The Last Summer (of You & Me) – Ann Brashares

I came across this in a charity shop and was intrigued – as a teenager I loved The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants but I had little idea what to expect from Brashare’s (young) ‘adult’ novel. It’s the coming of age story of sisters Riley and Alice and their childhood friend Paul, who spend every summer at Fire Island, only this year the relationship between all three is changed irrevocably. Reminiscent of Lowry’s A Summer to Die, this is a whimsical and delicately written novel, but one that is limited by the lack of depth and development of its central characters.

Published May 2008, Riverhead Trade (Penguin Group USA)