The Other Side of Summer - Hardcover

Gale, Emily

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062656740 ISBN 13: 9780062656742

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2017

Synopsis

A heartfelt and voice-driven novel with just a touch of magic, Emily Gale's The Other Side of Summer is perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead.

Ever since her brother Floyd died, Summer’s world has been falling apart. Her mom is a ghost of her former self, her older sister is angry all the time, and her dad wants to move the family to Australia. It seems like the only thing unchanged in their lives is Floyd’s guitar, which was returned to the family perfectly unharmed by the bombing that killed him.

Once Summer arrives in Australia, she feels even further away from Floyd than before. Until she works up the courage to play his guitar. When she plays, something amazing—perhaps even magical—happens. Summer starts to feel less alone. But even with a little magic on her side, only Summer will be able to find her way through her grief to whatever the other side may bring.

“This pitch-perfect story is full of hope and magic. Exquisite and unforgettable.”—Fiona Wood, author of Six Impossible Things, Wildlife, and Cloudwish

About this title

About the Author

Emily Gale has worked in the children's book industry for nearly 20 years, as an editor, a reader for a literary agent, and a children's book buyer for Readings, where she initiated the Readings Children's Book Prize in 2014.
Hailing from London but a resident of Melbourne for nine years, Emily's first Australian Young Adult novel was Steal My Sunshine (2013), followed by The Other Side of Summer (2016). Eliza Boom, a hapless inventor, is her junior fiction character.

From School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—When 13-year-old Summer's brother Floyd dies in a bombing, her family members have difficulty coping. Her mom is depressed and barely leaves her bedroom, her older sister Wren is dark and angry, and her dad wants to move the family from London to Melbourne, Australia. Summer, her dad, and her sister make the move to Australia while her mom stays behind. Summer feels alone, angry, and even further removed from her memories of her brother until she discovers sheet music of Floyd's and works up the courage to play his Ibanez Artwood guitar, his prized possession, which was returned to the family unharmed after the accident. When Summer is near the guitar, she can speak to her brother in her head. When she begins to play, a mysterious boy named Gabe appears. Summer's efforts to figure out Gabe's story, and his possible connection with her brother, bring her mourning family together. Gale realistically portrays how grief impacts each member of a family differently and explores the challenges of losing someone and struggling to find them again in a new and different way. VERDICT Fans of Rebecca Stead will gravitate to this heartfelt and beautiful tale that fits perfectly in the gray area between middle grade and young adult.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0062656740
• ISBN 13: 9780062656742
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 336