Postcards from Summer

 by Cynthia Platt

Libby audiobook 20 hours

Read by: Jean Ann Douglass and Bailey Carr (Emma and Lexi)

Published: 2022

Genre: Realistic fiction, YA?

Read a summary online to get a sense of the story. This entry will be full of SPOILERS and it is not a positive review. If Cynthia Platt or one of her fans reads this, I apologize. It was just not the right book for me . . . but I listened to the entire thing anyhow. 

Since it was an audiobook, I have lots of little scraps of notes that I jotted as I was able. I was interested in the story at first. In modern times, Lexi wants to learn more about her mom Emma (who died when she was a little girl). Her dad (Matthew) isn't very forthcoming. When her maternal grandmother dies and leaves a box of Emma's keepsakes to Lexi, she goes on a search to learn more. Most of the story is told from the perspective of Emma "then" (early 2000s, by my reckoning). 

I was approximately halfway through (TEN Hours of listening!) when the story started to bug me. But halfway through . . . means push through. Ugh. This book had some wonderful scenes and characters, but should have been more intentionally edited. Here are my notes and the commentary I added later:

• OARS in "slots" in a CANOE?! ROWING a CANOE? What?!?!? Canoes have paddles. Just saying.
  
• "Cynic" (JR) / "Perky Princess" (Emma) / Island art - / Ryan and sis Linda / Then and Now
• Mackinaw Island - I'm curious to go online and see more. (Okay, I'm not losing my mind. This is "Mackinac Island" and there's a story behind the name. Looks like an amazing place to visit!)
  
• Angry / disappointed dads (Emma, Ryan, Lexi, JR, . . . )
• Irritating similarities / young Emma & Lexi / over and over and over . . . repetitive! I get that they are mother and daughter and similarities are expected, but the same words were used to describe so many things! Anxiety attacks, worries about disappointing parents, self-doubt, etc.
  
• Positive: I love how others describe Emma. She sounds like an optimistic, sweet, creative, ray of sunshine person. But then she agonizes as though she is the center of the universe - hurting Ryan, disappointing her parents, trapped into a life she doesn't want, . . . 
• "Then" = 2004? (Emma's storyline)
  
• Duh! Both guys like you. Idiot.
• 1/2way thru . . . won't ditch it, but getting irritated
• Lexi's bio dad - Ryan or JR? (wink emoji)
• WHY wouldn't she look thru ALL the stuff in her mom's box right away?!?! I get that it gives the author a way to move the story forward, but it doesn't make sense. If I were desperate to learn about my mother's life, why would I hold this treasure chest of notes, date book, etc. and find something I hadn't "noticed" before? UGh! This dragged on way too long! 
• Emma is such an idiot! Stop being such a drama queen!
• Will RJ show up in the end of the story? What happened to him? (Yes.)
  
• Emma born in 1986. . . has a 17 yo in 2022? Do the math! If Lexi is 17 in 2022, she was born in 2005 or earlier. Her mom would have been 19 or younger.
• Definitely preferred Lexi's POV to Emma's. Liked Miss Van Hill, Caleb the Librarian, and others.
  
•  Melodramatic. Overwrought. Romance is the point? Too whiny to be attractive in any way.
• Lexi - box to hold important memories (heart) 
• Why was this called "PostcardS from Summer"???? There was only one postcard. And Lexi mailed it. And Linda came to find her and talk with her. Which bugged me so much! Why didn't Lexi take a brand new postcard and send it to the address rather than mailing the one her mom had written out? Perhaps Linda wouldn't have come if she hadn't recognized Emma's writing, but the panic Lexi had after sending away that "piece" of her mother . . . dude, how are you going to survive college if you can't problem solve better than just "I either hang on to this postcard or I mail it" and you don't think of any other possible ways to communicate with this address? (After 15+ years of sitting in a box . . . ) Ugh!
• Vocal work was solid. I like that they used two different people. Especially since the text was so similar in places!