I have high expectations for a book written by Rebekah Weatherspoon. Summer Official exceeded them and now I know my expectations weren’t high enough. I fell in love with Saylor and Heaven quickly and enjoyed reading about their developing friendship and romance. This is a lovely slow-burn, introvert/extrovert, acquaintances to lovers romance.
I want to talk about cake in a minute. The book starts with Saylor finding out her mother, a momfluencer, has posted a video crying with joy that Saylor has come out to her. Saylor is so distracted she trips over her own feet and breaks her arm, ending her planned basketball summer camp. Heaven’s summer plans are playing her father’s Summertime Bingo Challenge and getting up the courage to allow herself and her art to be perceived. In a desperate attempt to avoid getting dragged into making content with her mom, Saylor asks Heaven to let her join the Bingo Challenge, and in return, will help her with the social media and socializing. (Saylor also wants to get over her crush on Heaven). Heaven reluctantly agrees, rather concerned that Saylor’s energy will overwhelm her. (And also a little concerned that Saylor might figure out that Heaven’s tummy has butterflies whenever they’re together.) Saylor has the emotional intelligence to know when she needs to give Heaven quiet and space.
Ok. Cake! Now we get to the cake. Saylor confesses that her mother’s video about her coming out made her feel like something had been taken away. Heaven takes Saylor to a store to buy a slice of rainbow cake as a celebration that’s just for her.
We head back out to the parking lot, where Heaven opens the trunk of her car and places my slice of cake in its container on the flat surface. She sticks a candle in, lights it, and then holds it up for me to blow out.
“Happy Pride, you pretty princess. Welcome to the club.”
“Thanks. Should I make a wish?”
“Why not?”
I feel Heaven watching me as I squeeze my eyes shut. It’s silly but I make a wish. I don’t go full delulu and wish for the thing I want at that moment—for Heaven to kiss me. That’s a fanfic wish. Something that will never happen. She’s just tolerating me at the moment. So I go for something a little more practical. I open my eyes and then blow the candle out.
“Congratulations,” Heaven says, handing the slice back. “You’re gay.”
“Thanks. It feels so official now.”
I was already enjoying this book, but this moment is where I fell in love. It shows so much about who the girls are and why they fit together. Weatherspoon beautifully balances the sweet and the serious here. Your average teenager is struggling to establish themselves as a separate person from their parents, but on top of that Saylor feels like her life is being fed to strangers. Heaven hears Saylor’s feelings and buys her a piece of rainbow cake. It’s sweet and fluffy. The girls are funny. But underneath that are some very hurt feelings and some astute care-taking. They are each dealing with some serious issues, but they treat each other with care and kindness.
I received this as an advance reader copy from G. B. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
