My book review of 'This Summer's Secrets' by Emily Barr

by Emily Barr
Recommended age: teen
This Summer's Secrets
by Emily Barr

This is one of those rather lovely coming-of-age summer stories suitable for teenage readers. It reminded me of Meg Rosoff's 'The Great Godden' and 'We Were Liars' by E Lockhart.

The beautiful cover sets the mood, then you dive into sunshine, seaside and country houses as friends and family gather for a summer break - but secrets and lies are exposed.

Cliff House is closed off for most of the year until its rich London owners come down to Cornwall for the summer.

Senara hasn't felt comfortable in this world of entitlement and beautiful people but this year she finds herself falling in love for the first time.

Instead of feeling on the periphery, an outsider looking in, this time she feels at the centre of things, full of excitement and potential.

But the owners of Cliff House have been hiding things. There are secrets held by previous generations which are seeping out, and Senara and her friends and family are affected in ways they never could have imagined. An atmospheric, slow reveal of a summer read.

Date of this review: August 2023
Book publication date: 8th June 2023