Summerlost by Ally Condie

This is Ally Condie’s, author of the Matched series, debut middle grade reader. Yes, a middle grade reader, but since it was Ally Condie, I HAD to read it. I loved the Matched Series and I loved Atlantia, so I was super excited to read this.  However, I have very mixed feeling about this book.

First, the whole time I was reading I couldn’t get passed the unbelievable part that two 12 year old kids were free to run around town and WORK at a festival… where there job to was walk around and sell things. I started thinking why are these two kids left to walk alone, trusted to give correct change, and able to work so young? So, then I put that aside and continued reading.

THEN, these two 12 year old kids are able to wake up at 6am every morning and go give tours around town to adults. Why aren’t any of these adults telling their parents know they are doing this?

If you can get past those two holes in this story, then you will love it. Ally Condie’s writing style is just amazing. So, amazing she had me sucked into a middle grade reader! Literally, I couldn’t put it down – read it in a few short hours. And her character development is absolutely stunning, she writes in a way for you to fall in love with all the characters in their own way. So, all my issues with this book aside, I still give it a 4 of 5 and I will continue to read every single one of Ally Condie’s books.

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Summerlost_BOM.inddSynopsis

It’s the first real summer since the devastating accident that killed Cedar’s father and younger brother, Ben. But now Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.

ally-condieAbout Ally Condie

Ally lives with her husband and four children outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, writing, running, and listening to her husband play guitar. Follow Ally on Twitter and Facebook.