Two Summers

Two Summers by Aimee Friedman is a Sliding Doors-esque confection that is indeed perfect for summertime reading. The stakes are just high enough for you to want to keep reading, but this is not a nail biter.

Two Summers is about one teen girl named Summer--naturally--and the two parallel journeys she takes. What if you chose not to take an important phone call and get on the plane and your life took a different path? For me, it was a little hard to empathize with Summer's discomfort in France for the simple reason that she gets to spend an all expenses paid trip to Provence for the summer! It's a fairy tale situation of a teenager's dreams, as she is allowed complete freedom and along the way meets a cute and flirtatious French boy.

The summer adventure spent in the States is less romantic but still edifying. Summer has always seen herself as lacking the artistic talent that her painter father has, but she has the opportunity to develop and recognize her abilities as a photographer.

In both versions she learns a devastating family truth, one that could very well destroy her relationship with her father.

Two Summers is an uncomplicated and leisurely summer read appropriate for younger teens.