Musings of the Book-a-holic Fairies, inc. -> RockChickFairy

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is such a refreshing read for me. The Summer of Shambles reminds me of my teenage years.

The story revolves around Ondine and her umm... companion slash friend, Shambles. The timeline is a bit odd because it felt as if they were in the medieval times as well as the modern times. Maybe it really is a combination of the two. The plot follows Ondine's adventures inside and outside of her family's pub. Her family is an odd bunch, but they ARE family, so they work together as one.

Ondine is a teenager who wants what most girls her age want. She wants freedom, acceptance and well.. also admiration. She's a funny girl with such determination when she set her mind to it. There's a down side to all of her positive attitude though. Just like many teens, she also finds it hard to follow her parents' instructions. She thinks that they are overprotective and that they want to control their lives (hers and her two other sisters'). In this book, she learns the value of listening to elders.. among many other things.

Shambles on the other hand, did something in the past that created a bad consequence for him in the present. I'd like to think that he already learned his lesson from that. At present, he's witty, charming and very, very smart. I like him because he says what's on his mind. He doesn't really beat around the bushes plus, he's kinda cute. :)

I like their banters and I like how they are with each other and the people around them. These characters are closely knit, so as a reader, I feel that they are closely knit. I like Ondine's parents because even though they are imperfect, they only want what's best for their 3 children (who are all girls, by the way). In the midst of all the magic that surrounds this book, Ondine's parents carries an anchor for reality.


For a first in a series, this one's actually good. I look forward to reading the next one! :)