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Not Your Ordinary Summer
Fourteen-year-old Kylah Hendricks has already found her first love. The softball fields. Introduced to the sport by her late mother in early elementary school, Kylah has dreamed of participating in the Senior League World Series on ESPN. This summer is her chance to be the first Black girl in the world to win the international championship as the lead pitcher.
However, Kylah jeopardizes this opportunity through a number of serious mistakes.
Plagued by memories of her deceased parents, Kylah struggles to keep her emotions in check on and off the softball field while the truth of her family’s history is kept secret by her older brother Jarell. Angered by the lack of answers and deeply resistant to forgiveness, Kylah engages in destructive behavior at home and at school, affecting her performance in the pitcher’s circle. Her advocates try to support her with accountability measures, but their efforts often fall short.
Kylah must decide if she will allow these circumstances to break or mold her into the young woman she’s destined to a resilient girl who breaks generational trauma through quality relationships and compassion while aiming to be a world champion to make her mother proud and overcome her family’s tumultuous past.
However, Kylah jeopardizes this opportunity through a number of serious mistakes.
Plagued by memories of her deceased parents, Kylah struggles to keep her emotions in check on and off the softball field while the truth of her family’s history is kept secret by her older brother Jarell. Angered by the lack of answers and deeply resistant to forgiveness, Kylah engages in destructive behavior at home and at school, affecting her performance in the pitcher’s circle. Her advocates try to support her with accountability measures, but their efforts often fall short.
Kylah must decide if she will allow these circumstances to break or mold her into the young woman she’s destined to a resilient girl who breaks generational trauma through quality relationships and compassion while aiming to be a world champion to make her mother proud and overcome her family’s tumultuous past.
Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2024
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About the author
Janee Thompson
2 books13 followersBorn and raised in Wisconsin, author, educator, and blogger Janee Thompson pens novels that capture the experiences of Black teens and Black new adults in ways that are raw, relatable, accessible, and unapologetic. These novels transcend notions that leisure reading for Black readers must be about navigating racial stereotypes, overcoming pain caused by anti- black violence, police brutality, or systemic racism. The experiences of Black teens and new adults are multifaceted and dynamic. We deserve to read more of these diverse experiences absent of white supremacy, and Janee is intentional about making these stories known. Her debut novel is Looking Beyond the Ordinary.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 23, 2021
First of all, if you haven't read Looking Beyond the Ordinary, please do that now because this book is a continuation of the rollercoaster ride that is Janee Thompson.
There's just so much that happens and I can't talk 'bout NONE of it because it would ruin the twists and turns. I will say this: you will side-eye, suck your teeth, roll your eyes, yell at the book, and say "wait...WHAT?!", "oh HELLL naw" and "she said what she said" a lot!
An excellent sequel to the first book and I am definitely looking forward to the third book in the series because I'm wondering what the hell else Janee can POSSIBLY have up her sleeve!
There's just so much that happens and I can't talk 'bout NONE of it because it would ruin the twists and turns. I will say this: you will side-eye, suck your teeth, roll your eyes, yell at the book, and say "wait...WHAT?!", "oh HELLL naw" and "she said what she said" a lot!
An excellent sequel to the first book and I am definitely looking forward to the third book in the series because I'm wondering what the hell else Janee can POSSIBLY have up her sleeve!
October 9, 2021
Speechless. That’s the word I’d use to describe how I’m currently feeling. I can’t even put my feelings into words. The first book, Looking Beyond The Ordinary, left me feeling shocked, connected, and all over surprised. I connected to these characters the more and more I got to know them and their struggles. There’s nothing I could say badly about this series. Everything was perfect, even though the situations the characters went through weren’t so perfect. I could not put this book down. The last chapters left me shocked and emotional over and over again. I can’t believe how amazing this book is. Janee, you have once again left me shocked and extremely in love with a series! Not only is this series so good, but I love that it brings so much awareness to issues that many people face, but don’t talk about much. Thank you Janee for gifting me an ARC ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This series truly changed me just as the characters changed. I absolutely can’t wait to read any future books you write! Thank you! ❤️
December 11, 2023
If you think the first book (Looking Beyond the Ordinary), then you will love this next one. As someone who felt sorry for Jarell in the first book, it was great to understand life from his perspective as it uncovers his past trauma in this continuation of Looking Beyond the Ordinary. The suspense was amazingly written. I recommend this great read, especially if you are into suspenseful YA fiction.
June 27, 2024
This is my favorite of the series so far. It was nice to see Jade mature into a caring adult. I appreciated the real struggles that the characters tackle in the book.
August 5, 2024
Once again, the write has taken us on a journey with a character that targets life's most delicate issues. As we read, we can see some of our own experiences on life's journey or place ourselves in the characters shoes. There are points in the story where we can't stand a character only to love them later own. This third book has shown us another side to the store that we thought we knew but, from the perspective of a different person each time. I highly recommend you purchase all three books and take the journey with the writer. You will not be able to put these books down!
August 13, 2024
Not Your Ordinary Summer is the part or the Ordinary series that can be read on its own without reading the first two books. However, in order to really understand how the characters were shaped into who they are today, reading the first two books (Looking Beyond the Ordinary, No Ordinary Vengeance) would be an added benefit.
This book in particular follows Kylah, a middle school teenager (14 years old), who is trying to navigate a new life after a series of events unfold leading her to live with her now adult brother, Jarell Hendricks.
In the first two books, Kaylah was a very sweet little girl who adored her older brother. With the family dynamic changing due to unfortunate events (no spoilers), Kylah has become a completely different person, which makes sense given she is a teen. I had a hard time liking her at first because I was so used to the sweet little girl from book one, but with everything she went through I don’t blame her. I appreciated how Kylah doesn’t care what others think of her despite having an older brother who is blind. I also love how she channels her anger in positive ways either through her drawings or her game on the softball field.
In addition, Not Your Summer puts a perspective on mental health in middle school. This stands out to me because mental health is not taken seriously in middle school or within the black household as it should be. As someone who faced bullying and rejection during that time of my life, I believe her anger is justified and relatable.
Similar to the first two books of the series, the writing style and look of the book makes it easier to read and follow along. I appreciate the visuals of the text messages in the novel which is a big step up from the first two books.
The drama from the perspective of the main character takes me back to when I was in middle school where situations that were not a big deal to adults meant the world to me. This entire series should be a reminder to show empathy no matter the circumstances.
Thank you Janee for this great read and addition to the ordinary series.
This book in particular follows Kylah, a middle school teenager (14 years old), who is trying to navigate a new life after a series of events unfold leading her to live with her now adult brother, Jarell Hendricks.
In the first two books, Kaylah was a very sweet little girl who adored her older brother. With the family dynamic changing due to unfortunate events (no spoilers), Kylah has become a completely different person, which makes sense given she is a teen. I had a hard time liking her at first because I was so used to the sweet little girl from book one, but with everything she went through I don’t blame her. I appreciated how Kylah doesn’t care what others think of her despite having an older brother who is blind. I also love how she channels her anger in positive ways either through her drawings or her game on the softball field.
In addition, Not Your Summer puts a perspective on mental health in middle school. This stands out to me because mental health is not taken seriously in middle school or within the black household as it should be. As someone who faced bullying and rejection during that time of my life, I believe her anger is justified and relatable.
Similar to the first two books of the series, the writing style and look of the book makes it easier to read and follow along. I appreciate the visuals of the text messages in the novel which is a big step up from the first two books.
The drama from the perspective of the main character takes me back to when I was in middle school where situations that were not a big deal to adults meant the world to me. This entire series should be a reminder to show empathy no matter the circumstances.
Thank you Janee for this great read and addition to the ordinary series.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews