That Summer by Sarah Dessen
From the award-winning and New York Times bestelling author of Once and for All n nThe more things change. . . n nAs far as Haven is concerned, there's just too much going on. n nEverything is changing, and she's not sure where she fits in. n nThen her sister's old boyfriend shows up, sparking memories of the summer when they were all happy and everything was perfect. . . . n nBut along the way, Haven realizes that sometimes change is a good thing. n nUnforgettable --Publishers Weekly, starred review n nSarah Dessen is the winner of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to YA literature, as well as the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. n nBooks by Sarah Dessen: nThat Summer nSomeone Like You nKeeping the Moon nDreamland nThis Lullaby nThe Truth About Forever nJust Listen nLock and Key nAlong for the Ride nWhat Happened to Goodbye nThe Moon and More nSaint Anything nOnce and for All n nEditorial Reviews n nA keenly observant narrative full of witty ironies. (Publishers Weekly, starred review) n- From the Publisher n nAt five-foot-eleven (and counting), Haven is all bony elbows and acute angles, like a jigsaw puzzle piece that can only go in the middle, waiting for the others to fit around it to make it whole. But it is not just a sudden growth spurt that prevents the 15-year-old from fitting into the comfortable grooves of her old life; her family is also changing at an alarming rate. Her sports-anchor father divorces his wife for Channel 5's Weather Pet. Her jilted mother joins a set of aging, Barry-Manilow-listening, swinging singles and Haven's once plucky sister, Ashley, seems to wilt on the arm of her all-too-boring fianc. Amidst the flurry of preparations for her father's second marriage and her sister's wedding, Haven finds a connecting link to her more serene past when one of Ashley's former boyfriends appears on the scene. First-time author Dessen adds a fresh twist to a traditional sister-of-the-bride story with her keenly observant narrative full of witty ironies. Her combination of unforgettable characters and unexpected events generates hilarity as well as warmth. Ages 12-up. n n- Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly n nGr 7-9 That Summer could refer to the current one through which 15-year-old Haven is suffering, or it could be the one a few years ago when everything seemed perfect. Nevertheless, both summers affect her and she is a different person at their conclusions. Dessen has cast her story with a group of forgettable characters who plod their way through a clich-ridden coming-of-age novel with a lot of subplots. There is the long-suffering mother and her scatterbrained best friend. Then there is toupee-wearing Dad, who honks from the driveway on visitation nights. Add the boy-crazy best friend and the moody older sister who is planning her wedding and making everyone miserable. The most memorable character is Summer Lee, a remnant of that long ago season when everything was just right, who shows up at the precise moments he is needed and offers support to Haven. The setting is a suburb where all the houses look exactly the same (kind of like the characters). There is nothing seriously wrong with Haven's life, except that she doesn't fit in, physically or emotionally; she is six-feet tall and still growing. She is unwilling or unable to accept change in her life, and pines for the days when her parents seemed happy and she didn't fight with her sister and the sun always shone...Sigh. Still, Haven has a good sense of humor, and her insightful barbs about everything from shopping malls to TV-news readers add some depth to the story.Lucinda Lockwood, Thomas Haney Secondary School, Maple Ridge, BC n n- School Library Journal n nA teenager reluctantly learns to face forward rather than back in this refreshing, unusually perceptive debut. n nThe winds of change are blowing bitterly around 15-year-old Haven as her parents break up, her father marries a younger woman, her sister Ashley turns into a termagant as her wedding approaches, and her own body becomes a stranger, topping 5' 11 in a sustained growth spurt. To shield herself, Haven clings to the memory of a summer vacation to Virginia Beach three years ago, when her family was still together and Sumner Lee, the best of Ashley's legion of boyfriends, came along. Suddenly, Sumner is back, as charming and comforting as ever; can he rekindle that memory's magic? Displaying a flair for evocative names and well-timed plot twists, Dessen takes her tall and usually levelheaded teen through two weddings and a succession of disturbing, often comic, surprises, to a climactic explosion. Haven enjoys a nicely articulated love/hate relationship with her sister, ostensibly a superficial cheerleader type who turns out to be wiser than she seems; she helps Haven shake off her dependence on a memory (not entirely accurate, as it turns out) of idyllic happiness. Seeing everyone else building new lives, Haven starts to think about her own future, too. A worthy theme, but the chief attractions here are the appealing cast and droll humor. n n- Kirkus Reviews
Publication Details
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Author(s):
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Binding: Paperback
Published by: Penguin Young Readers Group: , 2004
Edition:
ISBN: 9780142401729 | 0142401722
224 pages.
Book Condition: Good
Cover worn
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