The "Lightning in a Bottle" of a 90s Childhood Summer
Do you remember it? That one summer that seemed to stretch on forever, where the days were defined not by a clock, but by the quality of the light. I’m talking about the kind of summer where you woke up, threw on a swimsuit, and didn’t think about anything else until the streetlights came on. It’s that very specific feeling, the one that smells like sunscreen and tastes like a soda you stole from your friend, that Lisa Jenkins has bottled up and put on the page in her fantastic debut novel. Reading You Going to the Pool Tomorrow? is like finding a forgotten mixtape in the back of your closet and hearing the first few notes of a song you used to love. It doesn’t just make you remember your childhood; it makes you feel it. As I read about Lisa, Sarah, Ryan, and Brendan, I wasn't just observing their adventures; I was right there with them. What makes this book work so brilliantly is its cast of characters, who feel less like archetypes and more like old ...