I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I have started this book a few times, however it is about 14-year-old boys who are talking like grown adult men. Total disconnect to the characters.

This just didn't work for me. The characters are 14 and within an hour of arriving at camp, all they talk about is relationships and who they want to date at camp. The dialogue is forced and awkward, and the narrative is horribly preachy and just listing stuff.

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It's a middle grade book, aimed a couple of years above other similarly themed books like George and The Pants Project. When we start this book, Casey has already come out to his parents. His mum is very understanding. His father is a little bit more recalcitrant. We hear about the trans camp that Casey went on the previous year, just after having come out, and now he's about to go on a normal summer camp, with his best friend Ella, where he can be a normal boy.

Obviously, kids can be cruel, and this book does highlight that, particularly with Ryan. One of the love interests, Gavin, is also friends with Ryan, and there are some difficulties that had me feeling uncomfortable at times and worried for Casey.

I've been thinking about that a lot, whether it was too much for a middle grade story to have transphobia in it. But I think it was handled well. Casey found himself more empowered by the end of it. His friendship with Ella grew stronger, as did his own self awareness and comfort within his own skin.

So it sucks that transphobia was the vehicle for these changes, but I also think it was realistic. Obviously I'm aware that not everyone will be comfortable with reading a book with that kind of analysis, which is why I've linked two similar titles at the top of this review.

I did enjoy this book. It was not without its problems, but it was enjoyable and added something valuable to a not particularly fleshed out area of the market.

I feel in love with this book and its story. The writing was so incredibly written and when reading the book you felt as if you were right there with the characters, being a part of the story. Casey was such a strong character who showed development throughout the book even though it was such a short book. He doesn't let what happens kick him down and come out even stronger because. I like how we got to see other characters background stories like Ella's. With all the characters there is so much diversity in the book with Casey being bi and a trans boy and then ella who is aro and ace. I love the representation of all of this. The romance in this book was so cute and I love how it had its twist and turns and showed the readers how not every relationship is perfect and have flaws.
I gave this book 4 stars but its more like a 4.5 stars. I just wished it was longer or we need a second book please.

It was an enjoyable book. It was serious but it was also funny. It was honestly a good summer read that kept me entertained. I really appreciated the idea of this novel. I thought it was unique and a really good way to introduce readers to the trans lifestyle and struggles. I also enjoyed that the best friend introduced an idea on aromantism and asexuality. The idea of this novel was really inspiring but I don't think it was executed the way the author intended. I understand that everyone is an individual, and that also applies to the characters, however I think they were portrayed incorrectly. I believe that assumptions were made about trans and aro/ace lifestyle that I'm not going to dive into.

"I could be like any other boy in just about every single way. It didn't matter what parts I did or didn't have. Out body parts didn't make us who we were. Why couldn't people treat others how they wanted to be perceived?"

There's not much to say about this one other than it is the perfect summer camp story to read over a free weekend, whether to further the feeling of summertime bliss or to beg some of that feeling to join you in the lingering wintry weather. Basically, a sweet and short summertime romance filled with lots of diversity rep and snarky characters. :)

"For the boy I was, the book I could not find" -- Dedication

Books like this need to be written, they need to be out there for teens, both queer and nonqueer, to find. Everyone should see people who are different from themselves in genres they know and understand, they will realize others are not as different as they thought.The fact that this is #ownvoices adds an extra level of authenticity. 

As much as I enjoyed it, I realize (as a 37-year-old) that I am totally the wrong audience for this book. I could see myself devouring it in middle-school. As is, I found it hard to connect to characters in their early teens. I will totally admit to being misty-eyed in a few places, though.

My one complaint was that I found this book a bit short. Vidrine does an excellent job of creating a diverse and interesting cast of characters. I wanted more time with them. 

Overall, this was a quick contemporary romance which also deals with some serious topics. I understand this was the author's first foray into the genre. I hope they write more.

This was such a good book?? So soft and fluffy with just the right amount of angst - I practically breezed through it in one sitting. If I'm being honest, I was a bit wary going in because it seemed a little ~childish~. But this - this is what I needed. I'm so used to reading LGBTQ+ books from the POV of 16 or 17 year olds, and it was refreshing to see the viewpoint of a 14 year old! I honestly cried while reading this; even though I'm not trans, or bi, I could relate a lot with Casey. The parts about being young and scared for the future as a queer teen really struck with me.

I loved that this book didn't bury any type of sexuality! There are so many LGBTQ+ novels that focus solely on romance, and make it out that if you don't feel attraction, you're weird. But that's obviously wrong? And the author portrayed that in Casey's best friend, Ella - she's aroace, and completely proud of her identity. Something that irked me, though, was that the characters only speculated others to be gay or bisexual - other MGA sexualities do exist! Please remember pansexuals/polysexuals/omnisexuals next time :(

All the characters were extremely well rounded. Even the assholes were written really well - I wanted to punch in Ryan's nose so hard, but he and his friends were portrayed pretty realistically. As much as I hate to admit it, people like that do exist irl, and I've had the bad fortune to meet a few :/ Especially in middle schoolers; no one hates as fiercely as eighth graders.

The writing style was pretty easy to read! It didn't fuss around with unnecessary metaphors, everything was to the point - but there were still some really beautiful lines. I finished the book entirely on a two hour flight and I loved it <3

I liked the plot, too! Simple, realistic, but also refreshing - it followed a trans boy going to normal camp for the first time. Naturally, he was nervous; and we get to see all his experiences. From the good, the bad, and the dirty. The pacing was also pretty good; it was set in a span of two weeks and never felt too slow or too fast.

tl;dr: READ THIS BOOK WHEN IT COMES OUT IN APRIL. It's for the trans teens of our generation, for every queer kid that feels left out, for every fourteen year old struggling with life. Absolutely adorable and needed.

A review will be up on my blog by a day or two. :)

This book wasn't for me, I DNF'd it around 25%. I was very interested in the premise of 'On a Summer Night' but I couldn't connect with the story and I'm not exactly sure why I couldn't connect with it.

I do not want this to discourage readers from picking up this book because I think it could be a very important story for LGBTQIA+ readers. I am withholding a star rating on Goodreads because I do not think that it's fair for me to do so when I didn't finish the book.

Set over a short time-scale with a positive messages and interesting characters . The only aspect I didn't love was the writing style but overall this book was very good and I would highly recommend reading it.

On a Summer Night is the story of 14 year old Casey, a trans boy going to a real summer camp for the first time. His best friend, Ella, has supported him through his entire transition and is dead set on this being a good experience for both of them.
There were a lot of really great qualities in this book: the LGBTQ representation, the summer camp experience, and the butterflies in the stomach first love feelings. I loved Casey and his determination to have a good time at camp, despite being terrified that he could be outed. The panic attack he had after the pool incident was heartbreaking and I wanted to reach through my kindle and tell him everything will be alright.
On the other hand, and I'm going to try to be delicate because this is #ownvoices and that is incredibly important, I got to the end of the book with conflicted feelings. I cannot speak for the trans experience, but I just feel like everyone was way too young for what the book was trying to accomplish. I know there are 14 year old trans kids and this book could be the one to help them with their own feelings. But these kids are way too young to have to worry about sex and true love, especially with the camp only being two weeks?
Ella mentioned that she can't see herself having sex and describes herself as aromantic and asexual, and that is absolutely fine. If she knows herself enough at 14 to be comfortable with those labels, great. And her confusion about whether or not she should just date was accurate to the experience of figuring out your sexuality. I just wish they could have been kids at camp instead of constantly talking about their sexuality and finding true love in two weeks.
I'm probably getting the words wrong, and I'm sorry. I really did enjoy On A Summer Night and I hope to read more from Gabriel Vidrine.

This is one of those books that will probably really help someone, if you can overlook the sheer volume of information about sexuality and gender that gets thrown at you.
Our main character, Casey, is a trans boy who is determined to get the authentic summer camp experience. He goes with his best friend, Ella, to summer camp where most of his time is spent obsessing over his crush, worrying about how to feel comfortable in his body and trying to challenge certain stereotypes.
The story is set over a very short time-scale and it has some really positive messages. For me, it felt like the desire to explore some issues took precedence over the story and characters. However, I think it will be interesting to see how teen readers respond to it.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this.

This review has been posted on Goodreads. My book blog is currently on hiatus due to university pressure, but when it's up and running again, this or an extended version will be cross-posted there.

I seem to be making a habit of reading LGBTQ books with 14-year-old protagonists and honestly? I'm here for it. I'm so glad there's younger YA being published with prominent queer characters, because I never knew where to look for that stuff when I was younger. This one features a trans MC who is also bi, as well as his ace best friend and at least two other gay characters, so it was a whole bunch of LGBTQ stories in one.

On the whole, this was a cute and important story that was so obviously written by someone who'd been there. Little details stuck out, like how difficult it is to get a binder on and off and what it's like to wear them for long stretches of time. It felt authentic, and there were a few emotional moments that really packed a punch, particularly where Casey's relationship with his dad was concerned.

It's sort of a coming out story, but one which reflects the fact that for most people it's not just about coming out once, but facing the choice as to whether to out yourself every time you meet new people. Casey is out at home and school, but trying to go stealth at camp and pass as a boy. This becomes more complicated once a bully finds out he's trans. He's not out as bi to his family, though, and nor is his eventual love interest. Moreover, his ace best friend is still trying to figure out how she feels about her identity and to accept herself, which takes place gradually throughout the course of the book.

The feelings and characters were great, and the plot was fine too. The main thing I didn't like about the book was the writing style. There was a lot of matter of fact listing of food, activities, actions: "We ate this and this and then we went here and did this." It felt quite juvenile in places, by which I mostly mean it read like something I might have written when I was younger. However, I'm aware that I'm a lot older than the target audience, and also that the character is meant to be fourteen. It was reasonably convincing as a fourteen-year-old's voice, which led me to forgive aspects of the style I wouldn't otherwise have put up with. Possibly, then, that juvenile aspect was deliberate, and wouldn't stand out to a younger reader.

It did prevent me fully engaging with the story, though, as I'm a bit fussy about writing styles. But on the whole: I am very glad this story exists, because there are kids out there who need it, and I'm glad it seems to have been written by someone who has lived it.

something kept nagging me about this book as i was reading. i think all these fourteen-year-olds have a LOT on their plate considering that they’re, you know, fourteen-year-olds. they’re just kids. i think if the characters had been a little older, maybe even 16 or 17, then the situations the characters were in would’ve been much more believable. saying this i don’t mean to undermine/offend any trans person or lgbtqia+ person and their experience (most importantly gabriel d. vidrine themself), i just mean to say that these kids were put under situations and settings that seemed way too unrealistic for someone their age. i feel a little conflicted about this also, since i do agree that we also need books with characters as young as these who express their sexual orientation and identity and represent something that not everybody is brave enough to write these days. buuuuuuuut still.

to me, the dialogue also seemed a little unnatural. the characters were deliberately placed in situations which conveniently allowed casey, the main character, to explain why the other character he was interacting with was uneducated. also, in some cases, to reassure another character who was also lgbtqia+ that they were normal or that they weren’t broken. most of the time it seemed to me that on a summer night was trying to forcibly teach me something.

not all was for naught, however. i did find this book to be very cute. though the characters’ age bothered me juuuuuust a little, i think they were all very well developed and written. diversity was possibly the best aspect of this book, since we had a bisexual trans boy as a main character, and then his best friend who is aro/ace, a gay boy, another closeted gay boy, and a wlw girl (it wasn’t specified if she was gay or bi/pan, but she was a minor character). the adult characters were all really supportive (some in their own time). it represents a very positive and favorable environment for these kids to grow up in.

all in all i think this book was important while also being cute and triumphantly brave. i don’t know if i would give it to a middle-grade aged kid to read, but you never know. they might need it. i’m glad it was written by someone who very possibly experienced it first-hand at some point in their life.

very interesting and unique story idea. The story line for some reason did not connect with me at this time. I will re read this book in the future. Maybe because the characters were so young? or the fact i never went to summer camp so i have no idea how those run? But i really did like the book!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Casey is a trans boy who is going to camp for the first time with his best friend, Ella. No one at camp knows he's trans, and he wants to keep it that way, even as he crushes on a cute boy in his cabin, Gavin. Things grow complicated as he becomes the target of one of the camp bullies and is outed.

I almost feel bad giving this two stars because it has a lot of important qualities. The problem with this book, though, comes from the fact that it was too straightforward. I don't need purple prose--no one needs purple prose--but this book didn't have a single metaphor, a single beautiful image; it was completely straightforward, what you were reading was what you got.

This could be helpful for those in a similar position to Casey or those who know little about LGBT people and communities, as it leaves no room for interpretation, but it's not the kind of book for those looking for a story.

Another issue I had was the characterization of some of the minor characters. They don't talk like teenagers, instead having moments of deep insight and other moments of such lack of maturity that it never quite meshed, creating a backdrop of characters that only seemed to drive the point of the story home instead of creating a well-developed world.

Nonetheless, books like this need to exist, need to keep being written. Being LGBT--especially trans--is difficult, especially in such a volatile time as today, and I believe that every bit of positive, affirming representation is essential.

A great read for teens and adults alike. In this novel we meet a number of teens in a summer camp setting. What unfolds is a story of identity, acceptance, bullying, bravery and so much more. I found myself becoming completely absorbed and eagerly so. It gave me a better grasp of how to support the people in my life who are experiencing their own transformation. I found myself feeling, not exactly hostile, but a sense of disappointment I guess regarding choices made by certain parents. All in all though it's a positive read that will make you think. It will also make you want to know more, and encourage people to be more accepting and open to differences. It's a novel that will push some readers beyond their comfort zone but in my experience that has only ever led to my growing as a human being. Warning: Have tissues nearby.

I was really excited when I learned that the best friend in this book was aromantic and asexual, but there were unfortunately a lot of remarks that were distancing and offensive for aromantic and asexual readers. Aside from that, it was a decent book. The romance moved crazy fast for my liking though I understand that they're 14 and that sort of thing happens when you're 14 for some people. I can't speak for the trans rep, but the aro ace rep was definitely lacking.

On A Summer Night by Gabriel D. Vidrine is a coming of age romance story set at a summer camp. The book deals with trans issues, with the main character, Casey, being a trans boy. It is his first year at a camp that isn’t aimed at trans people, and he is hoping to pass as a boy during his time at camp.

Overall, this book is a very sweet romance story that follows the usual formula of misunderstandings and missed connections. Vidrine is trans himself, and this gives the book its strengths. I am also trans, and I never felt that Vidrine wrote in a belittling tone, or wrote clichés when it came to Casey’s identity. For someone who wasn’t part of the trans community, I think that they would easily understand Casey’s story and understand him as a character.

One of my main problems with the story was the character of Ella, who is Casey’s best friend. She identifies as asexual, which I found upsetting as she’s only fourteen. This may be petty, but I don’t think you can decide at fourteen that you will never have sex or have a relationship. At fourteen, you shouldn’t be thinking about whether you want to be having sex with someone, and for me, that slightly ruined the story. As well as that, she comes across as quite creepy, shipping Casey and another boy together and getting angry when Casey doesn’t want to date them.

In conclusion, this is book that I would aim at middle school age, and not young adult. It was very simple, and as a 19 year old, I would laugh at the idea of being ‘in love’ with someone at 14. However, it was an interesting take on the romance at summer camp idea, and I did enjoy reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for a review.