This is a second book in the series which I didn't know when I requested the ARC. I grabbed this one as my son was also transitioning from middle to high school and felt the nostalgia. It is a Christian novel, so not ever reader will connect with the characters it they don't have the family background. I appreciated the connection the boys shared and how they protected one another. This is something I hope my son also can find and have in life. Hand this to kids or adults that want to remember a simpler time before social media and constant connection. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and all opinions are my own.

I wish I didn’t have to rate this book so low. It’s a sweet story about four friends who embark on a summer of fun at the end of 8th grade. Unfortunately, I don’t see boys today, even those with a strong faith, getting past the first few pages.

It’s the 1970s and Charlie and DMarks are the main characters. Charlie lives in a Christian household with perfect parents. Everyone thinks he’s a great kid. DMarks is the tough kid. He gets into it with an upperclassman leading to a summer of conflict as the four friends try to outwit the bully. Through it all they have jobs, go to church camp, participate in town festivals, hang out at the pool and basketball court, and mingle with the girls. It’s all very innocent and clean, except for a scene where DMarks gets hold of a beer and gets drunk. But even that is written in a tame and innocent way.

Every now and then a character named Sky shows up briefly and gives guidance. He’s supposed to be an angel. There’s also times where a character hears a voice, feels wind, or smells flowers. These always accompany a compulsion to act in a Godly way. This happens with Charlie, and eventually DMarks. By the end of the book, DMarks has gone through a spiritual transformation. He no longer wants to be enemies with Willy, the bully, and even ends up saving his life.

There’s also two couples, one older, one younger, who don’t really fit into the story. It’s like they were inserted with the sole purpose of showing how men and women should date and ultimately get married with God’s blessing. All of this is good, just not relatable. Sadly, the writing is very mediocre. I applaud Leihbacher for having a heart for boys, wanting to fill a vacant niche for wholesome, realistic, Christian literature, but you have to write in such a way that kids will want to read the book. The dialogue must be compelling. There needs to be more realistic strife and angst. I’ll admit kids in the 70s were quite a bit more strait-laced than they are today, but still, they weren’t THIS clean.

𝘍𝘶𝘯, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭!

I love coming-of-age stories and when they are set in a small town they’re even better.
I loved this beautiful story about friendship, finding yourself and growing up. An adorable and sweet read.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours for this tour invite.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗽 by Tom Leihbacher-Author released June 24, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

Summer Up!
A Novel
by Tom Leihbacher
Pub Date 24 Jun 2022
Darcie Rowan PR, Christian Faith Publishing
Christian | Teens & YA




I am reviewing a copy of Summer Up through Darcie Rowan, PR, Christian Faith Publishing and Netgalley:




The Last Day of School had finally arrived, summer break was on. And with Summer break came the promise of two and a half months of sun-drenched, fun-filled freedom. There were summer camps, summer trips, summer sports, summer foods, and summer nights to look forward to—to say nothing of summer afternoons hanging out at the town pool or the teenage art of sleeping in. But not every day was all fun and games for Charlie Riverton and his friends. During that memorable summer of ’75, they faced a protracted battle for turf rights in their own backyards.





It wasn’t easy, they had struggles along the way But they stuck together and stood up for themselves. With helpful guidance from a heavenly friend, their shoulders grew a little broader and an unforgettable new chapter was written into Briarcliff Manor folklore.





Come join Charlie, Sky, and the whole cast from the previous bestselling book, A Gift Most Rare on a summer-long, fun-filled, coming of age adventure.



I give Summer Up five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A book about a group of friends and the magic of summer. Set in 1975 this is a wonderful story with great likable characters.

Summer Up! by Tom Leihbacher is a wonderful coming of age story set in 1975.

Charlie Riverton and his friends are well written fleshed out characters that reminded me of times long gone.

The group of friends has each other's backs and maybe some help from an angelic friend.
They grew stronger together and faced each battle head on.

This was such a good coming of age story that I really enjoyed.

A great book that will take you back to the days of your youth a the anticipation of the long, carefree days of summer.

However, not every day can be perfect as we know and our characters are presented with real life events and must make character decisions. A growing up story that teaches decision making skills.

Highly recommend. Loved it as an adult. Great for teens and preteens as well.

Beatifully written.

Recommend

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.