Having not read a Jennifer Weiner book in a long time, I was very excited to be given an opportunity to read and review Big Summer. As usual, Ms. Weiner does not disappoint and her writing style has not diminished over the years. Her books usually deal with present day scenarios, and Big Summer does just that. Daphne, the main character, is an influencer on social media for overweight girls, and pet supplies. This phenomenon is an interesting one to me, as I don't know much about it, and am happy to learn. Unexpectedly, Daphne gets invited to be an old friend's bridesmaid. It turns out that Drue is an ex-friend of hers from childhood that is very beautiful and was popular, but Daphne hasn't spoken to her since she publicly humiliated her some time ago. Now, it seems, Drue has nobody to be in her wedding, and is begging Daphne to participate. What follows is a rather disorganized plot and some mysterious characters. (I did read an advanced reader's copy, so I'm hoping that some of the jumping around gets corrected.) That being said, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it. It is a fun, quirky quick read, as per usual for Jennifer Weiner. Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books (Simon and Schuster Publishing) for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't request this book; it appeared. I was reluctant as I was lukewarm on Mrs. Everything [enjoyed the 60-70s flashbacks/walks down memory lane--but not much else]. I decided to go ahead since it said it was set on Cape Cod {which I love, but there really was not much Cape stuff].

Billed as "...a poweful tale of friendship and forgiveness..." Yes, well... Nonetheless, it wasn't a bad read, but...
And the title: Big Summer: A Novel--definitely a summer read.

I totally identified with Daphne's fat-shaming/self. I know the tricks and the setting.

And it was a fast, easy read. The descriptives were very easy to picture--espcially the WASPiness of it--beginning with the names she chose [Avery and Ainsley; Drue a nickname.] And the Jewish protagonist and her parents--an easily identifiable cliche.

But for the first half plus, I really slogged along. I got mad at the repetitiveness--Daphne for always putting up with Drue and putting herself down. Daphne's abuse, meanness, etc.

As for the contemporary Instagram/social influencer info--it was new material for me [I don't follow that kind of stuff, so...]

And then, bam; the book took off in a different direction and became [sort of] a mystery. I never figured it out [a plus], but there were other trajectories I did [read, Nick]. Some readers liked the first half and not the second; I guess I'm the reverse but didnt love the book as did many of them.

And the ending, so sappy!

And the prologue--was it even necessary? Maybe not.

While the first third or so of the book was a bit hard for me to get through, the last two thirds definitely made up for it. I pushed to keep going having read from another review that their was a twist halfway through! I loved the twist and everything that followed. I also appreciated how this book touched on many topics including weight, social media, friendships, family dynamics and a lot more. Overall a really great read that will be perfect for the beach!

This story takes life long social problems and shows progression. A mean high school girl that destroys others to make herself feel good (back in a day with no social media) progresses to a lonely woman that shows off her (social media) perfect life in many untrue ways. The star of the novel is the mean girl’s friend that is fat shamed and turns shaming into a social media success. This was truly a good read.

This book was received as an ARC from Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is perfect for the kickoff of the summer season. I also love the fact that Jennifer Weiner is big on drama and the impact it has on the plot. Daphne and Drue had a fight that costed their friendship and have not spoken to eachother in years but when Due and Daphne cross paths, they reconnect and Drue asks Daphne to be her maid of honor and Daphne graciously accepts. With the temptations of single guys and the luxurious capside mansion Daphne has to go. When family drama arises and secrets are exposed, Daphne soon realizes why Drue wanted her by her side. With a new guy Daphne meets completely disappears and family feuds errupting, Daphne must dig deep and search for the real Drue Cavanaugh for a resolution. I could not get enough of this book, Jennifer Weiner does a brilliant job with the plot, characters, setting and theme throughout the book. I can not wait to hear the discussions that arise from this book.

We will consider adding this title to our Adult Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars

Daphne and her rich and popular beautiful friend, Drue, have a falling out in college. Six years later, Drue steps back into Daphne’s life, begging her to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. Daphne decides to give Drue an chance and hope that she really has changed for the better. But, on the day of the wedding, something terrible happens.

Also very present in the plot is the fact that Daphne is overweight and that is is a plus sized social influencer. But, her weight is brought up too much - and comparisons to the skinny people she is around. It just seemed a little much.

The first half of the book I was honestly pretty bored. It had been a long time since I read a book by Jennifer Weiner, and didn’t remember being so bored in precious titles. But, once the mystery element was added, I actually became more invested in the story and enjoyed the second half.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

After not seeing her former best friend Drue for years, Daphne, a rising social media influencer, is invited to be part of her wedding. Drue and Daphne have not always had the healthiest relationship (Daphne trying to get Drue's love while Drue used her). I thought this book would be about female friendships and struggling with preconceived notions about others, which it is, but it went down a path that I was not expecting. I enjoyed the surprise twist halfway through.

I read some other reviews that mentioned how this is different than other Jennifer Weiner stories, because it turns into a mystery, but I disagree. It still has the same feel. This is an overall solid, engaging story.

This book took me by surprise, It was a romcom and a suspense/who did it book. I enjoyed reading it. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. This is another good book by Jennifer Weiner.

A touching story about friendship and self esteem in a socially connected society. Socially awkward Daphne Berg is floored when her old classmate, the popular, Drue Cavanaugh, with whom she hasn't spoken in years, asks her to be in her wedding. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear how hurtful interactions in our youth can infect our adult lives.

This book started out with the usual type of story Jennifer Weiner does best. There's drama, old best friends and friendship. I enjoyed how it delved into body shaming, body positivity and influencers. It turned into a mystery that I dis not expect! If you're looking for a not super serious, but thought provocating read, pick this one up on May 19th!

We all have events from our lives that stick with us and shape us, whether we want them to or not. For me one of those events was the thrill of being announced as a 7th grade cheerleader only to be crushed when I went to lunch and a group of 8th grade boys started taunting my friend and I as being “the FAT 7th grade cheerleaders”. You don’t forget something like that - even 40+ years later. We get past it, but we won’t ever forget.
In Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner, Daphne Berg is a plus sized Instagram influencer with some heavy baggage after being tormented by her frenemie Drue Cavanaugh since 6th grade when they met. Daphne has gotten past it by embracing all that is good about her body, her career and her family and eliminating Drue from her life. But when Drue hunts down Daphne and convinces her to be maid of honor in her “Instawedding” Daphne once again falls under Drue’s spell. From this point on in the plot- almost everything surprised me! The story did not go where I thought it would and I loved it.
Jennifer Weiner has a way of writing that is like talking with your friend. Like hearing gossip from the girls or telling stories over drinks. I raced through this book is 2 days. Big Summer comes out May 19th and it will not disappoint!

Thank you @netgalley @atriabooks @jenniferweinerwrites for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book! 💕💕💕💕💕5/5

I declare May 19 the official start to summer this year. That is the day that @jenniferweinerwrites book #BigSummer will be released into the world. This book is a pure delight. A present day kaleidoscope of characters and events that includes an Instagram influencer, fancy wedding, mystery man, a housekeeper, best friend(s), a detective, crotchety sailing teacher, and MORE; all with Cape Cod and NYC as the backdrop.
If you love a good beach read this is a book to pre-order or put in your library queue now!
Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for the early copy.

Will discuss this book on Episode 98 of the Book Cougars podcast. www.bookcougars.com
#NetGalley #atriabooks
#beachreading #beachread #capecod #newyorkcity #summerreading #fiction #jenniferweiner #instagram

Good, classic Jennifer Weiner writing - touching on female angst, body image issues, relationships, etc. A fun read, with an unexpected bit of mystery to finish off the story. A good palate cleanser between some more serious historic novels I’ve been reading.

It’s probably unfair of me to feel this way, but I was so wowed by Mrs. Everything, Weiner’s previous novel, that things may pale in comparison, for a while.

This book tells the story of frenemies. The bully and the bullied and a chance for redemption. It lost me when it turned into mystery but generally redeemed itself well by the end of the book.

Let me preface this review by saying I am a huge Jennifer Weiner fan. I have read all of her books and have met her a few times and just think she’s great.
But this book was awful. Shockingly bad. It almost felt like someone else wrote it because it wasn’t even close to her normal quality.
The premise was good. A fat instastar going to her old best friend’s wedding. There was even a fantastic sec scene.
And then the book changed into a murder mystery with the protagonist acting as the detectives. It was so far fetched and annoying and there were so many unnecessary scenes. I really and truly hated this book.

I have read all of the author'ssbooks and find them to be a good escape. This was no exception. A fun diversion for an afternoon read when the rest of the world seems to be coming apart, more every day. The book was some what predictable but always enjoy the writing and the occasional surprise.

Big Summer
A Novel
by Jennifer Weiner
Atria Books
General Fiction (Adult) , Women's Fiction

Thanks to NetGAlley and ATria books for the ARC of this book. Well written and entertaining. I will recommend this to our library patrons.
Brilliant!

I loved Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner!. Jennifer's books keep getting better. Daphne Berg is a character to cheer for most of the time but if she did not give into joining Drue Cavanaugh's wedding party, we would not have a story. Daphne story is about strength by standing up to an a..hole in a bar, figuring out where she stood with Drew and realizing what an amazing family and friends she had. Maybe she should not have given into Drew when Drew asked Daphne to be in her wedding. This book talks a lot about influencers on Instagram and other social media sites which I found very interesting. Being a woman of a certain age, I am not the target market for most influencers. This book also takes on the issues of body image, bullying, cheating to get into college, living on line, and female friendship.

The second part of the book turns into a murder mystery with many people that could have done it. The book makes you think about friendships, family, relationships and what matters most in life. I enjoyed this book and read the last half slowly while still excited to see how this all worked out. This would be a great spring break/summer read. #BigSummer #NetGalley #Jennifer Weiner

Don't let the breezy cover fool you. There's some substance in this book, but it's still light enough that it'll get you into the spring days that are coming. This book has almost two plots, but they work together. The main character has a "friend" from school who asks her to be in her wedding. With Daphne being an influencer, and always wanting to be one of the popular girls, she accepts. But, is her friend really asking to mend fences and reunite their friendship? Or is she the same shallow girl she was in school? There's also a mystery that comes into play. It was a surprise, but it worked. I adored this book. I think many of us will see the insecure young woman we were, trying to be one of the girls we admired. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was just what I needed to get over the winter blues. Jennifer Weiner has such a fantastic gift of storytelling. I devoured this story and then was upset when it was over that I read it so fast.