The Lake Effect

by Erin McCahan

It’s the summer after his senior year, and Briggs Henry is out the door. He’s leaving behind his ex-girlfriend and his parents’ money troubles for Lake Michigan and its miles of sandy beaches, working a summer job as a personal assistant, and living in a gorgeous Victorian on the shore. It’s the kind of house Briggs plans to buy his parents one day when he’s a multi-millionaire. But then he gets there. And his eighty-four-year-old boss tells him to put on a suit for her funeral.

So begins a summer of social gaffes, stomach cramps, fraught beach volleyball games, moonlit epiphanies, and a drawer full of funeral programs. Add to this Abigail, the mystifying girl next door on whom Briggs’s charms just won’t work, and “the lake effect” is taking on a whole new meaning.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Summer, Fiction, Summer Reads

391 pages, Hardcover

First published July 11, 2017

About the author

Praise for THE LAKE EFFECT:

-“Observant, sarcastic, compelling, and very funny . . . this thoroughly enjoyable read is a seductive invitation to relax and let life happen.” —Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)

"[An] inviting, thoughtful novel." —The Chicago Tribune

"A dazzlingly hilarious trifecta of awkward growing pains, social gaffes, and the romance that will warm your heart forever . . . Erin McCahan is the reigning queen of summer YA reads." —PopSugar

Erin lives in Columbus, OH, with her husband of over 18 years, Tim, and their two cats, Simon and Josie.

When she is not writing or taking walks with her husband, she can be found in any number of local coffee shops having chai and long conversations with friends.

Reviews

[Umut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a YA contemporary that's more in a slice of life style. Not much happens, yet the way it's written is quite charming.
I read it while on holiday at the right moment & place, which contributed to the mood of the book as well :)

Briggs is our main character and the one who tells the story. The main reason this book is very charming is because Briggs is a very charming character. He takes a job to work for an old woman (Mrs. B) for a summer and her house is near the lake, so he's considered very lucky to spend the summer there. From there on, it's really a day to day simple story of his summer there. I loved the relationship he built with the quirky Mrs. B, new friendships he made, the girl he met. Eventually these experiences let him to get to know himself more and what he wants from life.
It was just a very cute, heart warming book with witty and charming writing. If you feel like a cute, easy going, YA contemporary it's a good option.

[݁𝜗𝜚 tasia (matching with beloved aimes) 🧸ྀི · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⓢⓣⓐⓡⓢ

𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨: ▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|||| enchanted - taylor swift •၊၊||၊|။|||| |

|↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

YES. YES. YES. this will be a short & sweet review, but go ahead and read this next summer. honestly, it was slow at first. BUT THE THEMES OMG THE THEMES ATEE!! as soon as it started going, the vibes were exactly like the book cover (absolutely stunning) and it was full of heart. and I’m a Michigan babyyy so it was so cool reading a book abt my home state. I absolutely adored this little cute and fun book, it is for sure more of a younger age group book but it was so cuteee. ok I will talk abt the romance, but honestly it was more driven on the plot then the actual romance…the plot was kinda hard to find.

♬ 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖 𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕘𝕒𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥, 𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕝𝕒𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕖𝕣, 𝕗𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕤 ♬

BRIGGS:
💙 I loved reading about his little story, and his care for specific people
🐳 dude is reasonable lol
💵 you’re everyday ‘failure is not an option’ mmc
😍 so sweet to the fmc, a little overconfident sometimes but thts why I absolutely love how the author designed her.
🩳 he spends his time around elder people, and it later boomerangs around and comes back.
🏐 sporty I guess? we didn’t rly pay tht much attention to it
📚 seen as a ‘Henry’ aka success is the only thing possible
👨‍🎓 GOT A FULL ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP TO UFM

♪ 𝕤𝕒𝕞𝕖 𝕠𝕝𝕕, 𝕥𝕚𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕝𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕝𝕪 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕔𝕖 𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕗𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕪𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕧𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪 ♪

ABIGAIL:
💗 honestly, such a baddie
🌸 literally they basically bonded over Oreos lol but no hate I would’ve fallen to if I got Oreos
👙 she was known as mysterious girl…I think the author intended tht so she could focus more on the actual story
💋 she farted while making out with Briggs 🤣 and lowk I loved tht
🦠 she has Crohn’s disease but tht didn’t make her less amazing ofc
🙈 girl is just super pretty (and u r if you’re reading this 💗)
🤭 idk I just love her so much

🎼 𝕧𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕤𝕙𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕀 𝕤𝕒𝕨 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕗𝕒𝕔𝕖 🎼

ok thts it! thanks for readingggg and luv you 💜

♬ 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕀 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕤𝕒𝕪 𝕚𝕤 𝕚𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕤 𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕥𝕠 𝕞𝕖𝕖𝕥 𝕪𝕠𝕦 ♬

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars: A fun, quirky coming of age book with terrific friendships and interesting life lessons.

Briggs Henry has just graduated from high school. His summer plans include a job as a personal assistant for an elderly lady who lives on the beach of Lake Michigan. Even if he has to wait on an old lady, he will be at the beach, and everything is better at the beach. Once at the beach, Briggs meets the eccentric Mrs. Bosic, a Serbian lady who has a strange habit of attending funerals. As the summer progresses, Briggs makes new friends, learns some life lessons and comes away a changed young man. What will Briggs learn on the beach?
What I Liked:
*I went into Lake Effect expecting a funny, romantic story, what I got was something outside my expectations and far more enjoyable. Even though this features a small romance, the romance is not the highlight of the story. Instead this one is all about family, friends and the relationships we forge in life and how they change us. I loved the heart and the humor in this one.
*The best part of the story hands down is Mrs. B. At eight five, she is still going strong. I loved her so much. Mrs. B is from Serbia, and she still hasn’t completely mastered the English language. She is always mixing up words, which is so darn funny. Plus, she likes to attend funerals so she can get ideas on how to plan her own. She has her quirks, but deep down, she is kind, compassionate and wise. She knows a thing or two about life and love, and she is dead on when it comes to relationships. I would recommend reading this for Mrs. B alone.
*For all you romance lovers, there is a small romance. It is subtle and slow, and it never overtakes the story. I liked that. I also appreciated that it didn’t suffer from any unnecessary drama and there weren’t any love triangles. It is a simple romance that evolves from a friendship that was built on conversation and trust.
*Briggs, the main character, comes off as pretentious at first. His life focus is on getting to college and making lots of money after he lived the fall out of his parents losing almost everything. He believes he is charming and witty, and that old woman love him. Thankfully, Briggs grows and changes throughout the story, mostly thanks to his relationship with Mrs. B. He also learns a thing or two about funeral etiquette. I loved the way he changed, especially at the end when it came to his Grandma Ruth. I also appreciated his reevaluation of his future goals and his ideas about careers and money.
*The majority of the book focuses on family and friend relationships. Briggs through the summer, begins to see his familial relationships differently, especially when it comes to his Grandma Ruth and his dad. Briggs had never had a good relationship with Grandma Ruth as she is a brisk, no nonsense woman, however, things change, and for me the highlight of the story was the way Briggs finally got his grandma at the end. I loved that this book was all about relationships instead of a summer romance.
*The book is full of humor. There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, whether they came from Mrs. B mixing up her words, or Briggs making an ass out of himself at a funeral. I loved the quirkiness of the story.
*The end is just right. It ends in a good place, with hope and promise for the future. No cliffhangers or anything ridiculous, which is so refreshing in YA.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I liked that the romance was subtle and simple, I never felt the connection. It lacked spark and chemistry. I wish that it had been better.
*The story does not flow well, and that is due to the choppy way it is put together. There are way too many chapter breaks. Most chapters are only a few pages long, with some being only a paragraph or so. It made the book disjointed.
*I loved the break through scene with Briggs and Grandma Ruth near the end, I wished that there had been more with them.

The Lake Effect was a surprise for me. I went into this one expecting a typical YA summer romance read, but what a got was a coming of age book with heart and humor. I adored Mrs. B, and I highly recommend checking this out to experience her quirkiness. The one draw back to the book was the choppiness of the story execution. Still it is a laugh out loud read, perfect for summer.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the perfect summer read. You can tell by just looking at the cover, but the story within proves the summer theme. This novel was like none other. It wasn't the classic YA contemporary plot, making this plot very unique and interesting to read.

I found myself laughing during the duration of this book frequently. The voice behind the writing of Briggs was amazing. Speaking of Briggs, he has the personality that is funny, yet he is respectful. He was an excellent main character to follow, and I loved how relatable his personality and work ethic was. It was great to follow a main character who is successful and ambitious.

Read the full review here---> http://www.futuremedicalleaders.com/2...

[Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briggs Henry is a real catch. He is a good student, college-bound, good-looking and comes from a caring family. He works a part-time job, plays on sports teams, and helps his grandmother out whenever he can. He's the picture perfect kid. He gets a job for the summer helping out an elderly Serbian woman who has a big Victorian house on Lake Michigan. Perfect job, right? He gets to help her out all summer while enjoying the lake lifestyle. This is coming at a good time for Briggs, because lately his life has been super stressful. His parents put a lot of pressure on him and his girlfriend recently dumped him, so a summer at the lake sounds perfect. His new employer, Mrs. B, is a no nonsense type of old lady who has him doing a variety of chores as well as escorting him to all of her appointments and funerals. While living on the lake, he meets his next door neighbor, Abigail, who challenges him in every way. Erin McCahan's The Lake Effect is summer reading at its best.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briggs has found the perfect job for the summer, working for Mrs. B., an octogenarian who lives in a large house on the shore of Lake Michigan. Briggs couldn't have found a better way to escape the fighting about money at home, the constant demands of his grandmother and the difficult relationship with his ex-girlfriend. He can finally do something for himself and he's planning to enjoy every single moment. However, the first thing Mrs. B. asks of him is to dress up, so he can accompany her to a funeral, which will be the first of many.

Briggs has been taught by his father that money is the number one objective in life. He's being asked to choose a career that will bring in a large income. Spending time with Mrs. B. and the mysterious girl next door, Abigail, teaches Briggs that there is more in life than work. Briggs's confidence is being tested, he's being pulled out of his comfort zone and the only way he will be able to survive his summer is by being himself and finding out who he is inside. What will be the effect of this journey?

The Lake Effect is a beautiful story filled with heartwarming humor. I was immediately captivated by Erin McCahan's writing. It's fast-paced, fun and incredibly deep. Briggs is a sweet guy, but he's had a onesided upbringing and has a lot to learn. Fortunately he meets the magnificent Mrs. B. I loved their easy friendship and adored the fact that young and old are getting along so well in this book. They are fabulous together and this aspect of the story put a big smile on my face.

Erin McCahan writes about the difficult things in life like death, chronic illness and losing everything you hold dear in a fantastic open way. Her story is delightfully lighthearted and funny while it still does justice to every serious topic that's being discussed, which I think is an impressive achievement. I really liked the subtile jokes, the gorgeous dialogue and the large number of life lessons that are being given in a fun and feelgood way. They are making this book a true gem and an absolute must-read.

Erin McCahan has written an original and creative story. I was mesmerized by her main characters. They each have wonderful quirks that often made me laugh. I flew through the pages of this book and read it in one sitting. I fell in love with The Lake Effect from the very beginning and highly recommend this brilliant book. It's charming, entertaining, thought-provoking and endearing, a story that will find its way into people's hearts.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love Erin's books! This is now one of my most anticipated of 2017. I can't wait to read it!

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my family. The Henrys. We had expectations. We achieved. We catalogued our successes, and we never needed our hair cut. We were a riot at Thanksgiving too.

Briggs Henry has just graduated high school and he's got big plans. He'll be attending university in the Fall where he plans to earn an MBA-JD on his way to his first $million$ before he's 30. But first, he's got a summer job as live-in personal assistant for an elderly woman who lives on the lake shore. Mrs. Bosic is Serbian, can't decide on a paint color, and has an obsession with attending funerals.

I was expecting a light read, something kind of brainless and superficial as a break from some of the heavier reading I've gotten into lately. And for about 2/3's or 3/4's of the book, that's pretty much what it was. Some witty banter, a few crude comments here and there, and not especially deep. The change was abrupt, but didn't feel sudden or even out of place because by then I felt pretty invested in these characters and compelled to keep reading. And it turned out not to be the shallow light YA read I expected but a story with some real depth about family and growing up. And it was serious without feeling too serious... if that makes sense. Either way, I really enjoyed it.

[Alexa (Alexa Loves Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky, funny and just that little bit of heart to make me feel for this main character! While I didn't love it as much as I loved McCahan's Love and Other Foreign Words, I still thought it was a good read. I particularly liked the way it was simply about a summer -- all the new elements in one's life, the moments exclusive to your summer experience, the way people/situations can change you.

[Zemira Warner · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't work out for me, sadly.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those perfect summer reads—the type of book you can read all in one sitting on a sunny morning (which is exactly what I did!).

What Fed My Addiction:

Good balance of light tone and heavy topics.
This book covers some serious topics like death, chronic illness, class differences and family pressures, but Briggs’ voice is light and funny enough to make the read enjoyable rather than plodding. Plus, there are some really funny circumstances and secondary characters in this book. I found myself laughing out loud several times while reading this book, and chuckling for much of the rest of the time. Somehow this made the serious parts of the book that much more effective—I also found myself tearing up a few times.

Briggs.
Briggs isn’t a typical snarky teenage YA voice; he’s more sardonic and self-deprecating, which makes him very relatable. It was hard not to be on his side, even when he was messing things up (which he sometimes was). When things got bad for him, I felt his pain, and I laughed with him—a lot.

Mrs. B.
I ADORED every moment of Mrs. B in this story. She is hilarious with her quirky personality, “interesting” activities, and Serbian accent (and occasional funny mispronunciations).

Friendships!
Briggs has lots of friendships, old and new, in this story. I loved the interactions between him and his friends because they felt very real—the joking between them was really natural and fun. This book really highlights friendship in a positive way.

Fantastic ending.
To me, this book ended in the perfect way (some people might be a little disappointed in some aspects, but I thought it was the ideal ending for this book). The very last page left me smiling!

What Left Me Wanting More:

Not super attached to the romance.
Weirdly (for me), the romance in this book was possibly the least interesting part to me. I’m typically most connected to the romance in a book like this, but that wasn’t the case here. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Briggs and Abigail together, and I was intrigued by Abigail’s mysterious disappearances (I pretty much guessed the issue, but I have a sister-in-law who has similar circumstances, so that helped). But I just wasn’t any more invested in the romance than I was in any other aspect of the book, and possibly less so—which is odd for me, but fitting for this story.

Funny and poignant, The Lake Effect is the type of book you can easily get lost in. I give it an easy 4/5 stars.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's be clear, this IS a summer romance, but the narrator is a guy. Briggs has graduated high school after doing everything that his parents expected of him. He is hired to help an elderly woman in South Haven, MI over the summer, and he definitely gets more than he bargained for. I laughed out loud - for real - a LOT during his book. I cried a little too. These 400 pages flew by and I am sad that the story is over. Excellent.

[Amanda]

The blurb had me at "For fans of Nick Hornby..." Also, the cover is perfect.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

если честно, так и не поняла смысла этой книги. какова, так сказать, мораль, и что вообще произошло. отдельно не поняла, с какой целью у обоих героев проблемы с кишечником

[Chaitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few weeks ago, I went into the teen section of my library's overdrive and checked out a number of books. I can't remember why, quite possibly because I was expecting that the adult section would be updated that day and it wasn't and I really wanted to download some books. As a result I've probably read more YA books in the past couple of weeks than in the whole of last year. And they've not really been the kind of books to change my mind about YA. But this book surprised me.

It isn't really the rote YA book I've come to expect. It is a summer book, it is a coming of age, and it is a sort of romance with a manic pixie dream girl. Except, Briggs is relatable. He has his flaws but he also has charm, and he's genuinely nice. There aren't any antagonists, the kids are mostly sweet. Even when they have spats, it's understandable and they make up nicely anyway. The manic pixie dream girl isn't really. She's sweet.

It is poignant in parts and very funny in others. Mrs. B is lovely, and her idea of window-shopping for funerals is hilarious. I liked this book. It doesn't change my mind about YA as a whole, because I did read a whole lot of books I didn't like, but it was refreshing to read this one.

[Marie Patlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I had to sit with for a while to truly appreciate. When I first finished it, I ranted about it for a while - sure, it was written beautifully, but it wasn't about anything! Well. It's been about a month since I finished it, and I'm now very glad I was able to sit with it for that long.

This book isn't plot-driven - it's character-driven. And it really is a beautiful book. Briggs is funny and journeying with him while he navigates his complicated family life was heartbreaking and enlightening and it made me want to hug him. He was a good narrator, and the characters that surrounded him were top-notch.

And Mrs. B! I think she's become one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. I <3 Mrs. B.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

freaking loved this book. additionally, as a serbian, everything about Mrs. B. was super on point. briggs was a great dude and I liked seeing him progress as the summer went on.

the lake effect is a great book.

[Kelly]

Reader who love the humor of Susan Juby will, like me, love the hell out of this book. It's a straight riot. Briggs spends a summer as a live-in assistant for an elderly woman in South Haven, Michigan, a lakeside resort town. The elderly woman, Ms. B, has a thick Serbian accent and a lot of the humor in this book is word play in the most delightful way. There is a whole chapter of a miscommunication between the idea of Peking (now Beijing) and Pekingese which had me stifling laughter on the train

There are some big, heavy issues in this one, but they're paired really well with the humor. I think this might be one of those books that's even more enjoyable on the second read, as the clues about those big things are more easily seen. I picked up a couple -- especially Abigail's crohn's disease, which I thought was done so well here -- but I know that a second read would uncover even more.

The love story is cute and sweet, but it's not cloying nor does it feel forced. I felt what happened at the end was the best possible solution for all involved.

A voice-driven, humor-soaked read about life, death, and all of the shit in-between. Literally.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that this book is set on the shores of Lake Michigan, approximately a half hour from where I live! A recent graduate from high school, Briggs, was hired to work as an assistant to an elderly immigrant who lives Lakeshore in South Haven, MI. He cannot wait...because he believes that life is better at the lake. (I agree with that!!!) I believe the author accurately captured the parallel worlds of the tourist and the native, the immigrant and the resident, boys and girls, healthy and ill, old and young alike! It made me think of the good old days when life was simpler.

Wonderful YA book with relatively clean/innocent relationships between characters. This book has elements of joy, pain, sadness, illness, regret, silliness...the list goes on! I enjoyed this easy lighthearted read.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Briggs is That Guy. Homecoming king, multi sport athlete, great grades, full ride to UMich with plans for law school, a catalogue of named smiles for everyone (especially little old ladies), etc. His driven, hardworking father never tells Briggs he’s proud of him because excellence is expected. His unpleasant grandmother seems like a robot. But Briggs has a plan—he’s going to succeed and have a lot of money because he’s been on both sides of that equation and is never going to be on the wrong side again. Everything gets upended when he takes a summer job on Lake Michigan as a live in handyman and helper to elderly, Serbian Mrs. B. She’s indomitable and eccentric and loves going to funerals. Then there’s enigmatic neighbor girl Abigail, who is frustratingly hard to get to know. The summer won’t go at all the way Briggs planned. But maybe that’s a good thing?

I liked this well enough. The setting was well built and the characters and family dynamics were distinctive and interesting. I liked Briggs’ evolution, and there were some laugh out loud moments. A couple of things didn’t work, though. One was this being advertised as a lighthearted summer romance. It’s not. It’s a problem novel with some comic relief. Second is Briggs acting all entitled and pushing someone about their health situation as if he has the right to know (he doesn’t). Third is Mrs. B warning Briggs that he doesn’t want to go through life alone, as if that’s the worst fate ever (it isn’t—and for some people it’s preferable). So, mostly liked it, but some issues.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set over a summer in South Haven, Michigan (a place I know well), this YA novel focuses on Briggs and the huge changes coming his way before he leaves for college. Loved Vesna, the Serbian widow Briggs is staying with, and Abigail, the somewhat mysterious girl next door. The funeral crashing was a fun aspect of the novel, which is filled with humor but also serious challenges for many of the characters. I would have Briggs to react more during the scene with Cutlass, and a certain hospital scene felt odd simply for its lack of warning sounds (monitors, that sort of thing). But this really a lovely book, perfect for summer. The romantic relationship isn't forced (or the main plot of the book) and the chapters are short. Really enjoyed this one!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside blurb says that fans of Rainbow Rowell, John Green, and Stephanie Perkins will like this one. Having read all three, I tend to agree. Smart. Witty. The relationships are unique and cross a number of boundaries/borders. One of the things I loved most about this book is that it takes place in the area where I am currently living. I recognise all sorts of the mentioned places. And the names of the characters are perfectly chosen to reflect who has settled in this area. Despite dealing with a number of difficult topics, McCahan keeps things pretty innocent between her characters. It’s one that I would feel very confident passing on to a student from a conservative background.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fine for a quick lunchtime read, though nothing spectacular.

Mrs. B, with her funeral-crashing habit and sometimes imperfect grasp of the English language, is what saved this book from being relegated to my two-star pile. Briggs was a likable main character, but I wasn't sympathetic toward any of the other people. In fact, most of them kind of bugged me.

[Sammy Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I’m from Grand Rapids, which is where the main character is from. I’ve always wanted to read a book with a West Michigan setting, so when I found this book, I decided I’d read it!
I wasn’t expecting much from it, but I actually enjoyed it a lot. It was a quick and easy read, the chapters were so short that I could just breeze through it. It was a nice story, not too cliche or anything and quite unique to anything I’ve ever read!

[Laur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd one. Normally I'm one for long books, but this one could've been told in half the words probably. The super short chapters make it pretty quick and easy to read, but for most of the book not much is happening. The ending was pretty good though, things actually happened and Briggs's character arc was really strong and I liked the way things ended up. I just felt like it took too long to get there with too little action

[Alexis The Nerdy Bruja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest, this book was only okay. There was nothing that stood out to me. I did really enjoy mrs. B's character. She was a hoot. The best part of the book I have to say was the last 150 or so pages. Everything else was just kind of meh.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about a boy who had just graduated from high school & spent the summer in South Haven, MI working as a personal assistant for an elderly woman. I loved the setting & all the characters’ interactions.

[Winyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked being in Briggs' head, and the writing was quite enamoring. It gave me so little and also so much, in the way that I feel like I should hand this to an English teacher and say, "Here. Lead some classroom discussions. Unpack this."

[Keith Chappelow]

I really enjoyed this book. Loved that it was set in Western Michigan!

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK. It was soooo difficult for me to put it down last night to go to bed. The characters are all so wonderful and charming and funny. This is a definite reread for me, for sure.