Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The Summer of Everything
AUTHOR: Julian Winters
PUBLISHER: Interlude Press
LENGTH: 306 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2020
BLURB:
Adulting is hard. Just ask Wes Hudson. An avid comic book geek, Wes excels at two things: slacking off and pining after his best friend, Nico. Advice from his friends, ‘90s alt-rock songs, and online dating articles aren’t helping much with his secret crush. And his dream job at Once Upon a Page, the local indie bookstore, is threatened when a coffee shop franchise wants to buy the property. To top it off, his family won’t stop pestering him about picking a college major. When all three problems converge, Wes must face the one thing he’s been avoiding—adulthood.
REVIEW:
The Summer of Everything is about the progression of life, unavoidable change, the love of friendship, and self-doubt. It focuses on the summer before the freshman year of college for a group of friends on the cusp of adulthood, preparing to go their separate ways. This group of friends – not all college age or college bound – have been united through their employment at and patronage of Once Upon a Page, an independent bookstore in Santa Monica, California.
Protagonist Wesley Hudson is a nerdy, best friend crushing, comic book loving, list composing eighteen-year-old boy passing time before adulthood hits in the fall. He doesn’t want to adult but he’s being pressured by his father to set some goals for the future and choose a college major and a career path. He’s being crushed under the weight of the pressure to Choose! Choose! Choose!
Wes is waiting for his Survival Guide to Being an Adult handbook to show up, but it never does.
Once Upon a Page is a safe haven, a sanctuary, a second home for Wes. His actual family home is a loft above the bookstore so he grew up spending his spare time with his nose among the books, and then working for Mrs. Rossi, the owner, mostly in his cherished comic book corner. But now the store is facing impending closure at the end of the summer. The day he discovers this news becomes one of the most tragic days in Wes’ young life.
…Wes wanted this one thing for himself. One place to hide from change. One piece of his childhood just in case he makes all the wrong decisions as an adult. One constant when everything around him is moving in opposing directions.
So poor Wes is facing three major problems: having to develop a five-year plan; working with his friends trying to save Once Upon a Page from demise; and … telling his lifelong best friend, Nico Alvarez, that he’s in love with him. Nico – skateboarder extraordinaire, superb big brother, and Pinterest lover – is a darling character. Wes and Nico have a wonderful friendship with the perfect BFF chemistry. Every day of the summer, Wes tell himself he’s going to share his feelings with Nico, but it never seems to be the right moment (i.e. he’s chicken) and he continues to drag his feet.
Chosen family and the love of friendship are pervasive themes throughout the book; these kids are there to support each other on a daily basis. Among the main characters and the most prominent secondary characters, the racial diversity (black, biracial, Latinx, Polynesian, white) and LGBTQ+ representation (gay, bi, lesbian, asexual, aromantic, transgender) is remarkable. This is a colorful cast, literally and figuratively. Is such diversity unrealistic among one group of friends? Perhaps – or maybe they’re drawn together because of that reason – either way, the representation in this book is more than welcome. The author touches on issues of racial equality and privilege through an interesting discussion between Wes and one of the friends, Zay.
Wes is biracial and gay, Nico is Latin and bisexual. Among the group of friends, standout characters include hilarious but caring, Instagram obsessed Cooper, and transgender Lucas, a young customer who gradually comes into themselves largely because of Wes’ attention to their needs. There’s also Wes’ second-best friend, Ella, a goth, plus-size girl with an exuberant personality and loaded with confidence. Notable is that the young male characters are open with their feelings and can express themselves and care for each other, unlike how males are so often portrayed, and indeed, expected to behave.
Santa Monica has a starring role; in fact, the book could be an ode to this funky oceanside town. Julian Winters has created a detailed picture of Wes’ beloved home including the bookstore, the pier, the skateboard culture, the lights, the sunsets, and more. The music the kids play in the store also plays a significant role, and the frequent pop-culture references add to the book’s enjoyment.
If you enjoy the young adult genre, I encourage you to try The Summer of Everything. There’s a universality that most of us can relate to in some way, shape, or form: facing the uncertainty of the future, losing something of great importance, or pining over someone but not being able to communicate those feelings. When Wes and Nico finally admit their mutual attraction, the chemistry is strong. And it’s a slooow burn. The epilogue is fantastic and explains their lives one year out, as well as that of all the primary characters. Happy for now endings are had by all.
I only want two things in the world. I want you. I want us.
RATING: 
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