For fifteen-year-old Haven, life is changing too quickly. She's nearly six feet tall, her father is getting remarried, and her sister-the always perfect Ashley-is planning a wedding of her own. Haven wishes things could just go back to the way they were. Then an old boyfriend of Ashley's re-enters the picture, and through him, Haven sees the past for what it really was, and comes to grips with the future.
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[It's funny how one summer can change everything]***
(Listening Library, 21 April 2009, first published 1 January 1996, 4 hours 38 minutes, audiobook, narrated by Mia Barron, borrowed from my library)
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I loved That Summer.
First off, the narration is excellent. Mia Barron does a brilliant job of bringing the different characters to life. The characters are different ages from teenage through to young adult to adult. Each character is different and sounds like their age. I really enjoyed Barron's voice. She carried the story well and pulled me in.
I have developed a soft spot for YA fiction over the past years. Sometimes (such as in the case of Thirteens Reasons Why) it deals with very adult subject matter. The plot of That Summer is no exception. The book deals with issues familiar to a lot of teenagers and even adults. Haven's life is unravelling. Her Dad just married the younger woman he left her mother for. Her older sister is about to get married.
Haven is a great character. I loved her voice. She's mature but still comes across as a teenage girl. I felt like she was a real person. She is stuck in that between age when she's not quite a child but not quite a young adult. We've all been there so I could relate to her.
I loved the unexpected way the plot develops as Haven realises Ashley is the same sister she had growing up but is older and has her own life now. There are some teary moments. Especially when Haven realises her memories of a magical summer a few years before are being viewed with rose-tinted glasses.
That Summer is a cracking book. I had a great time listening to this.
