From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a big-hearted, sweeping novel about a girl who reconnects with a part of her family she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl—and falls in love, all over the course of a magical summer.
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family that she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is also divided into two people. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.
Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her—Emma or Saylor—will win out?
Emma Saylor doesn’t remember a lot about her mother, who died when Emma was twelve. But she does remember the stories her mom told her about the big lake that went on forever, with cold, clear water and mossy trees at the edges.
Now it’s just Emma and her dad, and life is good, if a little predictable…until Emma is unexpectedly sent to spend the summer with her mother’s family that she hasn’t seen since she was a little girl.
When Emma arrives at North Lake, she realizes there are actually two very different communities there. Her mother grew up in working class North Lake, while her dad spent summers in the wealthier Lake North resort. The more time Emma spends there, the more it starts to feel like she is also divided into two people. To her father, she is Emma. But to her new family, she is Saylor, the name her mother always called her.
Then there’s Roo, the boy who was her very best friend when she was little. Roo holds the key to her family’s history, and slowly, he helps her put the pieces together about her past. It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic of North Lake—and Saylor finds herself falling under Roo’s spell as well.
For Saylor, it’s like a whole new world is opening up to her. But when it’s time to go back home, which side of her—Emma or Saylor—will win out?
Sort:
Comments
2
RemusLupin
(Grade: A–) The setting of this story felt so real and the side characters were genuine and relatable. As usual, Dessen creates not just a character but a whole universe, and makes it not just about romance but about finding yourself and your place. Despite a few issues with plot pacing and characterization, this is the perfect summer read and I couldn’t put it down.
(Grade: A–) The setting of this story felt so real and the side characters were genuine and relatable. As usual, Dessen creates not just a character but a whole universe, and makes it not just about romance but about finding yourself and your place. Despite a few issues with plot pacing and characterization, this is the perfect summer read and I couldn’t put it down.(Rated on Jun 18, 2019)
2
bennettgavrish
(Grade: B+) Dessen delivers a cozy atmosphere with just the right blend of teen courtship, family drama, and self-discovery. The character arcs are well balanced and smartly paced to build to an emotional crescendo. Early on the narrator talks about sketching a family tree, which would have come in handy to print in the text as help for the reader. There’s nothing particularly progressive about Dessen’s plot choices, but it’s refreshing to find a present-day story not obsessed with feeling modern.
(Grade: B+) Dessen delivers a cozy atmosphere with just the right blend of teen courtship, family drama, and self-discovery. The character arcs are well balanced and smartly paced to build to an emotional crescendo. Early on the narrator talks about sketching a family tree, which would have come in handy to print in the text as help for the reader. There’s nothing particularly progressive about Dessen’s plot choices, but it’s refreshing to find a present-day story not obsessed with feeling modern.(Rated on Aug 16, 2019)