About This Book
Reach for this book if your teenager is navigating the complex transition between high school and college, especially if they are grappling with a sense of loss or fear of the future. The story follows Briggs Henry as he takes a summer job as a personal assistant to an eccentric elderly woman in a small lake town. While it offers the charm of a summer romance with a mysterious girl next door, the heart of the narrative explores deeper themes of grief, the weight of family expectations, and the realization that things are rarely as they seem on the surface. This is a sophisticated coming of age story that handles heavy emotional topics with a refreshing blend of humor and intellectual curiosity. It is highly appropriate for older teens who enjoy realistic fiction that mirrors their own internal monologues about identity and change. Parents will appreciate how it models meaningful intergenerational friendships and encourages teens to look beyond their own immediate anxieties to find connection in unexpected places.
