Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman’s conversational prose and the heart-wrenching coming-of-age stories of Nina LaCour, There Will Be Other Summers is a queer YA contemporary about the complexities of disability, discovering the wrong ways to be not okay, and how platonic soulmates can change your world overnight.
Ryn is morbidly fascinated by the ocean, and he constantly thinks of ways he might let it consume his life. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him from drowning. He might see past his sadness if he could still…well, see.
Asher lives for the future, counting the days until she turns eighteen when she’ll be old enough to move out of her mother’s house and feel some control over how she spends her time. She tries to see the good in everyone, probably for the best since she blocks out what they say about her. Not by choice, but she does it.
When Asher and Ryn meet in a group therapy exercise where they have to exchange letters, it’s unclear who saves whose life overnight. And when they make a pact to trade their lives for the remainder of the summer, it’s evident that they’ve both found the person who truly understands them: it’s only with Asher that Ryn can be himself—a lonely blind boy who might not be so alone after all. And it’s only with Ryn that Asher stops feeling so self-conscious about her deafness that she can forget to count down the days and start living them. They spend their summer trading letters and the brightest days of their lives, but when Asher finds a tearstained letter from a mysterious writer, it becomes clear that she’ll have to choose between whom she cares more about saving.
Please note that this book depicts issues of ableism, anxiety, depression, hospitalisation, suicidal ideation, and transphobia. I have done my best to approach these topics with sensitivity, but if you feel this kind of content may be triggering for you, please be aware.
Praise for There Will Be Other Summers
Curious, contemplative, and heart-achingly tender, There Will Be Other Summers is a poignant snapshot of being understood. With thoughtful disability, queer, and mental health rep, Anderson shows the myriad ways we can be there for each other when it seems the world is shutting us out.
Cass Biehn, author of Vesuvius
Anderson expertly plumbs the agonies of adolescence, and their prose is sensitively blunt while frequently lightened with humor. These exceptionally diverse characters are so realistic, so carefully drawn, it’s difficult to remember that they are, in fact, fictional.
The BookLife Prize
To be known is to be loved, and There Will Be Other Summers neatly fills the need in the market for more platonic love stories. It’s also a thoughtful entry in the canon of coming-of-age novels, perfect for fans of Nina LaCour and John Green.
Emma Saska, author of March & Feather
A provocative story of friendship and family, and how two teens learn the important lesson that as long as they have each other, they can survive anything.
Reader Views
An honest look at the complexities of queer identity and mental health, addressing these topics with sensitivity and depth.
AuthorsReading.com
TandeWrites 