I love a book with great character development! This book provides a coming of age story and how we deal with trauma and guilt and families. I loved getting to follow Iris' development and all of the twists and turns that come along with that.

Thank you Apprentice House Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy.

thank you netgalley for giving me the eARC. i loved the book. but i think it has much more potential that it didn't give me the serve i was looking for. would recommend to anyone looking for a nice, short, and good book to read.

Iris’s brother, Scott, drowns while she is watching him. She feels responsible for his death and struggles with the guilt. To help her stay busy the following summer, her father gets her a job helping a local painter prepare a lake house for the new owner. Not only does she learn a valuable skill, but she also learns how to deal with her brother’s death.

This is an emotional read. It takes place in Michigan during the 1970s so it has lots of references to songs, movies, and tv shows popular at the time. The characters in the book are all struggling with the loss of a loved one and handling things very differently. It gives the reader a great perspective of how different the grieving process is for everyone, even those in the same family. I would recommend this book to readers that enjoy a good coming-of-age story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Apprentice House Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book, while well written, just sat funny with me. I'm not sure what it is that didn't click but I didn't love it.

The Remnants of Summer by Dawn Newton is a great summer read. It's a coming-of-age story set in the 1970's in Michigan. And since I love reading about that decade, especially coming-of-age stories, and it's set in my home state, I liked it even more. Under her watch the previous summer, Iris's younger brother drowns when Iris falls asleep on the beach. Iris must now deal with the guilt of this terrible accident. Her family and sister are pretty much silent and dealing with things in their own way.

From the blurb; "Iris is sinking. As the summer of 1974 begins, she must grapple with the events that have lain dormant since the previous summer when her brother, Scott, drowned in their neighborhood lake. On her watch. While Iris flounders with the weight of her guilt and grief, she seeks redemption from her family and yearns, in particular, to repair a strained relationship with her sister, Liz. But new developments threaten her efforts, forcing her to navigate the turbulence of the present summer while reckoning with the emotional trauma of the past. Set in a working-class Detroit neighborhood, The Remnants of Summer is a story of how collective grief and personal guilt threaten the individuals who make up a family. As Iris sifts through the images of the past, she wrestles with waves of guilt and responsibility, acceptance, and forgiveness. Surrounded by the gentle rhythms of a Michigan summer, she endeavors to rise up and become visible once again."

I really enjoyed this book by Dawn Newton. The characters were well developed, and I enjoyed the story line.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced digital version of The Remnants of Summer in exchange for my review.

The year is 1974 and Iris’ family is still reeling from the previous years downing death of their brother and son, 11 year old Scott. Iris (14) was supposed to be watching Scott when she fell asleep in the sun and her guilt has a stranglehold on her. She does not know how to release herself from its grip, nor does she know if she wants to. “Iris walked the path of regret that all failed protectors walked, avoiding and then finally knowing, never forgetting, that the blame for her brother’s death lay with her."

The family’s collective grief and feelings of responsibility have led to tensions roiling just below the surface. Each family member is struggling with the loss, needing help and not knowing what to do. Theirs is a family that buries its feelings so one is able to help themselves, or one another. Frustrated, Iris said, "We don't talk about things enough... At all, really." Iris struggles between feeling guilty and being stifled by the silence around her. Iris and her sister, Liz (16) watch their parents’ marriage deteriorate.

The story is centered around Iris' continued guilt, grief and isolation and her wish for redemption as she struggles to cope with both the current summer and the painful memories of the past. As she wrestles with the challenges of growing up she yearns for the closeness of her relationship with her little brother as well as the relationship she once had with big sister. “You should have taken care of him,” she [Liz] yelled at Iris on her way out of the door.”

Although the books pacing is quite slow, it is an enjoyable read. A touching coming-of-age story of tensions and pressures within the family and with friends come to a head ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Anticipated publication date May 4, 2021. I have provided a fair and unbiased review in exchange for this advanced copy from NetGalley.

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I found this difficult to get into, so I feared I skimmed it after the first chapters, but it didn't improve. I was not impressed with the writing (or the story); it read like an early draft by a new writer, who perhaps would have been better holding back and learning the craft of writing before publishing; a long and hard road for most of us. At the very least a very good editor might have helped. I am sure her next novels will be better.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting but I still really enjoyed it. I was worried because of the grief within it (normally sad books are not my go-to’), but I think Dawn handled it well.

NetGalley ARC - The Remnants of Summer by Dawn Newton takes us to a lake in a small Michigan suburb. The previous summer, Iris Merchant fell asleep on the beach while watching her younger brother, Scott. When she woke up and returned home, Scott wasn't there. Fast forward to the next summer, Iris is still grappling with the loss of her brother. She blames herself for what happened to Scott and the guilt she feels for allowing this to happen drives a wedge between herself and her family.

This book navigates Iris's emotions and her relationships with others after experiencing the loss of a close family member. It is an interesting character study in grief. The lack of communication between Iris, her parents, and her older sister Liz, causes Iris to spiral emotionally, perceiving that her family hates her and blames her for Scott's death. Much of her own shame is projected onto her family.

For me, this novel should have been an easy read. However, I wasn't gripped by Iris's story and I found myself struggling to pick the book up again every time I put it down. I also feel like the serial killer aspect of the story could have made for a more intriguing plot. It was largely left unresolved and didn't add much overall to the narrative.

If you're someone who enjoys more character-driven plots, this book might appeal to you.

Thank you to The Remnants of Summer by Dawn Newton takes us to a lake in a small Michigan suburb. The previous summer, Iris Merchant fell asleep on the beach while watching her younger brother, Scott. When she woke up and returned home, Scott wasn't there. Fast forward to the next summer, Iris is still grappling with the loss of her brother. She blames herself for what happened to Scott and the guilt she feels for allowing this to happen drives a wedge between herself and her family.

This book navigates Iris's emotions and her relationships with others after experiencing the loss of a close family member. It is an interesting character study in grief. The lack of communication between Iris, her parents, and her older sister Liz, causes Iris to spiral emotionally, perceiving that her family hates her and blames her for Scott's death. Much of her own shame is projected onto her family.

For me, this novel should have been an easy read. However, I wasn't gripped by Iris's story and I found myself struggling to pick the book up again every time I put it down. I also feel like the serial killer aspect of the story could have made for a more intriguing plot. It was largely left unresolved and didn't add much overall to the narrative.

If you're someone who enjoys more character-driven plots, this book might appeal to you.

Thank you to Apprentice House Press for the Advanced Reader's Copy.

I could not finish this book. The story was not engaging at all , the characters lifeless and the writing was mediocre. I am sorry for my review

My Thoughts:

In 1973 I was 9. I actually have grown to love stories that have a time period of the 1960s and 1970s.

The Remnants of Summer is not a story that I am transported back in time because of the clothes or music references. There is mention of Watergate and President Nixon’s resignation.

The story is told from the narrator who is Iris. Iris is a young person who is not rebellious. She doesn’t act out after the death of her brother which is rare. Often there is an acting out after a traumatic crisis. On the other hand, she appears to me to be numb. This transcribes to paper. A numb feeling throughout the story.

Grief is the number one theme in The Remnants of Summer but grief is not processed. There is no mention of counseling. There is not a church family or neighbors who reach out to the family. There is no outside help for any of them. I don’t think counseling would have been considered for this era-not like today. Books and literature about grieving was about non-existent. However, there were counselors at school. And, there were pastors who counseled with families. Pastors and priests can at least pray and listen to the grieving family. None of these options are presented in the story. For me, this is sadly lacking. There is no resolve in the story. This theme hangs there and only grows larger.

The Remnants of Summer is slow. A slow and sad year in the life of the family-with the focus on Iris. While the grief is fresh, she is going through adolescence, peer pressure, abuse, school, a changing body, drama with friends, an older sister who is at enmity, parents who are going through their own problems, and an additional element in the story that impacts the community. This last example is not used as a big part of the story but more as a backdrop.

Over-all the story feels lacking.

Lastly, I feel this story is better suited for young adults.

Themes in the story: death, grieving, courage, innocence, fear, and guilt.

Source: I received a complimentary e-book copy from NetGalley and Mind Buck Media. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Readers of coming of age and family stories.
Rating: Okay.

I expected this book to drip with melancholy (which it did) but it was also much darker then I expected. It was slow paced and quiet, and yet I couldn’t put it down. Truly just a novel about the time in your life when you realize just exactly how much pain and hurt and evil there is in the world. Towards the end, I could not stop highlighting lines.

However, the epilogue felt rushed and forced and like it tied things up too pretty. Like Iris did something that was the perfect wake up call for the whole family, and suddenly they could cope better together and while her parents needed a break, they got back together, etc. It was like a sickeningly sweet sugar coated ending for a novel that was anything but.

A beautiful story, I felt like I was going through the grieving process with the characters and related to Liv on a personal level. Looking forward to more from this author.

14-year-old Iris Merchant is grappling with her grief and feelings of guilt at the loss of her younger brother. She was babysitting him when she fell asleep and he drowned the summer before the start of the novel. As summer approaches again, memories and guilt are stirred in every member of her family for their role in the events leading up to Scott's death.

The book does a pretty good job of exploring the mixed emotions of Iris dealing with her guilt, though it never really digs deep. The rest of the book is a series of unrelated events that never wind together or seem to really go anywhere on their own. A serial killer is abducting and murdering children in the area, which seems to be building up to something, only for that storyline to be abandoned and lightly referenced a couple more times later in the novel. Iris's friend is raped and becomes pregnant, but that storyline, too, is just tangential.

The characters are very well developed and the writing is quite beautiful, but I kept expecting the main plot and subplots to intertwine and build to something more substantial. They never did, and honestly, nothing was ever resolved. There was no plot arc. The story was jumped from one storyline to another and back again in a steady progression until it just stopped. Nothing was resolved or even finished. I'm left wanting a lot more.

Thank you Apprentice House Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader copy.

This story was set in the 70’s which I love. The story was sad, it’s about a young girl who is dealing with the death of her younger brother. It deals with the families pain and how they get past it. On the upside the summer story of riding bikes to visit friends, going for ice cream and just being outside brought back many memories! It was a different time, This is definitely one you should read if your childhood was carefree and you want to relive memories or if you want to experience them for the first time. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed most of this book. The storyline was a mixture of emotions. Sad, happy, everything. A couple of things I didn’t care for. My chapter 36 had a typo in the date at the beginning of the chapter. It had the year 1986, so I spent a few minutes flipping through to see if the story skipped that many years but then saw that chapter 37 was back in the late 70’s. That threw me.
Also I didn’t care for how there was SO much in the epilogue. I didn’t like how the last chapter ended with her in the empty house speaking to her brother. Nothing about what happened when they discovered her gone or what happened otherwise. We just get a few sentences about every part that was going on in the book to wrap it up. I would have preferred a few more chapters to finish it up and then a shorter epilogue.
I did enjoy the read. I read it quickly. Just a couple days.

A slow, meandering summer read while Iris deals with her guilt over her brothers death the summer before. The book switches between the present and her memories of him as she and her family attempt to manage their grief. Scott is a huge presence in the novel and it's heartbreaking his life was cut short. I just wish that Iris/Rosemary had more time together or a better resolution. 14 and so awkward and dealing with the weight of so much (and so much they were not ready for).

Really enjoyed this book. It is set in the 70s and i grew up in the 70s so I could appreciate the references....the songs and POW bracelets etc of that time rang true.

Iris’s brother drowned the year before the book opened while Iris was supposed to be watching him, instead she fell asleep. Iris felt responsible for his drowning but her parents and older sister never talked about it or changed his room. You felt the anxiety from the family trying to cope with the death. When they finally did discuss it, you realized they all felt guilt about it for different reasons.

It was a great read but especially the last two chapters were so compelling! There couldn’t have been a more satisfying ending. I also enjoyed reading the authors acknowledgements, gave insight into the story. Looking forward to more from this author

I received an ARC copy of The Remnants of Summer. My curiosity was piqued since the book is set in southeast Michigan during my formative years. I grew up in Michigan (and still live there) during the same time period and was flooded with memories of my youth.

This is a thoughtful book that explores Iris's struggles with feeling responsible for her brother's death. No one in her family will talk about Scott, as they all are struggling with their grief. Events of the summer unfold slowly until the family is forced to examine how not acknowledging their pain has effected all their relationships. This is a lovely book and I recommend it. #NetGalley #TheRemnantsofSummer #DawnNewton

I was pleasantly surprised by this read, wasn’t really sure what I was expecting but I got more than I had foreseen. This truly is a coming-of-age story during a year in the life of a young girl that unfortunately was babysitting her 11-year-old brother when he went swimming in the lake and never returned.
We live alongside her doubts, regrets, sorrow, loss, fears and guilt. We witness the marriage of her parents suffering and the distance that grows between her and her sister. I loved the ending; it was so appropriate and really could not have been done any better.
I graduated high school in 1974, the setting and descriptions were so spot on, I was laughing out loud when her mother took her to buy material for sewing halter tops. My mother took me to buy material to sew halter tops to wear with my bell bottoms. Oh, good times. I found this to be a really good book. It was a sleeper.
I want to thank Apprentice House Press along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. This one earns 5 stars.