What do you think?
Rate this book
The Summer Between Us
"An empowering journey of self-actualization and a look at the intimate bonds that shape a person." — Kirkus Reviews
This coming-of-age story follows eighteen-year-old Adrian Carter as he graduates from high school and confronts difficult decisions about his future, all while dealing with the stress and pressure he feels to please those closest to him. As Adrian navigates the emotional highs and lows of the summer between graduation and the post-secondary future, he negotiates the difficulties of forging a path in life against others’ expectations.
Despite his wish to follow his longtime girlfriend Mel on her cross-country trip with her band, Adrian is hesitant about spending too much time in the punk’s scenes majority-white spaces. Adrian struggles with these feelings and works to find common ground with his emotionally distant father. Meanwhile he starts to understand that his own passion is grounded in a desire to support a community he’s forged on his own.
Dealing with important themes (a desire for independence, identity, first love, familial tensions) from the nuanced perspective of a biracial teen, this story tackles key contemporary social issues. Class differences, colourism in the Black community and the structural barriers limiting access to post-secondary education for Black youth are all embedded in Andre Fenton’s readable narrative.
This coming-of-age story follows eighteen-year-old Adrian Carter as he graduates from high school and confronts difficult decisions about his future, all while dealing with the stress and pressure he feels to please those closest to him. As Adrian navigates the emotional highs and lows of the summer between graduation and the post-secondary future, he negotiates the difficulties of forging a path in life against others’ expectations.
Despite his wish to follow his longtime girlfriend Mel on her cross-country trip with her band, Adrian is hesitant about spending too much time in the punk’s scenes majority-white spaces. Adrian struggles with these feelings and works to find common ground with his emotionally distant father. Meanwhile he starts to understand that his own passion is grounded in a desire to support a community he’s forged on his own.
Dealing with important themes (a desire for independence, identity, first love, familial tensions) from the nuanced perspective of a biracial teen, this story tackles key contemporary social issues. Class differences, colourism in the Black community and the structural barriers limiting access to post-secondary education for Black youth are all embedded in Andre Fenton’s readable narrative.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2022
58 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 9, 2025
"The Summer Between Us" by Andre Fenton felt like reading my own diary. It was incredibly easy to connect with every character in the novel, each of them grappling with memories they’re not quite ready to let go of, trying to move forward in their lives.
We follow Adrian, a recent high school graduate who isn’t ready to move on. Is it selfish to want just a little more time? To want to pause life before it changes forever? For many reasons, Adrian doesn’t feel like he belongs. His race, his history with an eating disorder, and his gentle sensitive nature make him feel alienated, even ashamed of expressing his true self. He feels like an outsider, especially within his own home.
Throughout the novel, Adrian is under pressure to fulfill his father’s dream of him attending business school at Cape Breton University. But does his father ever stop to ask what Adrian wants? Their strained relationship, made worse by a tension in their shared home, becomes a source of deep stress and anxiety for Adrian.
As the story progresses, we witness Adrian’s journey of self-discovery. He begins to find his voice, his passion, and a sense of belonging. Through his personal struggles, he develops a desire to support other youth who, like him, feel unheard or misunderstood. He doesn’t have everything figured out, but that’s okay. What matters is that he’s driven by the belief that he can be a voice for others, and that he can create meaningful change in their lives.
I also really enjoyed reading about Adrian and Mel’s relationship as they grow and evolve together. Their contrasting personalities and goals create a dynamic that feels real and relatable. Adrian’s friend group plays a crucial role in helping him believe in himself, which beautifully highlights one of the novel's key themes: the importance of friendship.
"The Summer Between Us" has become my comfort book, one I know I’ll return to whenever I need the feeling of being seen and understood.
We follow Adrian, a recent high school graduate who isn’t ready to move on. Is it selfish to want just a little more time? To want to pause life before it changes forever? For many reasons, Adrian doesn’t feel like he belongs. His race, his history with an eating disorder, and his gentle sensitive nature make him feel alienated, even ashamed of expressing his true self. He feels like an outsider, especially within his own home.
Throughout the novel, Adrian is under pressure to fulfill his father’s dream of him attending business school at Cape Breton University. But does his father ever stop to ask what Adrian wants? Their strained relationship, made worse by a tension in their shared home, becomes a source of deep stress and anxiety for Adrian.
As the story progresses, we witness Adrian’s journey of self-discovery. He begins to find his voice, his passion, and a sense of belonging. Through his personal struggles, he develops a desire to support other youth who, like him, feel unheard or misunderstood. He doesn’t have everything figured out, but that’s okay. What matters is that he’s driven by the belief that he can be a voice for others, and that he can create meaningful change in their lives.
I also really enjoyed reading about Adrian and Mel’s relationship as they grow and evolve together. Their contrasting personalities and goals create a dynamic that feels real and relatable. Adrian’s friend group plays a crucial role in helping him believe in himself, which beautifully highlights one of the novel's key themes: the importance of friendship.
"The Summer Between Us" has become my comfort book, one I know I’ll return to whenever I need the feeling of being seen and understood.
November 2, 2023
Ariela's review:
The Summer Between Us is such an emotional read. I’m familiar with the author’s work, as I read Annaka a while back, and I really did love his writing style and how he was able to convey the emotions of growing up and not being accepted by your family, learning to speak up, and doing what you love. This is the kind of book that reads like a big hug, comfort in the midst of a whirlwind that is life. It’s definitely a relatable book, and I’m sure many people could be comforted by it. I like that this book touched on subjects like race, eating disorders, and family matters when your family just straight up won’t accept you for being who you are and pursuing the things that you want to. However. As someone who is of mixed race, much the main character of this book, Adrian, I found the mentions and examples of racism very interestingly written out.
Personally, I’ve never faced such discrimination because I’m not white. I was talking to some of my friends about this book, and it did stir up a lot of conversation between my non-white friends and I. It forced me to think about how the history of a community, and even the social status of an individual might impact their experience of racism. I felt that it was a real eye-opener, and that I was enlightened a bit more on these subjects.
Other than race, this book also touched on eating disorders, which is something that I don’t have any experience with, so I won’t talk about that one a whole lot, but I think that it was good to read about what it’s like to have an ED. I think that this book did a good job explaining it, what the thought process is like, and what it’s like to actually act on it and then start to see changes in your body. The other thing is just Adrian’s struggles with being a man. He’s part of a group called “Unpacking Masculinity” and I thought this spoke volumes to how some people struggle with something as simple as their own gender, and what it really means to be masculine or feminine, especially in a world where the lines between the two are so blurred.
Now. Let’s talk about the characters of The Summer Between Us.
Adrian
Adrian just finished high school, and is trying to get into college. The problem is, he doesn’t really know if he wants to go to college or not. His girlfriend of three years, Melody (Mel for short) is going to go on a cross country trip with her band Black, Brown, and Infamous, and Adrian is torn between the two. Support his girlfriend or do something that can promise him a more solid future and do what he’s interested in. Adrian as a character and as a person was also really good to read about. He felt very much like a real person, and someone that you can actually relate to. Even though my life would differ a lot from Adrian’s life, I found myself being able to relate and understand his struggles and what he was going though.
As for Adrian’s personality, you can tell that he’s trying to better himself, like his weight loss journey, and the way that he thinks. Also how much he loves Mel, which is really sweet, and I loved reading about their relationship in this book. I thought Adrian was a pretty solid character overall, and I think he was a pretty good driving force for this story.
Melody
Mel is cool. I liked Mel. Mel is the kind of girlfriend that stands up for what she wants, and she can and she will fight you if you piss her off. Don’t piss off Mel. Also she drives a purple camero which is also kinda fire, and on top of that she’s in a punk rock band and doesn’t like people being emo. She’s so real for that.
Donny
Solid best friend. Solid wingman. Would’ve liked to see some more depth in Adrian and Donny’s relationship. I always like to know why characters are friends, and I’m not sure that I really saw enough here.
The other bandmates
I kinda wish we got more of the other characters. There were a lot of characters that just kinda felt a little bit left out in certain parts, and I think the bandmates were some of those people. The main characters were the main characters, and then the side characters were side characters. I wish Mel wasn’t the only one who got development.
When I finished this book, I was truly left with so many different emotions. And to Andre Fenton, thank you for writing this book, as I feel like many teenagers can relate to the characters and the struggles that were mentioned in this book, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it all and seeing how it all fell into place at the end.
Here’s a quote that I really liked from this book before I go:
“I all ready know what I am.” I finally let out, “I’m worthy of the life I want to lead.” ~ Adrian Carter (Page 187)
Julia's review:
I absolutely loved reading another#freebook entitled The Summer Between Us by @andrefentonauthor given to me from @digitally_lit and @formacbooks. This book is the sequel to Worthy of Love, it follows Adrien, a teen who is finding who he is meant to be. Through talking to other young men about a variety of different topics each week having issues at concerts going to University and finding his place in the world.
This book is about complex issues that have needed to be talked about for years and I loved how all the characters felt real. I loved that the setting of multiple Nova Scotian places were mentioned such as Cape Breton, and Halifax. My favourite part was when Mel and Adrien went to Mel’s cabin and swam in the lake. I did not want this book to end!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars
The Summer Between Us is such an emotional read. I’m familiar with the author’s work, as I read Annaka a while back, and I really did love his writing style and how he was able to convey the emotions of growing up and not being accepted by your family, learning to speak up, and doing what you love. This is the kind of book that reads like a big hug, comfort in the midst of a whirlwind that is life. It’s definitely a relatable book, and I’m sure many people could be comforted by it. I like that this book touched on subjects like race, eating disorders, and family matters when your family just straight up won’t accept you for being who you are and pursuing the things that you want to. However. As someone who is of mixed race, much the main character of this book, Adrian, I found the mentions and examples of racism very interestingly written out.
Personally, I’ve never faced such discrimination because I’m not white. I was talking to some of my friends about this book, and it did stir up a lot of conversation between my non-white friends and I. It forced me to think about how the history of a community, and even the social status of an individual might impact their experience of racism. I felt that it was a real eye-opener, and that I was enlightened a bit more on these subjects.
Other than race, this book also touched on eating disorders, which is something that I don’t have any experience with, so I won’t talk about that one a whole lot, but I think that it was good to read about what it’s like to have an ED. I think that this book did a good job explaining it, what the thought process is like, and what it’s like to actually act on it and then start to see changes in your body. The other thing is just Adrian’s struggles with being a man. He’s part of a group called “Unpacking Masculinity” and I thought this spoke volumes to how some people struggle with something as simple as their own gender, and what it really means to be masculine or feminine, especially in a world where the lines between the two are so blurred.
Now. Let’s talk about the characters of The Summer Between Us.
Adrian
Adrian just finished high school, and is trying to get into college. The problem is, he doesn’t really know if he wants to go to college or not. His girlfriend of three years, Melody (Mel for short) is going to go on a cross country trip with her band Black, Brown, and Infamous, and Adrian is torn between the two. Support his girlfriend or do something that can promise him a more solid future and do what he’s interested in. Adrian as a character and as a person was also really good to read about. He felt very much like a real person, and someone that you can actually relate to. Even though my life would differ a lot from Adrian’s life, I found myself being able to relate and understand his struggles and what he was going though.
As for Adrian’s personality, you can tell that he’s trying to better himself, like his weight loss journey, and the way that he thinks. Also how much he loves Mel, which is really sweet, and I loved reading about their relationship in this book. I thought Adrian was a pretty solid character overall, and I think he was a pretty good driving force for this story.
Melody
Mel is cool. I liked Mel. Mel is the kind of girlfriend that stands up for what she wants, and she can and she will fight you if you piss her off. Don’t piss off Mel. Also she drives a purple camero which is also kinda fire, and on top of that she’s in a punk rock band and doesn’t like people being emo. She’s so real for that.
Donny
Solid best friend. Solid wingman. Would’ve liked to see some more depth in Adrian and Donny’s relationship. I always like to know why characters are friends, and I’m not sure that I really saw enough here.
The other bandmates
I kinda wish we got more of the other characters. There were a lot of characters that just kinda felt a little bit left out in certain parts, and I think the bandmates were some of those people. The main characters were the main characters, and then the side characters were side characters. I wish Mel wasn’t the only one who got development.
When I finished this book, I was truly left with so many different emotions. And to Andre Fenton, thank you for writing this book, as I feel like many teenagers can relate to the characters and the struggles that were mentioned in this book, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it all and seeing how it all fell into place at the end.
Here’s a quote that I really liked from this book before I go:
“I all ready know what I am.” I finally let out, “I’m worthy of the life I want to lead.” ~ Adrian Carter (Page 187)
Julia's review:
I absolutely loved reading another#freebook entitled The Summer Between Us by @andrefentonauthor given to me from @digitally_lit and @formacbooks. This book is the sequel to Worthy of Love, it follows Adrien, a teen who is finding who he is meant to be. Through talking to other young men about a variety of different topics each week having issues at concerts going to University and finding his place in the world.
This book is about complex issues that have needed to be talked about for years and I loved how all the characters felt real. I loved that the setting of multiple Nova Scotian places were mentioned such as Cape Breton, and Halifax. My favourite part was when Mel and Adrien went to Mel’s cabin and swam in the lake. I did not want this book to end!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5 stars
January 4, 2023
I read and Loved Worthy of Love. When I found out there was a sequel, I was thrilled! The Summer Between Us is a book I wish I had when I was in school. The author’s ability to deliver difficult truths and meaningful narratives that have been ignored and denied with compelling and evolving characters is exceptional. While no relationships are perfect, The Summer Between Us shows us beauty within the midst of chaos in all relationships. The author provides readers with a healthy relationship template that demonstrates the importance of honest communication, conflict resolution by taking accountability, showing vulnerability and moving forward with changed behaviour- themes that are needed within all genres of literature, especially YA. I fell in love with Adrian and Mel all over again, and witnessing their relationships evolve with their friends and family members was an absolute privilege.
February 6, 2024
This book was an easy read. Almost felt like a pleasure read. I felt like each character was uniquely written. I will say some of the characters actions had me a bit annoyed and I found myself saying “this would never actually happen” a few times throughout. Overall I would recommend this book if you are a teen or young adult of colour it’s super empowering and can almost feel nostalgic in different aspects. Even shed a tear or two
September 10, 2025
I thought this book was really good. It shows the struggles that teens have about what to do after school. It also highlights the transition of kids becoming more independent from their parents and trying to take control of their life and what they want to do with it. I didn’t realize that this book was a sequel to Worthy of Love until late in the book. I can’t wait to read this novel as well. I give this book a 4/5.
April 24, 2022
This is a beautiful sequel to Worthy of Love that I couldn't put down. It explores the true complexities of relationships, both familial and romantic, and growing up. This book encourages you to be true to yourself and honest with yourself and others. I highly recommend this book to all!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews