Summer July Dreams

The second volume in the Summer series (following June Dreams) spreads a dizzying dose of boyfriend-swapping, melodrama and petty conversation among a handful of clicheed characters. In the spotlight--or more accurately, the sunlight--is the blond Summer (yes, this truly is her name), visiting the Florida Keys from a small town in Minnesota. Alas, she finds herself attracted to three different boys: ""Love. Was it possible that she loved all three? Was it possible she loved none of them?"" To add to her turmoil, she is troubled by visions of a small boy--apparently her long-lost brother--who disappeared just before her birth. Throw in a sort-of suicide attempt (Summer's cousin thinks she has swallowed an overdose of pills, yet awakens to discover the unopened bottle in her hand) and Summer's and current boyfriend's confinement in a cave (they manage to snuggle up for the night, and in the morning, ""the taste of his lips was still in her mouth"")--it's too much to swallow, even for fans of Applegate's Boyfriends and Girlfriends series. Ages 12-up. (July)