Life Without Summer

Tessa Gray has just lost her four-year-old daughter, Abby; killed by a hit-and-run driver. Tessa is grieving and angry and is determined to find that driver. Her loved ones convince her to go into therapy, and that begins the parallel story of Tessa's therapist, Celia. The book alternates between the two women and their lives as mothers and wives. Eventually, their lives intersect beyond the confines of Celia's office in a horrific way. I didn't always like the adults in this book and the decisions they made, but the author created very real characters with honest responses and emotions. An intense but good read.

This is a debut novel? Wow, I am so impressed! This book is written with the depth and feeling of a seasoned novelist. The main character Tessa's grief over the death of her daughter envelopes the reader from the first couple of pages. I could feel her moving through the stages of grief, however resistant and unwilling she was to move at all. The parallel storyline of Tessa's therapist Celia and her broken family was equally interesting and broke up the sadness in the novel. Without the alternating between the two storylines, the book may have become too depressing.

Although I saw the ending a mile away, I still could not put this book down! The characters were so likable and the stories so intertwined that it really made for a show more thoughtful and beautiful book. show less

Life Without Summer is the debut novel written by Lynne Griffin. Tessa is a young woman whose life stops when her daughter is killed by a hit and run driver. Tessa isolates in Abby’s room, sleeps in her bed and slowly unravels as she tries to comprehend a life without her only child.

Celia is Tessa’s therapist. While working with Tessa, Celia realizes her new marriage may not be as stable as she thinks and learns her son is battling his own problems. Meanwhile, her alcoholic ex-husband is still present in her life and her feelings towards him further complicates things.

Life Without Summer is written in journal entries. The narration alternates between Tessa and Celia. The reader is privy to each woman’s struggle and pain as she show more tries to heal and move forward. I highly recommend this book. show less

Just plain great! I read Sea Escape and liked it so much that I wondered what else Griffin had written and here was her debut novel and what a way to begin! In some ways you feel as though you know what's coming but it's an amazing puzzle she has put together in this book. I wish I still had it to read and am looking forward to more from her!

Life Without Summer is the story of Tessa, who is struggling to cope after the loss of her four-year-old daughter after a hit-and-run accident. It weaves in viewpoints of other characters, most notably her therapist Celia, and as the story evolves the characters’ lives become more intertwined. There is an element of mystery to the story, as one of Tessa’s coping mechanisms is to take active part in the investigation of the hit-and-run.

This book is very well done. It’s a wonderful mix of emotional impact and twisty plot, similar to a Jodi Picoult novel. The characters are very relatable – especially Tessa and her husband, who deal with their grief in different ways. The plot advanced at just the right rate – a little slow at show more the beginning to let us get connected to Tessa, and then building up steam.

I’d recommend this to readers who are looking for something between light “chick lit” reading and deeper “book club” literature. show less

I love books that give you a twist. While parts were predictable, there were some things, including the title that were a surprise. The author said she worked w/ parent grief groups, and she clearly listened...it rings true. This kept me up longer after I should have been asleep.

This is a fantastic read. A quick page turner that is over far too soon. Both women's stories are engaging and either could be any one of us. A story of family, friendship, loss, grief and how we deal with life's curveballs. I highly recommend it.