That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Although my hubby and I are still sickeningly sweet on each other, I sometimes find my brain wandering and thinking about how it would change my life and/or the lives of our children if we were to get a divorce.  It’s not because I think it’s even a remote possibility, but rather because divorce is just so darn common.  I frequently hear about couples divorcing and how hard it is for the kids who are caught in the middle and have to adjust to a their “new normal.”  Since my parents are still married, as well, I can’t say for sure whether Haven’s experience rings true enough… but, based the popularity of Sarah Dessen’s many books, I can’t imagine she got it wrong!

Haven managed to make it through her parents divorce, but she wasn’t so sure she could handle her father’s wedding/re-marriage.  The event, in and of itself, promised to be agonizing enough — and things would only get worse as she adjusted to the reality of having the “Weather Pet” for a step-mom.  Maybe it would not have seemed so bad if Haven’s life was only changing on that one front.  Since her older sister, Ashley, was also planning a wedding for that summer, it felt like Haven’s whole reality was being torn apart.  So when she ran into Ashley’s old boyfriend, Sumner, Haven started thinking back to and idealizing the last summer her family had been whole.

Happy Reading!