We'll Always Have Summer

Gr 10 Up—In this conclusion to the trilogy, Isabel and Jeremiah are about to marry. Their families think they're too young and suspect that Belly is pregnant, an assumption that she, understandably, finds irksome. A virgin, she sees marriage as an act of defiance under the circumstances, and that's deep, for her. Readers know nothing of her personal ambitions (she's just finishing her freshman year at college) beyond teasing the affections out of Jeremiah and his older brother, both of whom are smitten with her. When Conrad shows up unexpectedly, Belly returns to the dilemma of the earlier books: Which one shall I choose, since both choose me? This is a bit cloying, as is the implication that the search for a life partner begins and ends next door. The Fishers and the Conklins raised their children together, Belly's the only girl (she has an older brother), and she has been looked after like a little sister by all three boys. As for the other characters, Taylor offers a sensible counterpoint to Belly as someone who questions her decision, but who winds up being just what she needs: a friend. Taylor makes her laugh, and offers comic relief as her wedding planner. The tension over whether or not this event is going to happen is well plotted. Both boys adore the protagonist, but in the end neither wants to fawn over her, which makes each a stand-up guy in his own right—and so much harder to choose between. While some might enjoy its fairy-tale essence of children turning into life mates, others might ask whether this series offers young women a path to independent adulthood beyond marrying Mr. Right.—Georgia Christgau, Middle College High School, Long Island City, NY