The Key to Surviving Summer

A fun read with a nice message about friendship. Moe is stuck in an isolated setting away from her friends at summer camp. She tries to make the best of the situation by hanging out with a young boy in the neighborhood, but he leads her to a discovery that causes strange visions. Throughout the book Moe tries to solve the mystery of what happened to the girl in her visions, and learns a lot about friendship along the way. The novel is written in verse and very accessible for struggling readers. I loved the descriptions of the lake and how felt like it was another character. Recommend to middle and high school students who enjoy light paranormal or mysteries.

This was such an interesting story and I loved the verse writing format. The writing style reminded me of the way the waves ebb and flow and the story did the same. It was part mystery, part psychic, and part moral. The author did a great job weaving the story line into a fast paced read while not skimping on the story line.
A shout out to Lake Ontario that played a role in this book!
Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Sandi Van for the opportunity to read The Key to Surviving Summer in exchange for an honest review.

The Key to Surviving Summer is a hi-lo novel written in a verse format. It follows 16-year-old Moe as she spends her summer before Sophomore year in a warn cottage by Lake Ontario. There is no one else near her age, so it feels a bit lonely. The town itself has an aura of silence around it, and not because it is empty.

After meeting her neighbor's nine-year-old grandson, she makes a friend as close to her age as she will be getting that summer. Being nine, Zeke has a knack for seeking adventure. He asks Moe to join him in looking for treasures in the lake. When Moe finds an old key on a chain, she hides it from Zeke, and everyone else, not wanting to share what she found. With further investigation, Moe learns that the key, and the town’s silence, has something to do with a darker history revolving around a fire.

As Moe looks to solve the mystery behind the key and the visions it links her to a girl from the past, she learns about a great misunderstanding, but also aims to seek answers beyond what others are willing to discuss.

This is a very fast read and a fun novel with a sprinkle of paranormal flare. Are the visions from the key the past? A ghost? Her friendship with Zeke, although he is still quite young, demonstrates a connection to the more innocent and fun times of childhood, but also the distance that knowledge soon brings to the growing adolescent mind.

This novel is a worthy and fun read for a young adult audience, though mystery lovers may also find some intrigue to Moe’s experience.

Loved this book! Sandi Van has a beautiful writing style and the story had me from the beginning. Please note that this is a Hi-Lo book (high-interest, low-readability) written in verse and is meant for struggling readers. I think some reviewers don't understand that and are expecting something else. But it's a great read for anyone and I highly recommend!

this was a quick and fun middle grade read about a girl who finds a necklace with a key on it that unlocks some dark secrets of the small town her and her parents are staying in for the summer.

it's written in a prose/poetry style so the 200 pages go by really quickly. the prose worked really well for the book, I cant imagine it being written in a traditional format. it's part mystery, part ghostly, and has an overlying theme of friendship persevering through time (which I'm always a fan of, especially in young adult books).

great quick summerween read if youthis was a quick and fun middle grade read about a girl who finds a necklace with a key on it that unlocks some dark secrets of the small town her and her parents are staying in for the summer.

it's written in a prose/poetry style so the 200 pages go by really quickly. the prose worked really well for the book, I cant imagine it being written in a traditional format. it's part mystery, part ghostly, and has an overlying theme of friendship persevering through time (which I'm always a fan of, especially in young adult books).

great quick summerween read if you're already ready for halloween 🎃

thank you to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for a review!

Thank you so much to West 44 Books/ Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Moe is supposed to be at camp with her best friends, but her parents decided on a family holiday to a secluded lake instead. Where she finds a mysterious key necklace in the waters and soon visions of the last summer it had with its owner start haunting her.

This was so fun to read, from Moe struggling being all alone without her friends, making friends with young Zeke and then finding this necklace and having this massive mystery to solve and the visions of Lola and her friends. I absolutely loved reading this mystery.

It was so gripping as you just wanted to know the answers, wanted to figure out what really happened that summer in 59”, you wanted to see more visions and understand them. It was all so enthralling and I really enjoyed unravelling the mystery of it.

The characters were all really interesting, everyone in the town seemed to have routines and all kept to themselves which was so strange, they all had many secrets. I liked how Moe was kind enough to befriend Zeke who was still a child and include him throughout her summer. I liked learning about Lola, Rose and Josie’s friendship. The characters were all really well created.

I really enjoyed this verse book, it had me gripped, had me wanting to know more, had me trying to figure out everything as I read.

The Key to Surviving Summer by Sandi Van
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I got an E-arc from @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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A super compelling story in verse! I often read these Hi-Lo stories in one or two sittings, but I really, REALLY could not put this one down!

Moe is supposed to be at camp with her best friends, but her parents decided on a family holiday to a secluded lake instead. Where she finds a mysterious key necklace in the waters and soon visions of the last summer it had with its owner start haunting her. Moe struggling being all alone without her friends, making friends with young Zeke and then finding this necklace and having this massive mystery to solve and the visions of Lola and her friends. The book is written in prose/poetry and so that might make it not everyone's cup of tea but I thought it was a quick and fun read.

I think young adults and tweens would related to the characters. I liked how Moe was kind enough to befriend Zeke who was still a child and include him throughout her summer. I liked learning about Lola, Rose and Josie’s friendship. It is definitely one I would recommend to students.

Thank you to Netgalley for the eArc to read and review.

Canadian book in verse for young adults. Basic ghost story. Good summer read. Recommended for ages 11-15.

Moe's summer before sophomore year feels like a prison sentence in a remote cottage on Lake Ontario, with no friends except for her neighbour's young grandson, Zeke. After finding a mysterious key and having visions of a girl disappearing into the lake, Moe and Zeke search for answers along the shoreline. As her visions intensify, Moe must uncover the truth about the disappearing girl and the secrets that no one in town seems to want to discuss.

In “The key to surviving summer”, Sandi Van skillfully uses all the advantages verse has to convey Moe's emotions and the atmosphere of this lakeside small town. The prose is both accessible and poetic, making it a compelling read for both reluctant and seasoned readers. Moe's journey from boredom to curiosity, and eventually to bravery and determination, was beautifully depicted. The dynamic between her and young Zeke adds a layer of warmth and adventure to the story.

The blend of mystery and supernatural elements kept me hooked, and I found myself eagerly turning pages to uncover the truth behind the visions. This novel not only entertained me but also deepened my appreciation for hi-lo verse novels. It's a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a quick yet meaningful read that explores themes of friendship, courage, and the quest for answers.

This was such a sweet, quick and captivating read. I loved the messaging on friendship, the mystery central to the novel, and the nod to the paranormal. Verse was the perfect format for this story, and it was written so well. I was compelled to keep reading from the start!

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Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this title! These are my honest thoughts.

Beautiful little story about friendship. Tugs at the heartstrings. I recommend highly. Written in lovely verse. Such a fresh way to do it.

A riveting read that I finished in one sitting!

I loved the vivid setting and could visualise it through the evocative writing. The protagonist is also realistic and well-written; I could definitely relate to her feelings of loneliness and isolation. The story is poignant and full of heart, with a touch of mystery. It kept me turning the pages and the pay-off is wonderful. What a great subplot that gave me all the feels...

Last line was perfect, of course.

This was a 5 star read for me.

16 year old Moe is on summer break with her parents whilst her two best friends are away at a summer camp. She makes friends with her 9 year old neighbour and one day as they're exploring near the lake she finds a strange key and begins having visions of a girl roller-skating at sunset and then disappearing into the lake. Moe tries to find out what happened to the mysterious girl.

This was a super quick read for me. Great for teens and young adults.