Rating: ★★★★☆
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Macmillan Books
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 304 pages
Goodreads
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book.
The Square Root of Summer is one of the biggest releases in the YA world this year, so when I got the chance to read it, I immediately jumped on it. My expectations were high, since I've been hearing about this since YALC last year, and I've left the book with warm fuzzy feelings.
Gottie's summer starts with the return of her childhood best friend Thomas, her dealing with the almost 1-year anniversary of her granddad's death and suddenly seeing more of her ex. This would be enough to drive anyone crazy, but Gottie starts losing time. Somehow, she's transported to the previous year at random moments and is forced to deal with all her worst memories. She dives deeper into the scientific world of time travel to figure out what's going on and how to stop it, but can she do this before the whole summer passes her by ?
What I love most about this book is the depiction of Gottie. In a world of YA characters that are obsessed with literature, it was nice to see a character who loves science and time travel. Instead of focusing on how weird it is that she can time travel, Gottie tries to figure out how this is possible and what laws of nature are working to get her in this situation. Even though I'm clueless about time travel, I loved reading about it and seeing Gottie so focused on trying to figure stuff and changing it.
Because I'm not a huge fantasy reader, the plot was very original for me. I'm not used to the combination of time travel and contemporary romance, so I enjoyed it. Even though, and that's my only criticism of the book, I wish the time travel made more sense in the end. I don't believe in it, neither does Gottie, yet we never really figure out how it's possible and what's making it happen. Some people might like this opening ending, but I felt unsatisfied and like I was cheated a little bit. I wish I had more closure and answers.
Overall, The Square Root of Summer was a fun and enjoyable read perfect for this time a year. It's contemporary with a twist and has characters that are well-rounded and surprising in many different ways. Though it wasn't perfect for me personally, I still liked it and I think a lot of people will really love this. If you're a contemporary reader who wants to ease into fantasy, this is perfect. If you're a fantasy reader who wants some contemporary influences, this is also perfect.