Review Detail

Fifteenth Summer Featured

Young Adult Fiction 414

Summertime Romance

July 03, 2024

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Chelsea doesn't really want to leave California and spend the summer in Michigan at her grandmother's cabin by the lake, because her grandmother has passed away. Her older sisters are crazy about boys, and Chelsea is too sad to do much but read. This changes when she goes in to the new book store in town, Dog Ear, and meets Josh. He seems shy, and gives her confusing signals when he talks to her. Eventually, the two break through their awkwardness and begin to date. Chelsea loves that Josh is responsible and helps out at the book store, and Josh loves Chelsea's red hair. He suggests that she get a job at the diner next to the bookstore, and they spend many breaks together before going on a date. They know that they only have the summer, but when Josh makes a big error at the book store, he decides that he needs to end the relationship in order to concentrate on his work. Chelsea has to go back to silently mourning her grandmother and dealing with her sisters' romances and her mother's grief. But it's summer! Josh figures out his own life in time to spend the very end of it with Chelsea, smooching and looking at sunsets over the beach.

Good Points

This is a reissue of the 2013 title, and is a welcome relief to the profanity laden, angst ridden young adult books that have been trending the last couple of years. There are problems, to be sure, but they are not insurmountable. Chelsea misses her grandmother, but realizes that the situation is worse for her mother. She and her sisters are at different stages of their teen years, and don't share the same interests. She struggles with working at the diner, and feels incompetent at times. I would love to see more stories about young people taking first time jobs at fast food restaurants or grocery stores; I imagine that few teens work at malls anymore!

The real draw here is the romance, and it's a good one. Josh's mother owns the coziest bookstore that Chelsea, an enormous reader, has ever seen. He even offers to read a remaindered cheesy romance with her so that they can laugh at it together. They go to parties and out on dates, knowing that the time they have together will be limited. Even the tension is the relationship is realistic and admirable; Josh is worried that spending time with Chelsea is causing him to not pay enough attention to the family business. Would that all teens were this responsible!

The ending is a bit abrupt and vague, just like many summer romances! This is a nice, light read for tweens and teens who enjoyed books like Vivian's Stay Sweet, Boyce's Dungeons and Drama, and Kasie West titles including Borrow My Heart, Listen to Your Heart, and Maybe This Time.