Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton

Title: Sixteenth Summer
Author: Michelle Dalton
ISBN: 1442423447
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 3, 2011
Genre: YA
Pages: 320
Rating: 3.5 Crowns

Synopsis:

Anna is dreading another tourist-filled summer on Dune Island that follows the same routine: beach, ice cream, friends, repeat. That is, until she locks eyes with Will, the gorgeous and sweet guy visiting from New York. Soon, her summer is filled with flirtatious fun as Anna falls head over heels in love.
But with every perfect afternoon, sweet kiss, and walk on the beach, Anna can’t ignore that the days are quickly growing shorter, and Will has to leave at the end of August. Anna’s never felt anything like this before, but when forever isn’t even a possibility, one summer doesn’t feel worth the promise of her heart breaking….

My thoughts:

Sixteenth Summer is a sweet romance that deals with first love and the pitfalls of relationships. It is saved from being overwhelmingly saccharine by Anna's struggles with Will's impending departure and the difficulties Anna's best friend Caroline faces in her own new relationship. I enjoyed getting to know Anna and Will and their families. The story did remind me a little of The Last Song (the film-I haven't read the Nicholas Sparks book yet) due to its setting and the scenes with the sea turtles.

I liked that Anna and Will were realistic about where their relationship was heading and that even while she was wrapped up in the joys of a new romance, Anna did not forget about her friends or family. She also did some growing up over the course of the book and her views towards the summer guests changed through her interactions with Will and his family. There are a lot of sweet moments and the descriptions of the beach and ice cream made me long for summer. This is not a deep book but it is a great beach read and a refreshingly clean romance. It is the kind of book that will leave you with a smile on your face.

Christina T @ Reading Extensively