Change of Plans

Dessen (The Rest of the Story) serves up a warm summer romance that’s a fortifying interpretation of self-transformation. Though recent high school graduate Finley Hope intends to spend most of the summer with her charismatic boyfriend, Colin Frisbee, before following him to a state college, she must first endure an annual two-week visit with her emotionally distant mother in New York City. But a last-minute change in the pair’s itinerary sees them arriving at a lakeside vacation home that the Hopes have owned for generations. And when Colin breaks up with her via video call, Finley, crestfallen and infuriated, impulsively tosses her cellphone into the lake. Forced offline, Finley distracts herself by getting a diner job, bonding with estranged family, and making new friends—including charmingly awkward line cook Ben, who might be something more than a pal. The laid-back atmosphere offers ample opportunity for Finley—a vulnerable protagonist forced to reckon with skewed self-perception—to reflect on family drama and secrets in this delightfully layered, bighearted novel. The comedic cast cues as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Leigh Feldman, Leigh Feldman Literary. (May)