The Summer of Us

by Cecilia Vinesse

Overview

A swoon-worthy story about five best friends on a whirlwind trip through Europe, perfect for fans of Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, and Jennifer E. Smith!

American expat Aubrey has only two weeks left in Europe before she leaves for college, and she's nowhere near ready. Good thing she and her best friend, Rae, have planned one last group trip across the continent. From Paris to Prague, they're going to explore famous museums, sip champagne in fancy restaurants, and eat as many croissants as possible with their friends Clara, Jonah, and Gabe.

But when old secrets come to light, Aubrey and Rae's trip goes from a carefree adventure to a complete disaster. For starters, there's Aubrey and Gabe's unresolved history, complicated by the fact that Aubrey is dating Jonah, Gabe's best friend. And then there's Rae's hopeless crush on the effortlessly cool Clara. How is Rae supposed to admit her feelings to someone so perfect when they're moving to different sides of the world in just a few weeks?

Author Cecilia Vinesse delivers a romantic European adventure that embraces the magic of warm summer nights, the thrill of first kisses, and the bittersweet ache of learning to say goodbye to the past while embracing the future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316391146
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Cecilia Vinesse is a dual citizen of the US and the UK, and, like her main characters, has spent much of her life as an expat. She is a graduate of Barnard College in New York, holds a master's degree in creative writing from St. Andrews, and is the author of Seven Days of You. She currently lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Summer of Us:"The atmospheric descriptions of the places they visit (and drink in), such as Amsterdam, Prague, and Florence, and the nuanced characterizations lend expansiveness to a plot that might otherwise have become a simple coming-of-age romance...A transformative odyssey of self-discovery."—Kirkus Reviews

"Vinesse never lets her story fall into melodrama, relying on solid character development and conflict...Crisp prose, quick dialogue, and vivid descriptions of the friends' travels add to the novel's appeal. YA readers...will enjoy the vicarious view through Aubrey and Rae's eyes in this engaging romantic novel about the ups and downs of changing relationships."—Publishers Weekly

"Readers who enjoy art history are in for treat with this book. The story's setting takes on the part of a sixth character and gives worn tropes a fresh new spin. Older teens will relate to Rae and Aubrey as they are likely making some of the same life choices. The emotions play out perfectly with the backdrop of romantic monuments, gritty bars, and elegant cafes. Recommended for realistic fiction ­collections."—SLJ

Praise for Seven Days of You:"How hard am I crushing on Seven Days of You? I'm crying, laughing, aching, and squealing all at once. I would live in this book if I could."—Becky Albertalli, award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

"This dazzling and genuinely romantic story shows just how much your life can change in the course of a single week."—Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

"Seven Days of You is a deliciously fizzy, neon-bright romance: a swoony tangle of past and future, love and friendship, and what exactly it means to be home."—Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days

"This highly readable novel about finding home and discovering oneself will have fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss swooning."—SLJ

"Weaving in and out of Tokyo's karaoke rooms, coffee shops, night clubs, monuments, and food, food, and more food, the story delights. Have some tissues handy for the ending."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

06/04/2018
Vinesse (Seven Days of You) takes readers on a tour of Europe in this novel about five friends who travel from London to Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, and Barcelona. In alternating points of view, best friends Aubrey, an American expat, and Rae describe their excitement as they embark on what seems the ideal summer trip before college, when they and their friends Jonah, Gabe, and Clara will go their separate ways. Soon, though, the trip turns rocky. Aubrey and Rae are both harboring secret crushes; Aubrey likes Gabe, even though she is already dating Jonah, and Rae likes Clara, though she doesn’t know if Clara is straight or bi. Vinesse never lets her story fall into melodrama, relying on solid character development and conflict rather than unlikely plot twists to heighten tension. Crisp prose, quick dialogue, and vivid descriptions of the friends’ travels add to the novel’s appeal. YA readers who fantasize about a summer of train-riding through Europe will enjoy the vicarious view through Aubrey and Rae’s eyes in this engaging romantic novel about the ups and downs of changing relationships. Ages 14–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, the Bent Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Five friends on a European vacation uncover secrets about one another, including long-hidden love and lies. As time approaches for Aubrey and her friends to say goodbye to London and leave for college in other countries, Aubrey has planned an unchaperoned Grand Tour for them all. Only Jonah, her boyfriend, will accompany her to New York City in the coming year, and she hopes to spend a little more time with him in the European cities she's always dreamed of visiting. But traveling in close quarters creates opportunities for secret crushes to reveal themselves. A stolen kiss with Gabe ignites trouble for Aubrey. Meanwhile, her best friend Rae has problems keeping her crush on artsy Clara hidden from the group. As the trip flies by, fears of the unknown surface for the friends, and they wonder if their future plans are certain at all. Readers who enjoy art history are in for treat with this book. The story's setting takes on the part of a sixth character and gives worn tropes a fresh new spin. Older teens will relate to Rae and Aubrey as they are likely making some of the same life choices. The emotions play out perfectly with the backdrop of romantic monuments, gritty bars, and elegant cafes. Unfortunately, Vinesse takes her time keeping her characters apart almost to the point of tedium, but it's satisfying when each plotline finally reaches its resolution. VERDICT Recommended for realistic fiction collections.—Sandi Jones, Wynne High School, Wynne, AR

School Library Journal

2018-03-20
A trip around Europe becomes fraught for a group of five recent high school graduates. Aubrey, an American girl, meticulously plans a trip from Paris to Barcelona with four close friends: her Jewish boyfriend, Jonah; her bestie, Rae, who is a lesbian; Spanish-born but American-raised Gabe; and Clara, who is questioning her sexuality. They will soon be going their separate ways to attend university in different countries after years of being a tightknit group. Beginning in London, where they attended the London American School together, the tale unspools in the third person, shifting between Aubrey's and Rae's perspectives. The classmates travel to various destinations via railway, and gradually their awe and excitement give way to fatigue and frustration with one another. As young adults on the cusp of adulthood, they begin to fretfully ponder their futures and question their changing relationships and impending separation. The atmospheric descriptions of the places they visit (and drink in), such as Amsterdam, Prague, and Florence, and the nuanced characterizations lend expansiveness to a plot that might otherwise have become a simple coming-of-age romance. The book assumes a white default.Despite the bland title, this novel nimbly uses the almost obligatory middle-class post-graduation backpacking trip as a transformative odyssey of self-discovery. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews