ARC, 440 pages
Release Date: June 4, 2019Published by: Balzer + Bray
Read from: June 2-7, 2019CompanionsSource: Publishers (I received a copy of this book from the Publisher in exchange for a just and honest review. This did nothing to influence my review.)TW: Mentions drug overdose (no details shown on page), drinkingFor fans of: Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, YAEmma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when she was ten. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family—her grandmother and cousins she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is divided into two people as well. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.
Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her will win out?
*MY THOUGHTS*
Whenever I get a Sarah Dessen book I know that it’s summer. And this one is definitely one of my favorites. I loved the family dynamic and the easy way Dessen writes. It was like coming to a really familiar couch and then sitting in the spot that was made for you. Super comfortable and knowing you’ll like it before you even sit down.
“Middle of the night phone calls are never good news. Never“pg. 21
Emma Saylor lives a comfortable life with her and her dad. She doesn’t remember much from her deceased mother, but knows enough of the stories she always told about the Lake. And then out of nowhere Emma has to spend time with her family at that same Lake she had heard so much about.She finds out so much about herself and finds out so much more about her family (and herself) that she might not have known before this.
“I guess everyone’s afraid of something.“pg. 185
The best thing about this was the writing style. Dessen’s writing is always so comfortable. I remember the first night I started reading this I sat down and the next thing I knew 2 and a half hours had passed. Every time I picked this book up I kept falling into it and wondering where time had gone. I don’t know how Dessen does it.
“I lost alot. Like everything from this place.” “Wasn’t lost,” he said. “You just left it here. You know what Mimi says: The lake keeps us.”pg. 226-227
The other thing I liked about this was the characters. Most of them were amazing, but there were others who I wasn’t fond of. And I think that’s the reason I liked this so much. Having a book where everyone was perfect isn’t realistic. The characters were real, they had trouble with communicating, and they were all different. Just like a real family.
“Everything changes tomorrow, I thought, but then again, that was always the case.“pg. 262
I also liked the anxiety rep. I have the same driving fears as Emma and I don’t think I’ve read anything else that depicts this. And the straightening things (cleaning for me) was also another sign Saylor was like me. It’s funny. I’m older now and can still relate to this teen girl in her teens.
“How could you value something if you never fought for it?“pg. 327
The only thing I didn’t like about this was the drug mentions. As someone who doesn’t care for that in her books (for personal family reasons) I skimmed over those mentions. But that’s just me. This may not be a problem for others. The only reason I only finished was because there wasn’t much mention of the details on the page. I can deal with that a little.
“A life isn’t just the pages you know, it’s everything. We just can’t see what’s happened yet.“pg. 383
Sarah Dessen books are my welcome to summer. And this one was no different. I felt like I was out on the Lake with them as part of the family. This was the perfect summer kick-off read!
Overall, I give this
