That Summer is a 1996 young adult novel by Sarah Dessen.
The story follows fifteen-year-old Haven McPhail over the course of one change-filled summer, as she struggles to adjust to a new normal— her father is getting married to the woman he left her mother for, and her older sister Ashley is planning her wedding and preparing to move on with her life. It's all too much, and when she starts a friendship with Sumner, one of Ashley's ex-boyfriends, Haven starts to reminisce about the summers of her childhood, when nothing was complicated and everything was happy...
Along with Dessen's next novel, Someone Like You, it was adapted into the film How to Deal.
This novel contains examples of:
- Alternative Character Interpretation: In-Universe, as the McPhail women attempt to decipher the actions of their father's new wife, Lorna. Haven thinks she's mostly mean with a hint of stupid, Ashley doesn't think she's mean at all, just really stupid.
- Always Someone Better: Haven feels her older sister Ashley is this.
- Daddy's Girl: Ashley. Haven is less inclined.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Haven and Ashley.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Haven believes Sumner was this for Ashley and their family and hopes he can be it again for her. She's wrong.
- The Not-Love Interest: Sumner for Haven. He's actually her sister's ex.
- Parent with New Paramour: Haven's father cheated on her mother and then left her for 'The Weather Pet' Lorna Queen.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Haven and Ashley.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl:
- Haven and Ashley.
- Haven and Casey.
