Summertime Blues

That Summer
By Sarah Dessen

Remember awhile back I mentioned that I felt like I had missed the Meg Cabot bus, and have been working to rectify that situation? Well, I have some work to do getting caught up with Ms. Sarah Dessen as well. You can’t read a YA book blog or browse the teen section without seeing her work (not in an obnoxious way, just in a way that shows she’s established and loved), so I finally decided to dive in and learn for myself what everyone has been raving about.

Summary
Haven is having a rough summer. On the morning we meet her, Haven’s father is getting remarried – to the woman he left her mother for. As if one wedding wasn’t enough, Haven’s sister will be getting married later in the summer, and has turned into Bridezilla, a quirk that everyone seems more than happy to accommodate. While Haven mucks through the emotional ups and downs of all her family issues, she thinks back to a summer several years ago, when everything seemed perfect. Her sister had a boyfriend who lit up the whole room and helped create a more peaceful sisterly atmosphere, her parents were happily married … it was a good summer. But as Haven makes her way through the current summer, she starts to realize that she can’t always hold onto the ideals of the past, and has to work on making peace with the way things have turned out and the direction her life is heading in.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
Rating: Early Morning Hours

I’ve had a hard time trying to figure out how to describe my reaction to That Summer. The story is not wild, outlandish, or exciting. The characters are not bizarre or unusual. These are, in essence, seemingly average people with everyday concerns and feelings that are completely relatable. What drew me in was Dessen’s style. She conjured up a cast of characters and situations I wanted to know more about. I had a lot of empathy for Haven, particularly when her best friend returned from summer camp and was suddenly boy crazy and rebellious. I remember when some of my friends started changing like that and how I was completely baffled by the seemingly instantaneous transformations that had come over them. Haven’s musings and the way she troubled through her summer kept me reading quickly until the end. I imagine any teen girl would easily do the same.

Recommended for ages 13 and up.