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The Continuation of Summer Dillon
Summer 2.0 is not here to replace Summer Dillon.
As an android, she’s a little a control panel instead of a brain, a mechanical heart instead of a physical one. She can't quite replicate Summer’s easy breaths or airy laughter, and she can only construct her personality with 93% accuracy.
But Summer 2.0 loves being alive. She loves living with Summer's family, trying new flavors of ice cream, and going to school at Roberta Mac Elementary—just like the real Summer would have.
Summer 2.0 knows she is not here to replace Summer Dillon. She is here to continue her.
And as long as Summer 2.0 does just that—remains the perfect Summer—she’ll be able to stay.
Which is why when she glitches—in public—Summer 2.0 will do anything to fix the problem and avoid being decommissioned. But instead, her efforts seem to lead her further and further away from perfection, and a new question if she isn’t the real Summer, who is she meant to be?
Equal parts hopeful and heartbreaking, The Continuation of Summer Dillon explores what it means to be alive, and reminds readers that no one—no matter how perfectly coded—can ever replace another.
As an android, she’s a little a control panel instead of a brain, a mechanical heart instead of a physical one. She can't quite replicate Summer’s easy breaths or airy laughter, and she can only construct her personality with 93% accuracy.
But Summer 2.0 loves being alive. She loves living with Summer's family, trying new flavors of ice cream, and going to school at Roberta Mac Elementary—just like the real Summer would have.
Summer 2.0 knows she is not here to replace Summer Dillon. She is here to continue her.
And as long as Summer 2.0 does just that—remains the perfect Summer—she’ll be able to stay.
Which is why when she glitches—in public—Summer 2.0 will do anything to fix the problem and avoid being decommissioned. But instead, her efforts seem to lead her further and further away from perfection, and a new question if she isn’t the real Summer, who is she meant to be?
Equal parts hopeful and heartbreaking, The Continuation of Summer Dillon explores what it means to be alive, and reminds readers that no one—no matter how perfectly coded—can ever replace another.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 25, 2026
She was created to continue someone else’s life. Now she wants to discover her own.
🤖
Summer 2.0 is an android created to continue the life of Summer Dillon, replicating her personality, attending her school, and living with her family. But as Summer 2.0 experiences the world for herself, she begins developing an identity that doesn’t perfectly match the girl she’s supposed to be, and starts wondering whether she deserves a life that’s entirely her own.
🤖
I love middle grade books that take a big philosophical question and make it accessible for younger readers. Summer 2.0’s story raises so many interesting questions about grief, identity, what makes someone human, and whether anyone can truly be replaced. The information shared about the African American community and medical diagnoses was also incredibly vital. This is perfect for fans of The Wild Robot who want another thoughtful story about what it really means to be alive. @heysaraheverett continues to write important and unique middle grade books.
CW: illness, death, grief, confinement, death of a child
🤖
Summer 2.0 is an android created to continue the life of Summer Dillon, replicating her personality, attending her school, and living with her family. But as Summer 2.0 experiences the world for herself, she begins developing an identity that doesn’t perfectly match the girl she’s supposed to be, and starts wondering whether she deserves a life that’s entirely her own.
🤖
I love middle grade books that take a big philosophical question and make it accessible for younger readers. Summer 2.0’s story raises so many interesting questions about grief, identity, what makes someone human, and whether anyone can truly be replaced. The information shared about the African American community and medical diagnoses was also incredibly vital. This is perfect for fans of The Wild Robot who want another thoughtful story about what it really means to be alive. @heysaraheverett continues to write important and unique middle grade books.
CW: illness, death, grief, confinement, death of a child
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Summer 2.0 knows she is an android, and she knows she is joining Summer's family because Summer is away. The mother and father seem glad to have her, but Summer 1.0's sister Alice is very angry. There are some people, like Summer's grandmother and her friends at school, Paisley and Aisha, who don't think that androids have a place in society, which hurts and confuses Summer 2.0 and makes her think that she isn't doing her job well. Her job is to be as much like Summer 1.0 as possible. She needs to like the color tangerine, find oatmeal tasty, and be as perfect as she can be in order to make everyone happy. She's had all of Summer 1.0's memories uploaded every year, so she knows everything there is to know about Summer's family and friends, and since she is an android, remembers everything after seeing it once. When her friends won't talk to her, she starts hanging out with Mindy, who doesn't care that she is an android. When she is at the mall with her new friend, Summer 2.0 glitches, and is saved by a red haired woman. She doesn't tell her parents about the incident, since she doesn't want to go back to the lab. Instead, she makes a "forever plan" to make sure that she can stay with the Dillons. She helps Alice become confident to read her poetry for a competition, and meets with the woman who saved her, Cece, after her parents give her permission for Cece to fix the bugs in her operating system. She thinks things are going well, until Alice wakes her up in the middle of the night and puts her on a bus to see Dr. Peterson with a letter. Will Summer 2.0 ever be able to make the Dillons happy?
Strengths: Middle school is all about identity. Who are you? Who do you want to be? Who do your friends think you are? I enjoyed the author's note about this, and found Summer 2.0's attempts to replicate Summer 1.0 and ingratiate herself with the family interesting. This is a fascinating concept. How many parents WOULD want to replace their child if necessary? There is a good inclusion of medical discrimination against Black patients, and even a mention of Henrietta Lacks, which might encourage readers to do some research on their own. Alice was a fantastic character, and she has very realistic reactions to her sister's replacement. I also appreciated that there was no mention of Artificial Intelligence; that would have added a level of complication to the story that would have interfered with the exploration of identity.
Weaknesses: The family seems to have fallen on hard times; I assumed this was due to the cost of Summer 1.0's medical bills, but this could have been clearer for young readers. I was a little conflicted about the ending. Not sure if there was any other way to finish the story, but I wasn't entirely sold. It made me think, though, so that's always good!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Everett's The Shape of Lost Things or The Probability of Everything or long for a good android/cyborg book like Powell's 2014 Expiration Day, McKissack's 2010 The Clone Codes, or Pearson's 2008 Jenna Fox Chronicles.
Summer 2.0 knows she is an android, and she knows she is joining Summer's family because Summer is away. The mother and father seem glad to have her, but Summer 1.0's sister Alice is very angry. There are some people, like Summer's grandmother and her friends at school, Paisley and Aisha, who don't think that androids have a place in society, which hurts and confuses Summer 2.0 and makes her think that she isn't doing her job well. Her job is to be as much like Summer 1.0 as possible. She needs to like the color tangerine, find oatmeal tasty, and be as perfect as she can be in order to make everyone happy. She's had all of Summer 1.0's memories uploaded every year, so she knows everything there is to know about Summer's family and friends, and since she is an android, remembers everything after seeing it once. When her friends won't talk to her, she starts hanging out with Mindy, who doesn't care that she is an android. When she is at the mall with her new friend, Summer 2.0 glitches, and is saved by a red haired woman. She doesn't tell her parents about the incident, since she doesn't want to go back to the lab. Instead, she makes a "forever plan" to make sure that she can stay with the Dillons. She helps Alice become confident to read her poetry for a competition, and meets with the woman who saved her, Cece, after her parents give her permission for Cece to fix the bugs in her operating system. She thinks things are going well, until Alice wakes her up in the middle of the night and puts her on a bus to see Dr. Peterson with a letter. Will Summer 2.0 ever be able to make the Dillons happy?
Strengths: Middle school is all about identity. Who are you? Who do you want to be? Who do your friends think you are? I enjoyed the author's note about this, and found Summer 2.0's attempts to replicate Summer 1.0 and ingratiate herself with the family interesting. This is a fascinating concept. How many parents WOULD want to replace their child if necessary? There is a good inclusion of medical discrimination against Black patients, and even a mention of Henrietta Lacks, which might encourage readers to do some research on their own. Alice was a fantastic character, and she has very realistic reactions to her sister's replacement. I also appreciated that there was no mention of Artificial Intelligence; that would have added a level of complication to the story that would have interfered with the exploration of identity.
Weaknesses: The family seems to have fallen on hard times; I assumed this was due to the cost of Summer 1.0's medical bills, but this could have been clearer for young readers. I was a little conflicted about the ending. Not sure if there was any other way to finish the story, but I wasn't entirely sold. It made me think, though, so that's always good!
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Everett's The Shape of Lost Things or The Probability of Everything or long for a good android/cyborg book like Powell's 2014 Expiration Day, McKissack's 2010 The Clone Codes, or Pearson's 2008 Jenna Fox Chronicles.
October 21, 2026
Reading this in 2026 as someone who is extremely anti-AI made this hard to really connect with. I just could not feel the sympathy for this android created to replace a loved child that the story wanted me to. This is completely my own biases, I still think about Everett's The Probability of Everything. She's a great writer. I just related way more to the characters who did not want to accept this robot as a replacement for a real human . There's something interesting there that could really commentate on our current technology, but it doesn't quite go that far.
The plot was a little rushed as well.
I can see this being a beautiful story about grief and illness (there are moments where characters mention the unfair treatment of Black patients by the medical system that could have been really interesting and informative if given more time or discussion) but it needed more to the story and maybe needed to have centered a human character (Alice, maybe?).
The plot was a little rushed as well.
I can see this being a beautiful story about grief and illness (there are moments where characters mention the unfair treatment of Black patients by the medical system that could have been really interesting and informative if given more time or discussion) but it needed more to the story and maybe needed to have centered a human character (Alice, maybe?).
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Sarah Everett takes us into a world of modern technology, where walking androids are disguised as our loved ones. The concept of this novel is unique, and because it is written for a middle-level audience, Everett does not dive deeply into the moral and ethical implications. Instead, she keeps these ideas more surface-level, often shown through the “odd looks” of adults who question it. Summer 2.0 is an android version of the real Summer Dillon and serves as our narrator. As she experiences life for the first time, she tries her best to fill the Summer-sized hole left in her family.
Summer 2.0 is truly innocent in all of this, as everyone sees her as Summer 1.0 and accepts her as a continuation rather than a replacement. With the constant fear of being sent back to the scientists, we see the struggles of a young girl trying to be someone she is not. As Summer 2.0 begins to outgrow Summer 1.0, we explore themes of what it means to be human, having new experiences, and forming new friendships. Despite being a replica with all of Summer 1.0’s memories, Summer 2.0 is not the same person, and Everett explores this through her interactions with family and friends, as well as her internal thoughts.
As this is a middle-level novel, Everett could have gone deeper into the moral and ethical questions surrounding androids—such as human rights, “playing God,” and broader societal issues. However, she keeps the focus small, centering on Summer’s family and how each member processes grief: a mother in denial, a stressed father, and an angry sister.
This is a moving story that explores grief and life in a middle-level-friendly way, with a fast-paced plot and easy-to-follow writing.
Summer 2.0 is truly innocent in all of this, as everyone sees her as Summer 1.0 and accepts her as a continuation rather than a replacement. With the constant fear of being sent back to the scientists, we see the struggles of a young girl trying to be someone she is not. As Summer 2.0 begins to outgrow Summer 1.0, we explore themes of what it means to be human, having new experiences, and forming new friendships. Despite being a replica with all of Summer 1.0’s memories, Summer 2.0 is not the same person, and Everett explores this through her interactions with family and friends, as well as her internal thoughts.
As this is a middle-level novel, Everett could have gone deeper into the moral and ethical questions surrounding androids—such as human rights, “playing God,” and broader societal issues. However, she keeps the focus small, centering on Summer’s family and how each member processes grief: a mother in denial, a stressed father, and an angry sister.
This is a moving story that explores grief and life in a middle-level-friendly way, with a fast-paced plot and easy-to-follow writing.
October 2, 2026
This story centers around Summer 2.0, who has been created to continue the life of Summer 1.0. We experience the story through Summer’s perspective as she navigates family dynamics, middle school, friendship, and figuring out where she belongs.
Summer has access to her “uploads,” which give her an idea of how things are supposed to work, but real life doesn’t always follow the instructions. Watching her navigate relationships, emotions, and everyday middle school experiences is thoughtful and, at times, genuinely funny. Her speculation and occasionally misguided middle school logic add authenticity to the story.
As Summer encounters questions she doesn’t have easy answers for, she begins to understand that life can’t always be programmed or predicted. Through friendship, sisterhood, and family, she starts to develop her own understanding of who she is.
This middle-grade story thoughtfully explores grief, identity, family, friendship, and health-related questions, particularly as they relate to people of color. It’s a unique and thought-provoking read that invites young readers to consider what shapes us and how we find our place in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free audiobook copy. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions
Summer has access to her “uploads,” which give her an idea of how things are supposed to work, but real life doesn’t always follow the instructions. Watching her navigate relationships, emotions, and everyday middle school experiences is thoughtful and, at times, genuinely funny. Her speculation and occasionally misguided middle school logic add authenticity to the story.
As Summer encounters questions she doesn’t have easy answers for, she begins to understand that life can’t always be programmed or predicted. Through friendship, sisterhood, and family, she starts to develop her own understanding of who she is.
This middle-grade story thoughtfully explores grief, identity, family, friendship, and health-related questions, particularly as they relate to people of color. It’s a unique and thought-provoking read that invites young readers to consider what shapes us and how we find our place in the world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free audiobook copy. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions
September 11, 2026
The Continuation of Summer Dillon covers some difficult topics, but I urge teachers and parents to let their children read it and ask questions. It discusses topics like death, grief, humanity, ethics, and identity. My heart ached multiple times over the course of the story, but I think it was beautifully written.
Summer 2.0 isn’t a replacement for Summer Dillon, as much as others might think she is or want her to be. As much as she wants to be. She’s her own person and wants to be loved by the people she sees as family. However, what Summer 2.0 and the reader begin to understand is that loving a person because they remind you of someone else is not the same as loving someone because of who they are.
There are sweet scenes here, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, and an ending that will likely not please everyone. But I think the author directed the themes at the target age group appropriately.
I had the audiobook and the narrator did a good job of portraying Summer’s vulnerability. I would recommend going that direction when you read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.
Summer 2.0 isn’t a replacement for Summer Dillon, as much as others might think she is or want her to be. As much as she wants to be. She’s her own person and wants to be loved by the people she sees as family. However, what Summer 2.0 and the reader begin to understand is that loving a person because they remind you of someone else is not the same as loving someone because of who they are.
There are sweet scenes here, heartbreaking and heartwarming moments, and an ending that will likely not please everyone. But I think the author directed the themes at the target age group appropriately.
I had the audiobook and the narrator did a good job of portraying Summer’s vulnerability. I would recommend going that direction when you read it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.
October 19, 2026
This touches on ethics in science and medical research, but it is intended for a middle-grade audience so it only delves so far into that while still giving readers of all ages plenty to think about.
The android at the heart of this story (she is very much its big beating heart), she isn’t a cold, mechanical stereotype. Summer 2.0’s earnestness, her innocence, her eagerness to please, and longing for love and for a life, had me attached to her pretty much instantaneously.
Alice, the older sister, and Wendy, a friend, were every bit as compelling as 2.0, their feelings, their thoughts, came through as clearly as if they were main characters, actually, I’d love it if someday they did center their own novels, they were that well-crafted and lovable.
Although a sci-fi tinted story, this is grounded in its handling of death and grief, if that’s close to the surface for you right now, you might cry at times, and you might find that some moments feel kind of soothing, too, this definitely had me emotional and that wasn’t always easy, still I think that’s what made this one of my favorite reading experiences of the year.
I received this ARC through a giveaway.
The android at the heart of this story (she is very much its big beating heart), she isn’t a cold, mechanical stereotype. Summer 2.0’s earnestness, her innocence, her eagerness to please, and longing for love and for a life, had me attached to her pretty much instantaneously.
Alice, the older sister, and Wendy, a friend, were every bit as compelling as 2.0, their feelings, their thoughts, came through as clearly as if they were main characters, actually, I’d love it if someday they did center their own novels, they were that well-crafted and lovable.
Although a sci-fi tinted story, this is grounded in its handling of death and grief, if that’s close to the surface for you right now, you might cry at times, and you might find that some moments feel kind of soothing, too, this definitely had me emotional and that wasn’t always easy, still I think that’s what made this one of my favorite reading experiences of the year.
I received this ARC through a giveaway.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This unique middle grade novel follows the life of Summer Dillon but not the original Summer. No, this version is one her parents had made after their daughter died tragically from an illness. Summer 2.0 is a machine version with all of the original Summer's memories. Summer 2.0 strives to win over her sister and be the best Summer possible. Naturally this doesn't go according to plan. A moving, heartfelt, sister story that grapples with some heavy topics from the ways medical establishments fail Black people, to loss, grief and learning that it's okay to be who you are and not some impossible ideal. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books that explore the ethics of AI uses. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Summer 2.0 is an Android and not a replacement for the original Summer - but all of Summer 1.0’s memories have been uploaded so that when she joins Summer 1.0’s family she can smoothly continue Summer 1.0's life. Summer 2.0 works so hard to fit in, but older sister Alice is suspicious and Summer 1.0’s former friends exclude her. Is Summer 2.0 glitching when she begins to form her own preferences that diverge from what the original Summer liked? An intriguing look at what it means to be human and to love. EARC from Edelweiss.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This thought-provoking story will be a great catalyst for student discussion about ethical considerations with future technology, as Summer 2.0 has been created in the image of a beloved family member who passed away. The ending was a bit of a surprise, which will also lead to interesting reader conversations.
This thought-provoking story will be a great catalyst for student discussion about ethical considerations with future technology, as Summer 2.0 has been created in the image of a beloved family member who passed away. The ending was a bit of a surprise, which will also lead to interesting reader conversations.
September 30, 2026
My favorite bits were the commentary about how black patients are treated in the medical system. Cool idea and I like how the focus is on the family and their grief. Fairly similar to Klara and the Sun in concept.
October 1, 2026
A timely topic - using an android to handle one's grief. I can't decide how I feel about this book. I am so curious about this technology and its role in the future...and this book is interesting, for sure. It's well written for it's middle school audience.
March 10, 2026
4.5 stars for this thought provoking middle grade about grief, growth, and what it means to be human.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
i thought that the book did a great job playing around with themes of AI and ethics of replication.
Want to Read
October 22, 2026Haven't read this yet but I did cry at the synopsis, so.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
i enjoyed this book. i didn't love it, but i liked it. i thought it was cute and i enjoyed the worldbuilding as well as the plotline of that scientist wanting to build all those different versions of the mc. i think the tagline of it being perfect for fans of the wild robot is definitely true. and because it's by a fellow canadian author i think i will purchase for my bookstore if/when i can find it
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews