Someone Else's Summer - Hardcover

Rachel Bateman grew up with an abundance of sisters, but an unfortunate lack of boys next door. Now she lives with her geek husband and young son in the middle of Montana, entirely too far from the ocean. When she's not writing, you can find Rachel sewing, wrangling chickens, or secretly planning her next road trip.

Gr 9 Up—Anna's sister Storm tragically dies in a single-person car crash on graduation night. Mourning Storm, Anna retreats to her sister's room and finds a list of unrelated activities to be completed during the summer. Anna and her best friend, boy-next-door Cameron, set out to complete Storm's list. Some tasks are easy, such as skinny-dipping, but others prove more difficult and, ultimately, enlightening, such as sleeping in a college dorm and falling in love. Cameron and Anna's childhood friendship morphs into romance as the summer moves on, leading to a passionate encounter, with many predictable tropes. Cameron, however, holds a secret that threatens to destroy everything. While a bit unbelievable in places, the road trip story is a romantic summer escape. Teens will either not notice the predictability or not care as they become engrossed in Anna's growing acceptance of the tough decisions of adulthood. VERDICT Hard-core romance seekers will enjoy, while others will yearn for more originality. Purchase where romance and road trip novels are popular.—Lisa Ehrle, Falcon Creek Middle School, CO