Summer Constellations

March 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Julia's summer has begun with two unexpected events: her mom wants to sell their family campground to a wealthy developer, and her crush, Dan shows up at the campground with a new girlfriend. When Julia retreats to the lake to agonize over her bad luck, she meets Nick playing guitar on the dock. Nick is handsome and takes her mind off Dan until she discovers that Nick is the developer's son. Julia has to decide if she can trust Nick to help her save her family campground, while Nick works to separate himself from his family's business, Meanwhile, they are both trying to guard their hearts. This is a fast-paced, humorous and romantic story, with realistic dialogue and a cast of interesting and relatable characters. The relationship dynamics between Nick and Julia are immensely readable, but teens will also be driven to keep reading to discover what happens to Julia and her family's campground. VERDICT Recommended for collections serving teens, especially where romance is in demand.-Tabitha Nordby, Red River College, Man.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Recent high school graduate Julia Ducharme's summer is off to a rough start. Her best friend, Paige, is traveling to Japan to visit relatives, her longtime crush has shown up with a gorgeous girlfriend, and her mom has announced that she is thinking of selling their family campground and home. Julia's little brother Caleb is recovering from Guillain-Barr' syndrome and is old enough to realize--with distress--that their financial troubles are connected to his long illness. After receiving the terrible news that her home may be sold, Julia meets a beautiful black-haired, olive-skinned stranger on the docks and spills her guts to him. She is shocked and angry to discover that the young man is Nick Constantine, son of the property developer who is looking to buy their campground. Julia and Nick are thrown together, and Nick falls in love both with the campground and Julia, deciding to do all that he can to help them keep their place, or at least keep its integrity intact. Sevigny's (Kissing Frogs, 2014) portrayal of the emotional and financial struggles that can accompany illness in America ring true. Julia is a brave, independent, and competent female character who shows that you don't need to be a femme fatale to be lovable.A pleasant coming-of-age story for fans of teen romance. (Fiction. 14-18)

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