One Grand Summer is a poignant and beautifully written coming-of-age novel by acclaimed German author Ewald Arenz. Set in rural West Germany in the summer of 1981, the story follows 16-year-old Frieder Büchner as he navigates friendship, fear, and first love after failing two school subjects and having to stay with his grandparents to resit his exams instead of going on vacation with his family.

Frieder's summer takes an unexpected turn when he meets Beate, a girl he quickly forms a bond with, while also spending time with his best friend Johann and his younger sister Alma. The novel explores the fragility and resilience of youth, with Frieder experiencing the intensity of first love and the challenges of growing up.

Arenz's writing is subtle and evocative, with a generosity and joy that is rare in modern fiction. The author creates vivid descriptions of Frieder's surroundings and the protagonist's keen observations, often focusing on nature. The story is well-constructed, with a plot that balances the prosaic and the shocking, keeping readers engaged.

One of the novel's strengths is its exploration of character, with Frieder's family relationships and the contrasting personalities of his grandparents serving as touchstones for his journey of self-awareness. Arenz also delves into themes such as growing up, sexuality, friendship, marriage, love, mental health, and family responsibility.

One Grand Summer was a number-one bestseller in Germany and won the German Booksellers Prize in 2021. Translated into English by Rachel Ward, the novel has been praised for its heartbreaking, poignant, and warmly funny moments that capture the essence of coming-of-age.

“Achingly beautiful, profound and uplifting” states the blurb. I don’t think so. I found it an amazingly banal and ordinary story of first love; a tale of teenage angst that has been told many times before and which here adds nothing to the genre. It might work as a YA novel, but not as a book for more sophisticated readers – although I realise I am out-of-step here with the many glowing reviews the book has garnered. “Profound in its simplicity” gushes the Irish Times. Well, if by simplicity it means a tale simply told in short sentences, then simple it is – but not profound. When he fails his school exams 16-year-old Frieder is sent to spend the summer with his grandparents in rural Germany to study for the resits, rather than accompany his family on their annual holiday. He meets Beate and falls desperately in love, which occasions much heartache and misunderstandings, as first love usually does. There follows a series of unfortunate events, including a bizarre adventure with a digger, and the serious psychotic breakdown of a friend, which is largely glossed over and which is happily soon recovered from. There’s a bit of a back story concerning his grandparents in the aftermath of the war – is this perhaps where the profundity stems from? For me the book is a superficial coming-of-age tale and one that left me unmoved.

I loved this German coming of age story of a boy who lives with his grandfather for a summer while his family is on holiday. He is sent to live with Grandfather to study for exams to pass the classes he failed during the school year. Entwined with a young romance, a friend suffering PTSD and stupid teen antics there is a blossoming relationship between Frieder and his grandfather. I found this part of the story the most compelling as they learn to understand and love one another.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I can admit that I sometimes request a book based on the cover, and I assume I did this with One Grand Summer. Frederick fails his exams and he has to spend the summer with his grandparents. His grandfather is strict. His grandmother is younger than most but shares about her life. Mostly this is coming of age. He hangs out all summer with Johann, Beate (love interest) and Alma. They break into the pool at night and they buy a grave for all four of them to be buried in someday.

This was translated from German. I know it was popular in Europe and this ARC is for the English US release. The story is missing something. Sentences are short and while the characters are lovable, I couldn’t get into it as a story. It’s more like a poem. A super long poem.

I was given an early ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, thanks to NetGalley and Independent Publishing Group.