The Summer Boy

Besson (Lie with Me) offers a haunting and wistful work of autofiction about a fateful summer. “I have never managed to rid myself of that story. It has never left me,” Philippe narrates on the first page, before jumping back to 1985 when he was 18 years old and spending the summer with family friends on an island off the northern coast of France. He shares a room with his hosts’ son, François, whom he’s grown up with, and looks forward to lazy, carefree days. He quickly befriends Nicolas, who recently moved to the area, as well as Alice and Marc, Parisians visiting for the summer. A messy tangle of friendship and romance ensues, with Philippe intrigued platonically by Nicolas while Alice desires Philippe, much to the despair of François, who wants Alice. Meanwhile, Marc and Philippe dance around their unspoken mutual attraction before going on a date. After a night of drinking at nightclubs, Nicolas goes missing, and Philippe is flooded with guilt over not making sure Nicolas found his way home after they were separated. Reflecting back on the incident and gradually shading in the details, he reflects on how the event marked his “loss of innocence.” Besson eloquently portrays the characters’ youthful fickleness and yearning. This one leaves a mark. (May)