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Summerland  By  cover art

Summerland

By: Elin Hilderbrand
Narrated by: Erin Bennett
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Publisher's summary

A warm June evening, a local tradition: The students of Nantucket High have gathered for a bonfire on the beach. But what begins as a graduation night celebration ends in tragedy after a horrible car crash leaves the driver of the car, Penny Alistair, dead and her twin brother in a coma. The other passengers - Penny's boyfriend Jake and her friend Demeter - are physically unhurt, but the emotional damage is overwhelming, and questions linger about what happened before Penny took the wheel.

As summer unfolds, startling truths are revealed about the survivors and their parents - secrets kept, promises broken, hearts betrayed. Elin Hilderbrand explores the power of community, family, and honesty, and proves that even from the ashes of sorrow, new love can still take flight.

©2012 Elin Hilderbrand (P)2012 Hachette Audio

What listeners say about Summerland

Average customer ratings
Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Listen

I honestly only chose this book because I constantly saw commercials about it. To my surprise, I became more and more intriqued throughout the first half of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it for a good summer's read.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

One of her best

I've read about everything the author has written, and this is one of her best (Castaways is my favorite). The story is just so well constructed, it's always a pleasure when Hilderbrand has a new book out.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Gentle story

Might be described as a "summer read". I thought the story was interesting and moved quickly. The narration was excellent. It's the kind of book that makes you think about the baggage people carry around without anyone knowing and it makes you wonder about secrets you may never know. Not exactly a feel-good kind of book but satisfying in the way it all gets resolved.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Well done!

Any additional comments?

Hilderbrand takes on framing the difficulties of teens in relationship to the not so perfect world of adults. Extremely well articulated. The story line was excellent. The ending of the story was very realistic, as in life, it always turns out... just not exactly as our expectations .

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Sad tale of troubled people

The novel was filled with complicatrd and troubled adults and teenagers. I was looking for a happy summer read. This was not it.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • PJ
  • 01-28-15

Never dissappointed

Loved this book, live this author !
I feel like I was on the island crying and laughing with them all,

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great book. Well read and well written.

This book was really wonderful. Kept me interested by bouncing seamlessly between the characters. Great, great book. Performance was great as well!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable good storyline!

What did you love best about Summerland?

I love books about relationships and how they work out; this has many relationships and problems; seeing how they developed from beginning to end held me captive. The emotion of the characters; the love, trials and forgiveness which is true in our daily lives.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked everything about the story. Zoe was a very strong but loving personality. I enjoyed all characters though.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene when Ava told her husband Jordan to take Jake home and why she told him.

Who was the most memorable character of Summerland and why?

The car accident with Penny and Hobbie, jake and Demeter which built the entire story from their graduation night.

Any additional comments?

At the beginning I felt the book was draggy compared to other books but I suggest stick with it because all the interactions of the characters and their bonds with love and forgiveness is worth it all!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Dysfunctional family forum

What did you love best about Summerland?

I can't say I loved anything about this book.

What other book might you compare Summerland to and why?

I have nothing to compare this book to.

What aspect of Erin Bennett’s performance would you have changed?

I must compliment Ms. Bennett's performance of a masterful Australian accent.
Otherwise, I found her voice completely flat.

Who was the most memorable character of Summerland and why?

I think Lynn was the most memorable character for me as she had her eyes opened to the fact that her daughter was secretly battling alcoholism. She had to, in the end, become the mother she had never really been throughout her daughter's troubled life.

Any additional comments?

The story was engaging overall but I could not give it more than 3 stars because though the characters all went through trauma, there was a superficial aspect to the writing that failed to cause me to really emote during the reading of this book.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So so so good!

I loved this book. Tough subject matter handled with grace. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a good family story line.

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2 people found this helpful