That Summer By Sarah Dessen

From Amazon: For fifteen-year-old Haven this is the summer where everything changes. Dad is remarrying. Her sister Ashley is planning a wedding of her own. They're both moving on, but Haven is lost in memories of a time when life was happy and her family was whole. And then Ashley's ex, the charming and funny Sumner Lee, arrives in town. He reminds Haven of carefree days gone by, and she can't help but wonder - has fate brought this person from her past back to change her future?

It's no secret that I love the wonder that is Sarah Dessen. I've never been disappointed by one of her books, and I don't think I ever will be.

Characters are the most important part of a story, and this woman can certainly write real, emotional people that I always find myself wishing I could be friends with. That Summer includes a mix of likeable but flawed personalities, and although it's shorter than most of Sarah's books, it's still an engaging and compelling read.

Haven, along with her sister Ashley, are brilliantly written, and I came away from the book feeling like I really knew them. I loved the family dynamic and loyalty between the sisters, and the way Haven and her family all stuck together. Although there's no trademark Dessen romance in That Summer, I didn't miss it. Everthing else is so vividly described that the absence of a main male character is hardly noticeable, and it's nice to just focus on Haven and her soon-to-be-married sister.

No-one writes YA fiction like Sarah Dessen, and I always read her books in a state of excitement. I'm counting down the days until Along For the Ride is in my possession, and I'm so glad that I finally got to read That Summer. It may not be her best, but it's still miles better than a lot of YA out there.

Source: womanizer-psychology.blogspot.com