Second Chance Summer
From the Flying Start author of Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, a powerful novel about hope in the face of heartbreak.
Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.
Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.
(summary from goodreads.com)
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One of the best parts of this book? A tiny, seemingly inconsequential cameo at the beginning. Hello Roger and Amy! So so lovely to see you.
Sigh. Another cancer book. This one didn't effect me as much as the last one, but it was still sad and bittersweet and made me want to hold my loved ones a little bit tighter. I loved Taylor's family and Henry. Taylor kind of annoyed me sometimes, especially her annoyingly frustrating choice near the end of the book. Really? Seriously? Lame. But it ended well. I didn't love this book as much as Roger and Amy, but it was still a sweet story about family and togetherness and love of all kinds.
When I'm reading a book that I love, the story becomes more important than the words. I don't even notice them - the whole "can't see the forest for the trees" saying, except reversed and I don't notice the trees because of the forest. But in books that don't grip me as much as others, I start noticing the words, and sometimes they are distracting. I noticed a few phrases repeated a lot, something I didn't notice with Roger and Amy. Either they weren't there or I didn't notice because I was so involved in the story. But it was still a sweet book, an author I will definitely continue to read, and it made me want to buy a lake house and spend every summer there with my family.
Mom note: As
a mother of readers, I also
want to make a note to myself (and others if they care)
why I would or
would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I
forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures.
Violence: no; Profanity:??; Sex: ambiguous, so probably not
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