It’s interesting to see the lives of the year round residents contrasted against the girls there for the summer. The two of them, being on the cusp of huge changes, find themselves intrigued by those who live in Awago Beach year-round and who have lives that look so different than the ones they’re used to. Rose seeks a lot of solace in spending time with Windy to get away from it. She’s not worried about the impression she leaves Rose, on the other hand, is definitely more aware of how other people perceive her and is more tucked in because of that.įrom the start of the vacation, things aren’t great at Rose’s place. Rose is definitely more self-conscious than Windy is, who has no shame nor reason to be shamed for how she chooses to dress, how she chooses to dance, and how she chooses to express herself.

Rose is much more mature than Windy is, but Windy is much more adventurous.

The relationship between Windy and Rose was easily the most interesting element of the story for me. Both girls are young - Rose barely a teenager and Windy even younger than her - but it’s because of their being on the young end of the spectrum that the story unfolds as being about what it means to transition from a place of innocence and naivety to one of knowing that the world isn’t all summer vacations at the beach house. She loves reuniting with Windy, a girl who is a little younger than her but who seems almost like the little sister that Rose never had. It’s an opportunity for all of them to unwind after a long, hard year.Įvery year, Rose looks forward to the trip, as it’s an opportunity to spend every waking moment doing exactly what it is she wants to do. Every summer, Rose and her parents go to a lake house they own on Awago Beach. Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki are the cousin team behind This One Summer, a graphic novel that could easily be categorized on the more literary end of graphic novels, if such a designation exists (I think it does). This book feels like it’s happening in the moment, but it also feels slightly removed, slightly different because it’s in a moment between the comforts of the past and the changes coming in the future. The choices made in color and art set a tone that’s both nostalgic and present. It’s done entirely in blue ink on a cream, rather than stark white, background. This isn’t a full-colored graphic novel, nor is it rendered only in black and white. Before talking about This One Summer‘s story, I think it’s obvious from the cover alone that the art is what stands out.

It happened one summer book cover