Rose’s family is going through a difficult, putting a dark cloud over their summer vacation they take every year. A crush on an older boy who may have made his girlfriend pregnant make her vacation even more emotionally complicated.
Title: This One Summer
Author: Mariko Tamaki, Jillian Tamaki
ISBN: 1626720940 (ISBN13: 9781626720947)
Genre: Contemporary, Graphic Novel
Series: No
Reading Level/Interest Level: 9th grade +
Publisher: First Second
First Publication Date: May 6th 2014 (320 pages)
Synopsis:
Going to a lake house on Awago Beach during the summer is a tradition for Rose’s family. It is their home away from home and an escape from the real world. Windy, Rose’s summer friend, is also there too making the vacation fun. Unfortunately, this summer real world problems sneak into their vacation time. There is tension between Rose’s parents and they just won’t stop fighting. Staying away from the awkward atmosphere at the cabin, Rose and Windy stay outside more, but have found drama going on with the locals. Rose and Windy end up involved in the local problems, so there is no escape from the real world.
Review:
This book is very ‘teen.’ I do not mean this in a bad way, but just as fact. I think the writing and the way the characters present themselves will be factors that help teens connect to the characters and the story. Rose and Windy are very different, yet still friends and are going through different situations and stages in their life. Rose’s curiosity and wanting to experiment with new things may resonate with teens especially with the confusion, anger, and embarrassing moments that go along with it. While there are some morals to the book, the book never gets preachy.
The story is not action-packed or strong, with no definite resolution. It is a quiet book that fits with the summer laze feeling. This slice-of-life story is simple and well done with Rose not always being in the middle of the action or drama by observing it. This allows the reader to put themselves even more firmly into Rose’s shoes.
The art is also interesting in itself. Instead of using black, the book is in blue/lavender making it stand out. The blue looks less harsh and feels more like a beach, summer read. I also want to point out how the characters are drawn. Everyone looks like normal people and not shown to be models. Rose and Windy, while talking about their growing boobs, are still not fully developed, and they look like it. They look like normal teens, which I think teens will appreciate.
All in all, this is a book many people will enjoy reading, although the content may make some boys shy away.
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