this was so unexpectedly good. perfection from top to bottom. subtle twists and great character development and stakes. I loved this book so much

“Dawnland” by Tess Callahan follows two families as they come together for their annual summer beach trip.

Brothers Al and Oliver brood over distinct personalities while sharing more than a last name. With both their marriages barely hanging on, a rebellious teenage son and suffocating close quarters, the week fills with drama-filled tension. Soon secrets unravel, undoing their picture perfect lives and showing how it’s hard to live without hurting others.

I definitely loved the short chapters that made the book move fast. The book reminded me of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” with the tangled up brother love triangle. It did take on a preachy tone at parts and felt somewhat basic. This was a sequel to the author’s previous book “April & Oliver,” which I haven’t read, so I’m not sure how much that impacted my read.

Thanks @netgalley for the #arc (out September 3) in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a surprise. I was indeed expecting an usual family drama story, but this turned out to be much more than that. Not such a conventional family drama, but something deeper and more heartbreaking than that.
The writing is stunning, the setting, the ambience and the descriptions of the landscapes are gorgeous, and the characters are very realistic and easily relatable.
Somehow I actually felt this book was too short. So many characters storylines deserved a longer development, in my opinion.

“Still young, she had somehow believed love was a thing that happened to you like rain.”

We all know the story: family gathers for annual beach trip and drama ensues. When I first picked up Dawnland by Tess Callahan (shout out to NetGalley and Little A for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!) I thought I would have a couple laughs, get annoyed with a few characters, and carry on my way. Thankfully, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

April’s life is falling apart. Her husband Al spends more time at their New York City apartment than at their farm upstate, her son Lochlann is rebelling, and she’s about to have to spend a week with her brother-in-law Oliver and his seemingly perfect family. After eleven summers together on Cape Cod the family’s traditions are set: kayaking, long bike rides, ice cream trips. However, this summer has some secrets and surprises to reveal.

Callahan’s characters are real and relatable. As I read I couldn’t stop annotating lines and thinking to myself how I’d felt many of these things myself. As the plot develops over the course of the novel, I found that it went deeper than your typical summer family drama. This kind of narrative could easily become flippant, but Callahan brings a beautiful, albeit sometimes painful, reality to the page.

Dawnland, out September 3rd in hardcover and on KU, is a five star read for me and I hope you enjoy it too.

One extended family takes their annual vacation to Cape Cod but it’s not as jovial and bright as it may sound. Each family member is dealing with their own secret or crisis: someone is being sued, someone is having an affair, someone is entering womanhood, someone is having trouble at school, someone is adopted and searching for their birth parents, marriages are falling apart, and the list continues. As the week tumbles forward, tensions rise and the family begins to crumble.

This story is filled with equal love and heartache; is equally heart-filling and heart-wrenching. The prose is eloquent, vivid, and exquisite. Callahan shows off her talent for creating unforgettable characters and landscape; generating complex individuals and relationships among the backdrop of the luscious, salt-scented town. I could feel the sea breeze and the mist of the ocean on my skin while reading.

<I>Dawnland</i> explores so much within its pages—love, betrayal, addiction, adoption, trauma, shame, coming of age, rape culture and hook-up culture—but it never felt like it was taking more than it could handle. I would recommend this book a hundred times over. I loved it.

Thank you Little A Publishing and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 09/03/2024!

I had just finished the previous novel April & Oliver when I got the chance to read Dawnlands thru NetGalley. It’s an excellent continuation of the story of this troubled family. Well written and lots of twists and turns kept me intrigued through this whole book! I wonder what is next for the characters who will live in my mind for a while.

Dawnland has all the things I look for in a story... Cape Cod setting, family relationships, romance, and challenges. Drama! This book showcases excellent writing skills. The lives of our main characters immediately drew me in. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A riveting, atmospheric, and angst-filled story. The pull between April and Oliver is undeniable and threatens to upend their lives. The writing is lovely. Recommended to anyone looking for a tense and hopeful family and relationship drama.

Thank you to Little A and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

What a whirlwind of a journey this story took me on. I was so happy to be back into the captivating and complex world that is April and Oliver. It took great lengths for me to put this book down. I had to know how they healed from and what had happened since the conclusion of book 1 (April & Oliver) . Dawnland was filled with heartache and twists which you can always expect from Tess Callahan's lyrical writing and innate storytelling ability. From the start, the prologue (as always) never fails to draw me in and set a tone of urgency to devour the rest of the book. The ending left me wanting more, I would give up dairy (queso runs through my veins) to read a book 3 all about two of my favorite (and equally frustrating) characters. You'll be entirely consumed by the metaphors, the symbolism and the gut-wrenching plot. I highly recommend reading April & Oliver first, just makes the overall experience even more fulfilling. Release date is 9/2!

Rating 5/5

'' 'Your eyes are the color of the sky,' __ said.
'Yours are the ocean at night.'
'Another reason we can't work. The two can never meet.'
'Just the opposite,' __ said. 'They can't not touch.' ''

I loved this book. Put this in your beach bag this summer,, a great beach read. I love a messy marriage story, a complicated family story, a Cape Cod setting, sharks, this book had it all. The characters were so developed they felt real and I really connected to them. I sped through this book in almost one day! I will be going back and reading this authors previous book April and Oliver. Loved. Great reading experience

“Why is it so hard to live without hurting people?”

4.5 stars ⭐️ Wow, this book really impressed me! I finished it in 1 day, I was so hooked. The writing is beautiful, and conjures such vivid and symbolic imagery. The characters are so well fleshed out that they feel real, and I loved the character development. Everyone is flawed and nuanced, there’s no ‘bad’ or ‘good’ stereotypes - just typical complicated humans. This book is a wistful, reflective, heart warming and yet heart breaking examination of the human experience. What is it to love? What is it to choose who we love? How will these decisions change the course of our lives? What ripples will they set in motion? So moving and so gripping,

Thank you Little A and Net Galley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.