Vanishing Summer

Unexpected Love #1

by Lora Richardson

He disappeared four years ago, and I’m to blame. Now he’s back.

I call it the vanishing summer. Everett, my best friend and the first boy I ever kissed, was kidnapped; taken from right beside me. Three months later my mom died. They were both just gone. The bright, fearless spark inside me was gone, too—blown clean out.

I learned that the worst could happen at any moment and with no warning. I didn’t want to go outside anymore. I avoided the woods where Everett and I had played. I hated to let my brother and my dad out of my sight. For four years, I lived with a pounding heart and shaking hands.

But I’m sixteen now, and ready to find my way back to myself, to somehow move forward. Therapy is helping. I let one new friend into my life, and she’s helping, too. I’m trying this new thing where I act like the old me—unafraid and confident and bold. I’m doing scary things and trying not to let them scare me.

Then one night as I’m sitting outside in the dark, Everett walks through the trees and back into my life.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Friends To Lovers, Coming Of Age, Contemporary, High School, Second Chance

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2019

About the author

Hi, I'm Lora. Thanks for taking a peek in here. I live a quiet life in Indiana with my family. I spend my days reading, writing, and hanging out with my people.

Reviews

[Candyce Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vanishing Summer is the first YA book in a long time that felt so real to me! Lora Richardson isn't afraid of really making you feel something while reading Vanishing Summer. I ended up really loving the characters and that's one of my favorite parts of reading.

Greta is trying to find the way back to being herself, but that isn't easy. After her best friend Everett was kidnapped four years ago (which she blames herself for), her mother also passed away. She's afraid of losing the people she loves and has a hard time trusting. I loved Greta's character. Dealing with so much grief and pain hasn't been easy for her. It's caused anxiety and she's not the risk-taking girl she once was.

Greta's character felt so realistic and I'm happy the author didn't create a character who was functioning perfectly fine after so much has happened.Yes, she's been able to find a new friend in Meredith, she loves to read and she's slowly finding her way in trying new things. But she's far from being okay. Some days are worse than others, but she's trying! I loved that Vanishing Summer shows us that grief and anxiety over events doesn't disappear after a couple of months or when a new friend comes along.

Kidnapping isn't a subject I've come across a lot in YA books, especially when it's your own father who kidnaps you. Everett was taken by his father and thought they were only going on a fun trip. Unfortunately, that wasn't true! After four years he realized things were getting worse and ran. His father told him a lot of things that weren't true and it's hard for Everett to grasp all of this. It wasn't true that his mother was drinking and didn't want him anymore.

Once again, Everett also felt really real. Things weren't okay as soon as he got back to his mother. He was scared, confused and not sure how to feel. Everett had to deal with not seeing a doctor for years or being able to go to school. Once again, I was really glad that this author showed us that there will be struggles after such a horrific event.

Vanishing Summer is also a book that shows us how important friends are. Even after everything that had happened and being gone for four years, Greta and her brother Joe were still there for Everett. They wanted the good and the bad! Even Meredith who didn't know Everett before everything happened. It's hard to put into words how amazing all of these characters were and how they fit together.

There was also a tad of romance in Vanishing Summer, but it fit this story perfectly. It was like a rainbow after a thunderstorm. These were special moments both Everett and Greta really needed. Not only do they have the chance to find their way back to each other, but to start finding themselves again as well.

If you're looking for an emotional, but a beautiful book of dealing with tragedy and anxiety, but also the amazing moments with friends and family, this book is for you!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that made me happy, despite bringing up things like grief, anxiety and guilt. It's all described very well, without it feeling too heavy.

I completely LOVE the characters! I like both the "new" and the "old" Greta. Her relationship with her father and brother is so sweet, and it makes me wish I had a big brother like Joe! Everett's very charming and adorable, even if he's affected by the things he's been through. My heart was bleading for him... Gretas new friend Meredith seems awesome as well! The kind of friend everyone should have.

There's, of course, a love story too, that slowly unravels. I enjoyed being a part of their journey, and while reading I thought about books I've read by Sarah Dessen, among others. Dessen is one of my favourite authors when it comes to contemporary YA, so that's a good sign!

I received an ARC from the author, but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Daniela · Rating 2 out of 5]

War mir zu trocken.
Kam gar nicht in die Geschichte und wurde auch mit den Hauptpersonen nicht warm.
Noch dazu ging mir die Entwicklung der Lovestory viel zu schnell und problemlos.
Für junge Leser vielleicht überzeugender?
Aber ich erwarte mir mehr nach so einer traumatisierenden Situation.

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am actually surprised that this is considered young adult. It is extremely heavy. That's basically the only word to describe this book. It has kidnapping, guilt, death, emotional trauma, and of course, friendship. If you are looking for a light, fun book, this is not it. If you are looking to read something more heavy and emotional, this is your book. I did enjoy the book. The plot was interesting, and I loved the characters. I am actually looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

[Tanya (Girl Plus Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fact: I read less YA now than ever.

Another fact: There are a few YA authors who I will continue to read no matter what. That short list includes long-time favorites like Katie McGarry, Julie Cross and Robin Benway – and it also includes Lora Richardson.

Richardson writes contemporary young adult novels that speak to me. There are no fantastical worlds, no over the top drama, no too good to be true characters. What Richardson does best is create down to earth, realistic characters that feel like people you could know in your everyday life - the girl at school, the guy down the street. And she tells their stories with a gentle hand that draws you in and makes you care and feel and hope.

In Vanishing Summer, we meet sixteen-year-old Greta. A girl who is fearful and doesn’t take unnecessary chances. But Greta wasn’t always that way; she used to be bold and daring. That ended the day her best friend was taken away right in front of her – and never came back. Until he did. Until one night he walked out of the trees, stood in front of her, and said her name.

I was me, and he was him, but we weren’t us anymore.

I cared so much for Greta and Everett. I wanted to hug Everett all the time for what he had been through, what he had lost, and his struggle to return to a life he no longer knew. While Everett suffered while he was away, Greta was tormented as well, dealing with guilt that she was somehow responsible. She showed real maturity when she knew she had to give Everett time and space. She wanted to immediately be right back by his side every moment and pick up where they left off and yet she was still intuitive enough to know to give him time. She didn’t push him to share but was there when he wanted to talk. They had such a special connection and were so supportive of one another.

“Do you think I’m going to be okay?” he asked?

“I do.”

“Good. I trust you. If you think so, it must be true.”

The secondary characters were just as appealing. There was a strong family dynamic and it was refreshing to see a family that obviously loved and cared and supported. Greta’s father and brother showed their concern for her, both before Everett returned and after, and I loved their close-knit unit. Everett’s mom, Greta’s friend Meredith, Greta’s boss at the little theater where she worked… they all provided a cocoon of love and encouragement.

Vanishing Summer provided everything I loved in contemporary YA. Characters that I connected with and that felt believable, a story that captured my heart and my emotions, and the hint of a romance that had all the sweetness and yearning of first love. If you’re a fan of contemporary YA, do yourself a favor and experience Greta and Everett’s story for yourself. You won’t be sorry.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. This does not impact my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the third book in this series first because I read that it could be a stand alone novel. This book can be, too. The series, apparently, follows the same group of friends - first a few from this book, and then others are added to the group as the series develops. Although the big conflict this book was referred to in the third book, it was not necessary to know much about this book to understand book three. Although, now that I've read this one, I want to reread book three (after I finish reading book two). Clear as mud? Great.

Vanishing Summer had a rougher start than Finding Winter - it was slow and very much in Greta's head. It was necessary, I admit, to allow you to understand the value of each character in the narrative and understand some back story, but it was still slow and slightly tedious. Once all the flashbacks were done, though, the plot developed nicely and I was really cheering for both Greta and Joe in the end. The biggest thing that was tough, while reading this book, was how the anxiety around that summer four years ago affected Greta, Joe, their dad, even Everett's mom. The author portrayed a variety of symptoms of anxiety, and it was nice to see how each character approached both tragedies. They didn't all have a bawl-fest, or stay silent and grumpy for years, or hide in bed and fear everything, or run to a therapist, or have long breakfasts when they reminisced about missing loved ones. Things developed differently for each character, and it was a good reminder to me as a reader with people with anxiety in her life that anxiety can show itself in so many different ways, depending on the person, the circumstances, the time and distance from the incident, and even what other things are going on at the time. This book does have a happy-ish ending, but it can never be completely happy, and Richardson didn't even attempt to make it perfect. I love that.

[Kristen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea how this has so many great reviews. I'm not trying to be a jerk, because it's not the worst thing I've ever read and there's nothing offensive or anything like that, but absolutely nothing happens. If I didn't own the book, I'd have DNF'd it at chapter 3 or so, but since I did own it, I tried to just read it through. As promised, Everett does come back, but we don't see him or learn anything at all about him for another 3 or 4 chapters - weeks in the story. So it's basically like he's not actually back. I read 100 pages, hoping something exciting might happen, but nothing does and so I skimmed the rest.
A story like this should have drama built right in, but the author overdid it. Greta acts like she witnessed a grisly murder or two. What she went through would have been fairly traumatizing, but her reactions don't match up to what she experienced at all. Same for Everett. Sure, what he went through would probably screw up any kid, but he wasn't abused. He wasn't horribly mistreated. It just all came off as kind of ridiculous. As did the way most of the characters sound like they're about twelve.
It's a decent plot, and with a lot of tweaking it could probably be really good, but as is I was bored and confused by all the build up over nothing.

[Genni Piatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It took me a little bit of time to get into it, but it was well worth it. One of the things that I loved about this book was the positive way they talk about therapy. They stress the importance of therapy, dealing with your problems, and having a strong support system. The metaphor used about the mountains and valleys in relation to mental health is wonderful.

Greta tries to navigate her world after her best friend, Everett, is kidnapped by his dad. Even after four years, she still has extreme fear of people leaving her and major anxiety and guilt to deal with. Her family is reeling after her mom dies of cancer and Greta tries to remember how she was before tragedy struck. She used to be fearless and bold. Can she work back to that now?

One day when Greta is reading outside, Everett walks out of the woods and back into her life. A lot has changed between the two in four years. What happened to Everett while he was gone? What has changed between the two best friends?

[Siobhan Yilmaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a journey this read was...Greta's a lost soul after the summer that changed her life. We learn what she's lost and how she's changed over the years into a girl with anxiety and doubt. Her fears hold her back, but she's determined to overcome it all. Then, he returns.
The story is beautifully written and we learn through flashbacks what Greta was like when she was younger, and how she manages her days up until Everett comes back.
It's not a dark or hard read, which is what I prefer. Sometimes, when reading traumatic books, it can be a little overbearing, but this story seems to give you more of an experience and understanding of certain traumas. The balance of heavy and light emotion is done perfectly. I love the relationship between all the characters, and it's obvious Greta and Everett are one soul. The growth of finding each other and overcoming their years apart is lovely to read.

[Natasha's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm guessing this would be considered a New Adult fiction genre. The story centers around Greta who is close with her brother Joe and their best friend Everett. When Greta and Everett are in their early teens, Everett is visited by his father who ran out on him and his mother years before. He coaches Everett into his vehicle with promises that Everett gets to spend some time with him having fun and then he'll be back home with his mother. Only his father has worse intentions and kidnaps him. For years Greta, Joe, their father and Everett's mother wonder where Everett is. Out of the blue, Greta is up in her tree one night when Everett reappears out of thin air. Everett is reunited with his mother but goes through facing his own thoughts of what's real and the lies his father told him. This book was such a good read. Slow burn romance between Greta and Everett but worth the read.

[Boundless Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greta is facing some major anxiety. Four years ago her best friend and first boy she kissed is kidnapped. A few months later her mother died. Now its four years later and she is still getting over the fear and loss of two people she loved. She's determined to be who she was before that summer. The summer where her mom, her friend, and herself vanished. Now Everett is back, and once again her world is flipped upside down.

This story was heartbreaking and had me deeply enthralled. From beginning to end I was on the edge of my seat feeling all the pain that poor Greta faces. This book hit home for me. I recently lost my own mother, and so the pain she feels is one that I can relate to deeply. Trying to find yourself again after a loss is hard, but she lost two people that were closest to her. When Everett comes back, the story changes into a more positive one, but it's a long road all the same. It had me in tears quite a few times.

Overall, this book was written well. It was filled with all the things you would find in a young adult novel. It had bits of romance, teen angst, and anxiety. It also had deeper aspects that keep you captivated. I loved this story and can't wait for the next one.

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[Amanda Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greta is dealing with a lot. Her best friend Everett is kidnapped and her mother dies a few months after. She's seeing a therapist and working on dealing with her anxiety and depression as a result of everything that's happened. Then one night Everett reappears and life changes once again.

I really loved this book. It's very well written and the characters are very relatable. I think it's very important how therapy is portrayed in this book, as a positive thing and not something that one should be ashamed of. When dealing with loss, it's important to have someone you can talk to. Greta has a great support system in her dad, her brother Joe, and her best friend Meredith. I can't wait to see where this series leads next.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vanishing Summer

This was a good teen romance/ mystery novel. I thought it was very cute and interesting at times. However, I felt like it through me through a hoop a few times. Mainly, about the audience this book is intended for. This book had hints of darker things like depression, anxiety, therapy, and fear that didn’t really work with a teen audience. However, the characters and the focus and Everett’s story about what happened to him with his father would never work with an adult audience. So, it just kind of hung in the middle for me going back and forth. Anyways, all in all I thought the book was good but could have used a little more decisiveness. I would give this a 4.2

[Elizabeth✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... this story was a sweet young adult book. It is definitely not what I am used to reading at all. However, it was a sweet and heart felt book! Since it was a little slow for me, it didn’t engage me a lot. But I was able to read it all the way to the end so it did keep my attention!

The main thing I didn’t like was the 2 “big” parts of the story was added in poorly (my opinion). Instead of it building up to that moment, they just started a new chapter and BAM it happened. There was no build up or anything noting that something was going to happen. So that was very disappointing and had me a little confused.

If I knew what I knew now, would I read this book again? Eh.. only if I had nothing else to read.

[BethLee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vanishing Summer is another amazing Lora Richardson book that is the perfect mix of light romance and deeper themes.

I really found myself relating to the characters. They were all flawed people who just wanted to be happy. The narrator was very easy to relate to and I could understand her emotions. The romance was very sweet and made the story seem like an easier read.

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author, and this one didn't disappoint. It is filled with themes. The setting is very well set up and vibrant.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a summer romance that makes you feel something.

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growth Through Tragedy
This is a Young Adult, coming of age romance, but so much more. This kids go through some incredibly hard times, stick tight to friends and family and come through the other side. The story takes a little bit to warm up and grab your heart, but you'll be glad to see it through. This is a very good book. I have other books by this author that have been in my TBR file for a few months that I plan on reading next. I received this ARC free from the author and I am glad that I did. This is my honest opinion!

[Cori Mcgowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

❤️ Everett and Greta

I really enjoyed the story once I finally got into it. It was a little slow starting for me. I loved Everett, he was such a sweetheart. I would have really liked to hear his side of the story in his words. I feel like we missed a lot by not having the book be a dual perspective. I loved Everett and Greta! I also loved the supporting cast, both parents, Joe and Meredith but I didn’t feel like I really got to know them very well. Overall this was a very enjoyable read and I would rate it a 3.5

[George the Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author almost single handedly has helped me get through the last year. Stressed? Read one of books. Depressed? Surround myself with her uncanny ability to capture young love. The way she writes about friendships, small towns, and families never fails to ring true. This is the first in a series just as heartwarming and addictive as her last, with a clever plot that gently broke my heart then carefully put it back together.

[Jennifer Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down! Absolutely beautiful story of friendship, overcoming fear, and falling in love. I loved the authors voice and the way she tells a story! I can’t wait to read more by this author. It’ll pull at your heartstrings and take you on an amazing journey of the struggles of adolescence and learning to trust again. Highly recommend!

[Amanda B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars! I met Lora at a local Christmas/craft vendor event and had to read her work! This was a really cute read and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I really enjoyed Greta, Joe and their dad, and how much they value family. This is a great message for a YA book.

Lora, I hope you read this review! 😊

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story

I really enjoyed this story about Greta and her family and her two best friends. There was some difficult subject matter (dealing with loss) but it was handled beautifully. It was a beautiful story and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Geo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy for an honest review. This book wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It was a lovely little story that was sad at times. I would recommend this to anyone who needs a palate cleanser or just needs a good story.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vanishings and Findings

What an amazing read! So well crafted! Reality packed! Teens coming of age. A must read! Looking forward to reading the next in this series! That good!

[Paige Whitecotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart.

Bless Everett’s heart. I have to say Lora certainly is able to write emotion that bleeds from the pages. I felt Everett and Greta’s heartache, sadness, and terror. While this book had all of that it was so much more and such a great book.

[Santanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 40% The story is just too slow moving for me. I'm at 40 %, and it seems like everything is so anticlimactic, and I can't get into the characters. The MC is supposed to be 16, but she talks and acts like she's in kindergarten. Maybe I'll try another time, but I just can't finish it right now.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great character development and seeing same experience through other's perspective. Wonderful strong family and friendship bonds, but all is not so perfect. Read how they each work through a very bad experience.

[SheReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book that had me on the edge of my seat. Could have done without so many flashbacks, but I liked the characters a lot - especially the dad. He was funny.

[Jessie Shepps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet ya romance

This story was an easy quick read. The main characters had a great connection. Some plot twists I wasn’t expecting. All together a good read.

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, a lot emotions went into the writing.

[Emmahlovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great contemporary YA read. Dealing with issues of anxiety, grief and guilt. I love the characters and can't wait to read more.