The Last Summer Before Whatever Happens Next (YA fiction)

     "Living in Keech, Maine, it was impossible not to know who they were. My dad thought the Tooheys were God's gift to the town...Most people, however, thought that they were just stuck-up snobs that clogged the best seats in the restaurants in the summer and hogged the best parts of the coast for themselves."

     The year is 1980. For Claire, protagonist of Bee Burke's The Last Summer Before Whatever Happens Next, it's the summer between high school graduation (as valedictorian) and the beginning of college. Her father has given her a quite unexpected graduation gift.

     "My present to you is the summer off. No work. No heavy reading. No enrichment camps. One summer of freedom before college."

     Claire really does not like this prospect. She's the kind of person who thrives on schedules and plans and checking off items on to do lists. 

     "I didn't know how to just hang out due to a lack of experience. They didn't teach that at enrichment camps, and I wasn't exactly popular."

     But Claire's summer is going to be nothing like the boring stretch she's expecting. She gets swept up in the Tooheys' posh and dramatic larger than life world. Lunch with the younger Tooheys leads to a cruise where she rescues the matriarch's beloved dog. Pretty soon she's a frequent visitor to the family summer compound. She's even given a nickname, a real sign of Toohey acceptance. 

     But it isn't a lasting relationship. And when she and the family part ways she learns that their initial meeting was nowhere near as random and innocent as she'd thought. 

     If you're looking for a perfect beach read bring The Last Summer Before Whatever Happens Next along. And don't forget the sunscreen. 

On a purrrsonal note, here in Penobscot County, Maine we're enjoying a respite from the latest heat wave. You can tell that autumn 🍂 is sneaking up on us. When Eugene and I were driving last weekend I saw some trees 🌳 with yellow or orange leaves. My schedule is already getting busier. And soon the kids will be wearing their backpack to school. 

A great big shout out goes out to you, my readers, with hopes that you'll enjoy the last weeks of summer. 

Jules Hathaway 

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