Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Anna has always been best friends with Matt and Frankie--they live next door, their parents are best friends. But over the last few years, Anna’s feelings for Matt have morphed into something more. On her fifteenth birthday, Matt lets her know that he feels the same way. For the next few weeks, Anna and Matt enjoy many secret late night meetings in the backyard. Matt wants to tell Frankie, his baby sister, and makes Anna promise not to tell. The night before leaving for their yearly trip to California, Matt dies.

Fast forward to a year later: Frankie still doesn’t know about Anna and Matt’s relationship. Frankie has become a boy-obsessed glamour girl--someone that Anna doesn’t recognize. They are still best friends, connected in their tragedy, but without all that much in common. It’s Frankie’s idea for them to meet a boy a day for their entire California vacation and Anna goes along with it, since she hates disappointing Frankie. What Anna didn’t bargain for is that she would meet someone who would actually mean something to her.

I really liked this. While it had the summer vacation lightness that I love, it also has some weight. Much like Sarah Dessen, Ockler does a wonderful job of making chick lit more than just fun and fluffy. Anna and Frankie are dealing with some serious emotional issues. The story is well written and the characters are all well-rounded. A coming-of-age story that doesn’t feel as heavy as most. Great read! This is Ockler’s first novel and I’m looking forward to more work from her in the future.