Review Detail

Middle Grade Fiction 141
Even summers can be fraught
(Updated: June 26, 2026)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Plot
 
4.0
Characters
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
4.0
In this graphic novel, Kenzie's father, Adrian, married Quinn's mother, Bethany, after the death of Kenzie's mother when both girls were fairly young. Quinn's father sometimes visits with her, but the two are definitely sisters in every way that counts. Lately, their parents have been fighting nonstop, which is very stressful. When Gramma (Adrian's mother) offers to take the girls to her home in the Outer Banks for the summer, it's mainly a relief, although Quinn is a little upset to be missing her friend Willow. She's supposed to have a visit with her father, but Gramma offers to host him at her home. The girls have a lot of freedom to kayak and roam the beach while Gramma does her work for the Wild Horse Foundation, and it's peaceful to not have to listen to fighting all the time. The girls find a shark's tooth, help clean up the beach, and even get to name a new foal who is born. When Bethany decides to take a job in another town, Quinn is devastated. She feels that Kenzie doesn't quite understand her grief, and the two fight a bit. They eventually talk through their feelings, and Kenzie realizes that Quinn and Willow want to date each other, adding to Quinn's grief. While the parents are not very helpful during this transition, Gramma is a steady support, and the girls plan to spend their summers with her even after the divorce.
Good Points
Definitely Gramma for the win in this book; I very much appreciated that she is still working and active, and steps in to take care of the girls when their parents are clearly not doing so. This is one of the most positive portrayals of a grandparent I have seen in a while!

The Outer Banks setting is intriguing, and the information about the horses will appeal to a wide variety of readers. The illustrations are attractive, and the way the parents are fighting is expressed in an intriguing way, with background text bubbles and even spiky voice bubbles just filled with fire-like color! The way the girls interact is also realistic; when someone is going through hard things, it's difficult to empathize with others.

While the over-the-top emotions the girls exhibit are certainly true to life, it strikes me that it would be more helpful to young readers who might have trouble regulating their own emotions to see examples of tweens developing more effective coping strategies. Midsummer Sisters certainly feels right at home with other current graphic novels.

This is a good choice for readers who found this author's Sea Legs intriguing, or who want sadder books about divorce like Levy's All the Things We Found or Lucido's and Corcutt's Words Apart.
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