It's Not Summer Without You
by Jenny Hanon April 5, 2011
ISBN: 9781416995562
Series: Summer #2
Format: Audiobook
Genres: Adolescence & Coming of Age, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Relationships, Dating & Sex, Family, Girls & Women, Love & Romance, Romance, Seasonal: Summer, Seasons, Social Themes: Friendship, Summer
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It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.
World Building
The world of Cousins Beach takes a quieter, more melancholic tone in this sequel, shaped by grief and absence. While Han does not rely on expansive descriptions, she uses emotional landmarks to ground the setting—such as Belly recalling, “Everything felt different without Susannah” (under 90 chars). The setting’s strength lies more in its emotional resonance than physical detail, making the world feel intimate but somewhat sparse.
Character Development
This book centers heavily on the evolution of Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah as they navigate loss and guilt. Belly’s reflection, “I didn’t know how to fix any of it”, encapsulates her growing self-awareness. Conrad’s grief-driven retreat and Jeremiah’s earnest attempts to hold things together deepen their arcs. Although Conrad remains frustratingly closed off, the emotional realism gives the characters stronger dimensionality than in book one.
Plot Pace & Development
The story unfolds slowly, mirroring the heaviness of mourning Susannah. Early chapters linger on Belly’s memories and the fractured relationships between the boys, but momentum builds once the road-trip plot initiates. Key turns—like Belly confronting Conrad about pushing everyone away—add tension, though the middle occasionally drags. The pacing is intentionally reflective but slightly uneven.
Language, Flow & Structure
Han’s writing is lyrical, concise, and emotionally sharp. Alternating timelines and flashbacks are smoothly integrated, such as Belly’s quiet recollection: “We were all pretending in our own ways.” The simplicity of Han’s style works in the book’s favor, letting subtext and silence speak. The structure feels intentionally designed to mimic the fragmentation of grief, creating a surprisingly elegant reading experience.
Themes & Literary Devices
Themes of grief, first love, memory, and loyalty drive the narrative. Han uses repetition, seasonal symbolism, and contrasts—Belly’s nostalgia vs. the boys’ withdrawal—to express the hollowed-out feeling left by Susannah’s death. While effective, the thematic arcs can feel familiar within YA romance. Still, the novel handles mourning with sensitivity and restraint.
Creativity, Originality & Predictability
The love triangle structure and grief-driven sequel arc are well-worn tropes, so many plot beats feel predictable—especially Belly’s emotional indecision and Conrad’s silent suffering. However, Han’s framing of grief through teenage perspectives adds freshness, and Jeremiah’s expanded role injects charm, humor, and conflict that keep the story engaging even when predictable.
Emotional Impact
This is the book’s strongest dimension. Susannah’s absence permeates every conversation, memory, and fight. When Belly thinks, “I missed her so much it hurt to breathe,” it crystallizes the emotional core of the novel. The tension between the brothers, the ache of unfinished love, and the rawness of grief hit hard—even when the love triangle dynamics feel messy or frustrating.
Overall
It’s Not Summer Without You delivers a heartfelt continuation of the Summer trilogy, blending intimate character development, lyrical writing, and strong emotional resonance, even as the pacing occasionally slows and the familiar tropes reduce some originality; with its tender themes of grief, shifting relationships, and growing up, the novel excels most in language and emotional impact while offering solid but modest worldbuilding, steady plot development, and a predictable structure, earning an overall averaged rating of 3.5 stars based on the combined evaluation of all seven attributes (World Building, Character Development, Plot Pace, Writing Quality, Themes, Creativity, and Emotional Impact).
Check Out the Next Book in the Series
We'll Always Have Summer
by Jenny Hanon April 24, 2012
ISBN: 9781416995593
Series: Summer #3
Format: Audiobook
Genres: Adolescence & Coming of Age, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Relationships, Dating & Sex, Family, Fiction, Girls & Women, Love & Romance, Romance, Seasonal: Summer, Seasons, Social Themes: Friendship, Summer, Young Adult Fiction
Buy on Amazon Goodreads
Belly has only ever been in love with two boys, both with the last name Fisher. And after being with Jeremiah for the last two years, she’s almost positive he is her soul mate. Almost. While Conrad has not gotten over the mistake of letting Belly go, Jeremiah has always known that Belly is the girl for him. So when Belly and Jeremiah decide to make things forever, Conrad realizes that it’s now or never—tell Belly he loves her, or lose her for good.
Belly will have to confront her feelings for Jeremiah and Conrad and face the inevitable: She will have to break one of their hearts.
