The Summer That Changed Everything
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Product Description
Book Description
The new novel for girls of 11 and over, from New York Times bestselling author, Ann Brashares. A beautifully written, moving story about three girls, their friendship and one long, hot summer.
Product Description
Three girls. One summer. Their friendship to salvage . . .
Ama, desperate to live up to her family's expectations, finds herself on an outdoor adventure summer camp. Can she stick it out or will this be the first time in her life she's ever failed anything . . . ?
Tomboy, loner Polly discovers that her grandmother used to be a model and decides she's going to follow in her footsteps - even if it means starving herself to get thin.
Jo's parents' are still grieving the death of her older brother and she's stuck in the middle of their messy divorce. She's got her own problems this summer too - has she made a mistake by turning her back on her old friends?
Having let their friendship fade, can these three girls, with their three very different lives, struggle through the summer without each other, or will they realise they've made a mistake?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've never read a book by Anne Brashares before, but I have seen the movie version of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. I loved the strong sense of friendship between the four very different leads, and I picked up The Summer That Changed Everything hoping to find a similarly compelling bond between main characters Ama, Polly and Jo.
At first, this wasn't what I found. The story opens on the last day of junior high, when the girls run into each other on the way home. The atmosphere between them is awkward, and although we learn that the three were once inseparable there's little sign of it now. They've already gone their separate ways, and stopped visiting the three willow trees they planted together in third grade and tended lovingly for the next few years. As Ama, Polly and Jo hail from the same hometown as the Sisterhood themselves, there are references to the legendary jeans - and the fact that this new group of MCs even tried (unsuccessfully) to recreate the magic with their own pair of denims. And a jacket. And a then scarf. But somehow it just didn't work, and since then they've drifted apart.
This wistful sense of a good friendship lost continues as the girls head off separately to pursue their own summer plans - without so much as a pair of travelling pants to connect them. Overachiever Ama has won a summer study grant that isn't at all what she anticipated, and finds herself having to brave the great outdoors (and a sheer drop down the side of a cliff) minus her emergency hair rescue products. Self-assured Jo has taken a summer job at the beach, and distracts herself from her parents' breakup by pursuing a reckless flirtation with an older boy. Finally, lonely Polly longs to follow in the footsteps of the grandmother she never knew, and sets her heart on going to modelling camp - whatever it takes. Although at first I had a little trouble keeping the characters straight in my head, I soon found myself enchanted by all three and utterly captivated by their stories. Perhaps most enchanting for me was the story of Polly, who has been left behind as Ama and Jo drifted away and found new friends, and misses them both deeply.
Interspersed throughout the narrative are curious little facts and myths about willows - the same type of trees our MCs planted five years ago when their friendship was just beginning. Initially it's unclear how they relate to the stories of the girls' separate summers, but by the end of the book everything clicks beautifully into place. These three girls don't have a pair of possibly magical jeans, but they do share something else that's truly heartwarming and, if you're anything like me, will have you wiping away a few tears of the happy variety.
The Summer That Changed Everything is a novel about friendship, growing up, and finding strength in your roots. Its honest voice and easy-to-relate to characters make it likely to strike a chord with most readers, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining story with an uplifting message at its heart. A perfect read for spring or summer.
At first, this wasn't what I found. The story opens on the last day of junior high, when the girls run into each other on the way home. The atmosphere between them is awkward, and although we learn that the three were once inseparable there's little sign of it now. They've already gone their separate ways, and stopped visiting the three willow trees they planted together in third grade and tended lovingly for the next few years. As Ama, Polly and Jo hail from the same hometown as the Sisterhood themselves, there are references to the legendary jeans - and the fact that this new group of MCs even tried (unsuccessfully) to recreate the magic with their own pair of denims. And a jacket. And a then scarf. But somehow it just didn't work, and since then they've drifted apart.
This wistful sense of a good friendship lost continues as the girls head off separately to pursue their own summer plans - without so much as a pair of travelling pants to connect them. Overachiever Ama has won a summer study grant that isn't at all what she anticipated, and finds herself having to brave the great outdoors (and a sheer drop down the side of a cliff) minus her emergency hair rescue products. Self-assured Jo has taken a summer job at the beach, and distracts herself from her parents' breakup by pursuing a reckless flirtation with an older boy. Finally, lonely Polly longs to follow in the footsteps of the grandmother she never knew, and sets her heart on going to modelling camp - whatever it takes. Although at first I had a little trouble keeping the characters straight in my head, I soon found myself enchanted by all three and utterly captivated by their stories. Perhaps most enchanting for me was the story of Polly, who has been left behind as Ama and Jo drifted away and found new friends, and misses them both deeply.
Interspersed throughout the narrative are curious little facts and myths about willows - the same type of trees our MCs planted five years ago when their friendship was just beginning. Initially it's unclear how they relate to the stories of the girls' separate summers, but by the end of the book everything clicks beautifully into place. These three girls don't have a pair of possibly magical jeans, but they do share something else that's truly heartwarming and, if you're anything like me, will have you wiping away a few tears of the happy variety.
The Summer That Changed Everything is a novel about friendship, growing up, and finding strength in your roots. Its honest voice and easy-to-relate to characters make it likely to strike a chord with most readers, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining story with an uplifting message at its heart. A perfect read for spring or summer.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm a big fan of Brashares' Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series, which was my main reason for reading The Summer That Changed Everything. Her books are always very friendship-heavy, and although I didn't enjoy her latest offering as much as I wanted to, it still focused on the same themes I've become so accustomed to.
My main problem with The Summer That Changed Everything was the closeness of the three main characters, Ama, Polly and Jo. They hardly spent any time together, and even though they were supposed to be best friends, they never seemed like it. They didn't gel as a team, and I never got that BFF vibe from them like I did with the sisterhood. I know people change and grow apart, but in order to have a whole book based around their relationship, I felt their bond needed to be stronger.
The alternating third person narrative worked well, and in response I got to know each girl as an individual. Each of their summer experiences was engaging, and not without its fair share of drama. Boys played a part in that, but as with all of Brashares' books, they're not the be-all and end-all. Friendship is always at the core of her stories, and for that reason alone, they should be recommended reading to all teenagers girls.
I'm interested to see whether this continues as a series, or if the author starts something completely different. If there is indeed a second book in the pipeline, I'll definitely be along for the ride.
My main problem with The Summer That Changed Everything was the closeness of the three main characters, Ama, Polly and Jo. They hardly spent any time together, and even though they were supposed to be best friends, they never seemed like it. They didn't gel as a team, and I never got that BFF vibe from them like I did with the sisterhood. I know people change and grow apart, but in order to have a whole book based around their relationship, I felt their bond needed to be stronger.
The alternating third person narrative worked well, and in response I got to know each girl as an individual. Each of their summer experiences was engaging, and not without its fair share of drama. Boys played a part in that, but as with all of Brashares' books, they're not the be-all and end-all. Friendship is always at the core of her stories, and for that reason alone, they should be recommended reading to all teenagers girls.
I'm interested to see whether this continues as a series, or if the author starts something completely different. If there is indeed a second book in the pipeline, I'll definitely be along for the ride.
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