FICTION

Two Summers

by Aimee FRIEDMAN
368p. ebook available. Scholastic/Point. May 2016. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545518079.
COPY ISBN
Gr 7 Up—Summer Everett is boarding a plane headed to Marseilles for a summer of culture, food, and reconnection with her distant father—until her cell phone rings with a drastic change of plans. In this Sliding Doors-style story, readers see two possibilities for Summer's vacation and the ripple effects that follow. Parallel time lines explore Summer's attempts at first love; her loving but claustrophobic relationship with her best friend, Ruby; and a bombshell that further disrupts Summer's fractured family. Both time lines challenge the teen and her previously held beliefs about her life, and she evolves from a timid 15-year-old to a self-possessed 16-year-old who is a confident artist. Friedman maintains an optimistic tone throughout the book, without glossing over Summer's internal struggles.
VERDICT This sunny and quick read will appeal to fans of Jennifer E. Smith, and its gentle portrayal of first crushes and high school parties make this suitable for all YA readers.
Reviewed by Susannah Goldstein, Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice, NY
Fifteen-year-old Summer Everett is rushing to catch her flight when her cell rings. Two parallel narratives follow: in one, she ignores it and has a romantic, self-actualizing summer in southern France; in the other, her dad's call cancels their plans and she has a romantic, self-actualizing summer at home in upstate New York. The sum is fairly predictable but appealing.
 , Mar 01, 2016

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