There are always more stories
Lexi doesn't know much about her late mother. When her grandmother also passes, and Lexi is sent a mosaic box that her mother made, it sparks even more questions for her. Lexi decides to traverse alone back to the island where her mother used to spend her summers. Told in dual perspectives between Lexi in the modern day and Lexi's mother Emma when Emma was a teenager, Postcards From Summer unravels how both mother and daughter carve out their own space in the world, as well as where their two stories intertwine.
The way Cynthia Platt handles telling the story through both Lexi and Emma is the most beautiful part of this book. She often parallels phrasing or circumstances to draw connections between the mother and daughter. Readers enjoy the common threads that neither protagonist are able to appreciate in their separate times. Several plotlines are explored in both timelines, some even able to be connected between the two by the end.
Although Lexi is just searching for anything to learn about and connect herself to her mother, she also ends up attempting to solve the mysteries of what Emma did on the island and how she ended up where she later in her life. Something I found to be a bit unrealistic was how long it took Lexi to find solid clues. Her detective work was paced to last throughout the book but when she would uncover something new, I would wonder how she could have made it to that point without discovering it yet. To be fair, she really didn't know anything about her mother to begin with, but a thorough investigation of the box should have given her a solid start. Probably to that same point, the first maybe third of the book (at least Lexi's sections) felt a bit slow to me.
I loved Emma's story. The book could have just been about Emma, ending before Lexi even entered the picture, and I would have been satisfied. I found the characters from her perspective were more distinct and exciting, and the plot really took off. Whereas in Lexi's parts, it was about halfway through the book (page 254 out of 566) before I really cared much about her story. And by far the best character in Lexi's time was Ms. VanHill. Others fell a bit flat by comparison of how vivid the characters in Emma's time were.
I also felt that while Emma was a lovely mess, Lexi was just a mess. I couldn't get myself to root for Lexi the same way I did Emma. Lexi seemed to be most of the time a nervous wreak, stumbling along while Emma made her own magic through all of her exploits.
There are many lovely pieces of description throughout the book, most notably of the island. One of my favorites, and one that makes it such a solid summer read - "There's something about the beginning of summer that makes me want to jump and dance and even skip. It's not just the weather--though that certainly helps. It's that the whole island feels as if it's thrown open its doors and burst back to life" (39) The island is used almost as its own character. And as must have been intentional to add distinctions to their characters, most of these descriptions came from Emma. She was written much more fanciful and airy than Lexi, and as her art was such a huge part of Emma's character it makes sense that she would take notice of the beauty around her and be able to capture it both in words and other mediums.
Another passage that really hits home - "And I wonder, for the first time ever in my life, if there can be anything better than this--a group of friends, or hopefully soon-to-be-friends, out together under the stars. I'm inclined to think that there isn't" (55). It elicits such nostalgia, even upon reading it for the first time. Readers form that bond with Emma through these feelings and become that much more invested in her story.
Something that really struck me was how panic attacks were described and used. Both Emma and Lexi experience them, and it is a new experience for them both. I found the descriptions accurate, coming from the perspectives of people who have not gone through them regularly. Additionally, the characters around them when it happens react in a supportive way, never making light of them. They also created one of the many parallels between Emma and Lexi, which adds to this story being clever, resonating, and heartfelt.
One of the things I struggled with in Lexi's sections was Casey. He was quite aggressively not interested in helping Lexi when they first meet. I was surprised when Lexi's unchanged tactics to get him to help her begrudgingly start to work. And then around page 307, "I walk up to the Palai du Lac just as Casey walks down the driveway back into town. He gives me one of those wide, happy smiles of his..." I notice that they seem more than fine and I have somehow missed where that transition happened? I also found it unnecessary that hints were dropped at a romance between the two that didn't go anywhere past blushing. All in all to me Casey was just a way to get Lexi in contact with Ms. VanHill, a much more helpful and exciting character.
Another aspect of this book that really stood out to me was the way suspense was handled. Several plot twists were unraveled building up to the climax. They were small enough not to feel like they were overshadowing each other, instead building each other up, but big enough to keep me going one more chapter... one more chapter. I guessed a few of them, but they were still wrapped up in enough surprises to make it quite fun to read anyway. I actually really enjoyed how getting Emma's perspective allows the reader to try and pick up on those hints and piece things together alongside Lexi.
A passage that really encapsulates the feel of the book is "There are times in life when you discover a small, perfect thing" (432). Postcards From Summer did a really good job of highlighting these small perfect things, as well as juxtaposing them with major, impactful things. Both Emma and Lexi would pause and see the beauty around them, whether it be a spot on the island, a sweet note, or the comfort of a friend. It is abundantly clear that this book was written with heart and care.
Final short thoughts:
"There's a rock at the edge of it that's covered in moss, as if the waterfall itself made a little cushion so I could sit in comfort to enjoy the view. I accept the waterfall's politeness and take a seat" (Platt 71) Adorable, I love it.
"Good sleuthing deserves good cake" (Platt 168). Words to live by - I want this on a t-shirt.
"A little boy with dark skin and eyes and sand in his hair introduces himself as Devon Burgess the third and formally shakes my hand" (Platt 207) So when is Devon's book coming out? :)
Years ago I promised myself that I would no longer buy books without reading them first. I wanted to make sure I was spending my money on the books I really wanted to have, and not on ones that I would be better off just borrowing from the library. The cover of Postcards From Summer was so gorgeous that I had to break this rule. The plot did honestly sound quite interesting but not so much that I would be tempted to buy it immediately if the cover had been less exciting to me. But my concluding thought was that it was indeed worth the impulse purchase. A beautiful story with plenty of surprises and will be something great to return to to recapture that feel-good summer state of mind. It reminded me of The Longest Ride, with the two timelines. Goodreads described it as a cross between The Notebook and Love & Gelato which I also agree with. Perhaps it's really just if Nicholas Sparks wrote YA. Overall, solidly would recommend.
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