Cute but lacked some depth

In The Edge of Summer, we follow Coriander, who returns to Cape Cod for another summer. Only this time without her best friend Ella, who tragically passed away in an accident. Coriander is determined to complete the bucket list they made together, which includes interning at the Marine Research and Conservation Alliance. But when she meets Mannix, the local lifeguard, she finds herself having to figure out where her priorities really lie.

Honestly, the first thing that drew me to this book was the gorgeous cover. And when I read what it was about, I picked it up right away. But I have mixed feelings about this story. There were some things I loved, but also a few things that didn’t work for me. I didn’t realize it was such a young Young Adult book, so I would have liked a bit more depth in the romance.

Let’s start with what I loved: the whales! The entire storyline around them was beautifully written, and those scenes were so moving. I’ve never read a story that focused on animal activism, and I found it very interesting. In my opinion, the author really did the whale conservation aspect justice.

I also loved the small-town coastal setting of Cape Cod. Combined with the marine conservation element, it honestly made me want to apply for an internship there myself!

Where the book fell a bit short for me was with the characters. Coriander felt self-centred and a little reckless, and Mannix came across as rather bland. I missed some depth in both of them. The side characters, however, were a lot more engaging and fun to read about.

I also wish we had gotten more backstory about Coriander’s friendship with Ella, especially toward the end. We get snippets of their bond throughout the book, but there’s never really a breakthrough in Coriander’s grieving process or a deeper look at their last moments together.

All in all, The Edge of Summer is a sweet and atmospheric YA summer romance with a unique focus on marine conservation. But it lacked just a bit of emotional depth to make it truly unforgettable.