Summer Replacement
Ann Herrick
Hard Shell Word Factory
ISBN 0-7599-4168-8, 0-7599-4167-X

Cathy Price's parents must hate her. Why else would they ruin her life by forcing her to spend the whole summer in a stupid cottage on a far away beach with them and her obnoxious little brother? The worst part is, they insist on leaving right after Cathy finally manages to catch Dan Stedman --editor of the school newspaper and hunkiest guy in school -- away from his girlfriend Lisa long enough to actually hold a conversation. Of course, her part of the conversation consists of, "Yes," "Fine," and Yes." So when her best friend suggests using the summer away from home for a practice romance, Cathy jumps at the idea. She can flirt, have fun and not worry about making a fool of herself. After all, she'll never see any of the summer people again. In the fall, she can come back and apply her hard earned romance skills to the boy she really wants, Dan. It's a great plan, and almost enough to make up for having to hang out with her little brother all summer.

The first day at the cottage, Cathy goes looking for good-looking boys and finds one working in the local store. The problem is, he's Dan Stedman. Dan's family is spending the summer at the beach too. At first shy and awkward, Cathy slowly relaxes. Dan seems to like her. Suddenly, the summer fling begins to look like the real thing . . . until Dan's girlfriend Lisa arrives. Does Dan really care for Cathy, or is she just his summer replacement?

SUMMER REPLACEMENT is a sweet, fast-paced romance, perfect for a lazy
summer day. Cathy is a believable bundle of contradictions-alternately
brazen and shy, thoughtless and caring, smart and naive -- and as real a fifteen year old as any you'll find on the written page. Dan is an equally well-developed character. His struggles to understand Cathy and her mixed signals make him even more appealing than his "tall, broad-shouldered build and curly brown hair." I particularly liked how Ms. Herrick handled the very common problem of the girl being satisfied with kisses when the boy wants considerably more -- with sympathy and understanding for both parties and a good dose of humor.

I also enjoyed how Ms. Herrick showed Cathy's growth through her interaction with her brother and Dan's younger sister. At first willing to babysit them only to have an excuse to see more of Dan, she soon embraces the responsibility and thrives on it. Ms. Herrick gives the reader many reasons to like Cathy, and some of the best come out during her interactions with the younger children.

SUMMER REPLACEMENT is a simple, straightforward story. Those teens who
prefer intricately plotted thrillers or depressing, "problem" stories
should probably choose a different book. For those who like their reading light and sweet, though, SUMMER REPLACEMENT is perfect -- a young adult romance with just the right balance of humor and heart. I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by:
Carrie S. Masek