In That Summer, 15-year-old Haven does
a lot of growing up. This is partly
physical – she is already tall and she just keeps on shooting up. Mostly, though, it is emotionally. The summer starts out with her
TV-sports-reporter father marrying his new wife, the weathergirl on the same
news show. Haven remains stoic through
the event, conscious of the pain that her father had caused her mother in
leaving her for the younger woman. But
the main event of the summer will be her sister Ashley’s wedding. Her household is in constant turmoil with
all the preparations, and Haven herself is more anxious about it than she likes
to admit. Once her sister leaves home,
she will be left alone with her mother, and she is not thrilled about
this. She is also unsure whether her
sister is making the right decision in marrying Lewis Warsher, who seems far
duller than some of Ashley’s previous boyfriends. When Ashley’s old boyfriend Sumner Lee returns to town, Haven
reminisces how charismatic he was and how he seemed a far better partner for
her sister. The stage is set for the
summer’s big plans to be upset.

The most impressive feature of Sarah Dressen’s novel
is that the important changes that do occur are in Haven, whose experiences
lead her to a more realistic understanding of relationships. The novel proceeds at a brisk pace, with
interwoven subplots concerning her job at the mall, her mother facing her future
as a divorced woman, and her father’s new marriage. Haven tells her story vividly, and it is easy to sympathize with
her feelings of awkwardness about her appearance. One of the most memorable scenes is at the mall, at a pageant for
local models, where the guest of honor is a now-famous woman who came from the
region. When the event ends
dramatically, it clear that the young woman has sacrificed a great deal for her
success. As a coming-of-age novel set
firmly in the middle class American suburbs, That Summer is a nice
example of the genre for young adults. 
The unabridged audiobook is read by Mia Baron, who does an excellent
job.

© 2003 Christian Perring. All rights reserved.

Christian Perring, Ph.D., is
Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island, and editor
of Metapsychology Online Review. His main research is on philosophical
issues in medicine, psychiatry and psychology.

Categories: Children