Review of The Summer of In Betweens

[ShivamK Kumar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Summer of In Betweens" by Richard Read.]

---

5 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Summer of In Betweens, by Jose Saco, explores all the issues of love betrayal and self-discovery. So the story revolves around the lives of the intertwined William McCoy, an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, and Mariya Storm, a young woman looking to escape her troubled marriage. We watch William get a summer job working at the Chase estate with Mariya there. As they come together to reinvigorate the property, their connection builds until they have a passionate affair. But they have a relationship made awkward by William's girlfriend Susan and Mariya's estranged husband Brian.
 
The characters are well-developed and also relatable. William is a good kid, smart, and is trying to sort out the feelings for two women. Mariya is a strong, independent woman ready for a change. Susan is a smart and willing girl going after her craze. Brian is a controlling and abusive husband, which adds a bit of suspense to the story. William’s love for Susan is innocent and youthful; his love for Mariya is forbidden, and passionate. Mariya's love for William generates both happiness and conflict because she wants him and a divorce.

Betrayal and self-discovery are also among the book’s themes. Mariya's husband misuses his 'controlling and abusive' behavior in betraying her trust. By doing this, William betrays his commitment to survive Susan by being in an affair with Mariya. Along the way, both William and Mariya are on self-discovery journeys as they learn what they want and what they are allowed. The book is well-written and interesting, but there are a couple of things about it that some will not like. There is also the one-dimensional, uninteresting character of Brian. Improvements include making an end for the characters such that an ending is more complete. Brian could be made to have depth and complexity. No errors in editing.
 
I’ll overall rate The Summer of In Betweens 5 out of 5 stars. It maintains the plot; the characters are relatable, and the themes are related. The book gives us an insight into the sum of love, betrayal, and self-discovery. I found readers who will enjoy character-driven stories that look at relationships and self-discovery will like the book I recommend, The Summer of In Betweens. Because of the exploration of sexual themes, the book is suitable only for mature audiences.

******
The Summer of In Betweens
View: on Bookshelves