“The lake was still. The air was still. Everything was still, except for us.”
— Describing the quiet, almost magical atmosphere of Awago Beach.
Archivist's Choice
This One Summer
Mariko Tamaki (2014)
Genre
Young Adult
Reading Time
90 min
Key Themes
See below
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At Awago Beach, parental fights and new independence make Rose and her friend Windy deal with growing up, revealing secrets and the journey of adolescence.
Synopsis
Rose and her family go to Awago Beach for their summer vacation. This year, her parents are fighting a lot. Rose spends time with her younger summer friend, Windy. They watch the local teenagers, especially Jenny, who works at the convenience store. Rose wonders about Jenny's secret behavior and pregnancy, which people in town talk about. At the same time, Rose gets her first period, which adds to her discomfort about her changing body and the adult world.
Rose's parents have a big fight, showing how bad their marriage is. Rose asks Jenny's boyfriend, Dunc, about the rumors about Jenny, which is a disappointing talk. Later, Rose's mother says she had a miscarriage, which is why she has been distant and why her parents are fighting. This news helps Rose and her mother connect, as they share their sadness and experiences as women. When summer ends, Rose goes home, changed by what she learned about adult relationships and growing up.
Reading time
90 min
Difficulty
Easy
Pacing
Slow
Mood
Atmospheric, Melancholy, Reflective, Awkward
✓ Read this if...
You appreciate a quiet, introspective coming-of-age story with beautiful black-and-white art, focusing on the nuances of family drama and the awkwardness of growing up.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced plots, clear-cut resolutions, or stories with significant fantasy/sci-fi elements.
Plot Summary
Arrival at Awago Beach and Immediate Tensions
Rose Wallace arrives at Awago Beach for her yearly summer vacation with her parents. Right away, Rose notices a quiet tension between her mother, Jenny, and her father. Her mother seems sad and withdrawn, often staying inside or walking alone. Her father tries to act normal. Rose is excited to see her younger summer friend, Windy, who is full of energy. They do their usual summer things, like swimming and exploring the beach, but Rose's mother's sadness makes Rose feel uneasy and confused about her parents' relationship.
Observation of Teenagers and Developing Curiosity
Rose and Windy spend their days exploring Awago Beach, but they start to notice the older teenagers who hang out at the convenience store and the beach. They are interested in Dunc, a local boy who works at the store, and his friends. Rose, who is almost a teenager, feels drawn to their more grown-up world. She watches how they act, their crushes, and their seemingly easy lives. She starts to like Dunc, thinking he is mysterious and attractive. This new interest helps her not think about her parents' problems, but it also shows her the complicated parts of growing up, as she and Windy try to understand the older kids' unwritten rules and dramas.
Jenny's Withdrawal and Rose's Growing Concern
As summer goes on, Jenny's sadness gets worse. She spends most of her time alone, often crying, and does not join family activities or eat well. Rose's father tries to comfort her but seems lost and upset too. Rose gets more worried and confused by her mother's behavior, often hearing quiet fights or seeing her mother's teary face. She tries to understand what is happening but mostly gets vague answers or reassurances that everything is fine. Her parents' distress makes Rose feel alone and anxious, and she starts to find comfort in her friendship with Windy and watching the older teens.
The Pregnant Teenager and Gossip
Rose and Windy hear local talk about a girl named Jenny, who is pregnant and thought to be with Dunc. They hear bits of conversations from the older kids and adults at the convenience store and the beach. The story of the pregnant teenager, her rumored boyfriend, and the quiet scandal interests Rose and Windy. It shows them the more serious and complicated parts of relationships and sex, far beyond what they understand as children. This story happens at the same time Rose starts to like Dunc and becomes aware of her changing body and feelings. It makes her think about what can happen with young love and adult choices.
Rose's First Period and Awkwardness
While her parents are having emotional problems and the older teens are having dramas, Rose has a big personal event: her first period. She feels confused, embarrassed, and like she is growing up. She tells Windy, who helps and makes jokes, but it clearly reminds Rose of the physical changes her body is going through. This event shows her becoming a teenager, making her more self-conscious about her body and her starting sexuality. It adds another layer to her summer, as she deals with family and social pressures, and also the changes inside herself, marking a clear step away from childhood.
The Fight and the Revelation
One evening, Rose hears a very intense and tearful fight between her parents. The fight is raw and emotional, and through their loud voices and painful confessions, Rose finally learns the truth: her mother was pregnant and had a miscarriage just before their trip to Awago. This explains her mother's deep sadness, withdrawal, and the quiet tension all summer. The news breaks Rose's naive idea of her family, making her face her parents' deep grief and how fragile life is. It is a moment of painful clarity that makes Rose lose some of her innocence, as she deals with a very adult sorrow.
Confronting Dunc and Disillusionment
Because of her crush and the rumors, Rose decides to ask Dunc at the convenience store about the pregnant Jenny. She asks him directly if he is the father. Dunc acts dismissive and annoyed, making it clear he is not interested in her questions or her romantic view of him. He denies being involved, or at least downplays it, and his casual, almost uncaring attitude deeply disappoints Rose. This talk breaks her perfect idea of Dunc and the older teenagers. It is a hard lesson about the difference between what she imagined and what is real. It is a moment where Rose starts to see the flaws in the 'adult' world she watched, marking a step towards disappointment.
A Tentative Reconciliation and Shared Grief
After the miscarriage is revealed, there is a small but noticeable change between Rose's parents. The grief is still there, but the secret is now out. Rose sees small comforting actions and attempts to talk between her mother and father, showing a slow and careful process of coming together. Rose also starts to process the news, feeling more empathy for her mother's pain and understanding her father's quiet struggle. This shared understanding, though painful, starts to close the emotional gap that had grown between them, allowing for a more honest family dynamic, even in their sadness.
The End of Summer and Lingering Changes
As the summer vacation at Awago Beach ends, Rose thinks about the big changes she has gone through. She has seen her parents' deep sorrow and their slow journey to heal, experienced her own physical and emotional changes, and gained a more realistic, less romantic, understanding of the adult world. Her friendship with Windy stays a steady source of comfort and shared experience. While the summer had sadness and confusion, it was also a time of significant growth and awakening for Rose. She packs up, not the same girl who arrived weeks earlier, carrying the lessons and memories of a summer that changed how she saw family, friendship, and herself.
Principal Figures
Rose Wallace
The Protagonist
Rose begins as a somewhat naive girl and ends the summer with a more mature, complex understanding of grief, relationships, and her own identity.
Windy
The Supporting
Windy remains largely consistent, providing stability and youthful energy for Rose throughout the summer.
Jenny (Rose's Mom)
The Supporting
Jenny starts the summer in deep, unspoken grief and slowly begins to process her loss and reconnect with her family.
Rose's Dad
The Supporting
He tries to maintain stability and eventually begins to grieve openly alongside his wife and daughter.
Dunc
The Supporting
Dunc serves as an object of Rose's romantic idealization and then her subsequent disillusionment, without significant personal arc.
Jenny (pregnant teen)
The Mentioned
Not a direct character, but her story influences Rose's understanding of adult life.
Gramma
The Supporting
Gramma's character remains consistent as a supportive adult figure.
Lana
The Supporting
Lana serves as part of the older teen world, observed by Rose, without a personal arc.
Themes & Insights
Loss of Innocence and Growing Up
The main theme is Rose becoming a teenager. The summer at Awago Beach makes her face adult issues, like her parents' grief, sex, and disappointment. Her first period, her crush on Dunc, and learning about her mother's miscarriage all show her losing her innocence. She learns that life is not always simple or happy, and that adults have their own problems, which changes how she sees the world and herself.
“This was the summer everything changed.”
Grief and Depression
The deep grief and sadness Rose's mother, Jenny, feels after a miscarriage, is a big theme. It affects the family's vacation, making Rose feel tense and confused. The book shows how isolating sadness can be and how hard it is to talk about such deep sorrow. It also shows how grief affects a whole family, as Rose and her father try to understand and deal with Jenny's pain, eventually leading to a shared, though painful, understanding and slow healing.
“Some secrets are too big to keep.”
Family Dynamics and Communication
The bad relationship between Rose's parents because of unsaid grief shows how complex family dynamics are and how important it is to talk. The initial silence and tension make Rose feel uneasy, as she tries to understand what is happening. When the miscarriage is finally revealed, though painful, it allows for more open talk and a careful path to healing, showing how sharing vulnerability can make family bonds stronger even when there is deep sadness.
“It was like they were speaking a different language than I was.”
Friendship and Support
The steady friendship between Rose and Windy helps Rose throughout the summer. Their bond gives comfort, humor, and a safe place to share experiences and secrets. Windy's young energy and directness balance Rose's thoughtful nature. Their shared observations of the older teens and their own personal events, like Rose's first period, make their connection stronger. Their friendship is a key source of emotional support, helping Rose deal with her family's difficult emotions and her own coming-of-age.
“It was good to have Windy. She was like a little sister I never had.”
Sexuality and Body Image
The book talks about early sexuality and body image through Rose's experiences. Her first period marks a big physical change and a new awareness of her developing body. Her crush on Dunc and her observations of the older teenagers' romantic and sexual interactions show her the complex parts of attraction and relationships. The talk about the pregnant Jenny further shows themes of sexuality, what happens next, and becoming an adult, making Rose think about who she is becoming.
“It was like my body was trying to tell me something, and I didn't know what it was.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
Graphic Novel Format
Visual storytelling that enhances emotional depth and character expression.
The graphic novel format is integral to 'This One Summer.' The artwork, characterized by its distinctive blue-and-white color palette, conveys mood and emotion more powerfully than text alone. Panel layouts, character expressions, and visual metaphors (like the waves or the changing light) communicate Rose's internal world, the unspoken tension between her parents, and the broader atmosphere of Awago Beach. The interplay between images and sparse text allows for subtle storytelling, leaving much to the reader's interpretation and drawing them into Rose's subjective experience.
Coming-of-Age Narrative
A story centered on the protagonist's journey from childhood to adolescence.
This One Summer is a quintessential coming-of-age story, focusing on Rose's transformative summer at Awago Beach. The narrative meticulously tracks her emotional, physical, and intellectual development as she confronts adult realities. Her experiences—from her first period and first crush to witnessing parental grief and understanding loss—all contribute to her maturation. The plot is structured around these milestones and revelations, showing her gradual shift from a naive child to a more aware and empathetic adolescent, fundamentally changing her perspective on life and her place within it.
Symbolism of Awago Beach
The setting as a microcosm for life's cycles and a catalyst for change.
Awago Beach functions as more than just a setting; it's a symbolic space. Traditionally a refuge and a place of unchanging summer joy, this particular summer it becomes a crucible for Rose's family's grief and her personal growth. The cyclical nature of summer vacations, the constant ebb and flow of the lake, and the predictable routines of the community contrast with the profound internal changes occurring within Rose and her family. The beach represents a liminal space where childhood ends and the complexities of adulthood begin, making it a catalyst for the story's themes of change and renewal.
Parallel Narratives
Contrasting Rose's family drama with the local teen gossip.
The story employs parallel narratives by juxtaposing Rose's internal family drama (her mother's depression and miscarriage) with the external gossip surrounding the pregnant local teenager, Jenny, and Dunc. This device allows the themes of sexuality, responsibility, and heartbreak to be explored from different angles. The external narrative of the older teens acts as a mirror and a premonition for Rose, offering her a glimpse into the adult world she is approaching, while also providing a distraction from her own family's unspoken sorrows. Both narratives contribute to Rose's evolving understanding of life's complexities.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“Being a teenager is like being a baby again. Everyone tells you what to do, what to wear, what to think.”
— Rose's internal monologue about the frustrations of adolescence.
“Some secrets are like that. They sit in your stomach, heavy and uncomfortable, until you can't hold them in anymore.”
— Rose reflecting on the burden of unspoken truths and family secrets.
“It's hard to tell if someone's sad when they're always trying to make other people laugh.”
— Rose observing Jenny, a local girl, and her outward demeanor masking inner struggles.
“Awago Beach was the kind of place where nothing ever changed, except for everything.”
— A paradoxical statement about the unchanging nature of the summer spot, yet the profound personal changes experienced there.
“Sometimes you just want to punch something, even if you don't know why.”
— Rose expressing the raw, unarticulated anger and frustration common in young adulthood.
“The quiet between them was thick, like the humid air before a storm.”
— Describing the tension and unspoken issues between Rose's parents.
“Growing up is stupid. You just get more responsibilities and less fun.”
— Rose's somewhat cynical view on the transition from childhood to adulthood.
“It's weird how you can know someone your whole life, and then suddenly, you don't know them at all.”
— Rose's realization about the changing dynamics and hidden lives of those close to her.
“Every summer, it's like a reset button. You forget all the dumb stuff from school and just... are.”
— Rose's appreciation for the liberating feeling of summer vacation.
“You can't fix everything. Sometimes you just have to let things be broken.”
— A moment of acceptance regarding situations beyond one's control, particularly within family.
“There's a difference between being alone and being lonely.”
— Rose pondering her own feelings of isolation versus the comfort of solitude.
“Sometimes the best way to understand something is to just watch it happen.”
— Rose's passive observation of the adult world and its complexities.
“The summer air tasted like lake water and secrets.”
— A sensory description of the atmosphere, blending the natural setting with underlying tensions.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
"This One Summer" is a graphic novel about Rose, a pre-teen girl who spends her summer vacation at Awago Beach with her family and her friend, Windy. This particular summer, Rose observes the escalating tension and fighting between her parents, while also navigating the complexities of growing up, witnessing the drama of older teens, and experiencing the bittersweet transition from childhood innocence to the cusp of adolescence.
About the author
Biography coming soon.
