Review on The Summer of Letting Go

Hey book lovers out there! Today, I have a comtemporary book up for review. Do you like contemporary? Do you like not having any paranormal? Do you like not having to deal with any weirdness and just reliving teenage drama and pain? I'm perfectly fine with contemporary though paranormal is definitely my first choice. But this contemporary book is one you don't want to miss out on.
I have read... The Summer of Letting Go by Gae Polisner



Format: Hardcover
Pub. Date: March 18th, 2014
Summary:
Still reeling from her little brother’s drowning death, a girl finds her herself holding back – from summer trips to the ocean, friendship, budding romance – till she meets another young boy who may be her brother’s reincarnation, which awakens her to new possibilities.
My rating: 5 out of 5 angel wings!
My recommendation: Anyone who wants to read a book about overcoming grief and facing your fears.
My review:
My copy was provided to me by Netgalley.
This book was so sad and uplifting at the same time that it almost made me cry! This book was so real and raw with emotion. I loved it and I would definitely read it again.
Francesca or Frankie has been overcome with grief ever since her little brother, Simon, drowned when she should have been watching him. She has been so filled with sadness since then, blaming herself over her brother's death.
While still burying herself in grief, she finds herself taking care of a boy who actually ends up saving Frankie. This boy acts just like Simon did. They both love frogs, they both love the water, and they both love Frankie. Frankie, which is the boy's name, believes he can swim even though he was never taught before.
Frankie, the girl, believes that Frankie Sky, the boy, holds a piece of Simon's soul within him. She spends the whole book researching reincarnation and learning more and more about Frankie Sky's past. There's so much evidence that Frankie Sky might actually be Simon, but Frankie never knows if she's imagining it or not.
But Frankie Sky isn't the whole purpose of this book. No, the main focus is on Frankie learning to overcome her grief, to accept that what happened in the past will stay in the past. Frankie Sky helps her learn not to blame herself and be free, to fly in the sky.
I loved Frankie Sky so much! He was so full of life and acted just like a little kid, but also like someone wise beyond their years. He was magic with his innocence and his wisdom. He knew just what to say to Frankie and Frankie Sky seemed to be able to make Frankie happier whenever she saw him.
He helped her move on and I loved him for it.
The grief and wonder of reincarnation are woven around everyday things quite beautifully. There isn't a missing seam or a hole anywhere. The problems that Frankie experiences in her life are problems that everyone can experience. What made this book so great was whole read Frankie felt. She felt what others feel. She felt love, betrayal, and loss just like everyone else.
Instead of being immune to the sadness, Frankie wasn't afraid to breakdown and cry. She was real. She felt like an actual person with real, raw feelings. She came alive and so did Frankie Sky.
This book was so touching and amazing. It was all about life's beautiful surprises and how, no matter what is taken from you, it can always be returned. And that grief, no matter how large it is, shrinks little by little by time and by love.