Summer Love

Gr 7–10—This light-hearted romance combines elements from the Bachelorette televison show with the essence of the vintage "Choose Your Own Adventure" series. The first several pages set up the story: "you" have just had your 16th birthday but have yet to have your first kiss. You set off on a train with your older sister to stay with family friends for the weekend at the beach. From that point on, readers must make the decision on what their course of action will be and, based on their decisions, they will either reach the pivotal first-kiss moment or will backtrack to another path. The book is well written and fast-paced—teens could finish one pathway in 10 pages or take hours if they backtrack to other paths. If they keep choosing the most appealing pathway, they will get to live out their own Bachelorette dreams. Fans of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty (S. & S., 2009) and Leila Howland's Nantucket Blue (Hyperion, 2013) will enjoy this one.—Stephanie Charlefour, Wixom Public Library, MI