That Summer by Sarah Dessen

That Summer by Sarah Dessen
Publisher: Speak (Penguin)
Released: May 11, 2004
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 208
Source: Library




Being six feet tall is awkward for fifteen-year-old Haven, but so is the rest of her life. Her dad has an affair with Lorna the Weather Pet, her mom wants to sell their house, and her sister Ashley is marrying a dweeb. As the world changes around her, Haven wishes everything would just go back to the way things used to be - back to that summer when her family was still a family and things were simple. When Haven randomly runs into Sumner, one of Ashley's old boyfriends, she is flooded with memories of their trip to the beach and begins to wonder why things can't go back to the way they were that summer.

Before That Summer, I was a Sarah Dessen virgin. Yeah, I know, and while I'm already confessing, I didn't love it. Not at first. HOWEVER, the more I think about Haven's story, the more I like it. Despite our age difference, I can really relate to Haven. I wish all the time that things could go back to the way they were. Growing up is scary and hard, and it kind of sucks sometimes. Seeing Haven realize this and fight her way through it is very personal, and I really like the way Dessen takes you along for the ride. I'm anxious to get my hands on her next book, as I've heard her novels keep getting better and better.