Review: Summer and the City (A Carrie Diaries Novel) by Candace Bushnell

MODERATE SPOILERS INCLUDED

Plot

The Emerald City. The Big Apple. She’s done it. After being accepted onto her summer writing class at the end of senior year, 17 year-old Carrie Bradshaw has made it to New York and it the beginning of the bool it seems that all her dreams have come true. But, of course, nothing ever turns out as Carrie plans it and she finds herself faced with numerous obstacles throughout the course of the summer such as maintaining her romance with New York’s most famous play-wright, getting her work noticed and simply trying to adapt to New York life.

Good points

The best bit was the introduction to the SATC characters. We finally get to meet Samantha Jones and Miranda Hobbes (and Charlotte right at the end). It was a real treat getting to see what their lives were like before the SATC show.

Bad points

In The Carrie Diaries I let Carrie off because we were only just being introduced to her character as a teen. I hoped that in this novel, she would grow up a bit since she is independently going to the Big City; taking her life into her own hands and all that. But I was wrong. She’s even more selfish than before and so melodramatic! She takes everything for granted, including the help that she receives from her new friends and is very focused on what she wants.

Sadly, I thought that Carrie’s character was inconsistently written in Summer and the City. One moment she’s criticising her boyfriend because he isn’t able to her answer any of her obsessive calls and the next moment she’s telling the reader that he’s amazing and that he’s actually really great blah blah blah.

Above all, like the first book, I felt that storyline was very weak. No focus, no structure and I found myself predicting the ending a little too accurately!

Summary

 Although it was fun being introduced to Samantha and Miranda, in my opinion, Summer and the City was a bit of a let-down. Carrie was on the verge of being unbearable throughout the entire book and the story lacked the direction that I hoped it would improve on from the first novel.

Rating = 3 stars.

Additional points

This is only just 3 stars. I was disappointed with the story and this would have gotten a 2 if I didn’t love the show and the movies so much.

I tend to have a 3 star rule: if it’s 3 stars or over then I’ll read the next one. Although there isn’t yet a third book out, if Bushnell does write another one I probably will read it on the basis that there will hopefully be more focus on Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte.