When the Summer Ends

by Ellie Morris

A tale of love and friendship set in the 1950s, When the Summer Ends tackles society's views of the times. Aika Rowland is a young lady affected by Aspergers, and struggling to live her life; her famous family has its own problems and often she is overlooked, finding it hard to fit in with her outlandish clothes and strange mannerisms. That is, until she meets rough, tough Greaser girl, Cherry Knox, the girl who shows her what love is really about.

214 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2016

About the author

Ellie Morris, author of When the Summer Ends (January 2016), was born in England, 1998, and has been creating and imagining stories as long as she can remember, filling her time with characters and flights of fantasy. The central focus of her work is LGBT romance and drama, with historical or often exaggerated settings, and vivid imagery, leaving readers on an emotional thrill ride. Themes introduced in her fiction include self-discovery, sexuality, loneliness, mental illness, disability, and love. Inspired by different eras, Ellie pairs human sexuality and love with views of the past.
As well as writing stories and poems, Ellie also has a passion for art, sewing and reading, and loves all things about history and alternative fashion. Her characters reflect these interests, often not blending into their surroundings as seamlessly as they would have liked, and expressing the worries, frights, and joys that Ellie has experienced. All of Ellie’s works include a little bit of herself, part of her history, fantasy, and deepest regrets.

Reviews

[Rosa A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful tale of loneliness and the attempt to overcome it through vivid imagination, friendship and sheer determination to live a happy life on one's own terms despite the tragic odds stacked against oneself.
Aika's life is a difficult one and the sheer level of dysfunction in her family makes me wonder how she even survived at all. Her mother is a horrible narcissist abuser, her father a weak and ineffectual enabler at best, her brother Buddy, struggling with his own problems, mostly makes things much tougher for her than they need to be. But my, does the girl have imagination and is she lucky to have Cissy, a mother figure and a supporter in the form of a kindly, wise maid. Cissy, understanding and sweet, helps Aika create a protective, frail world of beauty to which the girl can retreat when the world turns too violent, unbearable and scary - it is a bubble of sorts, but a necessary one, if Aika is to live till adulthood with some remnants of sanity. Good luck, Aika, and I send you a hug. Now to delve into your further adventures in Mansions of Glass...

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Summer Ends by Ellie Morris is well-written and shows a lot of issues at hand that our society faces today. As a reader, I could sympathize with the characters. A family going through many issues. Issues like an older brother being gay, a father who can't stand up to his demanding wife, and the daughter struggling with who she is and developing an attraction to another female. This was indeed an emotional thrill ride. As each cahracter went through their issues and self-discoveries. But desipte all that was happening the sibblings supported one another. That made me feel good. Gender issues as well as sexuality and racisim were also other issues that were brilliantly brought up within this historical read. Quite a journey to go through. Never a dull moment. Love isn't something that we can box up and define. It's something that changes as life evolves. Love isn't hatred. Ellie Morris brings these themes into her highly entertaining world of fiction. Overall, I recommend this new title to readers everywhere.