**4-Star Review for "End of August" by Paige Dinneen**

"End of August" by Paige Dinneen is a poignant coming-of-age story that delves into themes of family, resilience, and the complexities of love and loss. Set in 1979, the novel follows fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor as she grapples with the tumultuous relationship she shares with her flighty single mother, Laine. Upon returning to the town of Monroe, Indiana, for her grandfather’s funeral, Aurora is forced to confront the ghosts of her past and the undeniable bonds that shape her present.

Dinneen masterfully captures Aurora’s internal struggle as she navigates her mother’s erratic behavior and the challenges of their family dynamics. The vivid descriptions of small-town life and rich characterizations draw the reader into Aurora’s world, showcasing her longing for stability and connection in a life marked by constant upheaval. The contrast between Aurora's desire for a solid foundation and Laine's impulsive choices creates a palpable tension that keeps readers engaged throughout.

The supporting characters, particularly Gran and the charming pastor's son, provide depth to Aurora’s journey. Gran, with her own struggles with addiction, adds layers of complexity to the narrative, while Aurora’s budding friendship and romance bring a sense of hope and warmth. Dinneen skillfully explores the intricacies of these relationships, allowing Aurora to find solace and belonging for the first time.

While "End of August" touches on heavy themes, Dinneen balances them with moments of humor and youthful exuberance, making the story both relatable and heartwarming. Some plot points may feel familiar in the coming-of-age genre, but the emotional depth and authenticity of Aurora's experiences set this novel apart.

Overall, "End of August" is a beautifully written tale of growth, forgiveness, and the search for one's place in a chaotic world. It’s a compelling read for anyone who appreciates stories of resilience and the transformative power of love. Highly recommended!

This beautifully written, heartbreaking story will have you rooting for 15 year old Aurora. Living a nomadic lifestyle with her selfish and extremely self centered mother Laine, Aurora longs for a stable home life.

This stunning debut coming of age novel is an absolute gem. Cannot recommend it enough.

I look forward to reading future books by Paige Dinneny.

Slow start, couldn't finish this one. I am not posting a review to Goodreads. Maybe will try again in the future.

The End of August is a perfect summer coming of age tale. Fifteen year old Aurora and her unreliable mother, Laine, return to her mother’s hometown after the death of Auroras grandfather. When Laine starts dating the neighborhood mailman Tim, Aurora knows it won’t end well. Even worse, he’s married and his daughter is Auroras classmate. While Laine dreams of Tim leaving his family for her, Aurora sets her sights on not letting her mother ruin the feeling of “home” she has found living with her grandmother. When Aurora finds teenage love with Harry, she knows she wants to stay put and make a life for herself. I love This story and the strength Aurora showed while not having a reliable parent to lean on. I also loved that Harry was genuine and it depicted a truthful teenage relationship. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review .

I loved this book. I loved the relationship between Gran and Aurora. It was nostalgic, and summery, and read like books I read during hot summers growing up.

In 1979, the 15-year-old Aurora Taylor daughter of a single mother always dragged her to other states when things started to get complicated. Aurora never had a place that she could call home and after the death of her grandfather Jay, her mother decides to go back to her hometown Monroe, Indiana. When her mother starts an affair with the married mailman and stays in the city for more time, Aurora starts to fall in love with the town and the pastor's son. But everything can change when things start to get difficult again for her mother.
It was an incredibly delicious read; the writer conveys the pain and longing for a home beautifully.
The main subject of the book was generational trauma and the process of breaking that cycle. While there was a romantic element, the focus was primarily on the women in the family, which I appreciated. All the characters were engaging and vividly portrayed.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy well-written family drama.

Aurora Taylor, a 15-year-old girl in 1979, returns to Monroe, Indiana, with her single mother after her grandfather’s death. As she navigates the challenges of newfound friendships, a summer romance, and the complexities of family dynamics, this heartfelt debut captures the essence of teenage life, love, and personal growth.

Title: End of August
Author: Paige Dinneny
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: February 11, 2025

I received complimentary eARC and ALCs from Alcove Press and Dreamscape Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Nostalgic • Layered • Complex

📖 S Y N O P S I S

1979. Fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor’s single mother prefers to leave when things get hard. She’s spent years abandoning bad boyfriends and dead-end jobs, without so much as a glance in the rearview mirror. After fifteen years in the passenger seat, Aurora needs more than two hands to count the towns she’s lived in. She’s learned to live small—it’s easier to leave when you don’t need to say goodbye. So when her mother Laine shows up at school with the car loaded, Aurora assumes her latest fling has run its course. Instead, it’s her grandpa Jay’s death calling them back to the town Laine has spent fifteen years running from.

Every visit to Monroe, Indiana ends in an explosive fight. Her mother and her Gran are oil and water, and it doesn’t take Aurora long to realize Gran has fallen off the wagon—again. With Gran drinking, and Laine’s discomfort in the little blue house, Aurora gives their visit a week, tops. But when Laine begins an affair with the town’s married mailman, everything changes. While her mom falls in love with a man she can’t have, Aurora has time to fall in love with the town. Her life begins to feel full—she has a friend to call her own, a gran who loves her, and a picture-perfect pastor’s son who sees Aurora as more than “Laine’s daughter.” It’s everything she never let herself dream about.

As the summer months march on, and her mom’s happiness becomes even more dependent on her unstable new relationship, Aurora worries the dream she allowed herself will end in heartbreak. This isn’t just another map dot on their endless journey, and Laine won’t just burn a bridge this time. Her choices threaten to light the town on fire, burning Gran’s hope, Aurora’s future, and her own chance at redemption to the ground with it.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The synopsis for End of August caught my attention, so I was grateful for the opportunity to receive a copy ahead of publication. It took me a bit longer than I expected to get to, but there are so many books and only so much time. The fact this is a debut novel was another bonus, as discovering and supporting new authors if something I strive for.

Set in 1979 in the small town of Monroe, Indiana, the narrative follows the complex dynamics of three generations of female characters. There is Aurora, the 15-year-old daughter; her nomadic mother, Laine; and Gran, who is grieving the death of her partner and struggling with alcoholism. The characterization is fantastic. The intricacies of weaving together the complexities of each relationship between mother/daughter is well plotted and Aurora's self-discovery thread is laced in nicely.

Dinneny does a wonderful good job capturing the realities of small town life and the essence of the time period. I have heard stories of my own mother sitting with her grandmother to watch the soaps, so that aspect felt so wholesome. I also appreciated the sobriety storyline, there appears to be a trend in this trope of late.

The audiobook narrated by Renee Dorian kept me engaged and interested. She was able to capture the emotion and voice across each of the characters. The pacing and clarity of her voice made for an enjoyable listening experience.

End of August is one of those quiet, slow paced novels where the characters wiggle their way into your mind. Part coming-of-age story, part family drama, it is the relationships which really make the story. The writing could have used some additional fine tuning, it remains a solid debut from Paige Dinneny and I will look forward to reading more from her down the road.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Ask Again, Yes
• multigenerational stories
• complex family dynamics

⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, domestic abuse, child abuse, abandonment, death, grief, alcohol, alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, sexual content

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"The sadness she carried with her was hers and hers alone."

"Not that you can plan for death, really, but this was her life taking a hard right when she was hell-bent on it going straight."

Aurora is 15 years old, living with her single mom who just can't seem to get it together. This is a coming of age story about family, love, hope and sometimes doing what's right no matter how much it hurts. I just kept turning the pages, was well written. I wish for a little more character development. Regardless I gave it 4 stars.

Aurora has returned to Monroe with her nomadic Mum Laine after a long absence. She is settling in to what feels like home - a loving grandmother, neighbours, school and for once a friend and her first crush Harry who is turning out to be very nice.

She knows however that the situation can turn a trice and looks like it is heading that way. Laine has fallen in love with the mailman and when he leaves his wife and two children, this small town buzzing with rumors becomes a maelstrom for Aurora and her family because the ostracism starts immediately. The inevitable happens. Tim leaves and Laine knows she has to leave too. She did not think Aurora will want to stay.

A coming of age story where a youngster stoically and bravely puts up a loyal front, supporting her mother till she couldn’t do it anymore.

Very well told, sensitively handled.

3 generations of women fighting their demons, their past and their choices. Small town Indiana. 1st love, affair with a married man and loss of a spouse are all explored in this story..

Aurora Taylor is 15 years old in 1979, living with her single mother Laine who was just a teenager herself when Aurora was born. They've lived a nomadic life, never staying in one place very long, usually moving on due to the ending of one of her mother's romantic entanglements. When they receive word that Aurora's grandpa Jay has died they return to Monroe Indiana to stay with her grandmother. As the summer passes, Aurora finds herself more and more content with her present living arrangements. For the first time ever she has a friend and has also started dating a fine young man, the pastor's son. She becomes close to her grandmother but worries about her mother who is a bit of a loose woman. The characters in this book are realistic and the story itself is well-written. It brought back memories of teenage crushes and heartbreak. Descriptions of the endless heat that summer were a welcome reprieve from the so-cold weather outside presently. Very well done for a debut novel with a heart-warming ending. I'll be watching for future works by this author. I love the cover as well.

Thank you to Alcove Press, via Netgalley, for approving my request to read this debut novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: February 11, 2025

This was a great book! It's about a fifteen year old girl and her life with a mother that just can't seem to get it together. It's full of heartbreak and love all wrapped up into one.

This is a very impressive debut novel.

Teenaged Aurora Taylor arrives with her mother Laine in Monroe, Indiana, for the funeral of Jay, Gran’s husband. Aurora assumes it’ll be a short stay since her mother hates Monroe, has a contentious relationship with Gran, and has a history of never staying long in one place. In her 15 years Aurora has lived in 18 towns since her mother tends to make poor relationship choices and then leaves town when things become difficult; Aurora describes Laine as “a mother who preferred to leave when things got hard,” teaching her daughter to “avoid the problem, and hope it fixes itself.”

The stay in Munroe, however, continues longer than expected because Laine becomes involved with a married man with a family. As a result, Aurora has time to make a friend, get a part-time job, and experience first love. Though she finds a measure of happiness, she believes it’ll be only a matter of time before her mother packs them up once again and Aurora will have to leave everything behind.

Aurora is the narrator and the character about whom the reader will come to care. In many ways she is much more mature than her mother. She’s the sensible one who is surprisingly resilient, although she is also vulnerable. Her nomadic life has left her longing for stability and belonging; she wants a home. She knows her mother and understands how her family is dysfunctional and how they are viewed by people in the small town. Her greatest fear is “becoming my mother’s daughter” because she believes “In the end, we become our parents.” She even dislikes the fact that people keep telling her she looks so much like her mother. Certainly she feels guilty by association, knowing people will judge her by her mother’s actions.

The author captures so well the complex emotions of adolescence. There’s Aurora’s insecurity and need to be accepted by others and to have the normal experiences of girls her age. But there’s always her mother overshadowing her life. Aurora is sensitive and kind-hearted: “I did feel guilty about the mess my mother had made and the people it affected. I had a weak stomach when it came to hurting others.” She acknowledges her mixed feelings about her mother, wondering “how you could love someone so much but still want them to leave”: “’I don’t hate her . . . I hate what she’s done, but I don’t hate her. She’s my mom.’”

Laine is a character I found difficult to like or sympathize with. I understand the trauma in her past: “’How about a twelve-year-old spending weekends alone while Mom’s on a bender? Or a sixteen-year-old getting fucked in the back of the bar while Mom sleeps off the night?’” As a result, I would expect her to want to give her daughter a better life than she had. Yet she is so self-centred and selfish that she never really considers her daughter’s needs and desires. Aurora summarizes Laine’s life: “Mom kept busy – work, men, moves – and I was just along for the ride.” Aurora knows her mother “would always choose herself” so she can only “pretend she asked the right questions, pretend she cared about where I was, who I was with, what we did.”

In many ways Laine is much more immature that Aurora who considers the feelings of others, whereas Laine is impulsive and reckless, constantly choosing destructive relationships. In the novel, Aurora grows in understanding herself and Gran acknowledges her mistakes, fights her dependence on alcohol, and prioritizes her granddaughter’s happiness, but Laine remains as emotionally unstable as ever. Nonetheless I did appreciate Gran’s comment that “’Our world is easier on men’” which does emphasize that it is women like Laine who suffer more for poor decisions.

The novel is slow paced but given its focus, that pace is appropriate. The reader is able to fully understand the complexities of characters and their relationships. We can also feel Aurora’s disappointment, hurt, embarrassment, and anger – all emotions her mother’s behaviour elicits. Despite the lack of action, tension does build. How will Laine’s latest relationship end and what will the consequences be for so many others? In this regard, however, I would have preferred there not be a prologue because it gives too much away about what will happen at the end of August.

This is a very poignant book which will not leave the reader unaffected. We delight in Aurora’s newfound happiness but also share her anxiety as she contemplates the ending of that happiness because of her mother’s choices. This is a book I recommend to both adult and young adult readers.

End of August is set in the summer of 1979, when 15 year old Aurora and her mother, Laine, return to her mother's childhood home in Monroe, Indiana following the death of Jay, her step grandfather. Laine had a fraught relationship with Katharine, due in part to the latter's drinking, left home as a teenager when she was pregnant, and has never stayed in one place for very long since. So Aurora is expecting their visit will last a matter of days. But then Laine enters into an ill-advised relationship with the married mail carrier, and Aurora begins to put down roots. She develops a close if unconventional relationship with her grandmother Katherine, gains a close friend in Charlotte, finds love with Harry, the preacher's son, and gets a job at the local bowling alley. But when news of Laine's relationship spreads, the stability Aurora craves is threatened.

I thought the sense of time and places was done really well. The reality of small-town life, where people will go out of their way to help you but also can't wait to gossip about you, came across really well. So, too, did the summer vibes - the heat, the swimming pool, the visits to Dairy Queen, and teenage shenanigans at the river. I also thought all three women, plus the complicated dynamics between them as mothers and daughters, were well drawn. It was clear the Aurora loved her mother but was tired of always moving, wanted Laine to be happy but knew that her relationship with Tim was wrong, would hurt others, and was unlikely to last. In different ways, Katharine, Laine and Aurora, were struggling to find themselves, and I appreciated that while the past had been tough, Dinneny end with their futures seeming a little more hopeful but without slipping into saccharine territory.

When it comes to parent/child relationships, whether they’re good, bad or ugly, they’re almost always going to be compelling. Stacking those relationships on top of one another can make for some irresistibly relatable storytelling (especially when a dash of teenage hormones and rebellion are added to the mix). At least, that’s turned out to be the case with Paige Dinneny’s upcoming novel End of August. With a mother who physically flees when things get rough and a grandmother who flees to the bottom of a bottle when facing the same, is it possible for the next generation to break or escape such a pattern? Dinneny explores the intricacies of three generations trying to find balance in the face of grief and upheaval.

Aurora’s mother, Laine was only a teenager when she was born and wasn’t on the best terms with her own mother, Katherine, choosing to leave home with her infant rather than stay in Monroe, Indiana. Fifteen years later, Aurora is used to picking up and leaving town at a moment’s notice because her mother is finished with a place (and usually the man who she was staying there for). So, when Katherine’s husband, Jay dies and they head back to Monroe for the funeral, Aurora is mentally guessing how few days they’ll be sticking around before leaving once more. But when the (married) mailman catches Laine’s eye and she his, Aurora’s stay in Monroe looks like it might last a bit longer and she does something she’s never really done before – she lets herself get attached. Beyond keeping her Gran company, Aurora lets herself engage in typical teenage behavior like making a friend, getting a summer job, and dating a boy she likes. All the while, she’s watching her mother’s relationship closely and growing more and more conflicted over what she wants and whether it’s even worth trying for it.

One of the elements that Dinneny captures so well in End of August is the way that small-town life is a balance of both judgment and support. Everyone knows everyone else’s business (eventually) and while there are the positions one “must” take publicly, there are also so many behind the scenes actions that provide support regardless of the public situation. It can be so similar to the way that a family will criticize one another amongst themselves but then go to bat against anyone outside the family who engages in the same behavior. It’s that contradiction that sets up so much of the conflict that grows between Aurora and Laine. For the first time, Aurora fears the judgment that her mother’s actions could attract because the consequences won’t just impact Laine but her too and she’s come to cherish the support she’s felt from the community during their stay so far. Her grandmother understands in a way that neither Laine or Aurora do just how to weather the storm of that contradiction – Laine would rather play the victim by wallowing in the judgment and ignoring the less-public acts of support and Aurora had never experienced the cycles of living life with connections to a community.

Ultimately, so much of End of August and the parent/child relationships come down to is a lack of stability and the need to feel in control – something that overlaps with small-town life in interesting ways. Aurora’s relationship with her mother is an obvious reflection of and reaction to the relationship Laine had with Katherine. Laine’s fleeing at a moment’s notice to get out of bad, difficult or simply uncomfortable situations are a way she was able to exert control over her own life after growing up with a significant degree of unpredictability in the face of her mother’s drinking. While Laine’s own behaviors are predictable to Aurora, the environment they created were far from stable. Living in a small town like Monroe has plenty of predictability but the control anyone can exert over a given situation is dictated by larger social forces. And the ripple effects from certain efforts to wield control (at least if it goes against the grain of those social forces), can wrest control from those not taking the instigating actions. With the two in conflict, something will need to give – someone needs to yield their desire for control.

End of August is available February 11, 2025.

Monroe is the last place Aurora expected to find a kind of peace but oddly it is. It's 1979 and her mother Laine has dragged Aurora all over the place. Now though,she's taken her to Monroe where Katherine, Aurora's grandmother is mourning the loss of her husband. And maybe drinking again. Despite everything, Aurora finds a fragile stability and a nascent love interest that she doesn't want to lose. This is very much a coming of age novel. You will feel and root for Aurora. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

My e-reader showed that it was only 264 pages, which could certainly be correct, but then they were very long i.e. large pages because sometimes I was reading for an hour and I hadn't even read that many pages.

It is a book that has a slow progression, as it is also set in a period when time moved more slowly, in 1979, so that in itself fits.
We get to know Aurora well, she is 15 and has always lived by her mother's whims. Then, now that they are back in her grandmother's native village of her mother's birth, she learns what it is like to be in one place for longer be.

It takes a while for this to sink in with her, but after that she enjoys it immensely. Especially when she becomes friends with Charlotte and Harry and finds a job at the local bowling center. Monroe is a place where everyone knows each other and thus not much remains secret.

Aurora, allows her thoughts often make the decisions for her or thinks something has already been decided when in fact she can still turn the tide herself. Turning the tide she finally does at the end of the book. I found this book to be a slow read as well as a coming-of-age story.

C = 7 | A = 8 |W = 7 | P = 7 | I = 7 | L = 7 | E = 8 | Score 7,29 = 4 sterren

Thank you NetGalley and Paige Dinneny for the opportunity to read this ARC!

A captivating debut novel that traverses generations, it tells the story of a young woman as she faces the personal traumas that link her to her restless mother and her struggling grandmother.

"End of August" is a beautifully woven tale! The characters embody a relatable blend of chaos, driving the narrative onward while imparting meaningful life lessons along the way.

Laine left the small town that she grew up in with daughter, Aurora, in tow. Laine was sure she was destined for greatness, all she had to do was find it. Moving multiple times a year, dragging Aurora along with her, living in cheap apartments and living out of three cardboard boxes. When Laine's stepfather dies they return to where they started, wanting to help Gran out. Aurora spends the summer making a friend, a boyfriend and working at the bowling alley. She learns to ride a bike, watches soaps with her Gran and finds that she loves small town life. When Laine mixes it up with the wrong man, Laine is ready to run. Aurora at sixteen is ready to stay in place and face the music. This book is about Aurora and it is her coming of age story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the complementary digital ARC. This opinion is my own.