Bicentennial Summer

by Chris Poore

Bicentennial Summer is a Young Adult summer romance about small town friends trying to navigate love, loss, and the angst of being teenagers. A journey of self-discovery will test their friendships in this coming of age romance set during America’s 1976 Fourth of July bicentennial.
Advanced praise for Bicentennial Summer :
“Outstanding, can't-put-down debut! Bicentennial Summer weaves a tale of lost innocence, young love, and even stronger friendships.” – Emersyn Park, He Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

Cole doesn’t know if this is love; he’s never been in love before. What he knows is these feelings for Tiffany are new, and they’re not going away. The burning in his gut, the flutter in his heart, the chill every time he sees her. If these are the first sparks of love, Cole needs to find out, and he needs to find out soon.

Tiffany and Cole are as close as two friends can be without sharing blood. And with Tanner faithfully by their side, the pair makes three. Best friends since birth, they grew up in a small town sharing skinned knees, peanut butter sandwiches, and first kisses.

But as they prepare to celebrate America’s 200th birthday during the summer of their sophomore year, they’ll find storm clouds on the horizon. The carefree days of childhood will fade away as a tragedy exposes family secrets. And outside forces will threaten to tear the friends apart. They will have to rely on one another as their community tells them who to be and how to live. And hard lessons about love, responsibility, and family will have to be navigated if they hope to save their Bicentennial Summer.

Bicentennial Summer is vol. 1 of The Cottonwood Chronicles series. Set over consecutive summers, vols. 2-3 (due 2025-26) will revisit Cole, Tiffany, Tanner, and the people of Cottonwood, Neb.
About the
Chris Poore has been telling stories in one form or another his entire life. It just took a global pandemic to finally get him to put them down on paper. A dinner conversation at the height of the Covid pandemic lit the spark, and Chris quickly wrote several award-winning screenplays.

Next, he set his sights on his first novel. Bicentennial Summer, published in 2024 at age 53, is the first in the three-book Cottonwood Chronicles series. Books two and three will publish in 2025-26.

Chris has been a journalist, entrepreneur, and a technology leader. He lives just outside of Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife Sue, two children, and two rescue dogs.
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305 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2025

About the author

Chris Poore has been telling stories in one form or another his entire life—it just took a global pandemic to finally get him to write them down. What began as a dinner conversation during lockdown sparked a creative fire that led to several award-winning screenplays and, eventually, his debut novel.

Bicentennial Summer (2024), launched The Cottonwood Chronicles, a coming-of-age trilogy set in small-town America during the late 1970s. The series follows two friends as they navigate growing up, growing apart, and finding their place in a rapidly changing world. Burning Summer (2025), and Bye, Bye Summer (2026) complete the trilogy.

Before turning to fiction, Chris built an eclectic career as a journalist, entrepreneur, and technology leader. He lives just outside Omaha, Nebraska, with his wife, Sue, their two adult children, and a pair of cuddly rescue dogs.

Reviews

[Z. Rise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A interesting story… it felt like a classic small town teen drama, with teens hyped on hormones and figuring out the world around them, while simultaneously dealing with some small town corruption. While I didn’t enjoy the heaps of sexualization and language throughout the book, I did enjoy the back and forth of the trio — Cole and Tanner have a beautiful brother relationship, and all of the family dynamics in this book drew me in. I do look forward to seeing what happens in book two!

I rate this book 3/5 stars, for fans of small town dramas and Sweet Magnolias on Netflix (with more guy angst)

Content warnings: language, police brutality, alcohol, abuse, violence, drug use, sexual content (one scene that was open door (?) that I skipped over, and then lots of touching and feeling in a few scenes, focus and talk about women’s bodies, groping, etc)

[Caramie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Join a group of courageous youngsters on their path to healing and self-discovery, as they face tragedy, loss, and maturity, forming an unbreakable bond along the way.
I found this debut novel highly engaging, with characters that resonated deeply and an author who effectively crafted detestable villains, prompting strong reader antipathy.
This is highly recommended for anyone longing for the past and desiring a sentimental journey back in time.
Solid 4.5 stars!

[Jagooba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming-of-age story is a heartfelt, layered journey that follows Cole and his best friends, Tiffany and Tanner, as they navigate grief, friendship, love, and the weight of family and community expectations in the days leading up to July 4th. Chris does a great job crafting characters with depth, particularly Cole, who shines as a strong, compassionate friend. The trio's journey into adulthood is engaging and relatable, as they ask difficult questions and confront serious issues. The author’s detailed research on the time period and challenges faced within a farming community added depth to the story.

One aspect I found a bit challenging was the number of point-of-view shifts. With nine POVs and some quick switching between them, especially in the first half, it felt a bit jarring and occasionally distracting. Some secondary character viewpoints seemed less essential to the main storyline. However, the narrative flow improved in the latter half of the book.

Overall, this novel was a strong debut that handled complex themes, despite the challenging number of POVs. I look forward to seeing where this author goes in future works!

[Christina Hyun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purposely finished reading this coming-of-age/historical fiction novel on July 4th weekend as the story is also set just prior to a July 4th in 1976. I really enjoyed the small town that’s the setting for the story and how down-to-earth the characters felt. There was a consistently grounded feeling of “time and place” in this book. It’s clear the author knows the era of the Bicentennial and the way it was experienced in the Heartland. The details rang true.

This book was good escapist summer reading and a fun blast to the past. (Lots of cultural and musical references I’d forgotten!)

I appreciate the privilege of reviewing this ARC I received from the author. Looking forward to the next story in this series!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet story! I read Bicentennial Summer in one sitting as it took me back to my own childhood. With real-life hardships and hurdles, I loved how Chris represented each character. The prose was easy to follow and fun to explore as three best friends discovered heartbreak, the true meaning of friendship, and eventually, first-time love. Chris has a genuine talent for storytelling which will engage you from the start and keep you turning the pages. Great job on your debut, Chris, enjoy the ride. Can’t wait for Burning Summer~

[L.A. Barnitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

What this story does really well is setting. The author is spot on with descriptions of life in a small town in the 1970s. Any reader wanting to glimpse at life in that era will enjoy this book. Cole and Tanner's relationship and their dialogue was well done, but I wanted to see deeper relationships among other characters and more complexity in their dynamics. I hope we'll see more from this author in future.

[Lucy Adkins]

Whether it's the sweet ache of young love or dealing with the moral choices that come about in adolescence, this writer gets it right in this coming of age novel set in a small town in 1976. You'll love the well-drawn characters, the dead-on dialogue, and the great sense of atmosphere. A delightful read and a marvelous debut for Chris Poore.

[Donald D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in a small town does not have to be boring. In this story, Chris takes us back to our youth with all the memories that go with it, both good and bad. I had forgotten so many of the scenes that he recreates in this small Nebraska town. You will laugh, smile, and cry in this journey. Fun and enjoyable read.

[Dorothy Ramsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris Poore’s debut novel “Bicentennial Summer” is a captivating coming-of-age story that will have you letting your eggs and toast get cold while you read and forget to eat. With vivid descriptions, absolutely believable dialogue and a plot that will have you letting chores slide while you find out “what happens next,” you’ll remember this story. While it has a warmly satisfying ending, it is the first of a planned trilogy, so I’m eager to find out what happens to these three young people in the next book. And a few as-yet unscathed bad guys! And the car! Write faster, Chris!!!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Chris Poore has written a delightful book. His artful, descriptive prose transports the reader to a 1976 small rural town, where teenagers experience the joys and pains of life, friendship and love.

[Jerry lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were every young read this book

Love this book took me back to my younger year . the thing in this book happen to me and if you think about it some most likely happen to you. Love this kind of book. First book I have rated a5

[Marilee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is set in the time I came of age. It realistically portrays challenges kids coming of age in that era experienced. well-paced and interesting.

[Connie Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nostalgic summer read! I enjoyed the characters and their transformation over the course of this bicennenial summer. If you like The Wonder Years or Stand By Me, you’ll love this book.

[Emersyn Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

This coming-of-age book depicts a group of teenagers as they embark on experiences that will affect their future. Foundations crack, loyalty stretches, but love and friendships endure! I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.