Summer Of Yesterday by Gaby Triana

So over the weekend I decided to binge read. I picked up and book and didn't put it down until I finished it. Sometimes these impulse reads disappoint me but not this book. Summer of Yesterday was the perfect read to indulge myself on. The romance in it was tangible, the connection between Haley and Jason was perfect. It was a romance that I wanted for myself and that was why I enjoyed it. Because reading books is about dreaming, imagining for yourself and for the characters. As I was reading their love story, I couldn't help but remember songs that related. So for this week I'm going to create a sound track for the book.

The first song that I chose was Paradise by Coldplay. The exposition of the novel starts with Haley wanting to get away from her family. From her Dad and her step-mom and their protectiveness. She dreams of a place that she could be free. The song captures that, it's a girl dreaming of a place where her parents don't fight. I think that it shows how important it is for Haley to learn a lesson, to learn to love her family no matter what. This part of the book sets the stage for everything that follows.

The second song that I selected for the book was Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute, It fit Jason and Haley's relationship in the best ways. The song is about the whirlwind of a new relationship, not knowing where its going or how its going to end but knowing that he (the lead singer) likes this girl and wants to see how it will go. In the book Jason and Haley have just met, but both feel a connection. Haley knows that it will never work out because she's from the future (which is actually modern times because the majority if the book is set in 1982) and she will have to return but she wants to see where it will go anyway.

The next song that I selected was Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson. As the novel progresses, you really see into Jason and Haley's lives. Jason doesn't want to go to college for reasons revealed later in the book. Haley is hiding who she really is from Jason, she's hiding the truth, that she traveled back in time. Instead lying to Jason about being ditched by her Father to teach her a lesson about respect. Both of them have secrets, things that they believe the other can't handle. Dark Side is one of my favorite songs because it bluntly tackles the problems with dating. The fear that if you let people in they won't like what they see. At this point in Summer of Yesterday the characters are at this point, suspended, afraid to let all of themselves show.

The last song that I chose was If You Ever Come Back by the Script. I have a warning here, this will show spoilers, for me to fully explain why I chose this songs I will have to reveal the ending. So If you would like to keep the ending a mystery, or want to read this book later, you can scroll down to the bottom of the page where I will have all the songs linked. Moving on, At the end of the book Haley must return back to the future, where she belongs. But neither Jason or Haley want to let go. Jason accepts that it is the right thing to do and encourages her to leave. When Haley makes it back to her time, Jason's brother Jake, now older, leads her to a place where he left her a letter. Part of the letter says "I don't know if I will ever see you again, but you need to know that I owe everything I have to you." (Triana 139) First off, that quote is just swoon worthy, he believed in what Haley said and make his life into what he wanted. Second, that quote shows that he didn't know if he was going to see her again, but he would always welcome her. Always love her. The song by The Script is about waiting for a girl t come back, leaving a key under the mat so she could always get in. I just felt that they connected so well.

I loved this read, if you want a bittersweet book, or a swoon-worthy love story I hope you check it out. If you do decide to read it let me know what songs you would pair up with it.
Songs:
Paradise
Kiss Me Slowly
Dark Side
If You Ever Come Back