The perfect teen beach read

I often find that it's a challenge to find beach reads that teens will want to read, something that's more sophisticated than tween-oriented "tales from middle school" titles that are meant for the younger set, but not quite the kind of books that one might find in Mom's beach bag. Cecilia Vinesse strikes that balance in The Summer of Us, a perfect summer read for teen readers around 14. (Although my age is the reverse of those numbers and I enjoyed it, too!)

American expat Aubrey has two left in Europe before she is scheduled to leave for college. The trouble is, she's nowhere near ready for that next chapter. As one last hurrah before school, Aubrey and her BFF Rae plan a trip across Europe, from Paris to Barcelona and many stops in between. They want to explore all that the continent has to offer, from museums to the best food and drink, along with their friends Clara, Gabe, and Jonah.

But you know what they say about the best laid plans...

Before long, hidden secrets come to the fore, and what was supposed to be the trip of dreams soon turns into a disaster. There are secret crushes, complicated pasts, and lots of other complications thrown into the mix in this story of the endless possibilities of warm summer nights, the euphoria of first kisses, and the pain of saying goodbye and not knowing what the future holds.

This is a coming-of-age story with substance! Whether you're staying close to home or travelling around Europe like Aubrey and Rae and the gang this summer, toss this great book in your teen's bag!

#bookreview #Summer2018 #SummerReading #HachetteBookGroup