Book Review: The Summer Of Letting Go

Book Name: The Summer of Letting Go
Author: Catherine Dellosa

Publisher: Penguin Books Sea

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Format: Paperback

Print length: 186 pages 

Rating: 4.5/5


The Summer of Letting Go by Catherine Dellosa is an exploration of balancing between holding on and letting go.


Blurb on Amazon


A heartbreaking tale of an 18-year-old girl who attempts to keep her uncle's ghost in the earthly plane, but is forced to question what it means to let go when a hot college-boy barista brews his way into her life. 

'Death blinked into existence when Uncle Drew left. It’s never going to leave me now, and I’m never going to let it.'

When eighteen-year-old Kali's uncle dies in a car accident on his way to pick her up from school, her world stops. The sudden void where her favourite person used to be leaves her a ghost of what she once was - at least, until she starts seeing Uncle Drew on the corner of Tea For Two where he was supposed to meet her.

When Kali applies for a part-time job in the tea shop to spend every waking hour with the carefree ghost of her Cheeto-loving uncle, she doesn't expect Luca, the hot but aloof owner behind the counter, to offer her the job - nor does she expect to find him irresistibly cute.

She can't afford to have Luca's college-boy charm distract her when the landlord condemns Tea For Two for demolition, because losing Uncle Drew's haunt might just erase him from her life completely. And she can't lose him - not again.

But Uncle Drew has his own demons too, and in the midst of messy LEGO bricks, Kali's best friends going to separate colleges, tearful heartbreaks, and her counting down the final days until her uncle slips from her fingers forever, can Kali truly learn what it means to move on, find love, and let go?


Review


The Summer of Letting Go by Catherine Dellosa follows the story of 18-year-old Kali, who lost her Uncle, setting her world stranded and full of grief. It is a deeply moving and emotionally drenching tale that explores raw emotions, including grief and love, and themes like the heartwarming process of letting go, identity, and healing. The story moved through her life with her taking a part-time job at the cafe where she used to meet her uncle so that she could feel his presence. With the new job, her adventures started with her budding love story and conversations with her uncle's ghost.


Readers would feel connected with different characters in the story. The characters appear well-developed and resonate with youngsters who do not shy away from expressing their deepest emotions. The vulnerabilities of Kali after losing her only companion would allow readers who lost loved ones to soak in nostalgia. The friendship explored in this tale is precious, and it would permit readers to rejuvenate with their memorable moments with their friends, be it happiness or times of problems.


The author's writing style is thought-provoking, portraying elements of fantasy and realism, crafting a unique story. The emotions of grief and loss are raw and heart-wrenching, and readers feel the pain of the protagonist, making them cry and wonder about the pain of the protagonist. What sets this novel apart from other books is the way the author depicts the journey from holding on to letting it go. When the readers near the end, they feel that the "letting go" part is missing in the story as if the protagonist never lets go, until the final turn comes, surprising the readers with the way the author described Kali's letting go journey. 


The overall experience of reading this book is an emotional and in-depth journey of loss and grief with a pinch of humor amidst the serious themes explored in it. This novel is a reminder for everyone that darkest times do have the possibility of hope and healing.


To anyone who has experienced loss, this book is a validation of the lasting power of love and the importance of letting go.

Buy it from Amazon - The Summer of Letting Go

I’m participating in #TBRChallenge2024 by Blogchatter.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Lone Diwali

Image
Diwali, the festival of lights, or as Arushi would quote, "The festival that brings hope and sense of renewal," was around the corner, and Arushi struggled to decide where to celebrate it.  Arushi was an independent single woman who lived in Gurugram in a shared three-bhk flat with her flatmates. She worked in an MNC where holidays on Indian festivals were limited or even no holiday at times. On other festivals, she would manage to stay back in Gurugram as the celebrations would last for a day or two, but whenever Diwali season was on, it made her struggle with her choice to visit home or stay at her flat.  While visiting the local market, she noticed vendors setting up shops selling diyas, lights, colorful decorations, and many more entities. It reminded her of her childhood when she visited the market with her mother and siblings to buy decorative items to adore their house. The nostalgic feeling moistened her eyes, but she held back and kept strolling in the market. Someth...
Read more

Does Validation Take A Toll On You?

Image
Till when the art would find its way through validation? One evening, Shanaya was overwhelmed and eager to share the news with one of her friends. Without a second thought, she called her friend, Akhil, without knowing where the conversation would lead.  As she made a call, the phone rang, but there was no response. She thought that Akhil would give her a call back when he would be free. Shanaya resumed her work and went to prepare for dinner. After preparations, she left for the market to buy some groceries and cherish the pleasant rainy weather with a cool breeze touching her soul, whispering in her ears the rhythm of the onset of autumn. Holding an umbrella in one hand and a mobile phone in the other to shoot a video for her friend Neeta, walking on the rain-showered roads. They were trying to prevent a pool of water from splashing on them while the vehicles passed by them. Once they reached the society gate, it was tedious to cross the road due to heavy traffic. Somehow, they m...
Read more

Book Review : Night At The Medical Campus

Image
Book Name: Night At The Medical Campus Author: Siddharth Nirwan Publisher: Book Street Publications Genre: Horror Format: Paperback/Ebook Print length: 161 pages  Rating: 4 /5 Night At Medical Campus by Siddharth Nirwan is a horror novel that explores serial killing by a ghost. Blurb on Amazon Brutally murdered by the one she loved and her body dumped in a well on the medical college campus, Sanya’s bright and promising life is extinguished in a second. And it’s only the beginning as her body goes missing from the mortuary, never to be found again. Legend grows and the medical college students believe that Sanya still haunts the well where she was found. No one dares venture too close. No one dares to disturb her. Years later, notorious seniors force five first-year students into going to the haunted well and calling Sanya’s name thrice. No one is prepared for what happens next. Is the story of Sanya’s ghost true, or is it just a fabricated rumour to scare the juniors? Why is n...
Read more