Morgan Matson meets Sarah Dessen in this emotional story about toxic friendships, new family, unexpected romance, and finding the place you belong. Seventeen-year-old June can't think of anything worse than being separated from her best friend, Jess. But at the end of her first semester of junior year she's expelled for drinking at a school dance. It's bad enough being expelled, but her parents decide to send her away to live with her grandmother in Virginia and attend the all-girls boarding school where her grandmother teaches. Miles away from home, her life, and most importantly, Jess, June is devastated. She still talks to Jess every day and counts down the days until she can come back home for the summer. But as she befriends new girls at school, and meets Sam, who she is instantly drawn to, life in Virginia starts to feel more real. Her relationships with her friends, grandmother, and Sam get stronger as she learns more about them and herself through her photography assignments. At the same time, she starts to question her friendship with Jess as Jess pulls away. Can June hold onto the past while also exploring her new future?
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One of the characters in this book remarks that spring of junior year in high school is the best time ever, because you are old enough to have a great time with your friends, and college is still far enough away that you're not freaking out about impending changes. Unfortunately June can't be that chill about her situation. She's been expelled (asked to leave but who are we kidding?) from her high school for drinking on campus, and has been sent to live with her grandmother to attend an all-girls school, far away from her soul sister and BFF Jess. Over the course of the next few months, June starts to look at herself and Jess differently, and wonders if her feelings for Jess were ever platonic. Meanwhile she makes new friends and discovers a surprising interest in photography. June's struggles to hold on to her past while also realizing she wants to make some changes is portrayed insightfully, with a touch of humor and characters you want to get to know even better. I enjoyed Van Name's debut novel, [b:The Goodbye Summer 40914168 The Goodbye Summer Sarah Van Name https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537538871l/40914168.SX50.jpg 63789130], but this book clearly shows her growth as a writer. Disclosure: Sarah is the daughter of friends, but my review is objective. I read a fair amount of YA novels (especially for someone approaching their 60th birthday) but this book could stand alongside the best of [a:Sarah Dessen 2987 Sarah Dessen https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1372181953p2/2987.jpg]'s work.
