The first middle grade novel from internationally bestselling author Ally Condie comes to paperback.
It's the first real summer since the accident that killed Cedar's father and younger brother, Ben. Cedar and what’s left of her family are returning to the town of Iron Creek for the summer. They’re just settling into their new house when a boy named Leo, dressed in costume, rides by on his bike. Intrigued, Cedar follows him to the renowned Summerlost theatre festival. Soon, she not only has a new friend in Leo and a job working concessions at the festival, she finds herself surrounded by mystery. The mystery of the tragic, too-short life of the Hollywood actress who haunts the halls of Summerlost. And the mystery of the strange gifts that keep appearing for Cedar.
Infused with emotion and rich with understanding, Summerlost is the touching new novel from Ally Condie, the international bestselling author of the Matched series that highlights the strength of family and personal resilience in the face of tragedy. Great for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and The Thing About Jellyfish.
“Kids are awesome. And they are diverse. There are children with different abilities and backgrounds and experiences, and every one of them deserves to find themselves in children's literature and to know that they matter.” –Ally Condie, on Summerlost
“Funny, sad, sweet, and heartwarming.” –Parents.com, Special Needs Now blog
★ "Condie is at her best . . . grabbing readers’ interest from the first page." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A nuanced portrait of grief deeply grounded in the middle-school mind-set." —Booklist
"Honest, lovely, and sad." —Kirkus Reviews
★ "Thoughtful, poetic chapter endings guide readers new to psychological depth toward meaningful connections between plot events and thematic reflections." —BCCB, starred review
This book is heart-wrenching. I love Condie's style, and was initially attracted to the book because of that. It didn't disappoint, but is so different from her Matched series. I recommend this for upper elementary and middle grade readers, especially those who may be dealing with loss. Cedar is so delicate in the way she talks about losing her dad and brother, and yet, she has knowledge about loss that I could never dream of. So, so good.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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10 October, 2017:
Finished reading
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10 October, 2017:
Reviewed