Horn Book (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Kate and her mother spend the summer visiting friends on Cape Cod, far from their Utah home. Kate's resentment over her upended plans dwindles when she develops feelings for Adam, a friend of her hosts' daughter. This girl-meets-boy story is familiar but appealing; still, it's unlikely that a teen would be so oblivious to the disintegration of her parents' stormy marriage.

Kirkus Reviews

Kate's dreams of a perfect summer are dashed when her mother announces that she is taking her from their home in Utah to stay at an old friend's house on Cape Cod. While her mother receives the support she needs for her failing marriage, Kate has to fend for herself. She manages to make a few friends, find a job teaching tennis and meet Adam. At first Kate imagines a fun summer fling, but her feelings for Adam quickly become more complicated. Kate is simultaneously oblivious to the reality of her parents' situation and completely sensitive to her own emotional life. While understandable and developmentally appropriate to a point, Kate's obtuseness in the face of obvious evidence may well leave readers frustrated. Realistic dialogue and a quick pace keep the story lively, but uneven character development, unlikely plot twists and an overly familiar plot keep this from hitting its mark . (Fiction. 12 & up)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Kantor (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Breakup Bible) writes a funny and intimate story of summer romance and family conflict featuring 16-year-old Kate, who wishes she could be more like the independent heroine of Hemingway's <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">The Sun Also Rises, Lady Brett Ashley (“without a doubt the coolest woman in the world”). But Kate's plans to spend a peaceful summer writing, reading and playing tennis go awry when her mother, wanting a temporary separation from Kate's father, whisks Kate away to stay with old friends at their summer house in Cape Cod. Besides resenting being uprooted, Kate feels uncomfortable around the friends' daughter, Sarah, who is less than pleased to have Kate tagging along. Amusingly neurotic as a narrator, Kate gradually gains confidence as she cultivates friendships with other teenagers, especially cute Adam (“Was it my imagination, or did he say <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">big serious relationship as if it were a repugnant political party”). The changes in Kate are both gradual and realistic, as she learns painful lessons about love, her parents' failing marriage and her own needs. Her emotional journey and acute self-consciousness are likely to strike a chord. Ages 12–up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Gr 6-9 Salt Lake City native Katie, 16, is planning a great summer with her friend Laura. She is registered for a fiction writing class and has scheduled daily tennis practices, activities that will keep her out of the house so that she can avoid her warring parents. Suddenly her mom announces that she and Kate will be spending the summer on Cape Cod, at her old friends' house. Although Kate is unhappy that her plans have been shelved, she looks forward to spending time with Sarah, the pretty, self-confident and super-cool hosts' daughter. Unfortunately, Sarah is clearly less than pleased to have a new sidekick. Kate determines to make the best of the situation and lands a job teaching tennis, and eventually Sarah mellows enough to be friendly and include her socially. Kate falls hard for good-looking, smart Adam, necessitating her to deal with a complicated romantic relationship while coping with her parents' possible divorce. In this engaging and satisfying novel, nothing earth-shattering happens but the dialogue is witty and readers will relate to the realistically described roller coaster of emotions of a typical suburban teenager. This is the perfect book to give to a someone who loves Maureen Daly's teen classic, Seventeenth Summer (S & S, 1981), or Kantor's earlier books. Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY