It's been over 30 years since I last read a Judy Blume book and oh, how I've missed her writing. She really *sees* people - in all their flawed glory. ‘Summer Sisters’ is a gorgeous exploration of the enduring nature of female friendship forged in childhood. Reading it really made me feel nostalgic for friends I lost contact with long ago. I enjoyed my journey with Vix and Caitlin and especially liked listening to the audiobook, which has numerous narrators.

This was a light, easy read giving an opportunity to reflect on the complexities of teenage female relationships and how their impacts carry forward into adult life. It didn't have the same impact on me as the Judy Blume books I read in my school years but nonetheless it was an enjoyable read.
I am grateful to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC of this book and am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

What an extraordinary story! Not my usual genre, but I found the blurb intriguing and I’ve listened to an Audible version. Narration throughout is excellent. Well paced with great character voices. I believe this book was first published some 25 years ago. It remains fresh, relevant and timeless.

The story starts with a phone call out of the blue from Caitlin to her childhood friend Victoria, or Vix. She’s invited to a wedding; Caitlin is to marry Vix’s childhood sweetheart. The main narrative then switches to the childhood years from the age of around 12, through to University student days. Caitlin is beautiful, rich and spends her summers in Martha’s Vineyard with her dysfunctional family, She invites her oddball friend Vix to spend the summer with her. Vix is shy, plain and retiring, but intellectually astute. Her background is very different; her parents are controlling and she has a disabled brother. It’s an unlikely pairing and the body of the narrative charts the friendship as a coming of age experience over a number of years. There’s amusing sexual content which is relevant and not gratuitous. To my surprise, I was quickly engrossed in the lives of these two girls and their ragbag friends and relatives. Such a mix of personalities against a backdrop of hot summer days in Martha’s Vineyard. Judy Blume explores friendship, love, betrayal and it’s very much a human interest story bound by loose plot which keeps everything tight, A refreshing and highly enjoyable listen as I shared the laughter and heartbreak with these two girls on their journey into adulthood. The ties that bind!