One of my all time favorite books. Jennifer Weiner is amazing, and while I expected this just to be a fun, summer read, it blew me away. A deep dive into friendship, and what it really means, combined with a ruthless murder and a killer you will NEVER see coming... Jennifer Weiner is a MUST READ.

Big Summer, by bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, opens with a foreboding prologue set in 1994 involving a young woman named Christina who is happy raising her son on her own at her family's cabin on Cape Cod. "Her story was almost at its end, but that night, she had no idea" as she sang to her four-year-old son. The story then advances to 2018 and the focus shifts to Weiner's protagonist, Daphne, an up-and-coming plus-size Instagram influencer who has been offered a chance to showcase the clothing of Leela Thakoon. Daphne is thrilled when the attractive garments fit perfectly and make her look and feel "like the best version of" herself. A collaboration is born.

In her first-person narrative, Daphne relates how she came to be a young woman who has eschewed dieting and is determined to simply be true self. As the only child of doting parents, she had no idea she was overweight until a fateful weekend with her body size-obsessed grandmother. That was the point at which her psyche was irrevocably altered, and from which she gradually "learned every trick for taking up as little space as possible and not asking for much." She describes her first day at the exclusive new school where her father taught, but a scholarship was required in order for her tuition to be paid, and meeting the other students. Two in particular play prominent roles in Daphne's story. Darshi, who, as the story opens, has been her faithful friend for many years and her roommate for the past four. And Drue Cavanaugh.

Weiner describes Drue as a "thinly veiled Ivana Trump-like" character -- the wealthy and glamorous girl who is the most popular in the school. The other girls emulate her, craving her attention and approval. Shockingly, Drue embraces Daphne on her very first day at school, even inviting her to eat lunch with her and her friends. But Drue is manipulative and calculating, and Daphne details specific instances of Daphne using and abusing her. Still, Daphne remained her loyal friend throughout school, writing papers for her, keeping her secrets, covering for her when she cut class or was too hungover to function. The friendship, such as it was, endured because even though Drue repeatedly abused Daphne's generous spirit and her trust, Daphne still wanted to be like her: beautiful, funny, self-assured, and decidedly cool.

At long last, however, Drue goes too far and a particularly cruel machination causes Daphne to stand up for herself and declare she has had enough. The incident is videotaped and goes viral, transforming Daphne's attitude and life. She changes the name of her blog from "Daphne's Craft Corner" to "Big Time," vows to focus on her health and well-being, rather than her weight, and six years pass during which she has no contact with Drue.

But Drue reemerges, appearing in person when Daphne ignores her emails and texts. And she has a surprising request. She wants Daphne to be her maid-of-honor when she marries in a lavish ceremony on Cape Cod. She pitifully insists that she has no close female friends, has missed Daphne, and acknowledges that her past behavior was horrible. She blames, in part, her parents' dysfunctional marriage and her lack of a relationship with her dismissive father, who has had multiple affairs over the years. She even offers to pay Daphne. Daphne is torn -- resolved not to get reeled back into Daphne's life and the drama their friendship inures, but ultimately swayed by happy memories of time spent together as young girls.

Daphne also recognizes that she can parlay the event into Instagram posts featuring photos taken in a stylish setting at one of the biggest social events of the summer. She relents, despite her misgivings and a strong hunch that she is being used by Drue. Daphne's number of Instagram followers grows as soon as Drue begins posting about the wedding and Daphne's role in it, and Daphne struggles to escape her uneasiness. But Darshi is direct, warning Daphne that Drue will hurt her again and when she does, she will not be there to comfort Daphne, aptly calling Drue her "Kryptonite."

The story veers in a direction most readers won't see coming. The party at the estate the night before the wedding proves to be a magical one for Daphne when she meets a handsome and charming man who wants only to spend time with her. But the party is disrupted by a loud argument between Drue's parents that sends the bride-to-be retreating to her room. The book shifts from women's fiction to a murder mystery, with Daphne searching for two mystery men: the one she caught lurking outside Drue's door the previous night, as well as the one with whom she spent the night who disappears before she wakes up. Worse, Daphne, like all of the other guests, is questioned by the police, and becomes convinced that she could be viewed by the authorities as a suspect. The police are motivated to find the killer quickly, after being embarrassed by their incompetent handling of a murder that occurred in the area years ago. Darshi, being the loyal friend that she has always been, rushes to Daphne's side and they begin sleuthing, determined to unmask the murderer.

Weiner pulls off the genre-switch seamlessly, her cleverly-constructed, intricate plot unfolding during the latter half of the story. She examines the dark side of social media in a credible manner, revealing the ways in which some of her characters connive to use their status as influencers -- and other characters -- to attain fame and wealth. She deftly pulls all the loose threads into a cohesive story in which every character's significance becomes apparent -- including Christina and her son, Aidan, the subjects of the prologue that most readers will have forgotten all about by that juncture.

Daphne and Drue are fully developed characters, and as the story progresses, Weiner highlights the traits that differentiate them, as well as their common humanity. Weiner makes Drue a sympathetic character by exposing the truth about her family and upbringing, illustrating that outward appearances are, of course, deceiving. Readers come to understand the environment and lessons that made Drue who she is. Daphne's narration hits all the right notes as she describes her own familial relationships and home life, as well as her internal struggle to accept and love herself. Daphne is intelligent, self-deprecating, insecure, tenacious, and, most importantly, highly self-aware. She is likable, and has a strong moral center and commitment to justice. Female readers will recognize aspects of themselves in Daphne, whose emotional battles are almost universally relatable. The complicated, sometimes hilarious and frequently heartbreaking relationship between Daphne and Drue is believably and compassionately portrayed by Weiner as is her depiction of the love, envy, exasperation, and, finally, understanding and empathy Daphne feels for the woman who is so consequential in her life.

Weiner has succeeded at making Big Summer a witty and enjoyable beach read, as well as an engrossing exploration of the contradictions between real and virtual life. The book is also a surprisingly thought-provoking examination of friendship and how profoundly the friends we choose can impact our lives.

The seemingly two different genres this book ended up being was not really my style, although I liked them both individually.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read a lot of the author’s books, but I really enjoyed Mrs. Everything so wanted to give this one a try. It was completely different and didn’t go the way I had anticipated.

I thought the characters were pretty well developed. It really showcased how people portray themselves online compared to how they really are. Also, it showed the insecurities of people who don’t fit into a perfect little box.

The plot was okay and surprising at the end. Some of it didn’t seem to flow as well as it could have. I would give it a 3 since there are definitely things that the author could have improved.

Need to think about this one. I liked it but...

RATING: 2.5 STARS
2020; Atria/Simon & Schuster Canada

I loved my first novel (In Her Shoes) by Weiner. Then after reading a few more of her novels, and not finding that same magic, I decided to take a break from reading Weiner. The break lasted a decade until last year when her Mrs. Everything's gorgeous cover caught my eye. There it was, the magic again. I loved it and was in for the next book, enter Big Summer. I really liked the first bit of the novel, and then it started to get into "mean girls" territory. But I was still in, and committed. The humour was subtle, and it seemed realistic...boom, a murder. Now we are solving the murder. I was totally expecting a contemporary romance, and then half heartedly a mystery is thrown in and it really didn't fit. I decided to keep listening as I made it this far. Then there was another death from the past, that kind of reminded me of that murder in the Hamptons (I think). I just got lost after that, and then it's over. It started out strong, and then just starts to meander a bit, but it's a good book to read if you are half distracted. I did have an issue with the end of the novel...I can't say anything without giving spoilers...but I will say it's very stereotyped and forced. I am not sure where my future lies with Weiner...but I will definitely need to reread my two favourites at some point.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***
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I could not get into this book. Usually the authors works appeal to me but this one didn’t work for me. I may try again later

This wasn’t my favorite JW book but it was still really wonderful. A mix of romance and a mix of slight thriller. I really enjoyed it and it kept me very intrigued.
Can’t wait for her next release.

I have been a fan since "Good in Bed". This book strays from her usual style and doesn't disappoint.

I can’t put into words how much I enjoyed this chic-lit, drama and mystery all rolled into one. So so good! The story is completely relatable, and is the perfect beach or anytime read. Loved it, highly recommend!

Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review arc.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! Being my first Jennifer Weiner book, I was expecting a light tale of women's lives and friendships. And while the first half of the book certainly lived up to that expectation, there is a sudden twist about halfway through which truly shocked me and suddenly the book turns into a mystery with the main character trying to solve a crime while being a suspect herself. I've seen a lot of readers unhappy with this but maybe because I had never read Weiner before, I really liked it. I loved the main character's development of being unhappy with being fat and coming to love herself, with the nuance of being a social media influencer and the commentary on the facade of being happy with her body vs. actually becoming happier with it. I'll definitely be checking out more of Weiner's work.

There's no question that Jennifer Weiner is a successful author with scores of fans. Some of her books have even been made into movies. But as I'll explain soon, I'm not quite sure what her novel, Big Summer, is trying to be.

Daphne Berg is enjoying her career as a plus-size influencer when her ex best friend, Drue Cavanaugh, comes calling. Daphne and Drue haven't spoken for years, so Daphne is shocked when Drue asks her to be the maid-of-honor in her upcoming wedding. Daphne reluctantly agrees and packs up to spend Drue's wedding weekend at a Cape Cod mansion.

All of this would have made Big Summer a breezy read perfect for the beach, but then it turns into something else entirely -- a mystery. Some books are successful at switching genres midstream, but this one...not so much. To me, it felt like Daphne and her mystery-solving friends turned into the Scooby Doo gang halfway through the book, which basically ruined it for me. I didn't love this one.

MY RATING - 2

As my first Jennifer Weiner novel, I had high hopes. The novel is comprised of two easily-distinguished parts. The first part, women's fiction, covered a lot of the "before" of Daphne and Drue's friendship, as well as the events in Daphne's life that cultivated her into the woman she is today. Weiner spends a lot of time on the societal trauma that women, especially plus-sized women endure, and the way that family and friends shape their perceptions of themselves in their formative years. Midway through, an event occurs, shifting the novel to the second part: the mystery.

Even though I didn't love all of the flashbacks in the first part, they made sense and allowed me to have a deeper connection to Daphne. I was able to better understand her motivations behind agreeing to be Drue's Maid of Honor, even if I didn't agree with the choice. Unfortunately, the massive shift in genre wasn't for me. It felt like I was reading the an entirely different novel. When I reached the culmination of the mystery, rather than feeling satisfied, I actually rolled my eyes at one point. Don't get me wrong - the "villain" of the story had a right to be upset, and those with privilege far too often do not face consequences for their actions.

For those looking for a light beach read, this one may be for you. Sadly, it fell flat for me, and I won't be rushing to pick up any of Weiner's other novels any time soon. Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book had to much going on. The first half started out alright, but the second half was a mess. I am not sure why the author threw a mystery into the story.

Great book. I won a physical copy and shared with all my friends. Perfect to read along with a group.

I love Jennifer Weiner and her contemporary fiction. She never fails to bring a smile and Big Summer was no different!

It has been awhile since I have read Jennifer Weiner. I felt like I might have aged out of her after this one. This was kind of 2 books in one - first half chick lit, second half a not so great mystery. It was okay, but I would not go out of my way for this one.

Best summer read I've read in a while. Took a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, and then ended in a very fair way that I agreed with.

What a lovely surprise. Typically this type of story isn’t for me, which just stands as a testament to Ms. Werner’s talent to handle a summer read with such intellect and charm.

Jennifer Weiner does not disappoint, Her stories are indulgent and luxurious in both her settings and characters. They are always a welcome change from a thriller or deep literary fiction novel. This is my 4th of hers and each one is better than the last.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was a bit chick lit, with a heavier protaganist, so there was a focus on weight issues as well. I wasn't in love with the constant Instgramming/tagging/etc. but I understand this was part of the story. Daphne is a plus-size influencer who has had an unhealthy relationship with her "best friend" Drue since high school.

Drue is rich, popular... every stereotype you can come up with and is a mean girl. She's awful to Daphne, but Daphne is willing to forgive her. Drue comes to Daphne to beg her to be in her wedding, claiming she doesn't have anyone else to stand up there with her and she has always been her friend, blah blah. Daphne falls for it and most of this book revolves around Drue's Instagram-worthy Cape Cod wedding.

Without spoilers, the second half of the book tries to be a thriller/mystery... and fails miserably. Daphne is a terrible armchair detective and the fact that she "solves" the case when no one else is able to is so unbelievable it detracts from the story. There are too many genres that the author tries to attempt here, and she should stick with one.