Second Chance Summer

by Sarah Kapit

Overview

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it's with your best friend. Can these two ex-besties survive summer camp together?

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 her ex–best friend. Is it time to try again, or are they doomed to drift apart for good?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250860897
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	05/23/2023
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sarah Kapit is the author of numerous books for young readers. Her novel GET A GRIP, VIVY COHEN! was a Schneider Family Honor title and received the Washington State Book Award. In 2024, Sarah launched the Rachel Friedman series, beginning with RACHEL FRIEDMAN BREAKS THE RULES. The Rachel Friedman books, a Ramona Quimby-inspired series with Jewish themes, are illustrated by Genevieve Kote. Sarah lives in Bellevue, WA with her partner and their twin cats. In her previous life, Sarah earned a PhD in History from UCLA.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Readers who enjoy nuanced character studies will be entranced, and those who think friendship is always a simple thing will be left with much to ponder." —Booklist, starred review

"[The main characters are] each figuring things out about themselves, and what seems a simple case of an unbalanced friendship reveals itself to be more complex." —Horn Book

"A sincere exploration of friendship's ups and downs." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2023-03-14
An already-damaged relationship turns seriously nasty at theater camp.

Chloe and Maddie have been besties since kindergarten, but a lot has happened by the summer after seventh grade, when both go to Camp Rosewood in Southern California. Thin, redheaded Chloe, a White girl, has starred in Super Hero Kids, a popular streaming series; she’s instantly recognized and fawned over by other campers. Maddie, who has two moms, is “a chubby Jewish girl with thick glasses and a tendency to fall over at the worst possible moments.” Her dyspraxia led to an embarrassing incident on stage during the middle school musical this past spring—a video went viral. The girls’ bond has not survived Maddie’s humiliation and Chloe’s rising star status. The narration goes back and forth between the two protagonists and the summer camp and school settings—chapters are labeled with names and time periods but can still be confusing. Maddie is a vivid character, but Chloe feels less authentic; among other things, she is too clueless about why her relationship with Maddie tanked: “Is she jealous of me or something?” As the camp pulls together a production of Wicked, the girls launch vengeful plots against each other but also confront serious issues: Chloe, her first period and attraction to girls, Maddie, the question of whether “fat girls can be the stars of our own stories.” Drama kids will love the setup, though the emotional tug of war is protracted.

A sincere exploration of friendship’s ups and downs. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews