Book Review: This One Summer by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki
'This One Summer' by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki is a coming of age story about two girls and their experiences during a chaotic and confusing summer.
During the summer vacations, Rose and her parents go to their lake house to spend the summer vacation indulging in the joy of water, nature and relaxation. Rose has a friend who is a local to the town, Windy and they always spend their summers having adventures with each other.
This particular summer is less idyllic than the summers that proceeded. There are storms rumbling. Rose's parents relationship is full of tension and Rose is exposed to the eruptions of their arguments without fully understanding what they are arguing about. Windy and Rose also become active observers of drama between a local teenage boy and teenage girl. What the two girls witness in this relationship forces them both to explore and try to understand what it is to be a woman in this society. But through the turmoil around them, Windy and Rose have their friendship as an anchor.
'This One Summer' was a thoughtful and introspective exploration of growing up especially when it comes to understanding the world around us and learning to open our eyes to other's pain. It is a story that explores identity, parental relationships and womanhood in our modern society. It was a subtle story that was full of an undercurrent of wisdom and understanding of our modern world and the trials and tribulations that teenage girls face.
The artwork of 'This One Summer' was also stunning and gave the story life and character. The art added layers and dimension to this story.
I would definitely recommend 'This One Summer' for it's great storytelling and art. A perfect read for the cold months while looking forward to summer, or wait to read it when it is summer and serve yourself some lemonade, stretch out on a blanket outside in the sun and turn on some thoughtful but warm music to accompany you during your read such as Great Lake Swimmers or Animal Collective.