Those Summer Nights

Those Summer Nights

After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this “sweet, romantic summer tale” ( Kirkus Reviews ) for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her at boarding school for a year. Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hanna’s summer employment. With its mini golf course, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present. On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex-best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who became unreasonably attractive in her year away and who accepts her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life. Gr 8 Up-After the catastrophic events of her bubbie's death and a soccer-career-ending injury, Hannah Klein went on a downward spiral that ended with her being sent to a boarding school for troubled teens. Now she's back home for the summer, determined to stick to a plan that will prevent her from returning to that school and help her figure out life without soccer. The first step is getting a job; lucky for Hannah, her brother Joey works at the local entertainment multiplex, Bonanza, and recommends her for a position there. Hannah just wants to do the mindless tasks required of her, but she soon gets drawn into the unique atmosphere of Bonanza thanks to a friendly group of coworkers, including her brother's best friend Ethan. As Hannah rebuilds old relationships, develops new ones, and tests out new hobbies, she begins to realize that a life without soccer might not be so unimaginable, or so devastating, after all. The present-day story is interspersed with flashbacks to the previous summer to provide context for Hannah's current situation. Substance abuse is touched on, though not explored deeply, throughout the story. The well-developed workplace setting and the vibrant personalities of the diverse cast of supporting characters are the perfect complement to the sweet summer romance between Hannah and Ethan, who are both Jewish. VERDICT Readers who have enjoyed other summer romances featuring unusual jobs, like Maurene Goo's The Way You Make Me Feel, Jennifer Dugan's Hot Dog Girl, and Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything, will find this one to be similarly engaging.-Alison Glassα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "A sweet, romantic summer tale." ― Kirkus Laura Silverman is an author and editor currently living in Brooklyn, New York. She earned her MFA in writing for children at the New School. Her books include Girl Out of Water , You Asked for Perfect , It’s a Whole Spiel , Recommended for You , Game On , and Those Summer Nights . Girl Out of Water was a Junior Library Guild Selection. You can contact Laura on Twitter @LJSilverman1 or through her website LauraSilvermanWrites.com. Chapter One Chapter One THE MORNING AIR is damp and warm. Soupy. Disgusting. I swipe a hand across the back of my neck as sweat curls beneath my hairline. The iconic neon lights of the BONANZA sign are muted in the daylight. I shift my weight onto my good ankle and let out a quiet sigh. There is no choice to be made here. I have to go in. That was the deal I cut with my parents over the phone last month. You need structure , they said, something to keep you centered and grounded . Grounded. I will also be grounded until next year’s high school graduation if they see fit, the only exception being my new job. I would call that an extreme measure, but for what I put them through last summer… Well, I can’t blame my parents. I can blame a lot of people—Kensington’s star defensive player, Lily Thompson; my ex–best friend, Brie Bradley; and certainly myself. But my parents? They are not to blame. A car beeps next to mine. I watch as a middle-aged man walks toward the Bonanza entrance, grocery bag in hand. Maybe his lunch for later. It’s time for me to go in as well. I arrived home yesterday evening and still haven’t unpacked my things, but we were all eager for me to get a job, so I scheduled my interview for this morning. The interview is just a formality, supposedly. Joey, my younger brother by one year, got a job here last fall when he turned sixteen. He promised I’m a shoo-in to be hired. And yet, my muscles tense with nerves. I