The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi (review)

Lexi so wants her mom to be happy that she’s willing to try to stop being a lesbian, and that’s how the seventeen-year-old finds herself enrolled in a summer camp that will help her pray, roleplay, and confess her way to being straight. Not only is it not working, but Lexi finds herself falling hard for a girl in her small group, and the feelings seem to be mutual. The question of how to balance personal needs with those of one’s parents will resonate for many readers, and Lexi’s earnest efforts to protect her mom from further grief (they are both still reeling from the death of Lexi’s dad) are poignant and powerfully conveyed. For many teens on the GLBTQ spectrum who are lucky enough to not even know about these sorts of conversion programs, this book may offer a startling perspective to add to their more comfortable lives. Unfortunately, the additional subplot surrounding sexual abuse actually reinforces stereotypes about closeted gay men and adds unnecessary horror to what was already a pretty grim situation. In addition, the emotional growth of minor characters tends to happen at a convenient rate rather than an authentic one, making them foils for Lexi’s big changes rather than humans in their own right. Danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post (BCCB 3/12) is therefore a better book on the topic, but as a sweet love story between two protagonists who both heartily deserve a break, and who manage to find one another even in the unlikeliest of settings, this still offers undeniable appeal to romance buffs.