Twelve-year-old Autumn is looking forward to the summer after sixth grade, when she can spend time with her best friend Saskia, trying out all of the best ice cream places in their New York City neighborhood. Then her mom springs the news that she’s marrying the man she started dating after she divorced Autumn’s father. She, Autumn, and Autumn’s brother George will be immediately moving into his home in the suburbs.
Autumn doesn’t want to leave the city or Saskia, especially since George will soon be leaving for college, another loss in her life. Can she find an ally in Linnea, her soon-to-be stepsister? Linnea seems to want her dad, also divorced, to get back together with her mom. If they can prevent him from marrying Autumn’s mom, things could go back to the way they were for Autumn and Linnea.
The girls therefore try to sabotage the wedding plans, even as Autumn’s mom pushes Autumn to befriend Linnea and to engage with the other girls in her new community. This is complicated by the fact that those girls seem very focused on who has a crush on which boy—but Autumn isn’t sure she has a crush on any boy. In fact, she might have a crush on Saskia.
Autumn thinks her mom would be accepting—her mom’s best friend is gay—but her mom is too busy with wedding planning to stop and listen to what Autumn is feeling. Autumn finally gets some advice from her new tennis coach, a queer woman, but can she get through to her mom? And what will she do if it looks like all of the attempts at wedding sabotage are for naught?
While this book has all of the hallmarks of a light caper, a sort of anti-Parent Trap, it also explores deeper themes of what it means to be a family, especially as families change. While Autumn’s coming out plays a part in this, it is one part of a greater whole, which seems appropriate. Her mom’s self-centered wedding obsession and refusal to listen to Autumn feels a bit heavy-handed (though not out of the realm of possibility, alas!), and a few of Autumn’s plans for sabotage seem shallow. (Would a 12-year-old really think that destroying the groom’s wedding vows is enough to stop the marriage?) Nevertheless, this is a fun read with a thoughtful coming out thread that many should enjoy.
The characters read as White.
Pair this book with To Night Owl From Dogfish, a fun caper about two girls sent to the same summer camp by their single gay dads, who are dating each other and want the girls to to get know each other, since they might become family.
