*"A summer of family drama, secrets and change in a small beach town . . . Keenly observed and gorgeously illustrated - a triumph." - Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
*"With a light touch, the Tamakis capture the struggle of growing up in a patchwork of summer moments . . . Wistful, touching, and perfectly bittersweet." - Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
"This One Summer teeters on the fault line of preadolescence, as cozy childhood naivety washes away to reveal the dark complexities of adult life. Jillian Tamaki might be the best illustrator in the entire biz – her drawings are immersive, sensual and overwhelmingly beautiful. A magic synergy is kindled when paired with the storytelling of her cousin Mariko, who implements the best elements of graphic novels, manga, bande dessinée and modern literary prose to awaken a world of sophisticated naturalism. I loved it."
Craig Thompson
"Jillian’s art is simply gorgeous, and the perfect companion to the beautiful—and sometimes painful—truth behind Mariko’s every word."
Stephanie Perkins
"This One Summer is so vivid and beautifully told, that I saw, heard, and felt every moment. This tender and oh-so-true story of one girl's pivotal summer is a stand-out."
Deb Caletti
“I just want to live forever in the pages that Mariko and Jillian create. Exquisite, subtly layered storytelling of both words and art, and a punch when you least expect it—a rare treasure of a book, like a summer caught and pressed between the pages.”
Svetlana Chmakova
I read this in July, and spent the rest of the summer thinking about it. Every bike on a dusty road and gleefully swimming kid made me think about this book, and how it so eloquently and perfectly captures the feeling of summer slow, lazy and somehow hectic and astounding and full that we spend every year after the age of 18 trying to remember.
Lucy Knisley
This One Summer is a precisely written, exquisitely illustrated exploration of the moment when childhood tips over into adolescence. For the second time the Tamakis have raised the bar for young adult comics.
Hope Larson
“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
Faith Erin Hicks
"This One Summer is a beautiful, relatable story of that summer everyone has had, where things happen around you but nothing happens to you."
Julie Halpern
“Read this and remember that time. Read this and feel the innocence and the intimate, wrestling out at the beach. Read this and keep it like a secret, or let it run wild like a bonfire night. Read this for the joy and the grit, the tears and the sunburn, what you can’t remember and what you’ll never forget. Read This One Summer and swear you were there.”
—Daniel Handler
★ 05/01/2014
Gr 8 Up—Every summer, Rose and her parents vacation at a lakeside cottage. The rest of the world fades away as Rose reunites with her friend Windy and delves into leisurely games of MASH, swimming, and the joy of digging giant holes in the sand—but this summer is different. Rose is on the cusp of adolescence; she's not ready to leave childhood behind but is fascinated by the drama of the local teens who are only a few years older, yet a universe apart in terms of experience. They drink, they smoke, they swear. As Rose and Windy dip their toes into the mysterious waters of teen life by experimenting with new vocabulary ("sluts!") and renting horror movies, her parents struggle with their own tensions that seem incomprehensible to Rose. Layers of story unfurl gradually as the narrative falls into the dreamlike rhythm of summer. Slice-of-life scenes are gracefully juxtaposed with a complex exploration of the fragile family dynamic after loss and Rose's ambivalence toward growing up. The mood throughout is thoughtful, quiet, almost meditative. The muted tones of the monochromatic blue-on-white illustrations are perfectly suited to the contemplative timbre, and the writing and images deserve multiple reads to absorb their subtleties. This captivating graphic novel presents a fully realized picture of a particular time in a young girl's life, an in-between summer filled with yearning and a sense of ephemerality. The story resolves with imperfect hope and will linger in readers' mind through changing seasons.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA
★ 2014-04-09
A summer of family drama, secrets and change in a small beach town.Rose's family has always vacationed in Awago Beach. It's "a place where beer grows on trees and everyone can sleep in until eleven," but this year's getaway is proving less idyllic than those of the past. Rose's parents argue constantly, and she is painfully aware of her mother's unhappiness. Though her friendship with Windy, a younger girl, remains strong, Rose is increasingly curious about the town's older teens, especially Dunc, a clerk at the general store. Jillian and Mariko Tamaki (Skim, 2008) skillfully portray the emotional ups and downs of a girl on the cusp of adolescence in this eloquent graphic novel. Rose waxes nostalgic for past summers even as she rejects some old pursuits as too childlike and mimics the older teens. The realistic dialogue and sensitive first-person narration convey Rose's naïveté and confusion, and Windy's comfort in her own skin contrasts with Rose's uncertainty. Both the text and art highlight small but meaningful incidents as readers gradually learn the truth behind the tension in Rose's family. Printed in dark blue ink, Jillian Tamaki's illustrations feature strong, fluid lines, and the detailed backgrounds and stunning two-page spreads throughout the work establish the mood and a compelling sense of place.Keenly observed and gorgeously illustrated—a triumph. (Graphic novel. 13 & up)