The Lake Effect
by Erin McCahan
Hardcover, 400 pages
Published July 11th 2017 by Dial Books
(ISBN13: 9780803740525)
Checked Out From Library
About:
It’s the summer after his senior year, and Briggs Henry is out the door. He’s leaving behind his ex-girlfriend and his parents’ money troubles for Lake Michigan and its miles of sandy beaches, working a summer job as a personal assistant, and living in a gorgeous Victorian on the shore. It’s the kind of house Briggs plans to buy his parents one day when he’s a multi-millionaire. But then he gets there. And his eighty-four-year-old boss tells him to put on a suit for her funeral.
So begins a summer of social gaffes, stomach cramps, fraught beach volleyball games, moonlit epiphanies, and a drawer full of funeral programs. Add to this Abigail, the mystifying girl next door on whom Briggs’s charms just won’t work, and “the lake effect” is taking on a whole new meaning. (Goodreads)
Rating:
Rules:
Always carry an emergency $20!
Do not leave your phone on at a funeral!
Do not stick your hand down you pants at a funeral!
Make sure to use the bathroom before sitting down at a funeral!
Make sure you read an obit closely before attending a funeral???
All of those will make sense if you read the book ☺
The perfect summer read, especially for those graduating High School. The Lake Effect was a well written and thought out story about friendships, life lessons, chronic illness, and death throughout one summer.
One summer can change your life forever. Our characters all find this out through a series of life lessons.
They also learn:
Both good and bad changes can suck, but you learn and grow from them.
Go out and live the way you want and be happy.
And most of all relationships (family, friends, significant others) are all work, that’s what makes them worthwhile.
All the “lessons” are subtle and are not shoved into the face of the reader like “Here! You Must Do This To Be Happy”.
The characters were all likeable and kept me laughing both at them and with them throughout the book. Mrs. B. was a hoot and a holler! There’s so much to be learned from her and her broken English added the much needed break in the serious topics touched upon in this story. We must have attended “her funeral” at least 5 times throughout the story. (Read the book to find out the humor in that sentence). I can see myself being like her when I’m that age. Our main character Briggs was a breath of fresh air in a sea of crummy male YA characters lately. He is the kind of realistic guy I’d want to be friends with and maybe by the end of the book even date. He’s driven, charming (but not in a bad way), intelligent, and funny. He respects and cares for his elders. I have to agree with Taylor’s mom when she says “He’s a real catch”. I also enjoyed they mysterious Abigail. I’m so glad that even though there is a bit of romance in the story, it didn’t over shadow the importance of everything else. The characters seemed to have more sense than to forcefully have summer flings (even though it seems like an option more than a few times throughout).
There is some drinking in the book and some kissing. Not much more than that. Mature Jr. High teens might enjoy it if they can get past that stuff. (I have a lot of 6th and 7th graders who tell me they want nothing to do with either of those things). I can see High Schoolers and Adults really enjoying it.
Overall, I loved this quirky read. It’s not a book that teens will necessarily find on their own, but I hope librarians and teachers find it and recommend it to them. It’s a great book to read while you’re at the beach!
“Over and Off Briggs Baby!“
*Book photo and review are owned by Erin. To see her personal blog click her signature above^*
0 comments:
Post a Comment