Let me start off by saying this was such a nice read. From the very first pages, it just felt right. I was completely transported, as if I were there in the story, summering on Fire Island alongside the characters.
I felt like Alice, longing for love and acceptance. I felt like Riley, torn between not wanting to be left behind and not being ready to move forward. I felt like Paul, aching for a normal family, craving belonging, and mourning the lost time with his father. I even felt like Judy and Ethan—parents of young adults, quietly grieving the fleeting years of childhood. Alice and Riley still needed their parents, but they also needed space to spread their wings, and I felt that helplessness parents experience when their children are no longer under their protection.
I won’t lie. I cried. So get your tissues ready. But you won’t just cry. You’ll ride the roller coaster of their lives as they twist and tangle over the years.
I wish I had discovered this book back in May when I was at the beach. But it was just as enjoyable to read while here in the mountains tucked into my everyday routine. It felt like a second beach vacation—no sand, no travel, no expense!
If you’re looking for a story that sweeps you off to another place, into the heart of a perfectly imperfect family, then this book is for you. The characters are messy and flawed, but the emotions are raw, real, and deeply relatable.