Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Star rating; 4.5/5

Jennifer Weiner's highly-anticipated new novel is a riveting blend of romance, contemporary fiction, and mystery. 

Summary:

Daphne is a self-proclaimed Fat Girl. Her body used to be a source of shame, but after a falling out with her toxic ex-best friend Drue, she decided to start loving herself. Now, she's a successful Instagram influencer and spreads messages about body positivity, and she thinks she's left Drue the harm that she caused in the past. But then Drue resurfaces and begs Daphne to be maid-of-honor in her upcoming wedding, and Daphne agrees. 

Daphne expects the wedding to be full of drama... and it is. But for all the wrong reasons. 

Review:

 

This book was not at all what I expected, but in the best way. Here I think I'm reading a nice fluffy summer book about body positivity and friendship, then BAM, it turns into a thriller. Overall, I really loved it. The characters were likable and well-developed and drew me into the story quickly. Once I got sucked in, I could not put it down. I absolutely did not see the final twist coming, which is my biggest test with thrillers. My only issue is that the story felt extremely busy. I feel like there were four different plots all happening at once, and while it mostly worked, I think it could have been better if it were simplified just a bit. I highly recommend this book for fans of Lisa Jewell and Liane Moriarty.