Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

 Source: Received a copy of the book from Hachette Book Group Canada for an honest review.

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: Already released.
Number of Pages: 304 (Hardcover)

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

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Prior to reading A Midsummer's Nightmare, I had yet to meet a Kody Keplinger book that I didn't love...and A Midsummer's Nightmare was no different! I was quickly caught up in Whitley's story, and in her life and didn't stop reading until I'd finished...even though I had class later that day. :P

I'm always amazed with the characters that Kody Keplinger writes. They have flaws, but are people that you can relate to; ones that you understand and are able to get to know through their stories.  Whitley is incredibly flawed, but you can't help but sympathize and connect with her. Even if your life is nothing like yours, you can understand where she's coming from.

I also love how realistic her characters and dialogue are. One of the things I always notice when reading one of Kody's books is the fact that their conversations are so authentic. They're ones I that I can imagine having with my friends, or overhearing on the bus or in the class, and I find that so refreshing! Too often, you'll read something that looks great on paper, but if you read it out loud, the dialogue sounds so weird...but with her books, they fit seamlessly with what people actually say....or at least what people within her characters' age groups would say. :P Since the dialogue is so realistic, I find that it adds a lot of authenticity to the characters, too, and I love that. I really enjoyed Whitley as a character. She goes through a lot in A Midsummer's Nightmare, and I really enjoyed seeing her change as the story progressed...I also loved that characters from The DUFF popped up in this one...it was awesome!! :D I'm a huge fan of character cameos. ;)

I adored the romance in this book, but I think that the progression of the characters was the aspect that I enjoyed even more. Yes, I totally LOVED any romance that I got, but I especially loved seeing Whitley and Nate help each other through things. :)

I loved A Midsummer's Nightmare, and I'd recommend it to all contemporary fans, especially ones who enjoy flawed, yet appealing narrators...and who like romance, there's that, too. Also, I'm pretty sure all Kody Keplinger fans will love this one just as they've loved her previous books. ;)

Have you read A Midsummer's Nightmare, or any of Kody Keplinger's other books?
Thoughts???