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In spite of the title of this book, your main character isn’t just some silly, giggly girl. Sure, Julia discovers boys—or at least, one particular boy—during the titular summer in this story. But the boy in question is more like a symbol of something else: the fact that Julia is growing up, and that she’s growing up without her mother around.
At its heart, The Summer Before Boys is a story about what it’s like to be the child of a deployed soldier. But its messages about what remains steady, even in the face of uncertainty, will ring true for any reader.
Genre: Fiction (Tween/YA)
Jenny’s rating (out of 5 stars): 4
You’ll like this book if: You know the confusion, loneliness—and also the joy—that accompanies growing up.
You won’t like this book if: A story with a deployed parent is too harrowing.
