A Book A Week

Over the past several weeks, I've thought a lot about what summer reading means to me. Working from home gave me the luxury of expanding my reading habits and redefining the idea of a summer read. I read some fantastic literary fiction and thought-provoking non-fiction. I was truly becoming a more well-rounded reader. Then this week happened. I went back to work for the first time, and I began the process of readjusting my daily routine. I would get home at the end of the day and be completely exhausted. Add to that the tragic killing of George Floyd and the protesting that followed, and my mental and emotional capacity just couldn't take a heavy read. Enter Jennifer Weiner's latest novel, Big Summer. It is a quick and light read with just enough narrative intrigue and character development to draw your attention away from everything else for a while. In short, exactly the kind of book I needed to read.

Daphne is the kind of character you just can't help but fall in love with. She has struggled with her weight for her entire life. As a child, her grandmother tried to drill healthy eating habits into her, causing self-esteem issues and body dysmorphia that persists to this very day. Being overweight just wasn't acceptable. If you were overweight, you were seen as less than. This translated into all areas of her life, including her friendships. Daphne latched onto Drue Cavanaugh, a rich, skinny girl who used Daphne's loyalty to fit her own needs. Their friendship was never built on an equal fitting, but it served the two girls' needs. Until it didn't. The dissolution of their friendship was inevitable, and the two have not spoken since their falling out.

Six years later, Daphne is living a pretty different life. She still struggles with her weight, but she has embraced it. So much so, in fact, that she's built quite the social media following because of it. Daphne is a bonafide influencer for the plus-size community. Out of the blue, she comes into contact with Drue. Daphne is shocked to learn that Drue is marrying a reality TV star soon, and wants Daphne to be part of the wedding. Daphne is hesitant at first, but Drue promises that she's grown and changed since they last interacted. Finally, Daphne agrees to give their friendship a second chance. Plus a high-profile celebrity wedding can't be bad for the Instagram followers!

The less you know going into Big Summer, the better. Jennifer Weiner fills her book with plenty of twists and turns, each taking the story and characters into unexpected directions. In fact, a twist in the middle of the book turned it from an in-depth character study on friendship and body positivity into a more standard whodunnit. I found this shift to be a bit jarring at first, but the strength of the characters helped carry the change through. Weiner manages to let the book be light and fun while still imbuing it with more thought-provoking commentary on social media, friendship, and body image. I found the mystery aspect to distract from all of this a bit, but I couldn't help but keep reading. Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner is summer escapism reading at its finest. As our world continues to challenge us in new ways each day, it is nice to be able to escape into a good book, even if it is only for a few hours.

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 24)