Until We Meet Again
Raincoast Books / Sourcebooks
By Renee Collins
336 pages
age 13-18
Synopsis from Raincoast Books:
Country clubs and garden parties. The last thing Cassandra wants is to spend the summer before her senior year marooned in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. Cass craves drama and adventure, which is hard when she just feels stuck. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on her family’s private beach, claiming that it is his property-and that the year is 1925-Cass is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making. As she searches for answers in the present, Cass discovers a truth that thrusts Lawrence’s life into jeopardy. It won’t matter which century he is from if he won’t live to see tomorrow.Desperate to save the boy who’s come to mean everything to her, Cassandra must find a way to change history… or risk losing Lawrence forever.
Have you ever imagined the spot you are standing, the path you stroll in the morning, the sidewalk you walk to work, was occupied by another person maybe decades ago? That thought has crossed my mind many times and is probably a reason Until We Meet Again piqued my interest. Cassandra is the lead character though the author does switch to Lawrence’s point of view in a few chapters, made clear by his name noted at the start of the chapter. You would think toggling between the present and the past would be confusing but the author makes it so fluid, like Cass and Lawrence passing through the bushes to the beach.
I enjoyed that Until We Meet Again touched on how the “simpler” time of the past came with its own responsibilities and obligations. A reminder that young people are really not that much different over time. The story is a lovely summer romance, something to escape to for fun knowing it will someday come to an end, but then the butterfly effect comes into play and everything changes for Cassandra and Lawrence. You’ll find romance, friendship, family dynamics as well as a little mystery as you delve into the pages of this story.
Until We Meet Again is a fun read that thankfully doesn’t wrap things up in an make believe happy ending. It’s an escape into a romantic fantasy that will have you thinking more about the spot you stand in now.
Additional Reading: The Art of Getting Started At.
You can find a copy of Until We Meet Again from Raincoast Books or your local bookstore. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.