Meet Me at Midnight

Gr 8 Up–Sidney and Asher should be friends. Their parents are good friends, they are both on swim teams, and they spend summers together at neighboring lake houses. However, years of crazy, messy, and demeaning pranks have turned them into something closer to enemies. When one of those pranks gets them kicked out of their vacation houses in the middle of the summer of their senior year, they are forced to share close quarters in one cottage and to declare a truce while they plot against the woman who had them evicted. Joining forces, of course, propels them into a closer relationship, and they finally admit their mutual affection—but only temporarily. Their on-again, off-again romance is related by both Sidney and Asher, and they both emerge as well-rounded characters; friends and family make appearances as needed. Besides the push to train for their college swim team, there are no outside conflicts, but the pranks are outrageous and sometimes hilarious. Their relationship builds very slowly and ends somewhat predictably, but it is sweet and real, and fans of Sarah Dessen or Meg Cabot will find themselves hoping these pranksters find true love.