Lyla spends her summer holiday in a seaside town away from the big city. As she takes on a summer job and beach parties, we find a darker past holding her back from opening herself up to the people close to her. Everything begins to change when she meets a boy who seems to understand her more than anyone else. But she must face her troubled past in order to move forward with her relationships. A standout first novel from Jasmine Donaldson - her writing captures the joy of being a teenager in a rural community and introduces the daker themes with care and sensitivity.

Kelly, Unity Books auckland