2021
WISE Score
Amazon
Martha’s Vineyard, a high-stakes game of Assassin, and enough Taylor Swift vibes to make any Swiftie’s heart skip a beat.
4.1
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This is a quintessential 'vibes' book. If your teen lives for Taylor Swift lyrics and the 'summer aesthetic,' this is a total win.
It’s a rare YA novel where the parents aren't villains or totally absent; instead, they’re actually part of the support system. It handles the heavy reality of death without becoming a 'sadness porn' book, keeping the energy high with the family-wide game of Assassin. It’s smart, sweet, and highly readable.
Best for 13 or 14 and up. It’s a 'Upper YA' beach read, so while it's not quite 'adult fiction,' it deals with more mature romantic themes than a typical middle-school book.
The story centers on a massive, tight-knit family and their elaborate traditions. It models healthy communication between a teen and her parents, which is a rare find in the genre.
While it's a grounded contemporary romance, the week-long game of 'Assassin' adds a layer of strategy and playful creativity to the typical summer vacation setting.
It's a Young Adult title, so expect some drinking and 'sex-positive' romantic situations. It’s not 'clean' middle-grade fiction, but it stays within the bounds of standard modern YA.
The book does a heavy lift exploring grief and the aftermath of losing a sibling. It offers a roadmap for 'joining the world again' after a tragedy without being overly preachy.
Most YA romances rely on "will they/won't they" tension that can get exhausting after two hundred pages. Walther avoids this by layering in a high-stakes game of Assassin. It turns a standard wedding-week setup into a tactical thriller. If your kid grew up on The Hunger Games but now wants something with more kissing and fewer death traps, this is the perfect middle ground.
The game provides a literal roadmap for the romance. Alliances are formed, betrayals happen, and the pacing never drags because there is always the threat of a water-pistol "execution" lurking behind a hydrangea bush. It’s a clever way to keep the plot moving even when the characters are just hanging out on a porch in Martha’s Vineyard.
If you see your teen listening to folklore or evermore on a loop, this book is basically catnip. It doesn't just reference Taylor Swift; it breathes the same air. The "Easter egg" culture of the Swiftie fandom is mirrored in how the Fox family traditions are described. It’s less about being a fan and more about a specific aesthetic: cardigans, coastal summer nights, and the kind of intense emotional stakes that feel like a bridge in a four-minute song.
If your teen is into the "Summer" series by Jenny Han, they will find this familiar but perhaps a bit more clever. The game of Assassin adds a layer of strategy that Han’s books sometimes lack. It’s a "vibes" book, but the vibes have a purpose.
While the atmosphere is sunny, the emotional core is actually quite heavy. Meredith is mourning her sister, Claire, and the book doesn't hand-wave that grief away. It’s a solid pick for a reader who wants a beach read that still has some substance. It handles the "sad parts" with a light enough touch that it won't ruin a vacation, but it’s grounded enough to feel real.
Regarding the romance, the book is notably sex-positive. The characters are mature, and the writing treats intimacy as a natural, healthy part of a relationship rather than a scandalous plot twist or a moral failing. It’s "Upper YA," which means it’s bridging the gap between high school stories and adult fiction.
If they finish this and immediately ask for more from this world, you should check out the parent’s guide to The Summer of Second Chances Deluxe Edition to see if the extra content is worth the buy. For older teens who are ready to graduate to the books they see all over Instagram, you might wonder is Emily Henry’s Book Lovers too spicy for your teen? because it handles similar themes of sisterhood and grief but with a bit more heat.
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