Wild Blue Wonder

“As you know, in all camp stories, there are monsters. In this one, there are two. The sea monster. And me.” Quinn Sawyer, 17, lives at the Hundreds, a summer camp her family owns and operates. The Hundreds has a special sort of magic: blueberries grow even in the bitter winter months, ghosts may well be present, and the family believes an aquatic monster roams the depths of their cove. Quinn had always been skeptical until the tragic night that the monster claimed Dylan, the boy the Sawyer siblings loved best. A year later, the siblings are silos of grief and guilt, each alone with their memories. Quinn, the only witness to Dylan’s death, is determined to face the monster in the cove—and the one within herself. This depiction of first love collective loss, and the complicated nature of sibling relationships by Sorosiak (If Birds Fly Back) surges with emotion, and Quinn’s developing relationship with newcomer Alexander, who is ignorant of the past summer’s details, provides lightness to this story of all-consuming heartache and shame. Sorosiak has created a family whom readers will connect with in all their messy, genuine sincerity. Ages 13–up. [em](June) Correction: A previous version of this review misstated the book's title. [/em]