So what if Ginzo might end up marrying Marika someday? To Rio, only one thing matters, and that’s the way her heart skipped a beat when they first met. That’s when she decides that if fate doesn’t want to play nice, she’ll make it! Soon after, she’s invited to help plan the summer send-off festival—and that means spending quality time with Ginzo! But little does she know that her mouth is about to spill a whole lot of secrets she was hoping to keep … Find out more in Volume 2 of the hit love story that’s more innocent and passionate than youth itself ...
Twelve-year-old June Farrell spends the summer at her Vermont home getting used to the woman her mother is planning to marry and practicing her pie-baking skills, as she hopes to win the blue ribbon at the fair.
At forty, Cal Shaw has seen better days, that's for sure, but it wasn't always like this. He grew up with his brother, Alvin, and his sister Julia, in the small Maine town of Baxter, confident in his own capabilities, especially regarding music. He took his happy life for granted, as lucky children often do. But everything changed when he was ten and his dad died in a freak accident. Soon, trouble, mostly in the form of a violent stepfather, found a home -- his home. As an escape, the Shaw kids turned to music lessons with family friend Uncle Gus, but it turns out no one can escape the violence and grief that rains down on the Shaws.
Rio’s a temporarily displaced Tokyoite destined for the big city once summer’s over, and Ginzo’s a country boy, through and through. Even though Ginzo turned down her advances once before, Rio can’t help but notice that he still treats her as someone special. But just as things start looking up for our heart-struck heroine, trouble comes charging in on a train straight out of Tokyo!
Summer break is down to its final week, and Rio is determined to spend it all with Ginzo! Unfortunately, he’s too busy with the liquor store and the summer festival to even look at her texts. But when Ginzo invites Rio to visit his school, something happens that brings them closer together than ever before! Caught between her feelings for Ginzo and their impending separation, a single sentence slips from Rio’s mouth, and then… Find out more in the exciting 7th installment of the fateful summer love story that’s hot and pure, all at the same time!
Rio decided to give up on Ginzo for good before she falls for him even harder… But when her last night in Ueko rolls around and she watches the movie they’d worked all summer to complete, Rio’s cherished memories with Ginzo—from the moment they’d met until that day—surge inside her heart. And just like that, it’s time to say goodbye… What will become of Rio and Ginzo’s summer-long love affair!? Find out in the conclusion to the endlessly pure “Fateful Summer Love” story!
With only two weeks of summer vacation left, Ginzo finally asks Rio to spend the rest of it with him. The two lovers indulge in their covert affair wherever they can steal a moment alone?whether at Ginzo’s house or the hot summer beach?when one afternoon, Ginzo’s face drifts close to Rio’s, and then… Find out more in volume 6 of the fateful summer love story that’s purer and more exciting than youth itself!
At Ginzo’s invitation, he and Rio go off to see the fireworks. With his hand in hers and the fireworks bursting overhead, Rio knows she needs to be with him, and the words tumble out of her mouth. That’s when Ginzo says something she never expected to hear! Find out more in volume 5 of the fateful summer love story that’s more passionate and exciting than youth itself!
AS FEATURED ON SEASON 2 OF THE HIT NETFLIX SHOW, HEARTSTOPPER "Raw, real and deeply hopeful" - ALICE OSEMAN, bestselling author of HEARTSTOPPER Rumi Seto spends a lot of time worrying. What to eat, where to go, who to love. But one thing she is sure of - she wants to spend her life writing music with her younger sister, Lea. Then Lea dies in a car accident, and Rumi is sent to live with her aunt in Hawaii. Now, miles from home, Rumi struggles to navigate the loss of her sister, feeling abandoned by her mother, and the aching absence of music. With the help of the "boys next door" - teenage surfer Kai, who doesn't take anything too seriously, and old George Watanabe, who succumbed to grief years ago - Rumi seeks her way back to music, to write the song she and Lea never had the chance to finish. With unflinching honesty, Summer Bird Blue explores big truths about insurmountable grief, unconditional love, and how to forgive even when it feels impossible. PRAISE FOR SUMMER BIRD BLUE "Raw, real and deeply hopeful. I will read anything Akemi Dawn Bowman writes. Much of Rumi's journey in Summer Bird Blue explores her discovering and accepting her aro-ace identity. She made me feel strongly seen in a way I don't think I've ever felt before in a book" - ALICE OSEMAN, bestselling author of HEARTSTOPPER "Bowman dives into the sea of grief with her protagonist and celebrates the kinds of love that are eclipsed all too often. With this remarkable book, she has cemented her position as one of the most progressive and insightful authors of her generation." - SAMANTHA SHANNON bestselling author of THE BONE SEASON and THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE "Summer Bird Blue is without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year. It grabs your heart and won't let go." - BOOK RIOT
With Rio’s Tokyo pals mingling with Ginzo’s, Ueko has gone from quaint village to full-blown summer camp… and what summer camp is complete without a test of courage? Rio’s going to need THAT in spades, after being randomly paired with Kanno of all people! Meanwhile, Ginzo can’t stop glaring at the guy, and that’s only making her MORE confused!
