Until Next Summer

Gr 9 Up–Summers on Cape Cod have ­always been Amelia Madden’s favorite part of life in a beach town. This year, though, is different. Her best friend, Kat, has left her for tennis training at a New York boarding school. Instead of working side-by-side at the waterside restaurant Pearl’s, Amelia is doing it solo. Without Kat’s confidence and big personality to guide her, Amelia vows to overcome her insecurities. When she ­begins to form a friendship with her ­coworker, Myles, Amelia realizes that she does have something to offer. As the two get closer, Amelia must decide how much to share with Kat, who has been distant ever since she left. The friends, who have both had crushes on Myles for years, made a pact to stay away from him. Her budding relationship, in addition to attention from another boy, Gregory, stirs up Amelia’s emotions. A phone confrontation with Kat forces her to decide whether she’ll submit to her friend as usual or choose her own ­happiness for once. This charming love story is like Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty with added deep dives into music, ocean life, and rescue animals. The writing is sweet and catchy, the dialogue dynamic, and the scenery glowing. The depiction of teenage relationships is spot-on, down to the texting conversations and body shrugs. Ashley captures the chemistry between the characters and creates romantic seaside moments that are sure to reach the screen one day. The race of the characters is not mentioned.