Something Like… Seasons (Books 1-4) Review
To preface this review, I’d like to say that I first started reading these books because I watched the movie. A god-awful movie that was so cheap, cringe and straight up bonkers – with terrible acting and even worse writing and cinematography – it made me immediately curious about how crazy the books must’ve been to have birthed such an awful masterpiece. First I thought, there’s no way all of that happened in one book and then, when I found out there were eleven books (the last one yet to come out at the time), my thoughts changed to there’s no way they made ONE movie about ELEVEN books. Time passed and I rewatched the movie and decided, against better judgment, to buy ALL of the books. Let me tell you, they’re not cheap. Fast forward to the end of 2020 were I once more watched the movie and decided that it was time to solve the question that had been haunting me since the first time I saw it: is the movie based on one book or eleven books? And which one is worse? Turns out, which I feared once I got the books in my possession, that the movie is based on the first book… Well, technically the first three books since they take place at the same time from different points of view. Nonetheless, what was about to come shook me to my core; I genuinely liked some of them.
WARNING! Medium-mild spoilers ahead. It’s very hard for me to discuss the dynamics of the characters involved without spoiling anything, but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum.
The reviews will be written in the order I read them. This series is versatile in how you read the books so, as long as it stays cohesive, you can pretty much do whatever you want with them.
Something Like Summer
Author: Jay Bell
Description: Something Like Summer is a love story spanning a decade and beyond as two boys discover what it means to be friends, lovers, and sometimes even enemies.
Rating: ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
Review: At the end of 2020 I promised myself that 2021 was going to be the year I read the Something Like… Series, beginning with the book that started it all. I’m gonna be honest, I dreaded reading the first installment, the one the movie was based on, since I absolutely detested Ben’s character in the movie. Ben is one of the most unlikable characters in his own book, and being the protagonist it doesn’t vouch good for the book itself, which is why it took me almost the whole year to actually finish it. That’s right, I started reading Something Like Summer April 2021 and finished it December 2021.
To give some context; the story is about Ben, who throughout his life falls in love with two guys: Tim and Jace. Both appear multiple times in his life and influence his character development heavily.
In the beginning there was Tim. Whilst being with Tim, Ben was absolutely an insufferable person and Tim was the most stereotypical popular kid but instead of hooking up with all the hot girls in school he’s a closeted mess. Besides being a full-blown stalker, Ben is manipulative and self-centered. It’s passed off as ”teenage behavior” and thus he receives no real consequences for his actions. It’s because of his behavior and his mannerisms that I took so long to get through the book. Even if the side-characters where likable and/or gave the story nuance, Ben soured everything. As the story went, it was more tolerable. Tim’s influence, although not innocent nor selfless, started shaping the story into something more worth reading.
When Jace rolls around years later, Ben’s character is still terrible, but Jace sees something there that only Tim and Allison (Ben’s best friend) saw. Somehow he makes Ben more likable, even though Ben had some ”great hits” – and with that I mean tantrums (yes, as an adult), that we get to see in both this installment and in Something Like Autumn. It takes a lot of time, and it’s not even intentional (the guy is just an angel). After making dubious decisions, jumping to wild conclusions and accusing innocent people of being manipulative and other unpleasant things, Ben’s last days with Jace truly show that a person can change for the better. Somewhat.
By the end of the book, after an exceeding amount of drama that, even after watching the movie multiple times, I was not ready for, Ben was finally an okay guy. Yeah.
The only actual enjoyable characters that have an important presence are Jace and Allison, since Tim is put on a pedestal through Ben’s eyes and Ben doesn’t really have any other social circles that weigh in on his character.
All in all, as a book it’s pretty okay. It starts on an average tempo for the genre, but speeds up once Jace enters the picture. Things are rushed – seven years pass in almost the same amount of pages as Tim and Ben’s initial romance that lasts a year – and if it wasn’t for Tim returning to give the plot some texture it would have ended 100 pages earlier. It lacks serenity and over-exceeds in dramatic plot points, yet it’s the only thing that made the story bearable to read through Ben’s point of view.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this book as a standalone, but it’s a great companion piece to the following books. It’s the backbone of the whole series, dislike it or not it’s a must-read if you want to embark on the long journey.
Aside from Ben, Something Like Summer does have some wonderful moments and Jay Bell is a good writer who manages to write about versatile topics without losing his touch. It’s a great LGBTQ+ novel for young adults who lack representation and distribution of the genre, an easy-read story that has most likely helped youth around the world accept who they are. Nonetheless, I would caution people to take it with a heavy grain of salt.
Something Like Winter
Author: Jay Bell
Description: Something Like Winter, the companion novel to Something Like Summer, tells the story from Tim Wyman’s perspective, revealing new private moments and personal journeys.
Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Review: What. An. Improvement. Astounding how much better the story becomes when it’s not from Ben’s perspective. Tim’s perspective gave new insight and thought to the events that took place in Something Like Summer and elevated the story to a decent level.
Tim is certainly not perfect. In fact, when I watched the movie my thoughts were: they are both horrible, they deserve each other. I still stand by the fact that they deserve each other, but Tim isn’t as bad as I previously thought. He is starved for attention, and will go to great lengths to get it. He doesn’t shy away from manipulation or trickery, much like Ben, but it’s written in a way where you understand where he’s coming from and why he does it. Not an excuse, of course, but an explanation. Much like Ben needed Jace to shape him into a better person, Tim met Eric, who became that person for him.
Eric and Tim are a very interesting dynamic. Apart from opening up a vast array of new characters, Eric’s presence made the story richer in age-diversity, maturity and literal money. He added tasteful nuances that later seeped into Ben and Tim’s relationship. Eric was a young soul in an old body, yet down to earth and gentle – exactly what Tim needed. They never had a romantic involvement, though they dearly loved each other. Tim was in desperate need for a father figure and Eric needed someone with enough life in him for them both.
Eric brought along Marcello, who is one of my personal favorite characters. Marcello is the life of the party, but not the wild kind. He is too high-class to do any such nonsense, but he’s also very well versed in the dubious affairs that go around parties. He values friendship before anything else, though he stands his ground when he disagrees with certain decisions, yet you won’t catch him meddling in drama. Marcello will help you, from the sidelines. His preservation skills are impressive and he’s astute enough to always chose the right side in conflicts. Characters like that make stories infinitely more interesting, which really bumped up Something Like Winter’s rating.
Ryan. He doesn’t deserve a full paragraph for himself, so I’ll spare you one. I hate him. Didn’t think I was going to dislike someone more than Ben, turns out I hate Ryan. Luckily he didn’t stick around long. The moment Ben passed from unpleasant to okay was when he managed to shoo Ryan out of Tim’s life. Ben for the win?
Speaking of Ben, something that surprised me with Something Like Winter is that we got to read more of what happened to Tim and Ben’s relationship after the events of Something Like Summer. It really encapsulates everything that happened in the previous installment, with the exception of Jace’s spotlight, and extends it until they get a dignified ending. It was a great choice from Jay Bell to add this, since it gave the book added value. I’d much rather read Something Like Winter if I feel nostalgic than read the mess that is Something Like Summer.
Nonetheless, in my personal opinion, this book was much better than the last one. That is not to say that it is an incredible book, it still has plenty of flaws. Since it’s fundamentally the same story, it contains many of the dramatic plot points and the pointless mischievous behavior. Definitely interesting to read about Tim’s thoughts and opinions during those times, and more surprising was it to find out that he barely regretted any of it. Whereas Ben was remorseful, Tim encourage it. Yet Ben was on Tim’s side in a heartbeat, committing the same mistakes he vouched he wouldn’t do. Alas, Tim and Ben deserve each other.
Was it worth reading? Yes, just to make the overall story better and not leave with the bittersweet taste of the previous one. Would I recommend this book? Yes, if you’re into the genre. And if you want to embark in the long journey but not fully commit, this is a great book to start with.
Something Like Autumn
Author: Jay Bell
Description: Something Like Autumn tells the story of Jace’s life before the events of Something Like Summer, while also revisiting his time with Benjamin Bentley.
Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Review: Victor. Victor, Victor, Victor… my sweetest angsty boy that made me see these books with newfound eyes. The best character Jay Bell has written, and I can pledge that without having read the remaining eight books.
Let’s backtrack a bit before I gush my heart out about him and give some context. Something Like Autumn is about Jace, his time with Ben and how he viewed their story, but most importantly it’s about how he became the angel Ben meets later in life. The first sentence of this book is: ”My name is Jace Holden and today is the day I die.” Strong start. Nothing I was prepared for. Jace had been my favorite character since watching the movie the first time, that position being reinforced after reading the previous books. No one was as good as Jace, but to have that beginning? Wow.
I will never forget the chokehold the book had on me the moment I started reading the scene where he’s drowning. It was brutal, in the best way possible. Incredibly written and beautifully executed. The storyline took off in a direction that baffled me, yet it still didn’t explain why Jace was such a caring, goodhearted person in Something Like Summer. Teenage Jace was gloomy, insecure, reactive and in desperate need for heartfelt attention. Bernard helped, got him on his feet again, gave him a job and made him see there was more to life than what Jace had told himself.
Things really changed when a guy with a werewolf mask walked in the gas station one night. I didn’t think much of it first (the character, that is), but as soon as Jace sat down outside to have a smoke with this mystery guy I felt something. This guy was cool, edgy and different… no wonder both me and Jace immediately were hooked. There was just something unique about him. He was a dreamer, a philosopher of sorts, and viewed the world differently. Didn’t live by anyone’s rules, nor did he adapt to fit in. He was the most ”true” person, character, I’ve encountered during my years of reading. His name was Victor.
Jace and Victor’s love story was, without a doubt, the most beautiful, heartbreaking and soulful love story of this series. There was just so much texture. It was rich in thought, mind, soul and heart. The end is just as respectable as the beginning, and the aftermath is painful and heart-wrenching, yet beautiful and precious in it’s own way. I cried my heart out. I cried and cried. Every mention of Victor, every reminiscence, made my eyes well. My attachment to this character was, is, unreal.
What came next was a short period or recovery and finding oneself. It didn’t last long before Ben popped up, souring yet again the story. At the time he was as insufferable as ever – I really don’t understand what Jace saw in him – but Jace took him in and somehow projected his goodness and kindred spirit on someone who was in desperate need for it. Ben still made mistakes, but Jace learned not to take anything for granted and not push boundaries from his time with Victor. Victor’s philosophies and view on love were reflected in Jace’s thoughts and behavior. He was just that good of a person because of Victor, which later helped Ben become a better person as well. Now, Victor was no saint, and he was never as goodhearted as Jace became, therefore not all credit should go to him. But Jace’s lack of jealousy, hatred and resentfulness, even in the face of infidelity, was all Victor.
There’s a moment, the first time Tim was back in the picture, when they went to a waterpark. I was so curious to read it from Jace’s perspective, because even if Ben and Tim were astounded that Jace really was not mad at them for being unfaithful, there must’ve been something going on inside his head besides slight indifference. Guilt. And love and respect of course, but guilt stuck out to me the most. Moments before he finds them in the cave he’s sleeping and for a few heartbeats he sees Victor. Victor leaning down over him, Victor being back by his side, and Jace was ready to leave everything behind to be with his former lover. That scene broke me. It tore me to pieces and left me broken for hours. It was the guilt of knowing he would’ve done exactly the same if Victor walked back into his life that made him forgive Ben on the spot. I will never forget that scene, it’s one of the best scenes Jay Bell has written so far.
Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that Jace and Ben loved each other. Their time together might’ve been rushed and not as ”deep” as other relationships, but it was true and meaningful to them. Towards the end, Ben was much more pleasant. Personally, I never liked them together, but they were good for each other at the time. Ben ultimately needed someone like Jace in his life, and, contrary to my belief before reading this book, Jace needed Ben too. I wasn’t aware of Jace’s past nor Victor’s importance to his story, thus I was determined that Jace deserved so much better than Ben and that Tim and Ben were at times equally bad so they deserved each other. Now I realize that Jace needed someone as polar opposite of Victor as possible, because he would never be able to replace Victor, nor be with someone that reminded him of his werewolf boy.
All in all, Something Like Autumn had a fantastic beginning, spanning almost to the middle of the book before declining steadily. My rating is high because of the beginning and the attachment it lead to. The few fleeting moments Tim appeared made the second half more enjoyable, but it wasn’t the same, except for the ending. I knew how it was going to end, it’s brushed over in the movie and talked about in Something Like Summer, but nothing compares to reading it from Jace’s perspective. God, this book was fantastic.
Something Like Spring
Author: Jay Bell
Description: Something Like Spring introduces a new character to the Seasons story, one with a troubled past and an equally turbulent future. Jason must traverse a winding road fraught with emotional conflicts and tough decisions... a road that might just lead to a certain couple in Austin.
Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Review: Goodbye 90s, hello late 2000s! New plot, new characters… but mainly Jason Grant. Jason is a teenager stuck in foster care, but with the help of Michelle, coincidentally Jace’s sister, he’ll find a great home! Right? Right. No.
Jason is not a problematic kid by nature, but he makes himself undesirable to escape his foster homes – which makes him look like a troubled teen. At first I thought he was a pretty swell guy, but as we discovered more of his past and started seeing his story unravel with the Hubbards, his latest foster family, my opinion changed. The guy is weird. Not cute weird, not ”oh poor thing he doesn’t know any better” weird – he’s weird. Not a psycho by any means, but he has weird tendencies towards his supposed family. More than once has he been sexually attracted to foster family members, which just gives me the ick. Nonetheless, I like the guy. Besides this weird side of him, he’s an enjoyable person who puts too much of himself into relationships and ends up hurt.
Caesar Hubbard. Urgh. Not a fan. Caesar is Jason’s first… everything, thus very important to him, but also his foster brother. The first part of the book is those two sneaking around trying to not get caught. I’m going to be honest, from the very beginning my spider-senses tingled in a negative way. I did not like Caesar, never did. I didn’t flat out hate him, but he rapidly de-escalated my top list into penultimate place (hard to beat Ryan on the last spot). There’s so many details about him that made me simmer and it just reached a point where I boiled over. His behavior was unacceptable at times, and his gaslighting skills are almost impressive. If it weren’t for Jason being so gullible and weird enough to follow along he (hopefully) would’ve seen it all coming. Alas, he didn’t. The consequences for their actions hit hard and paved the way for a new chapter in Jason’s life. A lighter one.
Quick side note: Peter Hubbard is one of the most underrated characters in this saga. The way he was treated by Caesar was rude and prejudiced. He was smarter than any of them, even if it came off as calculating and conniving. To make him the bad guy the instance he does something that Jason/Caesar disagree with is completely unfair. Also, it’s a shame we didn’t get to read more about Amy Hubbard, she was lovely.
Moving on… Jason is now free to live his life how he likes it. And he does for some time. Then, when things get rough he asks for help. Big step. Eventually he ends up living with Ben and Tim, which is, without a doubt, the best decision he made in this entire book.
Life with Ben and Tim is pure comedy. Their shenanigans are refreshing and hilarious, making the couple shine in a new light I had yet to read before. I’m sure the addition of Jason to the household made Ben and Tim’s bond stronger, but they were pretty solid before Jason arrived. Needless to say, it was the first time I read Ben and Tim being so likable characters. Everything just flipped – from overall disliking Ben and thinking Tim was just an okay guy, to actively enjoying their scenes and wishing there were more. I look back on my contempt toward Something Like Summer and thank myself for pushing through so I could have some wonderful laughs with Something Like Spring. They truly became a delightful couple! And now I can say, with a smile on my face, in the best way possible: they deserve each other.
But there’s more than those two characters who made this book great; Emma. Emma has popped up before – as a child, a tween and now as a 14-year-old woman who has no shame in calling Tim her uncle even though the only blood-related uncle she’s had was Jace. Greg and Michelle’s daughter is confident, strong-willed and comedy-gold. She brings out the best in Jason and makes him step out of his comfort zone. We have Emma to thank for some of Jason’s greatest hits, such as going to the youth group and meeting William.
William is the second love interest (because in these books there’s always two). He’s sporty, shy and a bit flirty, but most importantly already taken. This is a problem, because Jason falls hard for this guy. Their time together is fun and cute, although not noteworthy if it wasn’t for the involvement of Ben, Tim and Marcello. Those three really liven up this book to the next level, even if the focus isn’t on them. William’s storyline is sweet, yet conflicting. As a reader you’re rooting for them to be together, but at the same time you feel for William and his current boyfriend.
Afterwards, the story took some turns I wasn’t expecting, keeping it fresh but also dwindled into the likes of the first part. Caesar makes a comeback. My eyes rolled hard when he was re-introduced. What an annoying character. Needless to say I did not enjoy the part where he returned. Thankfully it was short-lived, his true intentions surfacing the moment Jason started to dig into the lies spewed by Caesar. A wakeup call was very much needed.
In contrast with the previous books, the ending in this one was beautiful in every way imaginable. It was heartwarming, amorous, excellently executed and thoughtfully imagined. My only complaint is that Caesar hasn’t left the picture, though understandable since he was an important part of Jason’s life.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Something Like Spring. The good part heavily outweighed the bad. It was everything Something Like Summer lacked and needed. An important part of the overall storyline and a bridge from the Season Series to the Storm Series.
I highly recommend this book, although I would caution that you’ll need to read Something Like Summer and/or Something Like Winter to understand it.
