LAST DAY POOL PARTY

Relationships evolve as a school year ends.

Junior high graduation is over, and summer vacation is about to begin. Dustin’s pool party marks the boundary between the two. Everyone is invited. Juhi and Liv are fighting because Juhi neglected to inform Liv she’s moving to London. Maya arrives unwillingly—she’d rather hang out with her “cool” crew and is loath to apologize for an embarrassing video of Dustin they posted online. After languishing in middle school obscurity, Rose wants to make her mark. The stage is efficiently set for adolescent drama writ large. And so personal stories unfold and interweave. Liv interviews potential new besties to replace Juhi. Maya and Dustin, once inseparable, have a long-overdue heart-to-heart. Rose executes a cake-destroying cartwheel into the pool. There’s an enjoyably sitcomlike rhythm at play here; readers may guess where the story’s headed, but they’ll be excited for the ride. Steinkellner excels at crafting characters with meaningful backstories and relatable motives. Dustin’s commitment to the party’s success—painstakingly baking a cake and just as dutifully scooping pastry globs out of the pool—speaks volumes. Summery-hued illustrations focus primarily on facial expressions and dialogue, with movement employed primarily to comedic effect. Readers will appreciate the story’s empathy for a broad range of characters, diverse in skin tone, body type, and personality, and be won over by its big, unapologetic dose of heart.

Sunny and sweet yet relatable and intimate—in short, the perfect summer read.