Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 320
Review Source: eARC from S & S GalleyGrab

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Anna is dreading another tourist-filled summer on Dune Island that follows the same routine: beach, ice cream, friends, repeat. That is, until she locks eyes with Will, the gorgeous and sweet guy visiting from New York. Soon, her summer is filled with flirtatious fun as Anna falls head over heels in love.

But with every perfect afternoon, sweet kiss, and walk on the beach, Anna can’t ignore that the days are quickly growing shorter, and Will has to leave at the end of August. Anna’s never felt anything like this before, but when forever isn’t even a possibility, one summer doesn’t feel worth the promise of her heart breaking….

My Thoughts:
This is a really sweet story about first love. It’s also a great summer book. Sometimes books that deal with all the stresses of the school year can weigh you down, so this is a perfect one to pick up when you’re in the mood for something lighter and fun.

Anna’s voice was clear, and she was a likeable protagonist. She’s a smart girl, and she longs for something more than the small island life she’s grown up with. I think we can all identify with wanting something bigger, something better, and Anna’s voice represents these desires. Will is the perfect first boyfriend. He’s the big city boy in for the summer, and he’s sweet and kind.

The island is a huge part of the story, and I loved exploring it along with Anna and Will. Sometimes setting can be ignored in a book that’s mostly about a character and their journey, but it definitely wasn’t in this one. All the swimming and biking made me feel like it was warm and sunny out, even though I read this in Canada in March (I'm in SW Ontario, but still!) I totally loved all the descriptions of the island locales and how they played into the story.

This book would need some other aspect for me to push it up to a must read, but I think younger YAs in particular will devour this sweet tale of summer romance. If you're looking for a simple summer romance story, then you will definitely want to pick this one up. For what it is, it's a great book. Also, I have to point out that if you don’t want some delicious homemade ice cream after reading this one (Anna’s family runs the ice cream parlour), then you’re crazy! I seriously need to experiment and make up some pineapple ginger ale ice cream pronto!

P.S. How about that cover? It's simple, but SO PRETTY. I love the colours so much.

Rating:
[3.5/5]

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