This One Summer

I picked this up from the library yesterday afternoon and, in an hour of total bookish bliss, completely finished it last night.

This One Summer is a gorgeous story about growing up. It's about the special places that hold our best memories, and how they change as we get older. About learning to deal with emotions that feel foreign and scary. It's even about facing the stereotypes that young girls are bombarded with the minute that they're old enough to understand them. This graphic novel is full of heart, and I happily lost myself in it from beginning to end.

First off, let me gush about the illustrations. I thought they were just perfect for the story they represented. Rose and her friend Windy start out depicted as beautifully carefree. The reader follows them as they race across the sand, spend hours floating in the ocean, and visit the corner store for ice cream on a hot day. The epitome of a childhood dream vacation. Slowly, as Rose's story takes us into her new reality as a budding teenager, things in the panels start to look a little bit more gritty. A little messier. It's a slight change, but it makes all the difference when you're immersed in the story.

I think that's what I was most impressed about reading this graphic novel. It isn't afraid to touch on the things that are a little darker in life. Rose's childhood memories of her favorite summer home are still there, lurking in the periphery. It's just that they aren't quite the same as they were before. She sees the things hiding underneath now. That her mom is just a little too quiet. That her dad had to mysteriously go into town for a few days. That her summer best friend isn't quite the same as she used to be.

There is so much hiding in This One Summer. I wish I could better express to you the layers that this story holds, but it'd be too easy to accidentally spoil the journey for you. Suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this graphic novel, and I'd happily have read more. I'm a fan of stories about the journey of growing up and finding yourself. This one was a marvelous ride.