This One Summer

This review originally appeared on herestohappyendings.com.This One Summer has been on my to be read list for a while now. I finally bought it back in early November of 2017, but for whatever reason I just kept putting off reading it. I either wasn't in the mood for a graphic novel or I had too much other stuff to read or work to do, and I just never picked it up.This afternoon, though, I was combing through my bookshelf looking for something quick to read while my daughters watched Beauty and the Beast for the tenth time this week, and I decided that today I was finally going to pick this up.Rose and her parents go to a lake house at Awago Beach every summer. There, Rose gets to spend the summer with her friend, Windy, and the two of them are inseparable for the whole summer. They can watch movies, go swimming, hang out at each other's houses - pretty much everything they want. Plus, Rose and her parents always have fun, too.But this summer, things are already different. Her parents are fighting all the time, and sometimes they even quit talking to each other for long periods of time. Windy is acting a little different, and there is a new guy working at the little store in town, and Rose can't help but think about him a lot. When Rose and Windy witness something with the new guy's girlfriend, they try and put the pieces of this puzzle together to figure out what's going on.At the same time, things are getting even worse between Rose's parents, and Windy doesn't seem to want to do the same things Rose wants to do anymore, making it seem as though they are growing apart.This summer at Awago Beach is unlike any other, and it's the summer that it becomes obvious that Rose is really growing up, whether or not she is ready to.Not only is that a really pretty cover, but the inside illustrations are really well done and add so much personality to this book. I love how they are only done in blue, grey, and purple hues instead of full color - it makes the story a lot deeper and more meaningful, and every page of this book is so beautiful.I've seen some negative reviews for this book about the use of language being a problem for the younger audience, but truthfully, I've heard eight year old kids swear more than what is said in this book, so I can't really agree with that. Sure, there are words like "slut" thrown around here and there, but there isn't anything in this book that I think would be all that harmful - maybe the F-word once? Either way, that isn't something that would bother me, and if this is the kind of book my twelve year old daughter wanted to pick up, I would overlook that, because the book is a really meaningful graphic novel that touches on a lot of important things.One of the important things that This One Summer touches on is the bond of friendship. I loved the friendship that went on between Rose and Windy. They loved each other like sisters, and spent all of their time together. They had meaningful conversations and they talked about real stuff. It's the kind of friendship you can't help but love.Another thing that it touches on is parental issues and how it looks to a child. It might not seem like a big thing, but for those who have experienced it, it might help them to feel not quite as alone when dealing with the problems of their parents. In this book, Rose's parents have issues that they try to work out, but Rose can sense it and it really has an effect on her.The characters, the story, and the illustrations are all beautifully done and incredibly easy to love. I finished this book in the course of a single afternoon and already plan on going back and rereading it very soon!

I'm having a hard time finding the words to describe exactly how I feel about this book. It tugged at my heartstrings in more ways than one, and by the end it left me feeling a little sad, a little nostalgic, and completely satisfied.The story centers around two young girls spending their summer together, and the things they face along the way. It was amazing how well this book captured the feeling of being a preteen, caught in between childhood and adolescences. I can remember being Rose and Windy's age, and stumbling through the same things they did... I regarded teenagers with equal parts apprehension and curiosity. I developed awkward crushes on older boys. I liked to talk a lot about things I didn't completely understand, things I couldn't really define. I'm sixteen years old now, and just as I can see my younger self in both Rose and Windy, I could also see myself in Duncan and Jenny and the other teens as well. They, too, are fumbling in a transition -- the transition from adolescences to adulthood.In additions to the stellar story, the art is amazing. The drawings are beautiful and the panel composition is masterful. Some of the full-page panels in the book took my breathe away, and the color scheme and hazy brushwork added a lot to the tone of the novel.This is a great summer read -- in fact, I can't imagine reading this book any time other than summer. If you're looking for a nostalgia trip or a visual feast, this book is for you.

Summer in the life of 2 girls who are "summer friends". The two girls' families rent cottages at the same beach every summer hand theirs is a friendship of proximity and limited availability of other kids their age. At the same time, they've gotten to know each other well over the years. But things start to change as they enter puberty and start to understand the adult problems going on around them. Subtle, melancholic storytelling, full of nostalgia for long gone summers and childhood.

Only giving it a 3/5 because of the quality of the binding. It peeled while I was only about 50 pages in. I was not handling it roughly or anything. Frustrating.

AMAZING. I'm 15 and I got this for myself and it's incredible. I like reading graphic novels but they can be hard to find for my age range, and this one is perfect for me. I wish it was a little bit longer. So if you like graphic novels, definitely recommend

Despite the thickness in the book and slight lack of dialogue, I realized that the true intentions of the writer were all too clear.For those of you who complain of the profanity and "taboo" topics being touched upon in this book, do be aware that shielding your children from true life events will eventually be detrimental to their future selves. Do many parents seriously believe that their child has never once used profanity while at school? Outside with their friends? Anywhere their parents are not? It happens. And children do speak of sex, gender identity and many other supposedly "taboo" topics amongst themselves, with many being much younger than the recommended age group for this book.The story is entertaining and helps to reveal the truth of life, yet somehow is not completely a cliche "coming-of-age story." The voices and personalities of the two protagonists are easy to imagine, and some of the wisecracks are definitely worth waiting for.Parents, let your child decide whether they are ready for the content included in this book or not. I am sure that many of them will be able to relate to many of the references and incidents that occur, especially the problematic family-type issues that they may not even want to mention to you.To end my review, this book was heartfelt, truthful, and is a very amazing example of the true lives of most teenagers. Don't doubt what you can't see.

La dupla que hacen las hermanas Tamaki es una tormenta perfecta. Tenemos un libro con una historia de adolescente muy entrañable, inteligente y afilada, con un dibujo increíble, escenas que rayan en el poema. Sin lugar a dudas una de los mejores novelas gráficas para adolescentes que he leído últimamente. Y si lo lees desde una edad más madura es una bomba hacia la nostalgia. Joya

I just loved the book. The illustrations are really detailed and the narrative is so smooth. It really looks at the mother-daughter bond quite delicately without adding any unnecessary layers. The story moves through the summer spent at the Awago beach by the protagonist. Alongside her own story of turbulence in her parent's life, she becomes a witness to Jenny's story. Interesting, how the authors lay out the discourse on pregnancy and relationships.Highly recommend this.

Very happy with purchase. The story/art is great. The book was in good condition. It was delivered on time. Excellent.

No sólo entretiene, sino que emociona. Con la premisa de narrar la cotidianidad del verano de dos niñas, se tocan ideas y emociones que abarcan desde el descubrimiento de la sexualidad hasta el paso de la niñez a la adolescencia, deteniéndose a observar cómo afecta el divorcio en los hijos, así como la búsqueda de descendencia y su imposibilidad o el embarazo no deseado.

Uma graphic novel com traços e roteiro impecáveis! Uma história sobre a transição da infância à adolescência, melancólica, passada em um vilarejo praiano. As protagonistas são duas meninas que sempre passam o verão nesse vilarejo. O olhar pré-adolescente sobre os "problemas do mundo adulto", é retratado de maneira delicada e me deixou bastante nostálgica. Os desenhos e a ambientação são lindos e conferem um caráter quase cinematográfico ao trabalho. Recomendo aos amantes de graphic novels e de histórias bem contadas!