It’s Not Summer Without You

Belly’s world has shattered. Once, she lived for the countdown to summer at Cousins Beach, where lazy days by the pool with Conrad, Jeremiah, and Susannah felt like forever. But this year, the ocean breeze carries grief instead of joy. Susannah’s illness has changed everything, and Conrad’s withdrawal leaves Belly adrift in a reality where the place she loved most feels empty and unfamiliar. She’s stuck in a present where even the hottest July day can’t melt the chill of loss.

As Belly navigates a summer she never wanted to face at home, she’s haunted by memories of saltwater kisses and sun-bleached laughter. The friends around her push for normalcy—pool parties, new dresses, crushes that feel trivial—but Belly can’t forget the family she lost. Every moment is shadowed by the question of what “after” looks like when the people who defined your world are gone. She’s not just mourning Susannah; she’s mourning the version of herself that only existed in that sun-drenched sanctuary.

When a desperate call from Jeremiah shatters the fragile routine she’s built, Belly realizes some wounds won’t heal without facing them head-on. Returning to Cousins Beach isn’t about going backward—it’s the only path to understanding how love persists even when everything else falls apart. The house by the shore holds ghosts, but it also holds the truth: that the bonds forged in summer storms don’t vanish with the season.

Jenny Han masterfully captures the raw ache of growing up too fast, where first love and first loss collide. Belly’s voice—honest, vulnerable, and laced with longing—pulls you into her struggle to hold onto hope when the future feels like a closed door. This isn’t just a story about choosing between boys; it’s about choosing yourself when the world stops making sense. The ocean, the porch, the sticky heat of July—all become characters in a journey about what it means to rebuild when your heart is still breaking.

Perfect for readers who crave stories that feel like a sun-warmed hug and a punch to the gut all at once, It’s Not Summer Without You is a tender ode to the summers that shape us. It asks how we carry the people we love when they’re no longer beside us, and why some places—and some loves—stay with us long after the tan lines fade. Han doesn’t offer easy answers, but she gives you the courage to keep swimming toward shore.