Scan barcode
A review by daniellemedina
Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler
4.0
"Here I feel like... I get to be and do other things. I don't have to know exactly who I am and what I want. I'm a summer girl, living my highlight reel. Maybe I don't want anything realer than that."
I've been reading more YA lately (#bookstagrammademedoit) and enjoying a lot of the books although as a mother of almost 13-year-old twins (one of whom has very mature taste), I find myself looking at them through a filter of how I would feel if my kids read them. This is one that not only would I be okay with, I'll definitely be buying for them so we can discuss. (In an odd role reversal, I like to read ebooks but my kids insist on physical copies.)
Cool For the Summer takes its name from the Demi Lovato song about being bi-curious and experimenting over the summer so you can guess where this is going. Lara is heading into her senior year of high school with one goal - to finally land Chase Harding, the guy she's been crushing on for as long as anyone can remember. On the first day of school, not only does Chase notice her, but he flirts with her! Lara is on cloud nine until a new girl walks in, taking Lara back to a summer spent on the beach with a totally different kind of crush. With her summer fling, Jasmine, now part of her everyday life, Lara finds herself stuck in a love triangle with the boy of her dreams and a girl she never dreamed she'd see again.
Things I liked about this book:
1. The gender and sexual inclusion. The main storyline is bi/bi-questioning and there are gay, non-binary and aroace characters as well and it's no big deal.
2. The Jewish representation. Both of the main female characters are Jewish - Lara is Russian and Jasmine is Syrian - and while religion doesn't play a huge role, it was nice to see it portrayed so matter-of-factly.
3. It's bookish. Lara is an aspiring writer and works in a bookstore and she and Jasmine share their love for romance books and graphic novels with the other
4. No one's perfect. This may be about a group of popular girls but they all have their own insecurities and issues.
This is a quick read and a different take on a coming-of-age story that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.
I've been reading more YA lately (#bookstagrammademedoit) and enjoying a lot of the books although as a mother of almost 13-year-old twins (one of whom has very mature taste), I find myself looking at them through a filter of how I would feel if my kids read them. This is one that not only would I be okay with, I'll definitely be buying for them so we can discuss. (In an odd role reversal, I like to read ebooks but my kids insist on physical copies.)
Cool For the Summer takes its name from the Demi Lovato song about being bi-curious and experimenting over the summer so you can guess where this is going. Lara is heading into her senior year of high school with one goal - to finally land Chase Harding, the guy she's been crushing on for as long as anyone can remember. On the first day of school, not only does Chase notice her, but he flirts with her! Lara is on cloud nine until a new girl walks in, taking Lara back to a summer spent on the beach with a totally different kind of crush. With her summer fling, Jasmine, now part of her everyday life, Lara finds herself stuck in a love triangle with the boy of her dreams and a girl she never dreamed she'd see again.
Things I liked about this book:
1. The gender and sexual inclusion. The main storyline is bi/bi-questioning and there are gay, non-binary and aroace characters as well and it's no big deal.
2. The Jewish representation. Both of the main female characters are Jewish - Lara is Russian and Jasmine is Syrian - and while religion doesn't play a huge role, it was nice to see it portrayed so matter-of-factly.
3. It's bookish. Lara is an aspiring writer and works in a bookstore and she and Jasmine share their love for romance books and graphic novels with the other
4. No one's perfect. This may be about a group of popular girls but they all have their own insecurities and issues.
This is a quick read and a different take on a coming-of-age story that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for a copy to review.