Half sisters Peck and Cassie have taken up residence in the Hamptons after the passing of their beloved Aunt Lydia. Lydia left her house, Fools House, to her nieces, with the instructions that they needed to find the thing of “utmost importance.” Throughout the summer, the girls trot along, finding love, finding mystery, and ultimately finding the importance of being sisters. The girls couldn’t be more different- Peck an extrovert, a wannabee actress who thinks the world is her stage- and Cassie, the sensible, responsible sister, who is wanting to quickly get Fools House sold and get on with her life. But with long-lost loves, an unwelcome house guest, over aggressive real estate agents, and posh Hampton parties, the sisters find enough adventure and revelation over the summer to last the rest of their lives.
The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek wasn’t my favorite novel of the summer. It took me almost half the book to really start to feel for the characters, and I felt at times the story was just too simply farfetched. Ganek is a great writer, and her knowledge and love of art shined through at times, but I didn’t feel it was enough to carry the characters along through their summer at Fools House. I usually look to see how the supporting cast ties in with the main characters, and I thought they fell a bit flat as well. There were also some scenarios that were mentioned once then faded away, never being played out. Overall I was disappointed, once I closed the book the characters and plot were gone from my mind.
Rating: 2/5
