The Summer of Firsts and Lasts

March 21, 2011
Sisters Calla, Violet, and Daisy are overjoyed to be back at their beloved Camp Callanwolde for another summer together. Calla, who is starting college in the fall, has loved best friend Duncan for years and is hoping this will be the summer they finally get together. Readers will relate as Calla creates meaning in every comment and look from her crush, while understanding her sisters' frustration at her passivity. Violet embarks on a forbidden relationship with James, a camp counselor, but is also drawn to bad girl Brynn, which leads to problems for all three sisters. Daisy's summer is off to a strong start when cute Joel seeks her out, but after a make-out session gone bad, it takes a nosedive. Watching Daisy learn to stand up for herself in the face of bullying is perhaps the most moving part of this well-told story that celebrates the powerful love between sisters. Although the siblings' voices are essentially the same, McVoy (After the Kiss) switches between their perspectives frequently, keeping the story moving, and her writing brings the summer camp setting to life. Ages 14âup.

August 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-Three sisters are eagerly anticipating their summer at Camp Callanwolde, which has long been a family tradition. Calla, the responsible oldest sibling, is heading to college in the fall; she is working in the director's office after years of being a camper and is determined to do things right. She has had a longtime crush on Duncan, one of the counselors, but hasn't worked up the nerve to say anything to him. Middle-sister Violet strikes up a friendship with an outsider who helps her break rules and gets her into major trouble. Daisy, the youngest, is just starting to find her place at Callanwolde, but has to deal with bullying girls and a disappointing tryst with the boy she's had her eye on. The story is told in alternating chapters by the three protagonists, which sometimes becomes confusing. It is very plot driven, with little physical description of the setting or the characters and slow to get going. However, readers will be able to relate to the sisters' experiences, such as Calla's first time getting drunk, Violet's first sexual encounter, and Daisy's intensive track training. Fans of Ann Brashares's "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series (Delacorte) or Jodi Lynn Anderson's "Peaches" books (HarperCollins) may enjoy McVoy's novel because of the focus on the girls' close relationship and the character-centered story lines.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

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