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Sometime in Summer

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From critically acclaimed author Katrina Leno comes a tender love letter to books and summertime, with a touch of magic.

Anna Lucia Bell believes in bad luck. Bad luck made her best friend stop talking to her. Bad luck caused her parents� divorce. Bad luck is forcing her mother, Miriam,to sell the family’s beloved bookstore. And it is definitely bad luckthat Anna seems to be the only person in the world Miriam is unable to recommend a life-changing book.

WhenAnna finds out that she and her mom are spendingtwo months in a New England seaside town called Rockport,she expects a summer plagued with bad luck too. But Rockport has surprises in store forAnna,including a comet making its first appearance in over twenty years and two new—but familiar—friends.

In what will prove to be the most important summer of herlife so far,Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2022

21 people are currently reading
5560 people want to read

About the author

Katrina Leno

10books1,179followers
Katrina Leno has written a few books. She has also read a few books. Ah, books. You know?

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5 stars
217 (28%)
4 stars
314 (40%)
3 stars
189 (24%)
2 stars
43 (5%)
1 star
9 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews
Profile Image for emma.
2,440 reviews85.1k followers
August 29, 2022
fall is for drinking hot drinks with a lot of spices in them, and wearing skirts and sweaters, and gazing lovingly at pretty stuff, and halloween. winter is for misery and frigidness (of both personality and temperature) and jolliness for approx one fortnight. spring is for FINALLY FEELING LIKE THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL OH MY GOD.

summer is for katrina leno books.

and, like, popsicles.

she fills her work with summer and magic and family and friends and growth and banter and everything i love and they're a goddamn treat every time.

this one was a little more middle grade-y - the primary relationship(s) are parental and our protagonist is FOURTEEN YEARS OLD - so this was doomed not to be my favorite. i miss the malfeasance and bickering and bad behavior.

but this was, as always, one of a kind.

bottom line: katrina leno is 1 of like 3 total things i'm a big fan of! (the other 2 are cookies and laying in bed doing nothing.)

(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)
Profile Image for Chelsea (chelseadolling reads).
1,532 reviews20.2k followers
August 9, 2022
This gave me all the child-of-separated-parents-feels and I loved this SO MUCH. It definitely sits just under Summer of Salt on my Katrina Leno favorites list and I cannot wait to re-read this for summers to come. My heart is very full!!!!

CW: divorce, drowning
Profile Image for Katrina Leno.
Author10 books1,179 followers
January 31, 2023
I wrote this book because I wanted to write something light and sweet and hopeful. I’m rating it 5 stars because I desire to be well-liked, if only by myself.
Profile Image for emily.
292 reviews2,450 followers
December 3, 2022
if you like: animated coming-of-age summer movies such as "when marnie was there" and "your name."
you need to: READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!!!!
Profile Image for Ashley (ashley's little library).
400 reviews2,051 followers
June 14, 2022
Katrina Leno has done it again! This younger YA contemporary read is reminiscent of one of Leno’s previous novels, Summer of Salt, but with its own charm and heart.

Sometime in Summer follows a 14-year-old girl, Anna, who’s faced with many coming-of-age woes—she’s in a fight with her best friend, she’s starting her period for the first time, and her parents are getting divorced, despite seemingly still being in love.

Anna escapes to the east coast for the summer with her mother, makes a few new (but familiar) friends, and learns a lot about love, luck, and a little bit about magic. �

While this book does start a little slow, and it admittedly took me ~200 pages into this 400 page book to feel fully immersed, it comes together in such a beautiful way. I absolutely adore the way Leno crafts her stories with a little bit of magic and a whole lot of heart.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt coming-of-age YA summer beach read, I would definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Brinley.
1,152 reviews73 followers
June 24, 2022
This one is a major case of its not the book, it's me. Because this one combines almost all of my least favorite things.

1st thing: . I wish I could rant about this piece to everyone, but it's a major spoiler, so sadly, I cannot.

2nd thing: The age group it caters to. I can read middle grade fantasy, but I can't read middle grade contemporary. I'm not the group who's supposed to read it, and it shows. From the beginning, I was irritated by the characters' immaturity and actions.

3rd thing: The length of it. This should not have been 400 pages. It was a major slog, with very little action. It mainly consisted of our main character (I already forgot her name) wandering around, being a bitch, and then wandering around again. I didn't even like her, so I definitely didn't like the book.

I will say, the coastal setting was kinda fun, along with the bookstore. The rest of this was severely lacking though. Not my book, and not one I ever want to look at again.

Thanks to TBR Beyond Tours for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Profile Image for talia ♡.
1,261 reviews324 followers
July 15, 2022
i don't know how she does it, but katrina leno just knows how to write the most perfect, summery, middle grade/ya books that are the ideal combination of heartfelt, tender, and funny. the vibes are immaculate.

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if the book has the word "summer" in the title and it's by katrina leno, you know it's going to be amazing
Profile Image for Reading_ Tamishly.
5,238 reviews3,341 followers
May 1, 2023
What a pleasure reading a YA time travel fiction with no hype surrounding it!

I absolute adore this book! The characters are flawed and realistic. The plot is good. The adult characters are mature and flawed like we all are. There’s friendship, there’s little to no romance. This book is purely a story that helps the reader to reflect on what hurt them now and in the past and how we can react towards them.

I won’t tell the blurb again here but if you are looking for a wholesome young adult fiction, do pick up this one.
Profile Image for Manoek (manoeksbooknook).
577 reviews37 followers
July 6, 2022
Katrina Leno is one of my favourite authors and Summer of Salt is in my top three favourite books of all time. I had been anticipating this book to come out for a long time and glad to report that it was exactly what I expected and more! It's this summery YA novel with a hint of magical realism like Summer of Salt and Everything all at Once (another 5 star read for me) by this author but with a younger main character.

We follow Anna who thinks she's a very unlucky person. In her 13th year of life her parents (who seem perfect together) announce to her that they're getting a divorce, she got her period and lost her best friend to a new girl in town. The book starts on her 14th birthday where her mom not only tells her that she is going to sell her beloved bookshop she owns but that she's also going away for two months during the summer break to the other side of the country to stay in her great aunts cottage who passed away. Away from her friends and everything she knows in Los Angeles. But her whole life is going to change when she steps on a plane to a small town on the East Coast.

Just like in Leno's other books the atmosphere of the small oceanside town is immaculate. You can picture it so well and smell the ocean salt, feel the wind and humid air sticking to your clothes and see the waves and shooting stars in the sky.

There isn't a huge plot we follow Anna her daily life while she explores the town but also herself. She's learning a lot about herself, her loved ones and the world. Even though I'm 23 years old I felt very connected to Anna and could see a lot of my own 14 year old self in her. Her imperfections like holding grudges and getting very closed off to people she loves was very much me at that age. And still me sometimes so I felt like I was even getting some life lessons from this book.

Like I wrote earlier, there's a lovely bit of magical realism in here which I always love in Leno's books. I can't say exactly what it is in this book because that will spoil a lot but even though I saw it coming really early on in the book I thought it was absolutely wonderful.

I also want to give a big shoutout to Anna her parents in this book: Miriam and Everett. They both seem like such good human beings and parents to Anna and even though they're getting a divorce they still love eachother, want the best for eachother and Anna and I think that's wonderful to see since that's definitely not always the case. They both also have very distinct characteristics and interests. And feel like fully fleshed out characters which isn't always the case with parents in YA books.

Speaking of interests of the parents. I also love how this book is an ode to reading and books. Even though our main character doesn't really like to read herself she does love her moms bookstore, it's her happy place, and her mom is perfect at picking out books for people that "will change their life" it talks a lot about different books, bookstores and Miriam is constantly with a nose in a book.

Overall I think this is another favourite Katrina Leno book for me and a perfect read during the summer!!
Profile Image for Celia.
Author7 books534 followers
May 25, 2022
Thank you Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and NOVL for the review copy!

This book is less Horrid and You Must Not Miss and more Summer of Salt (the most amazing magical realism book I have ever read). Anna is definitely the youngest protagonist (I haven't read her other works other than the aforementioned books so I might be wrong) at only fourteen. Boy does the cover image make her look older, but I digress. Anna's world is upended when her parents separate and her mother drops the bomb that they're spending the summer in Rockport, Massachusetts, and selling their bookstore in LA. Anna is just coming off a falling-out with her best friend, so part of her likes the thought of being away while the other part is depressed about the way her life is changing.

Like Summer of Salt, the setting of Rockport is a character in itself. I'm a MA native but have never been to Rockport (don't come at me!) but I sank into the salt in the air and the sound of the waves. The fudge store and the cozy cottage.

The family dynamic is also raw and real and heartbreaking. Anna's parents are trying their best to make their divorce go as smoothly as possible so as to not traumatize Anna and I appreciate that. Miriam (the mother) says something along the lines of, "we never fought around you," when Anna asks why they were divorcing if they never fought with each other. It's touching and a testament to their love for Anna.

I guessed what was happening not long after being introduced to Anna's friends but it didn't take away from the magic.

Overall, I loved this book. Note, that it is on the younger side of YA, bordering on MG, but is the perfect summer read.

Next time I'm home in MA, I'll be sure to visit Rockport.
Profile Image for Shannon.
7,281 reviews396 followers
July 27, 2022
A sweet middle grade (more than YA) book about a young 14 year old girl dealing with her parent's divorce and the summer she spends on Cape Cod helping her mother pack up the beach house while also magically meeting younger versions of her parents. Full of heart and magical realism. Recommended for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon and great on audio.
Profile Image for kailyn!.
191 reviews10 followers
September 4, 2022
SO unexpected, but i loved it. anna really went through self-acceptance and acceptance of the people and situations around her. <3
Profile Image for Lucy Keating.
Author3 books517 followers
February 2, 2022
WOW, did I love this. I fell hard for Anna Lucia Bell on page one and I rooted for her every step of the way. I can't say too much without spoiling it, but there is real magic in this book! A perfect coming-of age-tale.
Profile Image for Jessica *The Lovely Books*.
1,260 reviews647 followers
May 10, 2022
Sometime in Summer is a beautiful coming-of-age story about a girl who believes in luck. At the moment when the book first starts, she’s convinced she has all the bad luck. First, her parents are divorcing, she and her best friend aren’t on speaking terms, and the family bookstore is going to be sold. Yes, I would say that sounds like a lot of bad luck!

When Anna and her mother go to Rockport for the summer, I had no idea what to expect. But magic wasn’t it! That was a pleasant surprise. The whole ordeal involving Anna and the two people she befriends was the coolest thing. I love how the story is about fate. Sometimes things happen just the way they’re supposed to. And sometimes things happen and we have no control over it.

Anna is amazing and real. So many times I read about teenagers that are unrealistic. Anna is perfectly unperfect in the most beautiful ways. She grows in so many ways. The secondary characters were great to read about as well. Overall, I loved this book and the wonderful message it sent to us.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Angel Eisnaugle _thebookangel_.
161 reviews75 followers
January 6, 2024
What a beautiful magical book. Anna Lucia Bell turns 14 years old at the beginning of the book. This coming of age story is so special. Leno writes small beachy towns so well you can imagine being there. Anna Lucia is dealing with her parents divorce when her mom takes her on a vacation from LA to Rockport in New England to close up and sell her aunt’s cottage. She meets two new friends who feel familiar to her while venturing out at night. This was just a wholesome, wonderful read. Reminded of a YA/middle grade version of One Italian Summer.
Profile Image for Gina.
756 reviews29 followers
July 10, 2023
I liked this story. A story of family, friends, and dealing with change.

Leno writes magical realism really well, it's always bittersweet and sentimental. I've enjoyed most of the previous YA magical realism novels. This one was no different.

There is nothing I disliked about this book, but it did not feel like a five star book just because the protagonist was 14, so I couldn't really relate to her much. Well, except for her struggles in her friendships. I actually wanted to know more about Miriam, she was so interesting.

It was sort of a love letter to books as well. It has me wondering whether I've read my one life-altering book.
Profile Image for Maddie.
632 reviews17 followers
June 14, 2023
Katrina Leno has done it again (made me cry at girl learning about life and love in a small town by the water)!
Profile Image for Mady.
1,327 reviews27 followers
July 20, 2023
This was a random accidental read that turned out much better than anticipated!

This is the summer when Anna is 14. She is still trying to come to terms with her parents' separation about a year ago. She was just told that they will need to sell the family's bookshop. And she'll spend two months with her mother in a seaside village on the East Coast (as far as it gets from her West Coast hometown). Of course, on top of this there is also the usual teenage drama, friendships and awkwardness.

(I understand the reason, but) I've found it strange that throughout the book Anna calls per parents by their names, but then towards the end she refers to them also as mom and dad.
Profile Image for Tabassum Irin (whatirinreads).
177 reviews107 followers
September 26, 2022
Sometime in Summer was a truly enchanting book! It’s been a while since I last read a book with a young protagonist ~ Anna is only 14, so reading about her was really refreshing! The storyline had a bookish theme that I absolutely adored! I loved the literary references, and the conversations surrounding books a lottttt. Mirium had a very Lorelai Gilmore vibe, and the mother-daughter relationship between Mirium and Anna reminded me of The Gilmore Girls countless times. Anna’s sass and sarcastic comments made me laugh my heart out 😂�

The family dynamic in Sometime in Summer was really well-written too. The author expressed Anna’s feelings about her parents' divorce heartbreakingly. I wanted to give her so many hugs along the way. And as this is a Katrina Leno book, there was a magical realism plot (DUH) that I fell head over heels for. :�)

If you’re looking for a heartfelt read, I highly recommend picking Sometime in Summer!
Profile Image for Alyssa Lentz.
773 reviews8 followers
April 15, 2022
Something about Katrina Leno's books always leaves me feeling so safe and taken care of, and this one was no exception. This is such a heartfelt and warm story with the elements of light fantasy she does so well. I think this is one of those rare books that sits somewhere between middle grade and young adult and straddles the line perfectly, and readers will find lessons about change and growing up that feel so genuine and well-delivered. I would recommend this story to readers who like books with strong family dynamics, cozy settings, and fantasy woven into primarily realistic plots.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for hallie.
33 reviews
November 8, 2021
Another wonderful book from Katrina!! What a lovely concept and story. It was a joy to watch Anna grow over the course of her summer.

One of the themes that really stuck out to me was that things don't just happen to us, but to other people, too, and in different ways. And that how the way you handle it is vs. how someone else handles it, is not necessarily good or bad, or wrong or right.

(I promise I'm not just saying nice things because I received an ARC from the author.)

Profile Image for Maura (thenovelmaura).
512 reviews
August 1, 2022
Thank you to The NOVL for sending me this ARC in exchange for my review! I'm a huge Katrina Leno fan so I was over the moon when I saw this one in my mailbox. I love how she writes contemporaries that end up turning any expectation you have for the genre on its head.

This book made me want to hop on a plane from LA to Massachusetts, just like Anna and her mom did. As an East Coaster living in SoCal, it was the perfect blend of nostalgia and summertime magic. I'll admit that this book started out pretty slow for me (it evokes the general lethargy of a summer vacation by the shore really well) but once the main plot kicked into gear, I flew through the last half. No spoilers, so I can only say that I was pleasantly surprised by where the story went!

Anna is fourteen years old, so this one falls on the younger side of YA. I think her insecurities and how she grows into her identity throughout the summer will deeply resonate with teen readers, but I found plenty to appreciate in her reflections on her relationships with her friends and parents. Learning how to apologize and commit to being a better friend in the future is a lesson that plenty of adults could learn from Anna, too! All in all, I think any contemporary YA fan who dreams of spending a few lazy summer days by the Atlantic will enjoy this one.
Profile Image for belle ☆ミ (thisbellereadstoo).
2,435 reviews175 followers
August 21, 2023
this was strangely hard to read. anna's parents are divorcing and while it's amicable, they still have love for one another and that's confusing to anna. how can they act like before when they have decided to split up? it's even harder when anna experienced something bizarre–she travelled back in time. as she befriended emmy and beck, something odd is happening and anna's summer becomes more magical. not only is anna's parents divorcing, anna's mom has decided to close the bookstore that anna knew and had lived in for her entire life. it was her safe harbour and it's going away. furthermore, friendships are hard for anna and maybe she's just a little bit more stubborn than she should be.

overall, this book is about anna and her parents. i think emmy and beck's story made it more confusing for anna to accept the current state of her life, with her parents divorcing but being friends still. the author did a great job in developing the plot and handled anna's feelings with care by having sweet, honest, and communicative parents.
Profile Image for Kendra.
110 reviews1 follower
July 1, 2023
I really loved this book because it's not the usual romance book blah blah

It's a book focused on the self reflection of the main character and her development, but with a bit of a SF twist.
This book truly teaches some important lessons about love but also about how stubborn someone can be and how when thinking they're the person hurting most in the world, usually that's not true (*cough cough* sometimes I'm that person too).

Also while i was reading this book which is literally also about believing and luck and yk deja vus and stuff... Many things happened to me in these two weeks that were in the book. The main one was that i was also away to a much hotter and wetter place that i got attached to and now that i finished the book on the road back from this vacation it really hits different because i am truly feeling like the character😭. I'm gonna miss that place a lott.
But honestly there were soo many other similarities between my life and the book which is weirdd af😳
Profile Image for Kayla.
670 reviews13 followers
April 19, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. This definitely felt like the youngest novel I've read by Katrina Leno so it definitely wasn't my favorite. It was weird relating more to the mother figure more than the main protagonist. This also didn't have the same magic I've felt from the past books I've read by this author. The magical realism aspect is definitely toned down and more predictable. With that being said, I still think Katrina Leno is an amazing author. It's hard to get me to enjoy a YA Contemporary story at this point in my life and I did enjoy this one, even if it wasn't a new favorite. I really wish I'd had this book when I was about 13-14 like our MC. I think she learned some great lessons and went through some similar hardships I did when I was that age. I hope this gets in the hands of the right readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 201 reviews

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