Book Description

A sweet, tender middle-grade story of two boys finding first love with each other over a seaside summer.

Jeremy is not excited about the prospect of spending the summer with his dad and his uncle in a seaside cabin in Oregon. It’s the first summer after his parents’ divorce, and he hasn’t exactly been seeking alone time with his dad. He doesn’t have a choice, though, so he goes… and on his first day takes a walk on the beach and finds himself intrigued by a boy his age running by. Eventually, he and Runner Boy (Evan) meet — and what starts out as friendship blooms into something neither boy is expecting… and also something both boys have been secretly hoping for.

Review

Thoughts and Themes: This was a book that I was drawn to because of the beautiful cover and was very happy to get an advanced reading copy on Edelweiss and in the mail. I am very glad that I read this one because there was so much to love and I think middle grade readers would really enjoy this book.

I really enjoy how flustered Jeremy is about his crush and how it reminds me of just being that age when everything is confusing, scary, and overwhelming. I loved getting to read his reactions to things and him struggling just to send a message to Evan.

I loved the setting of this book because of how carefree it made everything seem. It was nice to see both of the boys just kind of enjoy their time together even if they are aware that this time isn’t forever. I liked how they just got time to be kids especially away from their parental figures. I really enjoyed the scenes in which you remember that they are in between being children and being teenagers, and what that must be like.

Characters: In this book you are introduced to a few characters through their interactions with our main character, Jeremy. You get to meet his crush, Evan, his dad, mom, Evan’s grandmother and a few other people on the beach.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Jeremy and Evan and how that develops through the course of this book. It just took me back to my first relationship and how carefree it was and how different dating as a teen was compared to now. I loved how they had their own language to communicate with each other regarding birds. I loved how they had this little world that was their own and it was like nothing could go wrong in that space.

I also liked getting to read about Jeremy’s relationship with his mom, dad, and uncle. I liked seeing how each of those relationships were different from one another. I liked to see why they responded in certain ways and I really liked to see how Jeremy’s relationship with his parents shifted how he responded to certain things.

Writing Style: This story is told in third person through the perspective of Jeremy which is something that I really enjoyed. As the story is told through Jeremy’s perspective it is clear that you are reading a story about a young teenager.

Author Information

Will Taylor (he/they) is a reader, writer, and honeybee fan. He lives in the heart of downtown Seattle surrounded by all the seagulls and not quite too many teacups. When not writing he can be found searching for the perfect bakery, talking to trees in parks, and completely losing his cool when he meets longhaired dachshunds. His books include Maggie & Abby’s Neverending Pillow Fort; Maggie & Abby and the Shipwreck Treehouse; Slimed; Catch That Dog!; and The Language of Seabirds.