The Summer of Us

March 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Five friends on a European vacation uncover secrets about one another, including long-hidden love and lies. As time approaches for Aubrey and her friends to say goodbye to London and leave for college in other countries, Aubrey has planned an unchaperoned Grand Tour for them all. Only Jonah, her boyfriend, will accompany her to New York City in the coming year, and she hopes to spend a little more time with him in the European cities she's always dreamed of visiting. But traveling in close quarters creates opportunities for secret crushes to reveal themselves. A stolen kiss with Gabe ignites trouble for Aubrey. Meanwhile, her best friend Rae has problems keeping her crush on artsy Clara hidden from the group. As the trip flies by, fears of the unknown surface for the friends, and they wonder if their future plans are certain at all. Readers who enjoy art history are in for treat with this book. The story's setting takes on the part of a sixth character and gives worn tropes a fresh new spin. Older teens will relate to Rae and Aubrey as they are likely making some of the same life choices. The emotions play out perfectly with the backdrop of romantic monuments, gritty bars, and elegant cafes. Unfortunately, Vinesse takes her time keeping her characters apart almost to the point of tedium, but it's satisfying when each plotline finally reaches its resolution. VERDICT Recommended for realistic fiction collections.-Sandi Jones, Wynne High School, Wynne, AR

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
A trip around Europe becomes fraught for a group of five recent high school graduates. Aubrey, an American girl, meticulously plans a trip from Paris to Barcelona with four close friends: her Jewish boyfriend, Jonah; her bestie, Rae, who is a lesbian; Spanish-born but American-raised Gabe; and Clara, who is questioning her sexuality. They will soon be going their separate ways to attend university in different countries after years of being a tightknit group. Beginning in London, where they attended the London American School together, the tale unspools in the third person, shifting between Aubrey's and Rae's perspectives. The classmates travel to various destinations via railway, and gradually their awe and excitement give way to fatigue and frustration with one another. As young adults on the cusp of adulthood, they begin to fretfully ponder their futures and question their changing relationships and impending separation. The atmospheric descriptions of the places they visit (and drink in), such as Amsterdam, Prague, and Florence, and the nuanced characterizations lend expansiveness to a plot that might otherwise have become a simple coming-of-age romance. The book assumes a white default.Despite the bland title, this novel nimbly uses the almost obligatory middle-class post-graduation backpacking trip as a transformative odyssey of self-discovery. (Fiction. 13-18)

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June 4, 2018
Vinesse (Seven Days of You) takes readers on a tour of Europe in this novel about five friends who travel from London to Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, and Barcelona. In alternating points of view, best friends Aubrey, an American expat, and Rae describe their excitement as they embark on what seems the ideal summer trip before college, when they and their friends Jonah, Gabe, and Clara will go their separate ways. Soon, though, the trip turns rocky. Aubrey and Rae are both harboring secret crushes; Aubrey likes Gabe, even though she is already dating Jonah, and Rae likes Clara, though she doesn’t know if Clara is straight or bi. Vinesse never lets her story fall into melodrama, relying on solid character development and conflict rather than unlikely plot twists to heighten tension. Crisp prose, quick dialogue, and vivid descriptions of the friends’ travels add to the novel’s appeal. YA readers who fantasize about a summer of train-riding through Europe will enjoy the vicarious view through Aubrey and Rae’s eyes in this engaging romantic novel about the ups and downs of changing relationships. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency.

April 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 As high school ends, five friends from an international school in London set off for a farewell tour of Europe. Anxious worrier Aubrey and her boyfriend, Jonah, are all set to head off to New York for college, but despite her careful plans, Aubrey can't stop sparks from flying between her and Jonah's best friend, Gabe. Meanwhile, Aubrey's best friend, Rae, rationalizes her decision to attend college in Melbourne instead of America, like the rest of her friends, and tries to ignore her crush on edgy, confident Clara, who's definitely (probably?) straight. But secrets like that have a way of coming out, and as the five friends train hop across Europe, the pressures of travel?and their impending goodbyes?start to take a toll. Fans of Stephanie Perkins will enjoy the peek into a wide variety of European cities, while older teens will be all too familiar with the emotional roller-coaster that comes with saying goodbye. A whirlwind summer adventure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)