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A Summer Taken
"The old green sign with painted yellow letters confirmed it--I was back. And like it or not, this was happening."
14-year-old Julia is back at Lake Bradford for a very different reason than last time. Two years ago, she and her cousin Lizzie got to experience Camp Auctus, a leadership camp for gifted girls rooted in tradition, a place where even their mothers and grandmothers attended as girls. Campfires, fireflies, talent shows, races by the lake, friendships, and a mysterious Writer's Hut nestled in the woods were just a few of the things that made Camp Auctus special.
But after a tragedy takes her cousin away, the best summer of Julia's life becomes her worst. And now, she's back, tasked with writing a tribute to the cousin she loved so deeply. Except...Julia isn't sure she can do it. How can she put into words what she still has not been able to understand? Lizzie wasn't just her best friend--she was her inspiration for change in the world.
A book series about multi-generational family and friendship, loss and grief, gun violence, the growth of divisive anger and hate we have allowed in our country, and a story of love and hope.
14-year-old Julia is back at Lake Bradford for a very different reason than last time. Two years ago, she and her cousin Lizzie got to experience Camp Auctus, a leadership camp for gifted girls rooted in tradition, a place where even their mothers and grandmothers attended as girls. Campfires, fireflies, talent shows, races by the lake, friendships, and a mysterious Writer's Hut nestled in the woods were just a few of the things that made Camp Auctus special.
But after a tragedy takes her cousin away, the best summer of Julia's life becomes her worst. And now, she's back, tasked with writing a tribute to the cousin she loved so deeply. Except...Julia isn't sure she can do it. How can she put into words what she still has not been able to understand? Lizzie wasn't just her best friend--she was her inspiration for change in the world.
A book series about multi-generational family and friendship, loss and grief, gun violence, the growth of divisive anger and hate we have allowed in our country, and a story of love and hope.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2020
20 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 20, 2020
Wonderful read
I won this as an ebook from Goodreads and was definitely NOT disappointed!...I love books about summer camp and the many amazing memories it reminds me of my own time at camp.
I won this as an ebook from Goodreads and was definitely NOT disappointed!...I love books about summer camp and the many amazing memories it reminds me of my own time at camp.
July 8, 2020
Heartbreaking and uplifting from start to finish. A story about grief, end of innocence, and hope in a time of devastating loss. Well done, Jason Milgram.
October 12, 2020
At first, I thought, oh no, here we go again, another anti-gun, 2nd amendment opposing, politically divisive book, but was I wrong. Yes, the author did make the point that the gun laws should be stricter, and making that point from the perspective of a 12 (and 14) year old protagonist let it ring through loud and clear, but it wasn't a divisive book at all.
I also believe that there needs to be more restrictive gun laws in place, but not the total loss of gun ownership for all people. I also believe that as a society, we need to treat people better, check in on those we love and those with whom we come into contact to see how they're doing, because not everyone gets to grow up in a home full of love like Julia and Lizzie and even if they do, the outside world is not always kind to them and we don't need to add to any of the pain they are feeling at any juncture in their lives. I believe that if we were ALL kinder and more respectful to those with whom we come into contact - ALL OF THOSE with whom we come into contact - then maybe that would suppress as much if not more mass gun violence as enforcing stricter gun laws could ever do. Again, just my viewpoint; agree with it if you will and if you don't, please be kind in responding your opposing viewpoint.
I would definitely recommend this book to others because it was eye opening to read this from a "child's" perspective. A lot of times, we don't really listen to what children are going through and we need to hear them. I thought this book was very respectful to all of the characters and I only wish we'd been able to know them ALL a little more and for a little longer!
I also believe that there needs to be more restrictive gun laws in place, but not the total loss of gun ownership for all people. I also believe that as a society, we need to treat people better, check in on those we love and those with whom we come into contact to see how they're doing, because not everyone gets to grow up in a home full of love like Julia and Lizzie and even if they do, the outside world is not always kind to them and we don't need to add to any of the pain they are feeling at any juncture in their lives. I believe that if we were ALL kinder and more respectful to those with whom we come into contact - ALL OF THOSE with whom we come into contact - then maybe that would suppress as much if not more mass gun violence as enforcing stricter gun laws could ever do. Again, just my viewpoint; agree with it if you will and if you don't, please be kind in responding your opposing viewpoint.
I would definitely recommend this book to others because it was eye opening to read this from a "child's" perspective. A lot of times, we don't really listen to what children are going through and we need to hear them. I thought this book was very respectful to all of the characters and I only wish we'd been able to know them ALL a little more and for a little longer!
November 2, 2020
This book just didn't work for me, for several reasons. It didn't hold my interest and was really hard to get through.
It was set in the future, but the only way you knew it was the future was that the author kept saying it was. It repeatedly referenced "the past," which would be what's culturally current now like 9/11, Columbine, Yu-Gi-Oh!, social media, selfies, etc. Nothing was different in the future, not phrases, behaviors, anything--except for an AI (artificial intelligence) typewriter and holographic phone calls, both of which were barely mentioned and added nothing to the story.
There were too many cliche/predictables for me--a girls' camp with a shy girl who has a bubbly best friend and the typical mean girl, an eating disorder, a gun control issue, strong women and barely-mentioned men, etc. There was overwhelming angst, switching abruptly to a long back story, and then things are suddenly all fine with a miraculous, tidy, very unrealist in my opinion ending.
Another thing that made the book inauthentic to me was the narrator's voice. She was 12-14 during the book. She, and other same-age girls, spoke in a voice that no 12 year-old I've ever met has used. It was adult maturity speaking, not a young girl barely out of grade school.
That being said, I appreciated that there was no bad language or sexuality in a book aimed at a younger audience. I think the idea of the book was good, but it just fell flat for me.
I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
It was set in the future, but the only way you knew it was the future was that the author kept saying it was. It repeatedly referenced "the past," which would be what's culturally current now like 9/11, Columbine, Yu-Gi-Oh!, social media, selfies, etc. Nothing was different in the future, not phrases, behaviors, anything--except for an AI (artificial intelligence) typewriter and holographic phone calls, both of which were barely mentioned and added nothing to the story.
There were too many cliche/predictables for me--a girls' camp with a shy girl who has a bubbly best friend and the typical mean girl, an eating disorder, a gun control issue, strong women and barely-mentioned men, etc. There was overwhelming angst, switching abruptly to a long back story, and then things are suddenly all fine with a miraculous, tidy, very unrealist in my opinion ending.
Another thing that made the book inauthentic to me was the narrator's voice. She was 12-14 during the book. She, and other same-age girls, spoke in a voice that no 12 year-old I've ever met has used. It was adult maturity speaking, not a young girl barely out of grade school.
That being said, I appreciated that there was no bad language or sexuality in a book aimed at a younger audience. I think the idea of the book was good, but it just fell flat for me.
I received this ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews