friendship, Vi can’t help but wish it could turn into more. Will Vi find her summer filled with requited or unrequited love?

In the acknowledgments, the author asks what Garrett Girl you are most like, and I found that to be a tough question to answer. I felt like I related to all of the girls at times, some more than others, but all of them the same; although sometimes I did feel like Erik. All of the girls have such distinct personalities, and I really admire the writer for writing them so fully. I also loved how feminist all of the girls are! They are always wearing great feminist shirts like ‘girls just want to have fun(damental human rights) and I really admired that. Someday when I finish my book I hope it turns out as fun and realistic as this *crosses fingers* fantastic book. If I had to pick, I would say that I am a mix between Kat and Vi. I am super bookish (duh) and shy, but I also love theater and can have a flare for the dramatics.

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I also already posted it to my goodreads and I will feature it tomorrow on my insta and twitter

My love for family stories is endless, and The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls was one that combine so many wonderful elements to yield a thoughtful, fun, and heartwarming story of four sisters, who experience cataclysmic changes over the course of a summer.

• Pro: Sister stories are always so wonderful, and these sisters are closer than close due to losing their parents when they were younger. The bond between them was unquestionable, and there were some fabulous scenes where that sisterly love just burst from the page.

• Pro: I like multi-POV books. This one has four - one for each sister, and I thought Spotswood did a great job keeping each voice distinct. I had no problem telling them apart.

• Pro: Each character was dealing with her own issues, some bigger than others, and I think there is a little something there for everyone to relate to.

• Con: I love popular culture, but for some reason, I don't like too much of it in the books I read. I do understand that this story revolves around four teenaged girls, but there were a lot of references.

• Pro: There's lots of feminism celebrated here.

• Pro: I am giving a shout out to the grandmother, because I love them, and the Grarrett Girls' grandmother was really special. She didn't get a ton of page time, but the time she did get was quality time, and I really liked the way she interacted with the girls and helped guide them along the way.

• Pro: I kept finding myself smiling and laughing, because this book was a lot of fun. It was also all sorts of cute and adorable with just a touch of drama to keep us on our toes.

• Pro: Books set in small towns are always winners for me, and this one had all the charm you expect form a coastal little town. I loved meeting all the business women, touring the shops, attending a field party, and celebrating Fourth of July with the Garretts and their neighbors.

• Pro: Each character experienced some growth during the book, but the one who changed the most was Kat, and her story was probably my favorite as well. Kat was not the most likable in the beginning of the book. However, after entering into a fauxmance as a revenge plot against her ex-boyfriend, she undergoes a lot of personal changes, and I really liked late-summer Kat a lot.

• Pro: There's romance, and you know I can never get enough of that. Kat had her fauxmance storyline, and Vi had a really special first romance, which was terribly sweet. I shipped both couples, and it was delightful seeing how their relationships developed.

Overall: A delightful, which thoughtfully explored the dynamics of sisterhood and growing up.

This was the perfect summer read! Jessica Spotswood has successfully made me want to buy a boat and live near a marina. Just the idea of laying on the deck and watching fireworks makes me smile! It sounds so relaxing and fun. One of the sisters, Bea, makes a comment about it being like a tiny house on the water, which would definitely force me to be a minimalist.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls had a very Gilmore Girls vibe that I enjoyed. They live in a small town where it's impossible to keep secrets, and the townspeople live for the gossip. There are also no strangers except for the tourists they occasionally see throughout the year. There's an old bookstore, a Tabby Cat Café that has literal cats (they can also be adopted from there!), and even a yearly reenactment that people get really excited about.

I loved their Gram and how accepting she was of her grandchildren. They were all so very different, and she treasured them like they were her own. The girls also appreciated their Gram and how much she's done for them over the years. She trusts them to do what is right, and is there for them when they make a mistake.

I feel like there was a lot that could have been elaborated on, but I understand that can be difficult when you're telling a story through five different perspectives. There is a lot going on in each of their lives, and unfortunately some of the details were left out. They were small threads that I was following in the background, but most of them are never mentioned again. An example would be Bea's movie date with Erik and how Savannah taunted her with bringing Gabe. Bea gets ready for her date, but we have now idea how it went or if Savannah followed through with her threat. Bea was also really nervous about the date, and I was curious about how it ended.

The bookstore belongs to the Garrett family, and the author references a lot of YA authors and titles. She specifically mentions Nina LaCour and a variety of LGBTQ books. One of the characters is openly gay, another is bisexual, and one is still figuring things out. I thought Jessica Spotswood did a wonderful job of creating characters that a lot of people will be able to relate to.

There are a lot of Harry Potter references. Pets were named Remus, Sirius and Crookshanks, but there were also a lot of shirts and sayings that related to the books. It felt a little forced at times, but it wasn't too over-the-top. I was also happy about the X-Men shout out! Three of the horses were named Storm, Gambit and Rogue.

I think there were a lot of good points made about women's rights, equality and acceptance.

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls touches on family, friendships and how those two things can change over time. It was a fun story that I really enjoyed reading and had a hard time putting down. Every chapter was about a different sister, and I was quickly caught up in each of their stories. There were a few times when I cringed internally at someone's behavior or actions, but that's life. People make mistakes, but it's how they learn and grow from them that matters. I think each individual sister did a lot of growing over the summer, and I thought their story ended in a really great place.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on June 13, 2018.

I enjoyed this easy, sweet read. It is almost 4 separate stories told in alternating chapters with the common thread of sisterhood. Some of the sister's stories interested me more than others, which is pretty typical for me when books are set up this way. Overall it was enjoyable and I recommend as a beach/poolside read!

The Last Summer of the Garrett Girls is cute summery read following the Garrett sisters. I loved how we got four different POVs and how they are all trying to navigate their lives growing up in a small coastal town. We see how they interact with each other and how they experience first love. This was an easy and quick read perfect the summertime.