Second Chance Summer

by Sarah Kapit

Maddie and Chloe have always been best friends - until last year, when Chloe's popularity and budding fame as an actor left Maddie in the dust one too many times. Their friendship is over, and they're both ready to move on.

But when the girls arrive at summer camp, they discover that the universe isn't ready to let go of this friendship just yet: They're cabinmates, and each of them has to spend the summer with here ex-best friend. Is it time to try again, or are they doomed to drift apart for good?

Genres: Middle Grade, LGBT, Disability, Queer, Contemporary, Jewish, Fiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 23, 2023

Reviews

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this book, Sarah Kapit has really cemented herself as one of my favourite middlegrade authors. Each of her books is so different but so incredibly well done.

This book is dual POV and follows two timelines. Our main characters are Maggie, a fat Jewish girl with dyspraxia, and Chloe, who figures out she's a lesbian over the course of the book. They used to be best friends, and in the "then" timeline, we see what leads to their friendship breakup. In the "now", they've ended up at the same summer camp, and have to figure out if they can be friends again, or if they're better off without each other.

I don't think there are nearly enough books to center friendships, and particularly friendship breakups, which are something everyone goes through, but which we don't get to read about a lot. Both characters go through a lot of growth in the book, and I thought it was a very heartfelt story.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent dual POV, queer middle grade coming of age story featuring the complicated relationship between two best friends and their time at theatre camp one summer working on a production of Wicked. I loved the disability and fat rep in this book! It was done so well and I learned a lot about Dyspraxia, a condition that affects physical coordination. Great on audio and perfect for fans of books like Maya plays the part by Calyssa Erb.

[Laura Moher · Rating 5 out of 5]

If, as an adolescent, you ever had a rocky relationship with a close friend, Sarah Kapit's lovely story Second Chance Summer will bring those feelings back for you in force: the awkwardness of the rapid bodily changes we experience at that age, the frustration at others' seeming unfairness or lack of understanding, the desire to feel special in a world that often seems determined to disrespect people for their differences, the strong need for connection even as we struggle to know how to reach out.

Second Chance Summer is the story of two former--and very different--best friends. Chloe is a child actress, pretty, slim, red-haired, hard-working, and used to being the center of attention, inside her friendship with Maddie and outside it. Maddie has long played Chloe's plainer, fatter sidekick whom others consider clumsy because they either don't know of her disability (dyspraxia) or don't believe her when she tells them about it. Maddie had begun to tire of the second fiddle role well before the event that actually ended their friendship.

The story is told in dual POV, flashing back and forth from the present, where they find themselves at the same performing arts summer camp, to the months leading up to The Very Bad Event. This was a really effective way for Kapit to achieve a kind of balance between the characters, to let us see their strengths and their struggles and flaws. Despite Chloe's seeming advantages, Maddie has a happier, more supportive homelife with her two moms, and Chloe envies her that. Both girls desperately need a close friend as they navigate this difficult age, and neither is very good at making friends. Both of them need to learn, in different ways, to stand up for themselves and to make their needs and feelings clear. Kapit shows us their struggles to make sense of what happened to their friendship and to decide whether there's anything there worth saving. The story ends on a realistically hopeful note, with both girls optimistic about their futures.

One small thing that puzzled me was Chloe's mother's change at the end of the story; I would like to have seen what brought that about. That is only a tiny blip in a lovely, realistic, heartfelt story.
4.9 stars, rounded to 5

[Donna Metler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity.

I'm a music teacher by profession. But as a kid, I was just like Maggie in this book. A talented kid musically with two left feet. I was in grad school before I was diagnosed with dyspraxia. Like Maggie, I had big dreams, but also a recognition of reality. And like Maggie, I had to watch friends excel without,seemingly, even trying. I was fortunate in that my falls and funbles came before the internet. And I was fortunate in that my friends weren't TV stars and professionals who seemed to have it all.

See, that's the other character. Chloe had a prior starring turn on a TV show and a few other pro credits, She also has a stage mom and dreams of Broadway. She's beautiful and popular. And, while Maggie sometimes doesn't realize it, she too envies her friend, and has a growing realization that she's afraid her mother might not accept-but Maggie's supportive moms would.

That is where this book excels. We meet the girls after their falling out. After Chloe's pressuring Maggie to join the school musical with her went horribly wrong, after their friendship was apparently over, they both get assigned to the same cabin at Drama camp. The screenwriting program is canceled, and worse, they both end up in the musical. Through a mix of flashback and current events, we get the story, with alternating perspectives.

As someone with dyspraxia, I found this book realistic, and I think kids with dyspraxia, as well as friends and classmates, will welcome it. But Chloe's story is equally valuable and relatable.

The LGBT content in this book is woven in skillfully and completely appropriately for the MG age group. It is the best kind of representation, that where being gay is simply part of the character as a whole, not their primary identity, And it's nice to see that gay kids have ackward crushes, too.

This book deserves to be read. I hope it gets the chance it deserves.

[Stephanie Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really great middle grade story about friendship and how it is a two-way street. That you have to communicate what you want or need from your friend to be able to be equals and have a good relationship. Maddie has to realize that she can disagree with her friend and that Chloe won’t ditch their friendship because she isn’t being a yes man. Chloe has to start thinking of someone beside herself and to stop trying to gain her mothers approval and go out for what she wants.

Thanks to Henry Holt and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had such great, broad appeal. Diverse body, ability, sexual orientation, and family structure representation. The dissolution of a friendship was relatable and I like that it wasn’t neatly tied up with a bow at the end.

[Carlee Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital advanced copy of this book. It tells the story of two former best friends, Maddie and Chloe, who unintentionally reunite at a performing arts summer camp. Chloe has had her success as a child star, but the past year has not been the best for her career. Maddie was drawn into a school musical production earlier this year, and a mishap caused by her disability, dyspraxia went viral and caused the rift with her and Maddie. The book tells their stories from both point-of-views and from differing time periods, but was still pretty easy to follow. Overall, this was a good middle grade read.

[Emily Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley, Sarah Kapit and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Former best friends Maddie and Chloe end up at the same summer camp and the same cabin! What will they do? Maddie is still upset with Chloe because of how their school play went and Maddie never being there due to her acting career. Will the girls give up on their friendship or learn to accept each other for who they are?

A great middle grade read on friendships, being you and growing up. Middle school and friendships are so hard. I wish I would've had this book when I was in middle school and I hope it will help middle school kids now.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie is at summer theater camp for one reason: their screenplay program. No matter how much she loves musicals, she knows she is not meant for the stage, especially after the catastrophe that happened at her school's production of The Music Man. Chloe is at theater camp because her ambitious stage-mom wants Chloe to get more acting experience; she's already starred in a superhero kid series, but now she's been reduced to period commercials (and she hasn't even gotten her period!) and school musicals. Maddie and Chloe used to be best friends, but The Music Man catastrophe finished that. So of course, fate steps in and not only puts them in the same cabin, but Maddie's screenwriting program is cancelled and she has to join the musical track--which Chloe is also in, of course. And of course it's their favorite musical, Wicked, and Chloe will just DIE if she can't play Elphaba (Chloe ALWAYS gets the lead). Is there any chance their friendship can be rescued? A series of meaner and meaner pranks says probably not...but is that a bad thing?

3.5 stars. If the world building had been less minimal, and the secondary characters less flat (other than Sasha, Chloe's new friend-or-more-than), it would have been a solid 4 stars. The character development of Maddie and Chloe was really well done, though, with flashbacks to the leadup to the school musical and what happened there, and the aftermath. Maddie struggles with dyspraxia, which makes her clumsy, but no one--not even Chloe--really believes it's an actual disability. Maddie is also fat, and that's a second layer of microaggressions to deal with. Chloe, on the other hand, is a minor celebrity and always surrounded by fans, always looks perfect, always gets the lead. But she's dealing with undue pressure from her mother that drives her crazy, and is frustrated that Maddie never tells her (Chloe) what she needs, then gets mad when Chloe can't read her mind. Maddie is frustrated that their whole friendship seems to be about Chloe, and what she wants. They both make poor decisions, and Chloe especially can be hard to spend time with because she's so self-centered, but they do grow. I also loved the implication that maybe not all friendships are beneficial and/or need need to be saved. Sometimes people are just not good for each other. I also liked that Maddie has two moms, and Chloe is feeling attracted to girls. But I do wish there had been more summer camp worldbuilding, because camp is my jam!

I listened to the audiobook of this, read in two voices, and it worked well.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The school musical is for girls like Chloe, not girls like me. I probably couldn’t even do all the complicated dance moves, with my dyspraxia and everything that comes with it. Sometimes I struggle even to tell the difference between left and right. Still, a voice whispers to me, ‘Maybe.’” (66)

Preadolescence is a challenging time. Changing friendships, changing bodies, changing body images, changing friendships, changing identities. Former best friends Maddie and Chloe are experiencing all of it.

Maddie and Chloe had been best friends forever—with a lot in common but also many differences. Chloe loves musical theater and is an ex-star of a television series while Maddie loves movies and plans to be a screenwriter. Chloe’s single mother is a typical stage mother, even making her perform in an embarrassing commercial, while Maddie’s mothers are supportive of anything she does. Chloe sings and dances; Maddie has dyspraxia, difficulty in performing coordinated movements. Maddie also many times finds herself giving into doing what Chloe wants and what’s best for Chloe which is how she ended up with a part in The Music Man. They were inseparable until the incident during the school musical.

When the two rising eighth graders end up at the same drama camp, Chloe wants to make amends, but Maddie is not sure she does. They both are having a challenging summer: the scriptwriting teacher doesn’t show and, even though she is working on her real-life problems through a screenplay she is writing for the one class offered, Maddie ends up acting in the camp production. Chloe is beginning to give up apologizing to Maddie and for once doesn’t win the lead in the show. She makes a new friend, but wonders if Sasha is more than a friend.

When things become nasty between Maddie and Chloe, readers will question whether they will be able to save their friendship? Or if they want to.

Written in alternate narrations, shifting between Now and Then, readers see 1) that there are two sides to a story, 2) that actions have consequences, and 3) that maybe adolescents don’t always want what they think they want. And 4) that a summer does not have to be an end to a story.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

I was definitely Team Maddie throughout the book (although I wasn't a big fan of her revenge attempts - they were below her). I have some knowledge about dyspraxia and was so disappointed with all of the adults in Maddie's life who couldn't be bothered to look up the disorder to understand why she might need some accommodations for musical theatre dance numbers. Much like Chloe they seemed to think that if she just tried harder she would be fine. I found it hard to believe that Maddie couldn't make any friends of her own. She's nice, she's smart - there had to be other kids in her school she could have befriended. The biggest problem with Chloe was that everything came so easily for her that she didn't understand some people might not have it as easy as her. She gets upset with Maddie about not telling her what she needed, but whenever Maddie tried to tell her anything she just brushed it off or truly didn't get it. I also hated when she told Maddie that she needed to stop being jealous of her (it was as though she had learned nothing and still didn't recognize that maybe Maddie was "jealous" because everything came so easily to Chloe and everything was such a struggle for her). And her attitude that no one at a drama camp could possibly be as talented as her just showed the level of arrogance that she carried with her. There were parts that were written to try to add something likeable about Chloe and fit with the "we all have problems" concept. I found myself feeling bad for her struggles, but still not liking her all that much. I also found it difficult to believe that a summer camp would be doing Wicked, but whatever. And how crappy was it that the screenwriting camp Maddie wanted (and paid for) was just up and cancelled and she was forced to do the acting classes? I'm glad this didn't end with Maddie and Chloe going back to being best friends. That wouldn't have been realistic and I'm not sure it would have been good for either of them.

[Ciara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chloe and Maddie used to be best friends, but they had a huge fight and haven't spoken for months. So neither is thrilled when they end up at the same theater camp doing a musical together. But even though they're still mad at each other, they're both still wondering if they can make their friendship work.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded right up my alley; I'm a theater kid, after all, and I know how painful a best friend breakup can be.

But to be honest, I struggled to connect with either Maddie or Chloe.

Chloe just came off selfish and stuck-up and I just wasn't a fan. I especially didn't like how controlling she was when she was friends with Maddie; I felt that Maddie should have let go of the friendship instead of keeping it because it just felt really toxic considering how Chloe behaved.

A lot of people said they connected with Maddie, and there were aspects of her character that I liked. For example, I did like how she learns to advocate for herself, and I liked how her screenplay tied into her own struggles in life.

However, I have to agree with other readers about the way the adults act in this book. Why is Maddie constantly being shamed for her weight and her disability and nobody says anything about it? That just felt messed up. Even Chloe participates in it to some degree, hence why I said the friendship resolution didn't make sense.

I also felt that (and this is a hot take) Maddie sometimes played the victim instead of actively trying to advocate or improve. Now, I have a disability myself, and I know how hard it can be to stand up for yourself. But I felt that it took too long for her to find her voice and I felt that she sometimes used it to make people feel bad for her.

Overall, I wouldn't say this is an accurate portrayal of a best friend breakup, but I give it points for trying to tackle the topic as it can be very difficult to do.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a former middle school girl, this book rang true in a lot of ways. I had a lot of friendships dissolve during those years. I can only imagine being stuck at the same camp (in the same cabin!) with some of those girls -- yikes.

This was my first Sarah Kapit book, and there were times in the story that the adult author's voice seemed to come through her tween characters in a very strong manner. In the final third of the book, there were a lot of heavy-handed messages about forgiveness and acceptance. Good messages that I totally agree with, but it seemed more "tell" than "show."

As the mom of two girls, I struggle when middle-grade books have nothing but hands-off adults. The director-counselor Audrey helps Maddie at times, but no girl should have to feel like they have to handle their real problems on their own. I worry that the overall message of this book is just a version of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" when I want my kids to learn to advocate for themselves and reach out to trusted adults when they are struggling.

Note: there are 20 uses of fat/fatter in this book. As a plus-size woman, I am all for body positivity and reclaiming the word fat, but this just seemed like Maddie talking bad about herself...over and over again. I worry that some girls will internalize this negative self-talk and miss the "lesson" of self-acceptance that is trying to be passed on.

(I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

[JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

[3.75/5]

Whenever I’m in a slump, I’m going to read middle grade because I LOVED this more than anything else I read this month. When I read books like this, I always wonder what it would’ve been like to have a book like this when I was 12. I cannot think of a single fat MC I read about in that time. This book does dual POVs super well; we follow Maddie and Chloe, former best friends reunited against their will at camp. (Camp, btw, is where all fat girl nightmares happen. I felt very seen.) After a big oopsie during their school play, Maddie decides she’s sick of feeling like Chloe’s shadow and wants to be understood. We watch her try to take revenge for all the ways Chloe has wronged her before they both discover a better way for friendship to work.

This was so warm and cozy while giving real tough struggles to its protagonists. It’s also got incredibly interesting representation of things I had never thought about, but each character is so much more than one thing. I appreciate middle grade that respects its reader and this author clearly understands young people’s complicated, messy emotions.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not uncommon for friendships to fall apart when kids reach 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. That doesn't make it easier on the kids going through it though. Maddie was looking forward to a fresh start at summer camp, focusing on screenwriting, away from the embarrassment of the school year. She is really upset when her former best friend Chloe ends up not only at camp but in the same cabin. Chloe isn't particularly happy to see Maddie either, but she doesn't really understand why Maddie is so mad at her. Told in alternating view points, this book will resonate with kids going through their own friendship issues, especially musical theater lovers. Recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provded by publisher via Edelweiss

[Vanessa Kelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent book, with realistic characters and situations that many kids could relate to. Characters are flawed, but aren't we all? While I'm glad Maddie realized she could be the star of her own life, I'm a little bummed that the screenwriting took such a backseat to everything else. That had been her passion and the reason she was at camp in the first place. Did she no longer care once she started acting? Also, Cordelia's attitude shift at the end may have been quick, but maybe she saw her daughter perform and realized that it was the best fit for her? I'm curious how she would take the lesbian part.

Overall not a bad book, and while reading it I enjoyed it, but it's not perfect. I think kids who are into realistic fiction and friendship stories would enjoy it

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Maddie has really been looking forward to the screenwriting program at summer camp. And then in walks Chloe Winters, her former best friend. They're in the same bunk and Maddie's anger still simmers after Chloe's lack of support after the disaster of the school musical where Maddie got sick on stage and the video went viral. Chloe is accustomed to being the center stage and when she doesn't get the lead in the camp musical, Wicked, but Galinda, Chloe is forced to do some introspective thinking about what kind of friend she has been, and what kind of friend she could be. Can Maddie and Chloe still be friends?

[Alicia Mesa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Former best friends end up at the same summer camp. Will they repair their friendship? Can they forgive? Who the 🤬 cares! Chloe is a horrible human being. Maddie is fat shamed, disability shamed, and the adults in her life are useless. I kept reading only to find out if Maddie would develop Carrie like powers and burn that camp to the ground. Spoiler alert that does not happen.

The ending is realistic in that Maddie and Chloe agree to be friends and not enemies. But with all the trauma Maddie had to deal with to get to that point the resolution seems worthless.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Former best friends Maddie and Chloe unintentionally end up at the same theater summer camp. As Maddie is no longer speaking to Chloe, she isn't at all thrilled at this turn of events. Over the course of the summer, the two are forced to work together when they're both cast in the camp musical. Can the overcome their issues in 4 short weeks? This is a fun read that will be especially popular with theater kids.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Friend drama as well as a summer camp for screenwriting. A good choice for fans of Sloan and Wolitzer's To Night Owl from Dogfish, Berne's Shabbat Sabotage, Tan's Summer at Meadow Wood, and especially Palma's The Popularity Pact.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Second Chance Summer: DNF. I enjoyed Kapit's previous MG books, but this one just wasn't fun to read. Poor Maddie is miserable all the time (for understandable reasons), and Chloe is so annoying and judgmental! The setting also isn't very well-developed.

[Kate Irwin-smiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think there’s anything worse than navigating the world as a thirteen year old girl. A summer camp setting lets two girls navigate & come to terms with a broken friendship. Feels both realistic and fanciful.

[Jenny Morrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be and it's hard to not appreciate a book that gives you that. The central friendship with it's cracks and problems felt heartbreakingly real -- as did it's resolution. I loved how both girls are in the right and in the wrong because often real life friendships oscillate between the two. Good disability and queer rep. No complaints from me, a super fun summer camp story!

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming story. Excellent for those with bestie relationship "issues"!

[Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5✨
one of the best middle grade books i've ever read

[Kaprisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it really good book

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a little cringy at first which I guess is expected from a tween/middle school book, but I also think it really captures what it’s like to have a complicated friendship while growing up.

[Gillian Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jaime · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance Summer was a fantastic story about complicated friendships, self-acceptance, and finding your voice, all in a theatre camp setting. It is told through both girls' points of view, as well as two timelines: Then and Now. This was incredibly well-done, giving the reader insight into both of the girls' thoughts and struggles, as well as showing clearly what led to the falling out between Maddie and Chloe and their reactions to being stuck at camp together.

I really felt for Maddie throughout the story and rooted for her as she learned to advocate for herself, whether it be about her dyspraxia, the availability of costumes that fit, or her own feelings. I also was very engaged in Chloe's development. She learns to be a better friend to Maddie,and through her relationship with Sasha, a talented girl at camp, she realizes and accepts some very important things about herself. Chloe's first crush is one of the most adorable things I've read, and I found myself smiling so big over those parts.

Oh, and I absolutely adored the parallels between the girls and the characters of Elphie and Galinda in Wicked, the camp play.

This was a book my preteen theatre-nerd self would have read over and over again, although you don't need to be into theatre to enjoy it. Definitely recommend!