The Summer of Everything by Julian Winters
Duet Books, releases on September 8, 2020, 312 pages
Trigger Warnings: Mention of loss of a parent, death, character with a terminal illness
About the Author: “Julian Winters is a best-selling author of contemporary young adult fiction. His novels Running With Lions and How to Be Remy Cameron (Duet, 2018 and 2019 respectively), won accolades and awards for their positive depictions of diverse, relatable characters. Running With Lions is the recipient of an IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Award. How to Be Remy Cameron received a starred review from School Library Journal and was named a Junior Library Guild selection. A former management trainer, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta where he can be found reading, being a self-proclaimed comic book geek, or watching the only two sports he can follow—volleyball and soccer. His novel, The Summer of Everything, will be released in September 2020.” (Bio taken from the author’s website.)
Instagram: @wintersjulian
Twitter: @julianw_writes
Website: http://julianwinters.com
Hashtags: #TheSummerofEverything, #SaveOnceUponAPage, #JulianWinters
Wesley Hudson has the potential to have it all, save for everything he cares about collapsing before his eyes. His mom is a famous YA romance-fantasy author, his dad is a talented chef, and his brother is on his way to being a successful lawyer. Meanwhile, Wesley has an inconveniently massive crush on his best friend, Nico; has no idea what he wants to major in; and Once Upon a Page, an independent bookstore and his favorite place in the world, is in danger of shutting down.
The Summer of Everything is the ideal summer book, complete with Southern California vibes, independent bookstores, close-knit groups of friends, romance, and nineties music. Julian Winters is skilled in the art of creating atmosphere. Grounded in mood and setting, every scene fills your senses with the feelings of summer. Beyond the perfectly assembled setting, the novel has a compelling and diverse ensemble of characters that will have you rooting for each one from the beginning—but especially Wesley. While this is technically considered young adult fiction, I would argue it hits all of the bases of new adult: the scary transition between high school and college, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty in the choices you make that could potentially affect the rest of your life.
The Summer of Everything would be a good read for anyone craving a quintessential summer book, but it also goes deeper; recent high school graduates would definitely benefit from Wesley’s relatable journey throughout the novel.
The Summer of Everything releases on September 8, 2020.
(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
PRR Writer, Caroline Ross