That Summer (Dessen novel)


That Summer is Sarah Dessen's first novel, published in 1996. This novel and Dessen's Someone Like You are the basis for the film How to Deal.

Plot summary

That Summer tells the story of a 15-year-old girl Haven, as she copes with her sister's engagement, her father's remarriage, and her best friend's personality changes. Nothing seems stable except for Haven's memories—especially those of the summer when Ashley dated Sumner Lee, who, as part of the backstory, is described as bringing the family together. Within the course of the novel, Sumner reappears in Haven's life. Fed up with the drama in her life, Haven runs away. When she doesn't come home, her family searches for her. Ashley finds Haven in the woods, where she tells Haven she had only had broken up with Sumner because he had cheated on her, breaking Haven's illusion of their perfect past.

Characters