"Witty, wise, and disarmingly tender. I am hopelessly devoted to this summer dream of a book." ―Becky Albertalli, New York Times bestselling author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda The guy of her dreams... or the girl in her heart? Lara's had eyes for exactly one person throughout her three years of high school: Chase Harding. He's tall, strong, sweet, a football star, and frankly, stupid hot. Oh, and he's talking to her now. On purpose and everything. Maybe...flirting, even? No, wait, he's definitely flirting, which is pretty much the sum of everything Lara's wanted out of life. Except she’s haunted by a memory. A memory of a confusing, romantic, strangely perfect summer spent with a girl named Jasmine. A memory that becomes a confusing, disorienting present when Jasmine herself walks through the front doors of the school to see Lara and Chase chatting it up in front of the lockers. Lara has everything she ever wanted: a tight-knit group of friends, a job that borders on cool, and Chase, the boy of her literal dreams. But if she's finally got the guy, why can't she stop thinking about the girl? Dahlia Adler's Cool for the Summer is a story of self-discovery and new love. It’s about the things we want and the things we need. And it’s about the people who will let us be who we are. Gr 9 Up-This is at first glance a light teenage romance, but readers will find more depth within its pages. Lara has always blended into her group of friends and been hyper-focused on her crush on Chase, a football star in her school. Then she and her mother spend the summer away from New York on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Lara becomes friends with Jasmine. That friendship becomes a summer romance. Things get complicated when Jasmine shows up in New York in the fall to attend Lara's school and becomes part of her friend group. Chase, who Lara has swooned over for years, starts to notice her at the same time Jasmine appears, leading to a love triangle. The strength of this novel is Lara's discovery of herself and her sexuality. The relationship drama becomes the backdrop to Lara figuring out how to better understand who she wants to be, as opposed to simply copying the template of a cool friend. While some characters do echo typical teenage stereotypes, eclectic Jasmine is powerful and unique, and her relationship as a foil to Lara is refreshing. Lara is white and Jewish and Jasmine Syrian, Irish, and Jewish. VERDICT Readers who enjoy romance will be delightfully surprised with this book that will take them a bit deeper on the road of self-discovery through high school crushes.-April Sanders, Texas A&M Commerce, TXα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. * Winner of the Alma for Best Jewish YA of the Year * * An Indie Next Pick! * *2021 Booklist Editors' Choice * *A 2022 Rainbow List Pick * SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL , “Four YA Romances for Teens Watching ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’” "Writ­ten in a clear, acces­si­ble style, this book tells the com­pelling and sweet sto­ry of one girl’s jour­ney of self-discovery." ― JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL "There are so many more reasons to pick up this YA romance... Cool for the Summer is the perfect addition to your LGBTQ+ YA reading list." ― SHONDALAND "This book is a gamechanger for queer Jewish teens." ― ALMA "A delightful, lighthearted romantic comedy." ― THE SEATTLE TIMES "With its summery vibes and rollercoaster of queer confusion, Cool for the Summer is the sexy, sweet and steamy beach read of the year!" ― THE NERD DAILY "Adler's heartfelt contemporary romance is as bright and sweet as its cover and poignantly explores queer identity and self-discovery." ― BUZZFEED, "30 New YA Books You'll Want To Read This Spring" "[S]trung through with humor, warmth, and sensuality, this romance will speak to any reader who has ever struggled to know their own heart." ― BOOKLIST (starred review) "Readers who enjoy romance will be delightfully surprised with this book that will take them a bit deeper on the road of self-discovery through high school crushes." ― SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL "The thoughtful representation of a questioning teen's struggle to understand herself...is sorely needed. A welcome addition to the small but growing canon of questioning queer fiction." ― KIRKUS BOOK RIOT, "10 May YA Releases to TBR" POPSUGAR, "The 13 Best YA Books of May" CULTURESS, "13 New YA Releases That Belong on Your May Reading List" GOODREADS, "30 New Contemporary YA Romances for Sweet Summer Lovin'" BOOK RIOT, "4 Upcoming LGBTQ YA Romance Books You Must Pick Up" BUZZFEED, "30 Of The Best Young Adult LGBTQ+ Books To Pick Up This Spring" SHEREADS, "The 10 Most Anticipated YA Books of Summer 2021" COSMOPOLITAN, "30 New LGBTQ+ Books to Add to Your Reading List in 2021" GOODREADS, " 56 of the Most Anticipated Young Adult Books of 2021" COSMO.COM, "There Are L