The Summer of Broken Rules

The Summer of Broken Rules by K. L. Walther is a warm and lighthearted summer read. With its beachy setting, wholehearted family dynamics, and authentic young romance, this book embodies summertime's light, soft feel. Among these themes, Walther writes about the importance of love, loss, and family.

This story is centered around an 18-year-old girl named Meredith as she deals with the loss of her sister, Claire. Her sister’s death caused Meredith to drift away from her friends and family, but Meredith now has the chance to rebuild those relationships. Meredith and her parents have been invited to her cousin's wedding at Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Martha's Vineyard is full of special memories created with Claire and Meredith’s family, so they attend, in hopes of bringing back a sense of joy to the family. They are welcomed by the exciting news that everyone attending the wedding will join in playing a big game of assassins. Assassins involves a group of people receiving different targets and eliminating them with water guns. The last one standing wins the whole game! Before the game starts Meredith meets a boy named Wit, whom she allies with. Wit is a charming and charismatic boy who will soon become Meredith’s love interest. Wit is a huge part of Meredith's healing process due to his kind soul and his striking resemblance to her sister Claire. Throughout the game, many thrilling moments keep you on the edge of your seat. Not only is there action but also a pure and touching romance. There are so many interesting twists and turns which make the book even more enjoyable. Readers go through Meredith's journey of grief, but with that grief comes healing. 

This novel is incredibly rich with its themes of growth, love, internal mending, and the importance of creating memories with those closest to us. If you’ve experienced loss and the grief that comes with it you may resonate with this novel. It can be said these themes add to the quality of the book along with its focus on family and friends rather than just romance. The setting can make readers feel like they're on vacation in summer exploring a beachy town. To me, this book has a similar feel to the very well-known book The Summer I Turned Pretty. The Summer of Broken Rules kept me engaged and entertained the whole time. There were many heart-aching moments balanced with amusing and upbeat scenes. This book is such a fun read! It is perfect for summer or those times when you're reminiscing about the warmer months.