ARC Review: Not Our Summer by Casie Bazay

Title: Not Our Summer

Author: Casie Bazay

Publisher: Running Press Kids
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Hardcover, 288 Pages
Publication Date: May 11th, 2021

Summary: It's bad enough that estranged cousins Becka and KJ see each other at their grandfather's funeral, but when he leaves them a bucket list of places to visit together over the summer, so they can earn their inheritance, it seems like things are about to get much worse. However, with each trip the cousins complete -- like riding mules into the Grand Canyon or encountering a bear and a hot tour guide at Yellowstone -- they steadily learn about and begin to trust one another. That is until the truth behind Grandpa's bucket list, and their family feud, is revealed, testing Becka and KJ far beyond their limits. Will they find a way to accept each other or will their grandpa's wish to mend his divided family end up buried alongside him inside his grasshopper green casket?
 

I received an ARC of NOT OUR SUMMER in exchange for an honest review, as part of our initiative to read and review books by 2021 debut authors while also interviewing them. So when I found out about NOT OUR SUMMER, I was really excited about it, because I love road trip stories, and the idea of these two girls completing a bucket list for their late grandfather, especially when they are enemies, makes it even more entertaining of a read for me. So without further ado, let's get into my review!

As the summary explains, Becka and K.J. are cousins that can't stand each other. From the very beginning of the book, it is made clear to the reader that there is some sort of family drama that hasn't been rectified, and as a result, K.J. and her mother hate Becka and her mother (their mothers are sisters). But when their grandfather passes and he leaves them each a massive inheritance, there's a catch -- in order to get the money, K.J. and Becka have to go on a road trip together and complete the tasks that their grandfather organized for them. Which is a daunting task in and of itself, but when they don't even speak to each other, it makes things a lot more complicated.

I really enjoyed reading this book! Watching K.J. and Becka's relationship change throughout the book as they completed all of these adventures was really fascinating to see. I also loved getting the small snippets of the family drama throughout the book as more and more of what split Becka and K.J.'s families apart comes to light. This is also a short book, less than 300 pages, which makes it really easy to breeze through. Something else that I thought was really cool was finding out how so many of the things that Becka and K.J. did were actually real -- such as hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and staying at Phantom Ranch. That's definitely something that I didn't know existed before this, but am now eager to possibly try one day (but maybe without riding the mules down there!). So this book definitely made me eager to go on a road trip of my own.

(MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH -- skip to the next paragraph to avoid them!) Let me just say, I was NOT expecting that plot twist. I was shocked enough when K.J. told Becka's friends that Becka's dad cheated with her own mom, but then later on to find out that they're actually sisters?? I didn't see that coming at all, and it totally blew me away. Casie Bazay did excellent work crafting a plot twist that sows the seeds throughout the story without you realizing it, and then hits you with a 1-2 punch at just the right moment. I had to put the book down for a minute to gather myself, because I was just as shocked when I heard the news as Becka and K.J. were!

Overall, if you're looking for a quick, enjoyable read filled with travel antics, family feuds, humor, and even some shocking twists, then I'd recommend picking up NOT OUR SUMMER. I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely be reading more of Casie Bazay's work in the future! 

And don't forget to be on the lookout for our debut author interview with Casie, coming in April!