Beyond the Shadows of Summer

by GirlwiththeBraids
(United States)

Beyond the Shadows of Summer
by Jonathan Zemsky
5 out of 5 stars

James was thirteen when he witnessed his little brother, Brand’s, death in 1954. Everyone knew Brandon wouldn’t live forever, due to his rare blood disease, but nobody expected it on that bright summer morning. One year later, James is still stuck with the feeling of being alone and guilty for his brother’s death. While working at the ten-day fair in his hometown, Springfield, Illinois, James slowly lets out the feelings that he had hid inside of him and regains his ability to live his life. Along the way, he meets his true love and receives his first kiss, discovers the way he truly feels about his friends, and realizes that the clock is always ticking.

Beyond the Shadows of Summer, at times, almost made me cry. James was the older brother that everyone dreams of having. His emotions were real and he truly cared about Brand. There was not one confusing part in the book. It was simply told in a realistic form. The friendships were tightly woven into the story and made a difference in each characters’ life. I repeated lines from the book throughout the week and every time I said them, I smiled. As for recommendations: no one should miss out.