August Pick: SUMMER'S EDGE

Ah, August. Nothing screams summer quite like an untrustworthy ensemble unraveling, one by one, deep in the woods. Right?

Several moments throughout this read, I found myself thinking of Jennifer Love Hewitt and her iconic freakout in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).

Dana Mele's Summer's Edge serves up a pretty classic teen scream with its eerily pristine mansion in the woods, its tangled troupe of teenagers and their egos, and its supernatural twist toward the end. I can't say it's my favorite read ever, but I certainly enjoyed sinking my teeth into a teen thriller poolside.

Though I would've liked more atmospheric tension, certain details kept me reading: a dangerous game of truth or dare; threatening, hand drawn tarot cards seeming to materialize from beyond the grave.

"I paint thick, ruby red over the water in turbulent waves, add violent stitches into the sky, all the unfairness of not knowing, of the worst that could be."

It's quite voice-y, too, with multiple teenage narrators.

"And witnessing your best friend die because of something you did—or didn't do—is as disquieting as it gets.

You're asking, okay, yeah, why go back, then.

The answer is opening the door."

For me, breaking the fourth wall works in this story. It almost needs this technique to remind the reader that, yes, the situation at hand is pretty dramatic.

And, a warning: There's a lot of teen drama in this book, for better or for worse. On occasion, it made my fingers itch toward the TV remote to turn on reruns of Pretty Little Liars. Teenagers solving mysteries can be pleasantly mind numbing (there are worse forms of escapism!).

Read for yourself, and let me know what you think. But if you finish the book and, like me, find yourself wanting to be a little more richly immersed in Young Adult, campy lake house creepiness (with maybe less squabbling), here's what I'm picking up next:

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

...and maybe an R.L. Stine classic, just for fun.

Speaking of R.L. Stine, all this summer scary talk is making me want to rewatch Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021).

More movie/TV recommendations:

~ Yellowjackets on Amazon Prime (not all summer, but most of Season 1 is)

~ Zodiac (2007)

~ Us (2019)

And some summer scary book recommendations:

~ Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain

~ Hide by Kiersten White

For the ultimate reading day, here's a mini sensory menu:

~ Chilled red sangria or extra-tart lemonade

~ Pesto pasta with fresh basil on top

~ Beeswax chapstick

~ Pine and campfire scented candles (or, even better, actual pine trees and an actual campfire)

~ Freshly washed cotton clothes

~ A tarot card or ornate postcard as your bookmark

~ My Summer's Edge playlist