The Drowning Summer

Plot Summary: Six years after three teenagers are found dead in a cave, two friends, Mina and Evelyn, start working together to solve the mystery. They know ghosts are involved in some way. Mina and Evelyn also realize that the power of one ghost may be their fault. Mina’s family are mediums, although her mother is reluctant to teach her more than the basics of contacting the dead. Evelyn also is a medium, although she doesn’t know why. Will Mina and Evelyn be able to find out who killed the three teens and also stop the ghost that is threatening their town?

The two main characters, Mina and Evelyn, are teenagers who live on Long Island, New York. They were friends when they were kids but had a falling out until events pushed them back together. They both have broken families and keep getting closer together so they can solve the mysteries and support each other as their families struggle. 

Author Background: Christine Lynn Herman has been on both New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. They (preferred pronouns are important) have also written a duology called All of Us Villains and another set, The Devouring Gray. They live in Massachusetts with their partner (Herman, 2022).

Critical Evaluation: The reviews for this book were mixed. Some reviewers felt that although they loved the concept, the elements of the story didn't mesh together as well as they would have liked (Good Reads, n.d.). Overall, I liked the book. I definitely agree that the premise is amazing. I also enjoyed how the author brought in social issues such as climate change into the work. Having these be an integral part of the story added depth to the 'why' events were happening. The book is written from the points of view of the two main characters. I enjoyed having each character show how they saw the story progress. Each chapter was titled so that the reader knew which character's viewpoint they were reading. Although I liked the main characters story arc, some of the secondary characters felt two dimensional. Of course, the reader doesn't get the level of information on them as we do the main characters. However, it would have been nice to feel like some of them had a firmer place in the story. In long conversations between the main characters and an ex-boyfriend, for example, I knew he was important but kept on getting lost in the exposition on how he connected plot points. 

Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer: Who doesn't love a good ghost story, plus a six-year-old unsolved murder mystery? Make that an unsolved triple homicide. Follow Mina and Evelyn as they work to solve the murders, defeat a menacing ghost, and save their town, all while discovering their feelings towards each other!

Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation: This story involves ghosts and using magical objects to communicate with them. Some parents may object to this on religious grounds. The two main characters, who are both girls, are bisexual and explore their love for each other. They only kiss a few times, but it can still make some people uncomfortable. There is also mild swearing and some violence. 

The ghosts aren't real and cannot hurt anyone. The bisexual relationship is important to show. Inclusion and acceptance of all types of relationships are necessary so that all people are represented, and teens are shown that they can be accepted.

Reason for Inclusion: I included The Drowning Summer because of how exciting the book was. The characters relationships to each other and the plot made this book an engaging read. I also believe having pollution and climate change be a plot point allows conversations around environmentalism without having to get preachy.

References

Environmental Health Sciences. (2021, May 12). Plastic pollution, explained. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u56T_PpC6jk 

Good Reads. (n.d.). The Drowning Summer. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50986306-the-drowning-summer   

Herman, C.L. (2022). About me. C.L. Herman. https://www.clherman.com/about 

PlayerONE. (2021, July 29). Pollution mini documentary: Types/causes/effects. [YouTube].    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQvS-79VL2Q.

Regina's Crazy Life. (2021, April, 18). 2021 DIY: How to make photo pendent for necklaces, keychains and bracelets. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f32jEgHN-6s.