Summer and July

Mosier, Paul. Summer and July
June 9th 2020 by HarperCollins
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

*Warning* Spoiler at the end.
Juillet's life has been upended. Her father has left the family for a younger model and is off in Europe. Her best friend, Fern, is not allowed to hang out with her because of a lie Juillet told. Her mother, an emergency room doctor, has taken a summer position in Ocean Park, California and has dragged her along, and wants to make sure that Juillet doesn't spend her entire summer inside, being angry and anxious. Fortunately, she meets local girl Summer, who is bound and determined to make a new friend for the summer. Summer's parents are both busy with work, and she has a family secret, but she is also bound and determined to enjoy her summer at the beach. Juillet has been affecting Goth style clothes and makeup (heavily black and depressing), and Summer is a typical California girl. The two walk around the town, spend time on the beach, and investigate local  businesses and restaurants. Summer eventually lets her new friend in on her family secret, and Juillet learns to surf, realizes she needs to make amends with Fern, and comes to an understanding about her parents. The two girls become a little more than friends, and hope to reconnect the following summer as well.
Strengths: There are not many books that involve surfing in California, and this had great descriptions of surfing and surf culture. Summer was a great character who was dealing with some hard things in her life but was determined to be positive and upbeat about it. I loved that the mother had an app on her phone that told her when Juillet went outside the boundaries she had prescribed! Summer books are always popular, especially when they show characters in exotic and fun locations.
Weaknesses: Juillet was not a pleasant character at all in the beginning of the book, but at least she improved. It's hard for me to get into a book if I dislike the main character.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. The cover alone will appeal to readers, and the relationships are so typically middle school. Now I want to read more surfing books!

Spoiler (Highlight to reveal): Juillet and Summer share a kiss that is romantic, and are both glad about it. LGBTQIA+ books are hugely popular in my library, so I will definitely have to purchase this one.