The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

Welcome to the The Summer of Broken Rules Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on July 23rd and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 07/23
23rd: chapters 1-3
24th: chapters 4-7
25th: chapters 8-10
26th: chapters 11-13
27th: chapters 14-17

Week of 07/28
28th: chapters 18-20
29th: chapters 21-end


PARTICIPANTS
~ Sophie
~ Sarah-Vanessa

Chapter 1 - 3
Can’t say too much yet, just getting to know the characters. I was kind of hoping for an mc that’s in her thirties as I‘ve been reading several books with very young fmc‘s. And yes, it’s totally fine, but I somehow passed that stage… But all good.
The place they stay seems super cozy and beautiful, Wonder what’s going on with Luli and what really is the issue. I hope they can sort it out.

Chapter 4-10
Alright, I‘m definitely feeling the assassins game. That’s really fun and I wonder when Mer will get her next victim. Viv didn’t seem too invested in the game. I also absolutely loving the scenery, the whole farmhouse vibe, the homemade treats like the pies. Makes me really want to visit that place. I‘m also loving the whole family dynamics, the way they interact with each other, the traditions they have, I‘m a fan of that family. And I really need to know ASAP what is going on with Luli. Something deeper and more complex is going on, maybe it has something to do with Ben. But I really wonder why she’s so passive aggressive.

The only thing which I really don’t feel is the romance. I’m so sorry, but it feels like I‘m just too old for that sort of romance. It feels teenage style, which they obviously are and being almost in my 40ies, it’s not working for me at the moment.

I read a little ahead….

(view spoiler)[

Chapter 11 - 13
What’s going on with Luli? Is she just protective or maybe jealous because Mer spends all her time with Wit?
And what is Wit hiding? I feel there’s some things he‘s not saying straight out… He didn’t say anything about his plans to travel abroad. And what did Mer‘s Dad mean by „it will help him open up.“
Also I‘m sort of confused about this romance. How old is Mer again? Seventeen or eighteen? It’s really beautiful how easy going her parents are about her romance… I just wonder how realistic it is… Letting her sleep with him, also her being so quick in proceeding in the relationship. It feels like something a girl in her twenties would do… But maybe I just forgot about my teen years 🤣.

.. (hide spoiler)]

Ok, maybe I‘ll finish this one today…. because I just keep on reading.

(view spoiler)[

Chapter 14-17
I can’t shake the feeling Wit knew Claire or there’s just literally so something else he’s hiding. And at the end of chapter 17 we get the answer. Wit indeed knew Claire and also Wit isn’t his real name. And Mer, Mer, Mer, as soon as Luli gets eliminated from the game, Wit will know that she lied.
Alright finally Luli spoke her truth and to be honest I can understand where she’s coming from. She just mostly feely hurt, which is relatable and makes sense.

. (hide spoiler)]

Finished a few days ago…

I definitely enjoyed this. Especially for the setting and the whole family dynamic. I also loved the main characters, especially Mer. The romance wasn’t for me, it felt sort of childish or I‘m just too old. But overall it’s definitely a good book for the beach. And the assasins game was so funny.

So so sorry for being absent with my updates, I’ve had like three family events in the last week and fell behind on reading but I’ve just finished.

Chapters 1-10

I also wasn’t expecting it to be YA, was definitely hoping that it would read older. I do hope that the whole book isn’t focused on the game of assassin, it feels a little childish and is quickly going to become repetitive.

In terms of Wit, he feels a little distant to me. I don’t know if it’s because we don’t have his perspective, but he reads like a side character at the moment.

Chapters 11-18

I’m glad the focus has switched to visiting places that Claire has been/loved, it’s a refreshing change of scenery. I feel like Wit is going to go to Australia regardless of his ‘relationship’ with Meredith.

I’d be really annoyed if I was Meredith, everyone acting like Claire was their sister. I understand that grief isn’t a linear process, but it feels a little tone deaf.

I had a feeling that wit had known Claire in some capacity, at least it wasn’t a major betrayal.

Final thoughts

3.5 stars ✨

I didn’t realise that this was a YA book (a genre I’ve kind of grown out of) so I set my expectations a little too high. Had I read this 4/5 years ago, it honestly could’ve been a 5 star, but I’m out of that stage of life.

In terms of the story, I liked that the whole plot wasn’t wholly focused on the game of Assassin, but also going out and visiting places that Claire, Meredith’s late sister, loved, it allowed a break away from the repetitiveness that was beginning to occur.

A lot of times I found myself feeling bad for Meredith, too many characters were proclaiming how close they were to Claire and that she was like a sister to them, which felt like a really shitty thing to say to her actual sister. I get it, everyone grieves, but it came across a little tone deaf.

Wit as a character felt a little distant and thus I didn’t feel the connection between Wit and Meredith. Their relationship was entirely lust based and insta love is the opposite of my taste.

It was fast paced and an enjoyable enough summer read. A solid filler book.