The Summer Guest

A different sort of book by one of my favorite authors, The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin.

Goodreads Stats

Why I Read This Book/How I Heard About It

I am a massive fan of Justin Cronin's vampire apocalypse trilogy, which consists of The Passage, The Twelve, and The City of Mirrors. I first picked these books up at a recommendation from my husband, who had seen Stephen King's glowing review of the trilogy. We always take Stephen King's book recommendations.

I've since re-read that series and I began to see more of Justin Cronin's work out there, most of the rest of it decidedly not horror, but fiction all the same. Although a different genre, I decided to give this one a read, since I know he's a great storyteller.

Goodreads Summary

On an evening in late summer, the great financier Harry Wainwright, nearing the end of his life, arrives at a rustic fishing camp in a remote area of Maine. He comes bearing two things: his wish for a day of fishing in a place that has brought him solace for thirty years, and an astonishing bequest that will forever change the lives of those around him.

From the battlefields of Italy to the turbulence of the Vietnam era, to the private battles of love and family, The Summer Guest reveals the full history of this final pilgrimage and its meaning for four people: Jordan Patterson, the haunted young man who will guide Harry on his last voyage out; the camp’s owner Joe Crosby, a Vietnam draft evader who has spent a lifetime “trying to learn what it means to be brave”; Joe’s wife, Lucy, the woman Harry has loved for three decades; and Joe and Lucy’s daughter Kate—the spirited young woman who holds the key to the last unopened door to the past.

As their stories unfold, secrets are revealed, courage is tested, and the bonds of love are strengthened. And always center stage is the place itself—a magical, forgotten corner of New England where the longings of the human heart are mirrored in the wild beauty of the landscape.

First Impressions

This book starts off jumping from character to character and, at first, I was a bit puzzled by how everyone related to one another. Of course, Cronin brings them all together and weaves all the loose threads together by the end of the story. Set in the time of the Vietnam War, I found it interesting to read a story about someone from that era other than hippies and free love youth. One of the characters is a draft dodger, a good man who wanted to serve but whose father didn't believe in the war (even though he was a decorated WWII soldier himself).

Final Thoughts

I like all the different viewpoints from multiple characters. The story was interesting enough and kept me guessing at connections and some of the scenes were very moving. But, overall, I was looking for something to HAPPEN. By the last few chapters, I began to realize...there's no big surprise event coming. This is simply the tale of all these characters and how they fit together. The stories from their past and how they got to where they are now ARE the story. I don't know...I thought all their past info was going to culminate in something more alarming at the end. Not to say there wasn't action (there was), but it was sort of a disappointment to me after reading The Passage series. It was nowhere near as heart pounding and life-threatening.

I still consider Justin Cronin a favorite author, but I wasn't super excited about this book. In fact, I've read another book or two since this one and, when I went back to try to gather my thoughts for this recap, I had a moment where I didn't remember this story at all. I had to read the summary to jog my memory and that's not a great sign, is it?

Rating on Goodreads

I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars.

My rating method:

• I rarely rate books 5 stars. I save this for the absolute best books I've read. You know the ones...the ones that you can't get out of your head, even after you've finished them. The ones you think about for weeks afterwards.

• If a book is really, really good, I'll give it 4 stars. If you see a 4-star rating from me, I'd definitely recommend it to you to read.

• If it's just OK, it gets 3 stars. Basically, it means I could take it or leave it. I'd probably read it again because it wasn't terrible. But not like a favorite or anything.

• If I rate it 1 or 2 stars, I would not recommend anyone read it. It either didn't hold my interest or I couldn't relate to the characters/plot.