Seventeen-year-old Rachel is island-hopping with a friend in Greece when she meets charming and handsome Alistair. Rachel falls in love with him, even though he is 20 years older and insists they have to keep their relationship a secret. Flash forward 15 years: Rachel is married to sweet Tom and they are trying to start a family. She should be happy, but her love for Alistair has never faded. On a holiday with her husband to the island, a chance encounter with a girl she met years ago brings back memories of her time that summer. The truth and suppressed secrets start to emerge.

Do not be fooled by the title, this is not a book to read by the side of the pool with a cocktail in hand. This is a suspenseful, heart-wrenching novel about the predatory behaviour of men and the dangers they create for young women.

Switching between ‘now’ and ‘then’, each chapter provides slivers of information, creating tension and intrigue. I grappled with wanting to throw the book across the room and never wanting to put it down. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it, and ended up sneakily reading pages at my desk as I was desperate to know how it ends.

Rachel is a naive and unreliable narrator. She was incredibly infuriating, but in many instances, she was relatable. I saw my younger self reflected in her and the sympathy I felt was immense.

The Girls of Summer explores sexual assault, abortion, suicide, drugs, #MeToo, power dynamics and how our minds can twist truths and protect us from the traumas we experience. It is well written and addictive and I highly recommend it, but tread carefully.