Just 18 Summers by Rene Gutteridge & Michelle Cox

About the Book:

Genre: Contemporary

After the tragic death of Butch Browning’s wife, Jenny, four families begin to realize how precious—and fleeting—their time together is. Each is at a different stage in life: Butch is facing single parenthood. The O’Reillys are expecting their first child. The Andersons are approaching an empty nest, and the Buckleys are so focused on providing their children with everything that they’ve forgotten what they truly need. With just eighteen summers before their children are grown, how do they make the most of that time when life so often gets in the way?

As summer flies by, each of these parents must learn about guilt and grace . . . and when to hold on to their kids and when to let go.

My Review:

3.5 Stars

Just 18 Summers is based on a screenplay and will be a movie in the future. This novel deal with the fact that we only have so long with our children and to make the time count. This is something that all parents deal with and its easy to miss what counts. Each of the four families in this novel are in different stages of parenting but in the end they all need to learn the same things. What we think is best for them may not be, and sometimes the hardest things in life is what teaches them the most.

This novel has a great message and while I enjoyed reading it I think it will make a much better movie. There were so many narratives going on that at times it was confusing to figure out what was going on. I do look forward to seeing it play out it front of me and I do believe it will deliver a strong message. I would have like the book to be easy to follow and maybe have been more a series of four books with each book focusing on each family and how they intersect with the others.

This is a great book for anyone with kids or planning to have them and will leave you thinking. Its a drama that is clean and in ways could make a great book club book. Great job authors! Now to wait for the movie.

* I received this book through the Tyndale Blog Network for the purpose of this review. Thank you!