Book Review: The Summer Pact by Emily Giffin

 

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: July 9, 2024

Publisher: Ballantine

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: Meant to Be, The Lies that Bind,

First Comes Love, and Something Borrowed

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and law school hopeful from D.C.; Summer, a recruited athlete and perfectionist from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after moving into their shared dorm, they strike up a conversation in a study lounge, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, a pact is made to be there for each other in their time of need, no matter how separated they are by circumstances or distance.

Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.

In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides to help pick up the pieces?"

Freshman year at the University of Virginia, four college freshmen bond and become inseparable. There's Lainey, a flighty Californian, who aspires to become an actress. Tyson, a good looking Black man who hopes to become a lawyer, and Summer, the scholar and athlete, with dreams of becoming a doctor. Lastly, there's Hannah, a quiet Southern girl with a controlling mother. All four, despite their  differences, become close friends, especially after a tragedy unites them further. Fast forward many years, and Hannah is planning her dream wedding, but something happens that blows up her seemingly perfect world. The friends come together to support Hannah during her time as they all promised they would in college. After Hannah's life is turned upside down, and Lainey and Tyson both are in a funk, they decide to take a trip, and one of the stops is gorgeous Capri. This trip ends up impacting their lives in more ways than one as each character is dealing with something. Emily Giffin's The Summer Pact is a fun beach read and while it wasn't my favorite of Giffin's, I think many readers will enjoy being swept up in not only the drama amongst these friends but also the beauty of Capri.

Giffin takes us back to college and how this unlikely friend group formed. I wish we had spent more time there developing their friendships, but readers get enough of an idea that this foursome is  extremely close. I think Giffin does a wonderful job portraying close friendships, but by thirty-some years old, I find it hard to believe that friends would drop things for each other, including girlfriends,  good jobs, etc. Tyson ends up having to make a ton of tough decisions to go on this trip, some of which seem pretty rash and immature. I am not sure at 30+ years old, this is entirely believable unless you are  independently wealthy, but it is what it is. Nonetheless, the commitment to the group was admirable, especially as Hannah's world was falling apart.
 
My favorite aspect of the novel was Capri in The Summer Pact. Readers can tell that Giffin spent some time on this beautiful island it comes to life wonderfully. This is why I brought his novel on vacation with me, because there's nothing better than being poolside and reading about the characters following through Capri. But that is not to say that this novel doesn't deal with some heavy issues, because it most definitely does. There's suicide, alcoholism, controlling parents, parental expectations, racism, infidelity, and more.
 
Overall, I felt The Summer Pact's characters were too immature for me to entirely connect to, and to be honest with you, I don't think Giffin was at the top of her game writing (or storytelling wise) when it comes to this novel, but it ended up being a decent beach read and a great way to pass a summer afternoon.
 
Are you a fan of Giffin? Is The Summer Pact on your TBR list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.