Girls of July

April 1, 2019
City girls go back to nature, where they bond with locals, let go of stress, and gain new perspectives. The adventure begins with a post on social media. When Spider's family wants to sell their summer home in the Adirondacks to ease their financial worries, she convinces her grandmother to allow her to list their extra rooms for rent. Three Southern girls respond--each in dire need of relaxation, each escaping something different, and each needing a summer to regain her footing in life. Drama queen Britta, whose mother can't seem to see what a creep her new boyfriend is, comes up with the plan. Her classmate Meredith, an honor student with an intensely ambitious mother, follows along. Kate, a wealthy debutante whose father is in trouble with the law, shows up at his suggestion. Four very different young women break down barriers and forge new relationships: By challenging who they think they can befriend, they see themselves anew and are permanently changed. Flinn (Beheld, 2017, etc.) knows her teenage characters: their cultural interests, their pop references, their witticisms and speech patterns. However, the novel covers a lot of territory without offering readers earth-shattering emotion or insights. The setting is evocative, but the characters lack a rich internal life that would move them beyond types. Whiteness is assumed for all apart from Cuban-American Britta. A relaxing and romantic summer tale that would have benefitted from greater depth. (Fiction. 13-18)

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June 10, 2019
Can four teenage girls with very different traits and issues survive a month together in a secluded house in the Adirondacks? Reminiscent of The Breakfast Club, this novel by Flinn (Beastly) explores this question as it digs beneath the surface of stereotypes. Spider is a 17-year-old movie buff who usually keeps to herself. While spending the summer with her grandmother, she comes up with the idea of finding teenage roommates so that her grandmother doesn’t have to sell her place. From among the few respondents to her ad, she chooses loud, gregarious Britta, an aspiring actress; Meredith, who is focused on getting into an Ivy League college; and Southern debutante Kate. As might be expected, the girls’ personalities clash when they first convene, but revealed confessions and secrets cause the teens to reevaluate each other, rethink their individual goals, and form unexpected bonds. If the book’s plot and neat conclusion are somewhat contrived, the heroines, struggling with relatable problems, are convincing. Adding spice and drama to the story is Spider’s outspoken grandmother, a former actress whose heartbreaking tale of a long-lost love sends Spider and Britta on a mission. Ages 13–up.

July 12, 2019

Gr 8 Up-Four very different teenage girls form an unlikely friendship while vacationing together in the Adirondacks. Spider and her grandmother Ruthie rent out their vacation home's extra rooms for the month of July via advertising on social media. The renters include Cuban American aspiring actress Britta, model student Meredith, and debutante politician's daughter Kate. Each of the girls seems to feel stuck in her life. Spider, a cynical cinephile, has juvenile idiopathic arthritis and feels alienated by her siblings and peers. Britta wants to get away from her mom's creepy boyfriend. Meredith feels pressured to be at the top of her class and get into an elite college, and she has been having panic attacks. Kate's family is embroiled in a political scandal in their small Georgia town. All four girls are forever changed as they encourage one another to make the necessary changes to improve their lives. Perhaps the most charming story is Ruthie's: Spider and Britta discover that she had a romantic relationship with another young woman decades ago, but they were driven apart by circumstances. Spider and Britta track down Ruthie's lost love, and they reconnect. With pop culture, film, and music references, this story will resonate with teens, who are likely to see themselves in the characters. VERDICT Flinn tackles tough subjects that elevate this beach read; a solid purchase for most libraries serving teens.-Shira Pilarski, Farmington Community Library, MI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2019
Grades 7-10 Spider's parents think it's time for Spider's grandma to sell her mountain cabin, but Spider comes up with a plan to keep it: she and her grandma will rent out the bedrooms to three other teenage girls looking to escape their lives for the summer. High-energy theater girl Britta just wants to get away from her mom's creepy boyfriend. Her fellow student, Meredith, is an Ivy League-bound super-high-achiever who recently had a panic attack in class; when Britta first approaches her with the ad, Meredith thinks she's nuts. Meanwhile, Kate is a debutante-to-be whose family is on the brink of a major disaster, and her father sends her away to spare her. And Spider? She's an aspiring filmmaker, and even though this whole thing was her idea, she's not great at making friends, and she has secrets of her own. Over the course of a single July in the mountains, four very different girls get to know the ups and downs of one another and themselves. A satisfying slice-of-life story that honors friendship and self-love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)