First published 2014
Summer McIntyre already acts like the adult in her Pacific Coast trailer home. At fifteen, she manages the household while her mother Oriole drifts through flower child fantasies and seven-year-old sister Sparrow needs constant care. Their fragile routine works until Oriole brings home a new boyfriend. This man drags dangerous complications into their Alvarro Bay City trailer. Summer faces threats involving drug smuggling and blackmail. She must shield Sparrow and navigate criminal dangers she never imagined. The 1980s setting frames a story about a teenager forced into premature adulthood. Summer learns to protect what matters most while discovering her own strength. This coming of age tale explores how family bonds survive when childhood ends too soon.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family
Setting: Alvarro Bay City, Pacific Coast
Period: 1980s
195 pages · ebook · Open Road Media Teen & Tween
Content warnings: child-abuse, drug-use