Though I’m not sure I would call Kyle emo, he was into darker clothes and had long hair, and he was an awesome artist. He took the blame for the larger part of a crime to save his best friend, and ended up going to a summer work program to keep his record clear. While there, he fell in love with the farmers’ son, Sam, and they started a romance.
Sam was the typical boy next door kind of guy. Cute, outgoing, and friendly. He had a much more ideal upbringing then Kyle did, which lead him to be more comfortable with himself.
There were a few things in this book that worked for me and a few that didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I loved Kyle’s character, and really enjoyed watching him grow. He has a hard life and it took a lot of time for him to learn to trust. I can completely understand that. I also loved the romance between the boys. They were sweet, and I didn’t feel it was rushed like some of the books I have read. I enjoyed watching how Sam helped to bring Kyle out of his shell.
Here are the things that didn’t work for me:
First, there was Sam’s mysterious sister. This promises to be a good story, but the author never tells us what happened with her. That was very frustrating to me.
Second, though Kyle is super worried about public displays of affection, after he was beaten up at the fair, he goes on like that never happened. In the beginning, Kyle didn’t want to touch Sam at all where anyone could see them, but as he grew more comfortable this changed. After getting beat up at the fair, I would think that would confirm his fear and he would go back to no touching in public. This did not happen. They continued right where they left off before the beating.
Third, there was an almost-rape scene that the story really didn’t need. I understand the author used it to introduce the reasoning behind the football player’s sticking up for Kyle, but I’m sure this could have been explained in a better way.
Fourth, Kyle saw Sam in a dream before ever meeting him, and drew an almost exact portrait of him. I find this hard to imagine. In a paranormal or fantasy story this would be cool, but it took some of the ‘real’ out of the story for me.
My last complaint is that the story ended right when I was sure it was going to get good! I had to shake my kindle to see if it ate part of the story!
Besides those things, the story was great. It was written well and the author told the story well. I would recommend the book to anyone who is willing to overlook the things I listed above. ~Timmy
Last of the Summer Tomatoes by Sherrie Henry
Available in Print and eBook
About Last of the Summer Tomatoes
Kyle Jackowski, typical sullen emo teen, struggles to find a way to deal with his sexuality and finds himself in trouble with the law… again. But instead of being sent to a juvenile detention center like he expected, he is given a chance to commute his sentence by working on a farm for the summer.
Enter Sam, son of the farm owners, who shows Kyle what he feels is perfectly normal and that he doesn’t have to hide from his feelings. In turn, Sam’s parents show Kyle that his abusive stepfather and battered mother are not the norm. With their love and support, Kyle finds his place in the world—by Sam’s side.
Very insightful review Timmy.
ReplyDeleteSome of your points are the things I find very frustrating. Nothing worse than a really good believable story having those moments of WTH for no real reason. Like wise why bring up a character/plot if you are just going to abandon them/it? Not sure this one would work for me. <3
I'm sorry this book won't work out for you Deeze, but there are many more that will. :) <3
DeleteTimmy
Interesting. I have this one in my iPad, but it hasn't inspired me yet. I might read it, and then again, I might simply skip it too. The frustrating things you mention about this book are the things that tend to drive me up the wall, and especially books that end too early make me go grrrrrrrrrr in a big way! Loved your "shaking the Kindle" part!!
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Timmy. You're rockin'!
If you already have the book Anna, I would recommend reading it. It was not a bad story, there were just a few things that were not my fave. That did not mean it wasn't a good book. The writing was good. Don't give up on it just yet. :) <3
DeleteTimmy
thanks for this review, Timmy. I hadn't heard of this book so thank you
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and reading the review Diverse. I hope it was helpful for you. <3
DeleteTimmy
Timmy, you are flying through these books!
ReplyDeleteGreat honest review! Not sure this one would work for me. The unexplained plot points and sudden rushed endings are some of my biggest pet peeves. I wonder if there will be a book 2?
I will always give an honest review, but as I stated before, It's important to remember there is an author behind every book. I try to always take their feelings into concentration when writing the review. This was not a bad book, there were just a few things I felt people should know before they read it. <3
DeleteTimmy
Great review Timmy! I loved this book!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the review and the book. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. <3
DeleteTimmy
I've been wanting to read this author's work so I might give it a go. I will look out for things you described. I have done the same thing you did about shaking your kindle. I have read a few books now that left me hanging. Sometimes that works in a story where you are left to wonder what happens next. I thought Dan Skinner's Memorizing You was like that. I think it worked for the story but others, not so much. Thanks, Timmy, for another great review! ❤️
ReplyDeleteMy poor kindle get abused when I read it. :( I am shaking it, throw it once, and I cry all over it. I'm glad you are giving the book a chance, it was a worthy read. <3
DeleteTimmy
I am the author of this book and I wanted to thank you for the review. The issue with the sister will be addressed in a subplot in the sequel I wrote 'Two Red Leaves' that will be published this fall. I have learned a lot over the past year in regards to plot development and storytelling, so I hope you'll give the sequel a read as well. Again, thank you very much for the review.
ReplyDeleteI would love to read the sequel when it's out! Can't wait! I'm really curious about the sister.
Delete<3 Timmy