20 BOY SUMMER

Anna and Matt were keeping their new romance confidential to spare the feelings of Matt’s little sister, Frankie, who is also Anna’s best friend. But when an undiagnosed heart condition cuts Matt’s life tragically short, Anna is left with a huge secret that robs her of her right to mourn. Now a year later, Anna is accompanying Frankie and her parents on their annual summer trip, their first vacation without Matt. Extrovert Frankie has challenged Anna to flirt with at least 20 boys, one of whom may relieve her of her pesky virginity. But Anna’s heart is still burdened by the confidence she refuses to break. Though Matt’s character often seems too good to be true, that’s precisely what makes him such a swoonworthy object in this sincere, romantic tearjerker. Readers will easily relate to Anna’s authentically depicted feelings of lust, longing, shame and fear as she cautiously embarks on a new summer love. The perfect beach read for teens who enjoyed a good cry over Gayle Forman’s If I Stay (2009) or Jenny Downham’s Before I Die (2007). (Fiction. 13 & up)