Summer in the Invisible City - Juliana Romano

Goodreads summary:

A sparkling coming-of-age story about self-discovery, first love, and the true meaning of family, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen.

Seventeen-year-old Sadie Bell has this summer all figured out: She’s going to befriend the cool girls at her school. She’s going to bond with her absentee father, a famous artist, and impress him with her photography skills. And she’s finally going to get over Noah, the swoony older guy who was her very first mistake.

Sadie wasn’t counting on meeting Sam, a funny and free-thinking boy who makes her question all of her goals. But even after a summer of talking, touching, and sharing secrets, Sam says he just wants to be friends. And when those Sadie cares about most hurt her, Sam’s friendship may not be enough. Sadie can see the world through her camera, but can she see the people who have loved and supported her all along?

Set against a glamorous New York City backdrop, this coming-of-age romance is a gorgeous summer read—one whose characters will stay with you long into the fall.


My review:

3/5

I've been interested by this book from the second I read its summary - it's the reason why I immediately bought it and started reading it, which almost never happens to me. I'd say that the three main reasons why I was so attracted to this novel were the city where it's set, NYC, the main character's passion, photography, and the romance aspect.

I was a bit disappointed about the setting of this novel, because I feel like it lacks descriptions. I couldn't imagine where the characters live and I really wish I could've, because I've never been to New York and it intrigues me a lot. Also, since Sadie's into photography, I feel like a book about her should have been a bit more focused on her surroundings and the little details around her.

On the other hand, I loved everything about photography. Passionate people really inspire me, so I love reading about them, whether they're real or not. Sadie is a character with a fantastic passion and I think that this book shows it really well. There are loads of descriptions about the photography process and her inspiration, which I loved. I'm not that much into taking pictures, but I am an artistic person and I can recognize beauty and inspiration, so I loved learning about such a passion.

The romance aspect of this novel isn't that big, but it's definitely cute. I love that Sam and Sadie appreciate each other for who they truly are, because it's something that doesn't seem that easy for Sadie. They've only known each other for a few days or weeks, but their chemistry is real and it's amazing.

There's one aspect of this novel that I hadn't really been expecting, or at least not in this proportion, and it's the one about finding yourself, I guess. For the biggest part of the story, Sadie idolizes people, from her classmates to her father, which leads to very bad decisions. As the story progresses, she starts realizing that everyone's pretty much the same, including her, which makes her feel a bit more confident, especially about photography. It's an interesting aspect, because I can definitely relate to that, and I think that a lot of people could as well.

The story didn't develop the way I expected it to, which I'm not sure if I liked, but overall, I'd recommend it.