A heartfelt and voice-driven novel with just a touch of magic, Emily Gale's The Other Side of Summer is perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead.
Ever since her brother Floyd died, Summer’s world has been falling apart. Her mom is a ghost of her former self, her older sister is angry all the time, and her dad wants to move the family to Australia. It seems like the only thing unchanged in their lives is Floyd’s guitar, which was returned to the family perfectly unharmed by the bombing that killed him.
Once Summer arrives in Australia, she feels even further away from Floyd than before. Until she works up the courage to play his guitar. When she plays, something amazing—perhaps even magical—happens. Summer starts to feel less alone. But even with a little magic on her side, only Summer will be able to find her way through her grief to whatever the other side may bring.
“This pitch-perfect story is full of hope and magic. Exquisite and unforgettable.”—Fiona Wood, author of Six Impossible Things, Wildlife, and Cloudwish
The Other Side of Summer
Write Review
Author(s)
Publisher
Age Range
8+
Release Date
May 30, 2017
ISBN
978-0062656742
Buy This Book
Editor reviews
1 reviews
Overall rating
5.0
Plot/Characters/Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Trust your own heart
THE OTHER SIDE OF SUMMER is an emotional ride about a girl named Summer trying to find her place in the world now that her brother, Floyd, isn't in it. It takes you through the processes of grief and how to come back from losing someone so close.
Summer and her family are broken with the absence of Floyd. When his guitar magically makes its way back into their lives, it brings along some hope. Summer loves the guitar and knew that Floyd always had it on him. Now, it's a way for her to connect to Floyd without him there any more.
Searching for the change, Summer's dad uproots Summer and her sister, Wren, and moves them from London to Australia. At first, it makes her feel farther away from her old self. When Summer discovers her mother isn't going with them, she feels even more abandoned.
Then, she meets Gabe, but there's something different about him. At first, she thinks he's a ghost, but soon finds that there is so much more to his story and that he's connected to her brother and his guitar. They may be the only ones able to help each other out of their ruts.
Final Verdict: This is the perfect summer read for ages 8-12 that is full of compelling emotion, making new friends, trusting your own heart, and finding your way back home, wherever it is.
Was this review helpful to you?
User reviews
There are no user reviews for this listing.
Powered by JReviews
FEATURED GIVEAWAYS
Latest Book Listings Added
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ...
Follow Gerda on an adventure to find her friend Kay,...
In this Dark Tale, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming... ...
Eliminate the impossible, and whatever remains, however improbable, must be...
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line,...
Moses and his cousin Charlie were best friends, wisecracking pranksters,...
STANDING UP AGAINST HATE is the story of black women...
Clock mechanic Danny Hart knows he’s being watched. But by...
Sixteen-year-old cupid-in-training Kali is in an Olympus-sized mountain of trouble....
Latest Member Reviews
""These Broken Stars" is an interesting YA sci-fi that follows two young people after a space shuttle crash. Lilac LeRoux..."
""This Shattered World" follows Jubilee (Lee) and Flynn, who live on a planet that has failed terraforming, leaving it with..."
"This vibrant retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s short story has been artfully adapted into a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that captures..."
"The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of Arthur Conan Doyle's finest Sherlock Holmes novels, written years after “The Final..."
"Adrienne Cahill finds herself on an expedition to remote Siberia looking for the fabled Osinov family with her stepfather, Dan,..."
"Fans of Riordan will find lots of familiar faces from the Magnus Chase series in this clever collection of short..."
"A gory, dark thriller with all the things we loved about Hunger Games plus a delightfully creepy twist of something..."
"Feedback I am going to admit that I would have never picked up this book if I wasn’t provided a..."
"X-men Gen X (i.e. the teen version) meets Aliens-lite in this survival-in-space story. Told in first-person past-tense from..."
"‘Thief of Happy Endings’ is a young adult contemporary with a huge twist. The story centers around, Cassidy. Cassidy..."
"Feedback I thought this was an interesting concept. The clocks themselves really control the time. There are days where..."
"Feedback What a change from book one! While I enjoyed Timekeeper, it took me a while to truly engage..."
"Confessions of a High School Disaster is the first installment of the Chloe Snow series. I read the second installment..."
"I DO NOT TRUST YOU by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz is a young adult thriller that follows Memphis..."
"Sporting a diverse ensemble cast, this book is rife with themes of team-building; and not simply setting aside differences but..."
"The Color of Lies relies heavily on its interesting characters, not-so-original plot, and captivating writing to keep its reader--but as..."
""The Reader" is an intriguing YA fantasy that follows a girl named Sefia. Her parents hid her in a secret..."
" "The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel" is a retelling of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow from the point-of-view of..."
"UMBERTOUCHED is the end to the Rosemarked Duology and I'm blown away by it. When Zivah and Dineas are..."
"I really love novels of strong historical women. In this case, this novel is about Joan of Arc. What makes..."
