Summer Days and Summer Night, Edited By: Stephanie Perkins (Part One)

Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail
​By: Leigh Bardugo

       "Head, Scales, Tongue, Tail" (88%) is the first of twelve in the anthology. It starts off with the quirky tale of Annalee Saperstein, and why she came to Gracie's hometown of Little Spindle. Little Spindle is the smaller, overshadowed neighbor of Greater Spindle, where the residents of the larger town come and spend their summers.
       When Gracie meets Eli, a boy who comes to Little Spindle every summer, they start to bond over Little Spindle's version of the Loch Ness Monster, called the Idgy Pidgy. When their meet-ups to research the lake monster become more, Gracie visits Annalee for help.
       This story was the perfect way to start off the book. It was cute, quirky, and lovable in every way possible. And the ending. THE ENDING. I won't give it away, but it definitely lets the reader know that these stories aren't going to be your generic contemporary romance. 

       "The End of Love" (82%) follows the story of Flora, the kind of girl who signs up for a summer school Geometry class that she has already passed to get out of the house. She also is taking it unknowingly with her crush that she thought she would never see again, Mimi Park, and Mimi's friends.
       Flora met Mimi when she came to Baker High with her ex-boyfriend after school. Mimi had always been super cool with Flora, but Flora always got nervous around Mimi. When Mimi invites Flora to go camping with her friends, Flora says no. But when her other plans fall through, she decides to go and visit Mimi at the campsite.
       This story is actually the first piece of literature I've read where the love interests are gay, and I loved it. Mimi and Flora are perfect for each other, and LaCour wrote their story beautifully. I also love the reason the story was named "The End of Love". The title was so clever, but you'll have to read it to find out why.

The End of Love
​By Nini LaCour

Last Stand at the Cinegore
By: Libba Bray

       "Last Stand at the Cinegore" (90%) was not at all what I was expecting. Kevin and Dani are our two lovebirds here. They both work at the local movie theater, the Cinemore Theater. It was one of the only attractions in Deadwood, Texas, and had been opened in the 1960's by Nicolas Scratshe. He turned the run-down theater into a horror movie place, giving it its nickname, the Cinegore. Kevin, Dani, and Kevin's best friend, Dave, were all at work for the last movie to be screened at the Cinegore before its demolishing the next morning.
       Libba Bray did an excellent job of keeping me on my toes throughout this entire story, and taking it places I would've never expected to go. The comedy mixed with the romance and the fantasy/horror aspects of the story perfectly, and I couldn't have asked for a better account of what happened that night at the Cinegore.

       "Sick Pleasure" (86%) is the the story of I and her friends M, L, and J. They are enjoying their last summer together before they went off to college. Their favorite place to spend their nights parting was Phases, a local teen dance club. There, they danced, hung out, and frequently made fun of a punk boy gang who hung out there as well, called "Sick Pleasure". They even made shirts that read "Healthy Pleasure" in direct response to the gang.
       When one of the members comes over to ask I to dance, her whole world is flipped upside down. A is the punk rock type, mohawk and all. And I falls head over heels for him.
       This story is the perfect definition of a high school summer fling. Block does a superb job capturing all of I's personality and feelings. She is very open and vulnerable, and I (Ashton. Not the girl in the story.) really liked that.

Sick Pleasure
​By: Francesca Lia Block

In Ninety Minutes, Turn North
​By: Stephanie Perkins

       "In Ninety Minutes, Turn North" (85%) is about Marigold, who is back from her first year of college, and her first year without her ex-boyfriend, North. He broke it off with her before she moved from North Carolina to Atlanta to study animation because he didn't think they could make a long distance relationship work. Marigold and North had been more than boyfriend and girlfriend. They were each other's best friend, even after they broke up.
       That's why Marigold wanted him to move in with her and split their rent. She thought that he could leave his family's Christmas tree farm behind and go to a community college in Atlanta, which was what he had always wanted to do. But, when she finally gets to the state park were North is now working, she panics, and doesn't know how to confront North after so long.
      Stephanie Perkins does an amazing job at writing this story. It is a classic contemporary romance story with cute quirks and neat personality. Marigold and North are a signature Perkins couple, which is always enjoyable.

       "Souvenirs" (81%) follows the story of two boys who work at a local amusement park called Wish-a-World. Matthew works in the souvenir shop, while Kieth is a performer at the park's amphitheater. The two boys are quite opposites. Matthew is a shy, nerdy guy, while Kieth is a flamboyant actor who loves to be around others. When they find out their relationship isn't what they had in mind, they decide on a "breakup day". They are celebrating it like an anniversary of sorts, so that neither is left saddened by their parting.
       "Souvenirs" is set during the last two days of Matt and Kieth's relationship, and Federle does a great job of laying Matthew's feelings on the table, and making you really feel the relationship the boys have.

Souvenirs
​By: Tim Federle

       What do you think of Stephanie Perkins' second anthology? Leave your thoughts down below!

From her summer dreams,
Ashton

And I've realized that the Beatles got it wrong. Love isn't all we need - love is all there is."
-Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer