This One Summer
2014 • 320 pages
Ratings40
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings40
Average rating3.7
An unforgettable summer. Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It's her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different. Rose's mom and dad won't stop fighting, and Rose and Windy have gotten tangled up in a tragedy-in-the-making in the small town of Awago Beach. It's a summer of secrets and heartache, and it's a good thing Rose and Windy have each other. In This One Summer, cousins Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind the award-winning Skim, redefine the teen graphic novel. Gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful, This One Summer is a vibrant view into girlhood and growing up. - Back cover.
Reviews with the most likes.
This book is a wonderful treat–on the surface it's a fairly lighthearted tale, but it also has insights into some of the quite complex goings-on in our minds as we grow up. The conveys all of this beautifully, with “simple” drawings that telegraph all of the complexities involved. It also has one of the best ending lines of any book I've ever read, which I won't spoil for anybody reading this review.
I also love this book as an object–it's got heft, a strong binding and a smooth, cool cover, perfect for summer reading.
Wanted to understand the Caldecott controversy. Illustrations are gorgeous, but I think saying this is for Caldecott age group is a stretch, even allowing for the up to 14 argument. Skim was solidly YA, I see this as the same.
This was a nice read, very low-key and slice-of-life. It felt that the book was building to an emotional climax that never truly came–at least not like I had hoped/expected.
