Point of View

Just for the Summer is told through first person perspective, alternating between Justin and Emma’s points of view. This is useful given that each protagonist leads a distinctly separate life from the other. In addition, each has their own trauma to privately process before sharing it with the other.

This narration style remains consistent throughout the novel. Often, Emma’s thoughts help explain her seemingly illogical actions, such as her kindness to Amber. For example, Emma’s thoughts explain her relief at Amber’s arrival in Minnesota: “I was a little girl again. Catapulted back to eight years old, in the arms of my mother. She smelled the way she always did during good times. Like roses. The smell was strong and fresh and I felt myself reset back to zero” (66). Thanks to first-person narration, the reader gets a sense of the reasoning behind...