The Matchbreaker Summer

The Matchbreaker Summer is Annie Rains venture into the YA realm and a wonderful venture it was! Paisley Manning has spent nearly every summer of her life at Camp Starling given that it was her Dad's dream and he and her Mom made it happen. Sadly, she lost her Dad years earlier and this summer is going to be a bittersweet one given that her Mom has decided to sell the camp and move them to Wyoming to be with her new boyfriend. Paisley is devastated, but is bound and determined to make the most of her last summer at the camp. With a strong group of friends, a boy who is a bit rough around the edges, but is intriguing to Paisley, along with the issues she has to work through with her Mom and her Mom's boyfriend, we are treated to a well-rounded story that shows us how Paisley works through the summer. Not everything is sunshine and roses, there are issues to deal with, people try to help but it may not be the best course of action and there are lessons to be learned. In the end, will everyone have the best summer ever? Or will it be a total bust? I enjoyed all of the characters in this book and their summer experience. The vast array of characters and personalities made this book enjoyable from start to finish. I definitely suggest picking it up and giving it a try!

This is a fast-paced and enjoyable book with a humorous trip down memory lane. Paisley’s family has owned Camp Starling for as long as she has lived, but now that her dad had died, her mom wants to sell the camp, sell the only home she has ever lived in and move to Wyoming with her new beau Dave. With the help of bold Hayden, the boy thrust into camp because of his bad choices, Paisley sets out to break up her mom and Dave and save her way of life. The voice of the characters seemed to be spot-on for me, told by teens and for teens. This is the author’s first foray into the YA genre and she did an exceptional job of adapting to the viewpoint of teens with all of their emotional turmoil and fear of the unknown. The characters were well portrayed and some were more relatable than others. I liked Paisley, her quiet moods and her endless knowledge about birds that she had gleaned from her beloved father. Her best friend Nora was selfish and boisterous, not someone whom I would think Paisley would be attracted to, but Paisley either made excuses for Nora or complained about her. Hayden was the “Macauley Caulkin” of the group, with ideas that exploded from his head and actions that he did without always thinking. There was a lot of wit and charm in this book, so I think that it will appeal to both teens and adults. The setting was perfection and the activities at camp brought back fond memories for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend that anyone looking for a light read with teen first love, friendship issues and the challenges of facing change will devour it quickly and talk about it for days. Disclaimer I purchased a copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.