Thank you NetGalley for the ARC opportunity!

This was such a good “coming of age” type story. There had been a cycle for this family, and she finally had the guts to stop it (atleast her part).

This was very well written. The characters felt familiar and likable and even though mistakes were being made; you had a deeper understanding of the reason why.

4-1/2⭐️
First, a big thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Media for the opportunity to listen to an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

End of August is a beautifully written, character-driven coming-of-age novel that completely pulled me in. It follows Aurora Taylor, a young woman who has never known stability thanks to her mother’s habit of fleeing whenever life gets difficult. With no real sense of home or belonging, Aurora has spent her life as more of a sidekick to her mother rather than a child being raised and nurtured. This aspect of the novel felt incredibly relatable—especially to those of us Gen-Xers who grew up as latchkey kids with absent parents, figuring things out on our own while longing for something more.

When Aurora and her mother return to their hometown after her grandfather’s death, she’s suddenly faced with a choice: continue keeping her distance from people and places or allow herself to finally form real connections. One of the most compelling relationships in the book is between Aurora and her Gran, a quirky yet deeply caring woman who struggles with alcohol, especially after losing her husband. I appreciated how the novel handled Gran’s drinking—not overly dramatic or abusive, but rather a long-standing issue that adds another layer of realism to Aurora’s journey.

While the book is rich in detail, sometimes it felt a bit dense, but that never took away from my emotional investment. I truly cared about Aurora’s story and where it would lead, and that kept me engaged until the very end.

I think this novel would resonate with a wide range of readers, from high school students to adults, especially those who enjoy stories like The Secret Life of Bees—tales of young women navigating complicated family dynamics while finding their own path. If you’re drawn to coming-of-age stories that explore resilience, identity, and the longing for belonging, I highly recommend End of August.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Renee Dorian does a great job making the story come alive for the listener!

In 1979, Aurora Taylor has lived in too many places being bounced around by her nomadic mother who leaves when life gets hard. They return to the small town where Aurora's mom grew up to attend her stepfather's funeral. During their stay, her mother, Lane, is up to her usual tricks of men and partying when Lane makes a predictably bad mistake and plans to head out on the road again. Will Aurora join her?

This is a coming of age, domestic drama that is multigenerational. Aurora has to navigate her nomadic mother and her alcoholic grandmother while trying her best to grow up and find stability. This is a very well written, domestic drama that features small town life and a lively group of characters. Highly recommend!

https://www.instagram.com/cats.and.pages?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==

Thank you to @dreamscape_media for the advanced audio copy of End of August by: Paige Dinney.

I'm a little behind on this review, but here it goes anyways:

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I saw so much potential in this book, but unfortunately, it did fall a bit flat. The writing was beautiful, and the journey of self-discovery and sobriety was adequately represented. However, the character development was not giving. The narrator did a great job in depicting the voices and emotions of the characters. I just wanted more emotion from this book and felt that the author could've done more to evoke those emotions.

#netgalley #dreamscape #bookstagram #bookreview

Paige Dinneny’s End of August is a poignant debut novel that delves into the complexities of family dynamics and personal growth. Set in the summer of 1979, the story follows fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor, who has spent her life moving from town to town with her single mother, Laine. Their return to Monroe, Indiana, after her grandfather’s death forces Aurora to confront the strained relationships with her alcoholic grandmother and her perpetually restless mother. As Laine embarks on a tumultuous affair with a married man, Aurora finds herself forming meaningful connections within the town, offering her a glimpse of stability and belonging she has longed for. Dinneny’s compelling prose and complex characters create a narrative that resonates deeply, especially in portraying Aurora’s resilience amidst her mother’s selfish choices. This multigenerational tale is a testament to the enduring impact of familial bonds and the pursuit of one’s own identity.

“End of August” by Paige Dinney and brilliantly narrated by Renee Dorian is a tale set in 1979 and told from the viewpoint of fifteen-year-old Aurora Taylor who has been dragged around to multiple schools in her short lifetime, all at the whim of her mother. In her mother’s hometown for Aurora’s step-grandfather’s funeral, she wonders how long she will have before her mother uproots them again. The days turn into weeks as Aurora’s mother starts to carry on with the town’s married mailman. For the first time ever, Aurora makes friends and wonders what it would be like to become a family. She gets a job and even has her first date.

But Aurora knows that everything could end in a flash. Will she be strong enough when it does? This story reminded me a lot of a sadder version of The Gillmore Girls, but with a much more flawed mother and grandmother, who, nonetheless, love their daughter and granddaughter despite their weakness. Many thanks to Net Galley and to the publisher for an ARC of this wonderful book. My opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this coming of age multi generation family drama. Dinney's writing flows so well.

In 1979.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.