Book description:
Four friends. Two decades. One unforgettable journey…
Inseparable through university, Eva, Benedict, Sylvie and Lucien graduate into an exhilarating world on the brink of the new millennium. Eager to struggle off the hardships of childhood, Eva breaks away to work in the City. Benedict stays behind to complete his PhD in Physics and pine for Eva, while siblings Sylvie and Lucien seek a more bohemian life of art travel and adventurtold
As their twenties give way to their thirties, the four friends find their paths diverging as they struggle to navigate broken hearts and thwarted dreams. With every summer that passes, they try to remain as close as they once were- but this is far from easy. One friend’s triumph coincides with another’s disaster, one finds love as another loses it, one comes to their senses as another is changing their mind…And who knows where any of us will be in twenty summers’ time.
My Review:
I so enjoyed this fantastic book! It was simultaneously funny, heart breaking and uplifting, and takes the reader on quite a journey. The book is told from the point of view of each of the characters in turn, though Eva’s story is the more dominate one. Due to the style of the book you feel as if you are right there watching all the action unfold. The reader gets to know the characters very well and you end up feeling that you know them personally. I certainly would like to be in their friendship group!
My favourite character was Eva. I liked that she managed to put her traumatic experiences at school behind her and become so successful. She stands up for what she believes in, though sometimes she doesn’t do this in the best way. She tries her best to keep in contact with the others and be there for them when they need her despite having a busy life. I also quite liked Benedict who seemed quite a sweet, bumbling guy, who always tries to do the best for other people even if it puts him out. He makes mistakes throughout his life but he works hard to correct them.
It was very interesting to see how their group and their roles within it changed throughout the years. The friends all go through some hard times which they don’t always handle very well. This always seemed realistic and never forced in any way, as the problems seemed very true to their characters. The author cleverly includes some of the real life events that have happened in the last twenty years. The banking crisis, the election and the finding of the Higg’s particle are all mentioned and have an impact on the characters in some way. This, again, helped the story seem very real.
It was quite poignant to realise how differently life had turned out for the four friends then they’d planned. Each of them ends up on a different path then they expected and it is heartwarming to see how they deal with each situation that is thrown at them. As a reader you feel that you are going through all the hard times with them and experiencing all the highs and lows that they do.
The ending was lovely, though a tad poignant. The last few pages brought a tear to my eye as you realise how much the four friends have been through and how much they have changed. There are a few things that I wish had ended differently but I think that would have made the ending too perfect.
This is Alice Adams debut novel and I really look forward to reading more from her. If you like coming of age stories that are a perfect mix of poignant and heartbreaking you will love this book.
Huge thanks to Alice May Dewing, Picador Books and Pan MacMillan publisher for my copy of this book.
Rating: 4.5 stars
About the author:
Alice Adams studied philosophy in Bristol and creative writing in Manchester and now lives in London, though escapes into the wilderness as often as possible. She has done a variety of jobs from waitressing to a stint as an analyst in the city. Invincible Summer is her first novel.
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