Another "juvenile fiction" story. Reminds me of Forever by Judy Blume. Captured the life of a girl on the cusp of becoming a young woman and the heartbreak associated with relationships with friends and boys. Ending really happened fast and surprised me. Things were rolling along at a steady pace then BAMM the story's climax and end felt rushed. ( )

If you could capture summer in a book, this is it! Helena Waite is thrilled to be returning to her favorite place in the world, Southpoint. This summer she is coming back as a counselor but her best friend Katie Bell, having missed the cut-off by a few months, will have to spend one more summer as a camper. That tiny twist wreaks havoc on the girls’ tight bond and causes both to question what it means to be a child and what you have to give up to be an adult. The themes in this story are those that anyone can relate to and will have you wishing you too could return to those simple, carefree childhood days. They go by so quickly and unfortunately, Helena is reminded of that all too frequently during her first summer in the “adult” world.

Kathryn Williams has written an extraordinary book about the power of friendship, the dilemmas we face as we outgrow our childhood selves and the tug-of-war we often feel between our adult self and our childhood memories. The depiction of young love is honest and real and will have you rapidly turning the pages to find out what happens. The characters are so vivid and true that they honestly jump right off the page. An absolutely perfect read! ( )

Reviewed by Ashley B for TeensReadToo.com

Helena Waite is finally a counselor at Southpoint, a summer camp for girls. She's been going to camp for years, and it is all she looks forward to. The bad part is, Katie Bell, her best friend, missed the counselor age requirement by a few months, and is therefore stuck as a camper for another year.

Katie Bell and Helena swear camp will be the same. But Helena thinks it will be different. And it is. Helena leaves Katie Bell behind for her counselor friends, and Ransome, her long-time crush who has become a reality.

I was a little disappointed in THE LOST SUMMER. The ending was a complete surprise that I didn't see coming, which is always a good thing, but a lot of the time I found myself quite annoyed by Helena, what with her treating her best friend the way she did.

With me knowing so much about camp, it made me curious, because most of the time it seemed as though there was nobody watching the campers. I really thought this book was going to be different, but overall it's an entertaining read. ( )