User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Summer Sons seduced me with its promise of spooky times and long stretches of repressed miserable queer longings and subsequently hooked me—line and sinker—with the clarity of its prose, the gorgeous character work, and the musings on vampiric love and inheritance and masculinity and all the bleak many-faceted enormities of grief. I felt, moreover, compelled by the delicious and increasingly fraught tensions crisscrossing the cast of characters. The slow-burn is
real, and I lived for it.
More important, this book hugely impressed me with its deliberate indictment of the racism baked into academic structures, an aspect that is too-often conveniently omitted by writers dabbling in the "dark academia" sub-genre. Mandelo doesn't flinch away from pointing out how their (white) characters thoughtlessly perpetuate the problem, through horrifically powerful gullibility or just callous apathy. There's a particular thematic note in this book that still has my stomach roiling with angry acids: as a queer person of color, you really cannot rely on your white queer peers to understand the shape of your chafing and grappling against institutionalized racism, no matter how well-intentioned they are/claim to be. Being queer does not make our experiences navigating the wide world similar or even equal. I've had interactions with white queers to whom this concept remains utterly ungraspable, and this book validates that helpless frustration. West's story got into me in a way that very few things ever have. I mean, you KNOW a book has struck deep chords in you when the words burst out of you in a faintly coherent voice note sent to a dear friend because you are angry and you want to be angry with someone who will understand, in a marrow-deep way, the shape of your anger.
That said, I found the mystery a bit predictable and the plot, which involves a lot of dangling threads and dead ends, plods along for the first half of the book and the pace soon lapses into a repetitive, episodic rhythm. In hindsight, this aimlessness is somewhat justified—Andrew, our protagonist, is devastatingly, explosively lost. Grief, formless and rampant, is pounding at him at every turn until he can hardly feel his own edges, and that protracted process of grieving is central to the novel. It takes some work to get used to, but it's worth it. If you're more keen on character-driven stories, like I am, rest assured that this will not put a permanent dent in your enjoyment of this book.
All in all,
Summer Sons is a lovely book and an impressive debut from an author I'm definitely keeping an eye on!
Rating: really liked it
This was seriously so good. So fucking good.I am convinced that Lee Mandelo purposely made up words in this book because let tell you, the amount of times I had to look up and use the dictionary....let's just say that Merriam Webster and I became well acquainted well after this. Also not me thinking this was YA at first when I started it....it IS VERY ADULT:)
But this fucking book!!!!! I know that I am now
infuckingLOVE with slow burn books; equivalent to a rollercoaster about to crest that first giant drop to rushing anticipation and that yummy gummy feeling you get when it does. Burn me please, I AM IN LOOOVVVVEEE.
I don't think I've ever read anything quite as grieving with a side of serotonin as this book, also served with a side of ✨depression✨. This one had really great themes exploring generational wealth, masculinity, internalized homophobia, identity, ghosts, familial curses, true friendships, and kinship.
L O V E D I T.I'm giving this a 4.5 (rounding a to a five)
BUT I just know that ending could have benefited to even just ONE EXTRA PAGE. (The ending to me felt so rush compared to the rest of the book like I was
thisfuckingclose to being satisfied!!)
Writing:
EXQUISITEStory:
BRILLIANTCharacters:
FUCJKED UP AND AMAZINGBut The Boys?
LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE This book also has the strongest resemblance to The Raven Boys (but if Noah was the main character) which was so reminiscent and beautiful; this whole book was damn quotable honestly.
My new favorite. Excuse me as I make this book my brand and force everyone to read it.
5 HOT SEXY STARS!!!Twitter | Bookstagram | Youtube |
Rating: really liked it
This sounds like a queer fever dream the likes of which Ronan Lynch could only dream (lol) about reading and I’m VERY into it
Rating: really liked it
Andrew and Eddie were best friends once, closer than brothers. Their level of attachment went above and beyond what you would even expect of the closest of friends.
When Eddie left Andrew behind to begin his graduate studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, it was a tough transition. At least from Andrew's perspective.
Six months later, just before Andrew was getting ready to join Eddie in Nashville, Andrew receives news that Eddie has died, an apparent suicide.
Now Andrew has inherited Eddie's house, complete with a roommate he doesn't know, or necessarily want. Andrew is also left with the haunting suspicion that Eddie's death isn't as cut and dry as the authorities are trying to make it out to be.
As Andrew begins to settle into the Nashville house, becoming involved in Eddie's University studies and his friend group, he learns there was a whole side to Eddie he didn't know.
Street racing, hot boys, late nights, hard drugs, ominous topics of study and dark family secrets; Andrew doesn't understand how all of this could have been going on with Eddie without him knowing it.
The deeper Andrew gets into Eddie's secrets, the more out of control he feels. Not helping matters is the strange presence haunting him, wanting to possess him.
Summer Sons is a Queer Southern Gothic incorporating a cut-throat academic setting with the dangerous and exciting world of street racing. With this description in mind, this should have been a great fit for my tastes.
I did get some of the Southern Gothic vibes I was hoping for, as well as a desirable level of angst and grief. I also got a touch of academic atmosphere. Unfortunately, I also got bored and confused.
I did end up listening to the audiobook, which I actually feel is the only way I was able to get through it. I may have given up otherwise.
The narrator was fantastic. I loved how he had the accent to fit the story; that's always a plus for me. I definitely recommend if you are interested in checking this one out, that you give the audiobook a go.
Overall, I think this just wasn't the story for me. The writing is strong, and I can get behind the ideas that set the foundation of the story, but the execution fell flat for me.
I know a lot of Readers are going to absolutely adore this story, however, you can tell that already by the reviews!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I am glad I gave this one a shot and look forward to seeing what else Mandelo comes up with in the future.
Rating: really liked it
definitely going to be in the minority with my feelings on this one, but i didnt click with the story.
and its due to a combination of finding the writing to be dense and repetitive, not caring about the multiple wannabe fast and furious street races, and not liking the characters. the characters being the main culprit.
i personally have a really difficult time reading about self-destructive people, especially when they remain stagnant in their destructiveness and dont go through any sort of development (a little revelation at the end doesnt count). obviously andrew is grieving and going through it, very lost to the world, but i struggled to empathise with him, his situation, and those he chose to surround himself with.
i will say the concept of a re-coming of age story is really interesting and something i dont think ive read before. the characters are graduate students, already past the moment they come into adulthood, but the circumstances for many of them prompt them to experience those feelings again. i just wish there has been more character development to really drive home this point.
overall, not the worst book ive read, but just not something i could personally connect with.
↠ 2.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Bouncing back and forth between the audio and the paperback, SUMMER SONS had me captivated from nearly the first page. Mark my words, Lee Mandelo is an author to watch!
Andrew is buckling under the loss of his friend's suicide, but Eddie was more than just a friend. Surviving a traumatic event together has bonded these two and not just emotionally. Their experience has attached something to them...something not of this world. As Andrew comes to Nashville to attend graduate school, where Eddie went and to move into a house where Eddie lived, Andrew is determined to solve the mystery of Eddie's death. Eddie would never commit suicide, and Andrew knows it. As he slips into Eddie's old life, attends Eddie's classes, drives Eddie's car, something is hanging over Andrew, something hungry. Will Andrew solve the mystery? Who killed Eddie? How and why? Will Andrew survive his demons and discover the truth? You'll have to read this to find out!
SUMMER SONS had some characters I really hated. I hated almost all of them at first, to be honest. Andrew's grief spoke to me though and he slowly won me over. His girlfriend-soon to be ex got on my nerves too, but then later on, my feelings for her changed as well. Andrew himself, perhaps confused about his feelings, perhaps confused about his sexuality, is so human, with all of the confusion, doubt and wonder that being human encompasses. All of the characters in this book are on the move, morphing from this to that, it was a wonder to behold.
The intensity of this story cannot be overestimated. I felt like, when I was reading AND listening, that there was a dark pall hanging over...well, nearly everyone. The atmosphere I felt was almost suffocating, it was so dense. As the staff at the university became more and more petty, my thoughts about them were constantly in flux, leaving me floating out there by the finest of threads- trying to figure out what was happening.
Introduce into all of the above, a nasty little family curse/secret-one of those that goes on for generation after generation. (This portion put me in mind of The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. She knew all about those generational family secrets, just ask Lasher.) I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book much more than that one, and I liked that book a LOT.
Finally, there was some racing here...automobile racing. It's not a large portion of the book, but it's there. I would have preferred if all the cars were American, but otherwise, I was okay with it. We are talking about the American south, and racing is a part of life there. Not sure there are many Subarus but it was a way for the characters to bond, so... necessary to the story.
A quick note about the narrator, Will Damron. What an excellent narrator he is! Voicing what turned into a super dark story, he was up to the challenge, helping to create that suffocating atmosphere with his mastery of the narrative. Color me impressed!
Lee Mandelo has really knocked my socks off here. For a debut novel, I could not be more pleased. SUMMER SONS gets all the stars!
*Thanks to Macmillan for the audio and Tordotcom for the paper ARC in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*
Rating: really liked it
Now a Goodreads Choice finalist in Horror! I’ve been on a bit of a gothic kick lately, so when
Summer Sons showed up on my doorstep I was very intrigued. Sudden deaths, southern estates and something supernatural lurking nearby sounded like the perfect combination for a book to me.
This was a different kind of ghost story, where it’s not a place that’s haunted but people. After his best friend Eddie’s death, Andrew shows up at the school they were supposed to attend together, in the house they were supposed to live in, hoping for answers. Though he thought he knew Eddie better than anyone, there’s a lot about him that Andrew has not been aware of until after his death. And the very trauma from their shared childhood that Andrew has done his best to avoid completely seems to be what Eddie had been fixated on leading up to his death. Now Andrew’s going to have to decide what he wants more: to understand his best friend or to potentially be consumed by the same demons that took Eddie away.
Summer Sons was the definition of a slow-burn for me. There’s a lot of creeping and unsettling circumstances that build on each other gradually, until you feel like you’re almost suffocated by them. I think, like with most horror books, the most terrifying things are the unknown. Lee Mandelo does a good job slowly dribbling out information to the reader, so even when it feels like there isn’t much happening you’re still compelled to keep going. Peel back another layer and see what’s festering underneath.
I will say this is a book you have to read actively, not a mindless romp that’s mostly ~vibes~. Maybe I’m outing myself as a dumdum, but I definitely had to Google some words along the way, as well as reread passages I may have not fully absorbed the first time through. So if you’re looking for something that you can inhale in a couple of hours, maybe wait to pick up this one until you have the time and attention span to truly appreciate how great the writing is.
Because underneath the meticulous pacing and the haunted ambiance is a kind of re-coming of age story. The characters are all grad students or older, and this is definitely a book for adults, but there’s a level of discovery and rediscovery present that feel similar to that kind of genre. The explorations of sexuality and identity are particularly well done and I appreciated how candid the storytelling was in this respect.
And like all good gothic books, there’s a larger commentary on life and death, but wrapped up in the idea of legacy. The legacy of a place, of people and families, and also of our own individual legacies. It’s the struggle between what we leave behind and being left behind. I don’t know, it’s been over a week and I’m still mulling it over myself. Still, I can’t wait to see more from Mandelo in the future, even if they insist on forcing me to use more of my brain cells than I’m used to.
*Thanks to Tordotcom for an advance review copy!**For more book talk & reviews, follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks!
Rating: really liked it
Fantasy. Horror. Action. Coming of age. Mystery. How can a book literally be such a genre-bending whirlwind of a story?! First and foremost, this book is not for everybody and I don't think the author was meaning to write a story for everybody.
The story focuses on two friends—Andrew and Eddie. Best friends for years with an inexplicable bond, until Eddie moved away to start his graduate program. Andrew eventually decides to uproot his life and go join him, but before that could happen, Eddie commits suicide. In his apparent death, Eddie leaves Andrew his inheritance, a house, and a mystery surrounding what happened. As Andrew tries to uncover the truth, he begins to form suspicions around Eddie's circle of friends and their unique behaviors. Andrew dives into a world of betrayal, fast cars, sex, and hard drugs—a world Andrew wasn't prepared for. Has Andrew really accepted what it means for Eddie to be dead?
This story is full of unlikable characters and dark slow burn suspense. Again, this haunting book may not be for everybody. The story dives deep into the emotions of grief and loss, the feelings of denial, and the pain of losing someone you weren't ready to let go of just yet. The story is queer at its core, but it is mainly a secondary plot point to the themes I mentioned previously. If you're unsure about the horror elements of this novel, don't be deterred as it's not gruesomely scary, but more of a gothic suspense. I can't wait to see what comes out of Lee Mandelo's future stories.
Rating: really liked it
someone said that if you’re really into ronan lynch to get excited for this so here i am
Rating: really liked it
first of all, whoever said this book is dark academia.. you’re a liar anyways. i felt like this book had a lot less gothic vibes than i expected? also i feel like the street racing and drugs felt very random for this book. it felt more like a coming of age book with horror elements instead of just a horror book, you know? also this book was very repetitive and if you know me, you know i hateee repetition.
Rating: really liked it
The f*cked-upness of All for the game (remember Andrew Minyard!!) meets the darkness of These Violent Delights (Micah Nemerever). Add horror elements, and Summer Sons is born.I don’t particularly like horror or gothic stories, but I have a soft spot for sad and dark ones, especially when the characters are self-destructive and twisted. I bought Summer Sons as a comfort read after I found out that the release date of my most anticipated book this year had been pushed back a week. And one of my GR friends said: “comfort read???” They were right, Summer Sons is discomforting and messy and chilling and depressing. And it’s also beautifully written and tense and raw and so incredibly addictive!
From the very first page, Andrew’s grief seeped through the book. I could feel the heat, the dampness, heard the cicadas shrieking, and Andrew’s sadness penetrated deep into my bones. The pacing is on the slower side, yet the story almost felt feverish because of the uneasiness, the descriptive writing, and an increasingly palpable (sexual) tension.
I believe this book is not for everyone. Unlikable characters? Check. Drug use almost every day? Check. Car racing when high and drunk? Check, check, and double-check. Furthermore, Lee Mandelo used quite a few words I’m not used to. This could stop readers from reading the story while it only made the book more appealing to me. Besides, so many topics were covered between the lines: from toxic masculinity to white supremacy to finding your identity. Lee Mandelo has blown me away with their intense and powerful story, and I can’t wait to read their next novel!
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Rating: really liked it
i don't know how a book could be simultaneously haunting and comforting, but WHEW this is it. it's spooky and warm and specific to the upper south in ways that plucked every single one of my heartstrings. it's pitched as The Fast and The Furious but make it southern gothic, and that's the lord's own truth. get it, yall.
Rating: really liked it
yes i did vote for this in the goodreads choice awards just because i don't know any of the other books. and i'm not ashamed of that
(okay yes i am)
Rating: really liked it
DNF for now.I do plan on returning to this one, mainly when I have the patience to read about toxic masculinity at its finest since this book is a bit too good at writing that, ha. This story is the embodiment of
"why have emotions when you can drive fast cars" , and at the moment I'm just not in the mood to do anything other than eye-roll at that. I got 140 pages in - good writing, could've maybe done with a bit more of the paranormal ghostly intrigue to keep me reading (since the main character actively avoids a lot of things), but for now I'll return when not feeling slumpy with it.
Rating: really liked it
Unfortunately, I have to stand on the other side of all of the positive reviews for
Summer Sons and say that this book just did not do it for me- at all. At no point during the entire novel did I feel engaged.
While this one probably has more bloody fights, MDMA, fat blunts, fast cars, and cum-covered jeans than your average Saturday night- I promise you, it still manages to be far less stimulating.
It’s billed as a southern gothic queer horror. There are queer characters, revenants/ghosts, and it does take place in the South. All of those things convinced me to request an advanced reader’s copy… “Sounds right up my alley,” I thought. Alas, It was not meant to be- this book and I.
First off, I would
NOT qualify this as a horror novel. There really was not anything scary about it… even the tone felt more melodramatic than sinister or creepy. The characters (yes, they were indeed queer) all left me cold. Not a single one of them interested me and I did not care AT ALL about the plot. I made it through the full 10+ hours of this audiobook without caring once about anyone or anything that was happening in it.
The pace was glacial, there was far too much focus on academics (
honestly?), and the story was bogged down by endless conversations surrounding the death of a character by some verrry whiny/3M0Ti0N4L people who, again, failed to interest me in any sense of the word. Banal things had too much detail, the story felt overdramatic despite nothing happening, and the horror and thriller elements were incredibly understated.
All of that being said, I think the narrator did a good job. I would listen to him again, if it were a novel by a different author.
Also, I’d like to add that while I failed to put anything positive in this review (I promise, I tried- I really couldn’t think of anything), it still is a 2-star read, rather than a 1-star for me. You will notice the frequent use of
over- & under- prefixes in this review, as my main gripe is that nothing hit the right balance for me to be able to enjoy it. I am sure there will be plenty of others that will enjoy this one, I was just B.O.R.E.D.
*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
