Blog Tour: Posted by John David Anderson (Review + Interview)

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Middle Grade, Contemporary
Publication Date:	May 2, 2017
Pages:	384 (Hardcover)
Published By:	Walden Pond Press
Website:	John David Anderson
	Posted on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from the publisher via Jean Book Nerd tours in exchange for my honest review

Where to get:

From John David Anderson, author of the acclaimed Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, comes a humorous, poignant, and original contemporary story about bullying, broken friendships, and the failures of communication between kids.

In middle school, words aren’t just words. They can be weapons. They can be gifts. The right words can win you friends or make you enemies. They can come back to haunt you. Sometimes they can change things forever.

When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes—though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well.

In the middle of this, a new girl named Rose arrives at school and sits at Frost’s lunch table. Rose is not like anyone else at Branton Middle School, and it’s clear that the close circle of friends Frost has made for himself won’t easily hold another. As the sticky-note war escalates, and the pressure to choose sides mounts, Frost soon realizes that after this year, nothing will ever be the same.

(Goodreads)

Point is, none of us is alone. We might feel alone sometimes, but more often than not we are just lonely. There's a difference. We aren't alone because it's basic human nature to band together. Herd mentality. We are programmed to find our people.

But some things, I guess, you can't shy away from. Some things you just have to tackle head on, whether it's safe or not. Even if it means losing a part of you. 

      Posted is a heartfelt and sincere book about what it means to be a teenager nova days. It's about standing out in the crowd, being bullied and witnessing others being bullied, feeling lost and confused, but it's also -- or most of all -- about belonging, finding your tribe and having people in your life that really uplift you and make even the hardest days better, brighter and more hopeful. As someone who has experienced bullying in school first hand, I really appreciate this book. It's a wonderful reminder that despite middle-school being hell sometimes, we can all make it through. We can all get by with a little help from our friends. And as long as we stick together, we can do more than just survive -- we can be truly happy. 

      After an incident involving one student, her cellphone and a couple of unfortunate text messages caught by the teacher, cellphones are banned at Branton Middle School. The void created by the fact is quickly filled by a new form of communicating -- sticky notes. They're the new text messages now, and they're everywhere: left on the desks, slipped into backpacks, stuck to the lockers. Unfortunately, not all of them are harmless. Some can be mean and hurtful, and they're out there for everyone to see, packing an even stronger punch and causing more damage. 

     Caught in the middle of this mess are our protagonists: a tight group of misfit friends (Frost, Wolf, Bench and Deedee) and the new girl at school, Rose. Through the eyes of Frost, we watch the events unfold.We see how the friendship between the boys gets more and more strained as the new girl warms its way into their tight-knit circle; their tribe. 

     It's been a while since I've read a book that captures so beautifully and accurately the angst, comedy, drama, tragedy and exuberance of adolescence. John David Anderson does it so well. His characters are brilliant. They're perfectly imperfect and prone to making mistakes. They're all realistically flawed, but also kind of heroic in their hearts (especially Rose). Their friendship -- with the nerdy D&D sessions and quirky dialogs at the cafeteria lunch table -- is wonderfully realistic; so much that it made me think about my own friendships from middle and high school days. I found myself relating to these characters and the hardships they were going through, and I finished this book with a feeling of satisfaction. I was so pleased with the ending and so proud of the characters for doing what they did. It felt awesome. 

     Rose is a new favorite character of mine. She's so incredibly fierce and strong. She's different from all the other kids and she knows it. In fact, she wants to be different, she wants to stand out, she has her own style, she's bold, charismatic, unique and unstoppable. Most of all, she is such a wonderful friend. I want so badly to have a friend like Rose. She is there for you, not only in theory, but for real, even if it puts her own life and safety on the line. And she's so incredibly wise for her age. I absolutely adore her. 

     Overall, I feel that Posted is a book that gets it right. Regardless of the reader's proximity to his or her own high-school experiences. I grew up in Poland, I went to school there, and yet this book felt very personal on more than one level. I could relate to the characters -- to Frost most of all, but also to Rose, and even Wolf. In many ways, Posted feels timeless and I think it's well worth reading. 

Author Interview:

1) Welcome to Bookish Lifestyle, John! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to visit us today. Could you tell us a bit about yourself? 

Thanks for inviting me, Evie. And sure! Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lego collector.Chocolate fiend.Well-versed in Star Wars lore.Collector of nerdy t-shirts. Often wears socks inside out due to laziness. Once stepped on a hornet’s nest and was stung thirty times. Father of twins.Writer of novels.Baker of brownies.Believer in the basic goodness of humankind.

2) I found POSTED to be a very poignant and heartfelt story about bullying and the challenges teenagers face when it comes to communication and self-expression. As someone who experienced bullying first hand (in elementary school), I found your book incredibly insightful and relatable. Could you tell us what (or who) inspired you to write it? 

POSTED was a personal book, based, at least emotionally, on my own experiences in middle-school—as a target, yes, but also as an observer of the cruel things kids can say and do to each other. I also remember keenly what it’s like to have friendships fall apart at that age. I think I took those emotional experiences and added my own current reflections on the power of language and a more contemporary youth culture where the avenues for bullying have multiplied, making it even harder to escape or ignore. At the same time, I also remember the solace I found in the friends I managed to hang onto, which I hope comes through in the book as well.

3) Frost, Wolf, DeeDee,Bench and Rose are all wonderfully crafted, realistic characters. Do you feel particularly close to either one of them? 

Aw, thanks! I feel for all of them, certainly. Every one of them is struggling to define themselves and determine where they stand on the social hierarchy. Many of them have family issues. They certainly have issues with each other. This is the reality of middle school. I would love to say I identify most with Rose because she’s the wisest and most courageous of the group, but I’m afraid I see much more of myself in Frost, the struggling narrator who is never sure what to say or do, despite his poetic inclinations. Sounds like an average day of writing, come to think of it.

4) What is your all time favorite book? Which writer influenced you in your writing the most?

I can’t pick an all-time favorite—there are just too many. But the writer who influenced me the most is probably Kurt Vonnegut Jr.—not because I emulate his style (as if I even could), but because reading Vonnegut was when I first started paying attention to the beauty of language and the inner workings of fiction. Before Vonnegut I read mostly to escape; after Vonnegut I read to become a better writer, to see how all the pieces fit together.

5) What is the most memorable reaction you've had from a reader?

This past year I’ve gotten a tremendous response from adult readers of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, many of whom have shared their experience as teachers or as students of great teachers, as well as people who have lost loved-ones to cancer and found solace in the book. It’s humbling and heart-warming to hear that my book in some way pays tribute to such outstanding, courageous people. Of course, I still can never get enough of the eleven-year-old kid who says one of my books is the best he’s ever read. I know I won’t hold the title for long, but it’s nice to hear!

6) What can you tell us about the book you're working on right now?

It’s a lot of fun. It’s about a fairy and a wish she just can’t manage to grant, despite all her efforts. I think it’s hilarious and hair-raising and heartfelt and should appeal to anyone between the ages of 8 and 80. Also it has a talking dog who loves doughnuts.

About the Author:

John David Anderson is the author of Sidekicked, Minion, Standard Hero Behavior,The Dungeoneers, Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Insert Coin to Continue. He lives with his patient wife and brilliant twins in Indianapolis, Indiana, right next to a State park and a Walmart. He does not wear ties but will wear sandals in the snow. He enjoys hiking, reading, chocolate, spending time with his family, playing the piano, chocolate, putting off the dishes, watching movies, and chocolate. Those aren't his real teeth. Seriously. The middle four on top? Lost 'em in a car accident. It's all right, though, the plastic ones look nice and he can still eat corn on the cob.

There are lots of ways to contact him. Telepathy, for example. Carrier pigeon. Alien distress beacon. Sky writing. Failing those, you can always e-mail him here. Be sure to tell him how his book has revolutionized your life, or, barring that, how you used it to smash a bug or something.

WEBSITE: http://www.johndavidanderson.org/

TWITTER: @anderson_author

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6981617.John_David_Anderson

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JohnDavidAndersonAuthor

Giveaway:

7 Winners will receive a Copy of POSTED by John David Anderson

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule:

May 15th Monday Bookish Lifestyle REVIEW & INTERVIEW
May 15th Monday A Dream Within a Dream DREAM CAST
May 16th Tuesday Wishful Endings FILL IN THE BLANKS
May 17th Wednesday Here's to Happy Endings REVIEW
May 17th Wednesday BookHounds YA REVIEW & TENS LIST
May 18th Thursday CBY Book Club EXCERPT
May 19th Friday Crossroad Reviews REVIEW
May 19th Friday Books, Dreams, Life RANDOM THINGS
May 20th Saturday Sabrina's Paranormal Palace REVIEW & FAVORITE BOOKS
May 21st Sunday Twirling Book Princess REVIEW & EXCERPT
May 22nd Monday Wonder Struck RANDOM THINGS
May 22nd Monday Mama Reads Blog REVIEW & RANDOM THINGS
May 23rd Tuesday JeanBookNerd VLOG & INTERVIEW
May 24th Wednesday Reading for the Stars and Moon REVIEW & MUSIC PLAYLIST

Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack (Interview)

I am thrilled to be a stop on the book tour for Kids Comics Q&A Blog Tour, held in celebration of Children’s Book Week hosted by MacTeen Books (co-sponsored by Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund)! Today, I have an interview for your reading pleasure, but be sure to check out the full tour schedule by clicking the banner above!

Title: Cleopatra in Space: Target Practice
Author: Mike Maihack
Series: Cleopatra in Space #1
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Genre: Children / Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Graphic Novel
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

When a young Cleopatra (yes, THAT Cleopatra) finds a mysterious tablet that zaps her to the far, REALLY far future, she learns of an ancient prophecy that says she is destined to save the galaxy from the tyrannical rule of the evil Xaius Octavian. She enrolls in Yasiro Academy, a high-tech school with classes like algebra, biology, and alien languages (which Cleo could do without), and combat training (which is more Cleo's style). With help from her teacher Khensu, Cleo learns what it takes to be a great leader, while trying to figure out how she's going to get her homework done, make friends, and avoid detention!

Title: Cleopatra in Space: The Thief and the Sword
Author: Mike Maihack
Series: Cleopatra in Space #2
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Genre: Children / Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Graphic Novel
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Cleopatra's space adventure in the REALLY far future continues!

When a mysterious thief steals the ancient sword Cleo recovered in CLEOPATRA IN SPACE, BOOK ONE: TARGET PRACTICE, Cleo is determined to get it back, but her teachers at Yasiro Academy forbid her from risking her life. Stuck at school, Cleo is having a hard time adjusting to her newfound popularity and responsibility. And when she learns more about the prophecy that names her the savior of the galaxy and the time tablets that could decide her fate, she must go on a dangerous journey to find them before they can fall into the wrong hands.

Interview

Conducted by Jorge Aguirre and Rafael Rosado

Mike, thanks for taking our questions. It's a pleasure to cyber-meet you. 

Rafael lives in Columbus. Jorge was born and raised there and you went to Columbus College of Art and Design. Lots of cartoonists seem to be from Ohio: Jeff Smith, Paul Pope, Billy Ireland, the creators of Superman and on and on). Do you think there's something about that Midwest that encourages or creates cartoonists? And what was your experience at CCAD like?

I dunno. Maybe there’s something in the water. Or maybe it’s the pizza. Yeah that makes sense. Ohio has really great pizza so that must be it. It encourages us to keep working instead of taking the time out to cook dinner. And the cold weather keeps us indoors. Now I live in Florida which contains neither cold weather or good pizza and I can feel my creativity depleting by the hour.

And CCAD was a tough school. A good one, but a tough one. Lots of drawing. Lots of coloring. Lots of studying. Lots of all-nighters. I don’t know if it’s still that way or not. I went at the turn of the century when animation studios stopped animating traditionally and the internet had barely scratched the surface of the artistic community it is now. Now you can learn stuff just by going on tumblr. Kids these days. No idea how great they have it. I gained a lot of color knowledge from CCAD though as well, at least I hope, a very professional work ethic. Also I met my wife there, so that was pretty nice.

Ancient Egypt in space!? Holy cow, what a fantastic idea and great execution on your book, "Cleopatra in Space." Where the heck did the idea come from? It's kind of, as Hollywood would say, a “high-concept idea,” and so speaking of Hollywood any plans to develop it into a cartoon or film?

Cleopatra in Space was originally just a single illustration, a concept I created for an online art group called DrawerGeeks. I enjoy putting all sorts of things in space: Cats, dragons, boots, washing machines, historical celebrities… So after six or so years of working on my previous webcomic, Cow & Buffalo, which was essentially just a couple of bovines arguing with each other, Cleopatra was a means to strengthen my skills as a cartoonist. I wanted to see what I could do with a longer form of storytelling with plenty of action. And humans. And cats. And that’s kinda where it was born. As for it ever being a cartoon or something, I guess we’ll see. I personally think it would make a better animated series than a movie. Right now though I’m just focused on trying to make the graphic novels entertaining.

We understand from your blog, you're working on book 3 of "Cleopatra in Space." Did you have the whole series plotted out when you began? How much of the story are you figuring out as you go?

Yeah the story is pretty much plotted out. There’s plenty of room in my outline to explore things along the way but I know where the characters need to go. I know what happens to them in the end. Essentially what I did when I sat down to chart out Cleopatra in Space as a series was create one giant story. Then I chopped that in thirds. Then I chopped the first third into more thirds and that’s essentially the first three books. I’m kinda obsessed with the number three I guess.

Do you have a plan for what you'll work on after Cleopatra? Another series perhaps?

There are quite a few ideas that have been percolating around in my head. I don’t know if any of them are good—or if I’ll even have interest in them when I’m done with Cleopatra in Space—but hopefully one of them will take hold. What I’d like to do is take the time to write one large, immersive novel—something over 300 pages—maybe a mystery—but I don’t think I’m capable of that yet. Cleopatra is my practice run.

What's on your nightstand?

My iPad, a glass of water, a seven inch high stack of superhero comics, Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and a cat.

About the Author

A Rita Award Finalist and Crystal Kite Award Finalist, Janet Gurtler's young adult books have been chosen for the JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION and as BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS from the Canadian Children’s Book Center. Janet lives in Okotoks Alberta, Canada with her husband, son, and a chubby black Chihuahua named Bruce.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram | deviantART

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross (Review)

Genre:	Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure
Publication.Date	May 26th 2015
Pages:	336
Published By:	Harper Collins
Author	Joel Ross
	The Fog Diver on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Where to get:

Joel Ross debuts a thrilling adventure series in which living in the sky is the new reality and a few determined slum kids just might become heroes. Perfect for fans of Rick Riordan and Brandon Mull, this fantasy is filled with daring and hope and a wonderfully imaginative world.

Once the Fog started rising, the earth was covered with a deadly white mist until nothing remained but the mountaintops. Now humanity clings to its highest peaks, called the Rooftop, where the wealthy Five Families rule over the lower slopes and floating junkyards.

Thirteen-year-old Chess and his friends Hazel, Bea, and Swedish sail their rickety air raft over the deadly Fog, scavenging the ruins for anything they can sell to survive. But now survival isn't enough. They must risk everything to get to the miraculous city of Port Oro, the only place where their beloved Mrs. E can be cured of fogsickness. Yet the ruthless Lord Kodoc is hot on their trail, for Chess has a precious secret, one that Kodoc is desperate to use against him. Now Chess will face any danger to protect his friends, even if it means confronting what he fears the most.

(Goodreads)

"Okay," Hazel finally said. "I've got a plan."
"What kind of plan?" I asked.
"The regular kind."
"You mean desperate and loco?"
"Not necessarily," Swedish told me. "She could mean risky and doomed."
"You're both right!" Hazel said, brushing braids from her face. "This one is desperate and risky."
"In that case," I said. "I'm in."

Driftsharks were about the size and shape o real sharks I'd seen in pictures, except they didn't have solid bodies. They were dense swirls in the Fog, with bulky heads, misshapen fins, and wispy tails. They were made of billions of tiny nanites, but they seemed like a single animal, driven to destroy any human in the Fog.

"I have a bad feeling about this."
"You have a bad feeling about everything," I told him."If you ever had a good feeling, you'd get a bad feeling about it."

My name is Chess, and I was born inside a cage.

     First off, I have to say that I expected something entirely different from what The Fog Diver ultimately turned out to be. 

     I went into this book thinking this will be something along the lines of The Maze Runner, only instead of the maze we'd have the fog. I thought the majority of the plot would be spent in the fog, but though the lead character is a fog diver, he spends very little time actually diving in the fog (we're talking maybe 10 pages total). I kind of had this idea that this book would be about exploring the fog, fighting the dangers lurking inside it, maybe getting trapped down in the fog covered areas and racing against time, trying to stay alive. I don't really know what I imagined exactly *shrugs*, but it definitely wasn't what I got. The majority of the plot plays out while the characters are flying around on their air-raft, trying to escape mutineers and lord Kodoc, or get from one place to another. 

     Chess is a freak. He was born in a cage, down in the fog, and he has one fog-filled eye to always remind him of the fact. The fog is actually not just some meteorological anomaly, it's a cloud of nanites, designed to fix the smog covering the Earth. These nanites were meant to heal the Earth and keep it clean, but they took the cleaning process to a whole new level, deciding that the human race is the source and cause of pollution, and, therefore, humans have to be kept out. The fog attacked humans, killing millions and driving the rest of them up to the highest peaks of Earth, where they were forced to live above the fog level. Chess and his crew are scavengers, searching the fog for anything that could be salvaged and then sold (usually for food and clothing). Chess is, of course, the diver. He is the one who goes all the way down to look for anything valuable. His nanite-filled freak-eye somehow protects him from the fog-sickness. 

     As it turns out, his "freakiness" is no accident. He was "made" this way by lord Kodoc, who wanted someone he could use to find the machines that control the fog. Because, if you control the fog, you control the world. And now Kodoc is after Chess. 

     This was a good story that moved along at a nice, even pace. I thought Chess was an interesting character and the supporting cast was strong,too. I liked the diversity and how each of them was so unique. Chess is only 12, which supports my theory that this is most likely a middle grade novel (GR doesn't specify the age level, I initially made the assumption that this was a YA novel, but the writing is more fitting for Middle Grade crowd). 

     It's most definitely an entertaining story, filled with good-natured humor (lots of little pop culture anecdotes that will make you chuckle), amusing dialogues, fast-moving action and mostly unexpected twists. I think it's a great book for young boys, particularly those who happen to be reluctant readers. The writing is easy to absorb, mostly dialogue-based and it should keep them captivated. It was a little bit too immature for me, but I still enjoyed it quite a lot.

Blog Tour: Enchantment Lake by Margi Preus (Review | Giveaway)

Genre:	Young Adult / Middle Grade, Mystery
Publication.Date	February 25th 2015
Pages:	200
Published By:	University of Minnesota Press
Author	Margi Preus
	Enchantment Lake on Goodreads
My review copy:	Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Where to get:

A disturbing call from her great aunts Astrid and Jeannette sends seventeen-year-old Francie far from her new home in New York into a tangle of mysteries. Ditching an audition in a Manhattan theater, Francie travels to a remote lake in the northwoods where her aunts’ neighbors are “dropping like flies” from strange accidents. But are they accidents?

On the shores of Enchantment Lake in the woods of northern Minnesota, something ominous is afoot, and as Francie begins to investigate, the mysteries multiply: a poisoned hot dish, a puzzling confession, eerie noises in the bog, and a legendary treasure that is said to be under enchantment—or is that under Enchantment, as in under the lake? At the center of everything is a suddenly booming business in cabin sales and a road not everyone wants built.

To a somewhat reluctant northwoods Nancy Drew, the intrigue proves irresistible, especially when it draws her closer to the mysteries at the heart of her own life: What happened to her father? Who and where is her mother? Who is she, and where does her heart lie—in the bustle of New York City or the deep woods of Minnesota? With its gripping story, romantic spirit, and a sly dash of modern-day trouble (evil realtors and other invasive species), Enchantment Lake will fascinate readers, providing precisely the charm that Margi Preus’s readers have come to expect.

(Goodreads)

Drowning, Francie thought. That's what this was like. 

     Such a quirky, highly entertaining, charming read set against an atmospheric small-town backdrop, full of whimsical humor, strange coincidences and mysteries. 

     It all starts with an ominous phone call from one of Francie's eccentric aunts. "Someone is trying to kill us!", said Astrid, but the phone connection was so bad, Francie didn't get to ask who or why, or what in the world was going on. And so Francie packed her bag and traveled back to Walpugris (population 2,02), back to the Enchantment lake where she grew up, to make sure her loveable (if just a tiny bit crazy) aunts were OK. There, she gets tangled up in an investigation involving multiple strange deaths, a hidden treasure and a soon-to-be-built road. Is there a murdered on the loose or are all these deaths just strange coincidences and freak accidents? It's up to Frenchy to uncover the truth. 

     I enjoyed Enchantment Lake more than I expected, though I'll admit, I don't think this is a story for older YA readers. In all honesty, Enchantment Lake reads more like a middle grade novel than your typical YA, and I think marketing it as a YA murder mystery gives people certain expectations as to the content and atmosphere of this novel. I don't know if it's because of the prose style (the choice of words and phrases to describe Francie's thoughts and feelings just doesn't at all fit a teenage girl), or if it's the semi-serious, semi-detached approach, but personally, I don't find this book serious or mature enough for the regular YA crowd. I think it works way better as a middle grade novel. Sure, there is a romantic subplot in this book and people are dropping dead (seemingly from accidents, but who knows?), but a middle grade novel can have both these elements and still be classified as a middle grade novel. Right? 

      The writing is approachable, the descriptions of the small town setting, with the small town folks living their small town lives are pretty spot on - they brought a smile to my face, occasionally making me chuckle. I enjoyed the hilarious dialogues between Frenchy and her coockoo crazy aunties, and I liked how dynamic the plot line was. This book reads very fast, is entertaining and really quite captivating, and I had a very good time with it. Don't go into it expecting a very dark and ominous read, it really isn't that kind of book. It has its more serious moments, but they aren't many. It's just a really fun story for teenage girls who want to read something light and humorous.

Giveaway:

I have three signed copies of Enchantment Lake to give away today!

Open to: US/Canada

Ends: April 15th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Summer Love by Jill Santopolo (Review)

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Choose Your Own Adventure
Publication.Date:	May 1, 2014
Pages:	224 (paperback)
Published By:	Speak
Website:	Jill Santopolo
	Summer Love on Goodreads
My review copy:	Borrowed from the library

Where to get:

For fans of The Bachelorette, a personalized summer romance with 13 possible endings!

Summer is all about relaxing and having fun. But it’s even better when you find the right guy to share it with. In this original romance, you get to choose how to find your happy ending, which can result in a kiss from one of eleven swoon-worthy guys. At the end of each chapter, you decide how to continue your journey to find love, and the endings are based entirely on the choices you make while reading. Every selection counts and the possibilities are endless. Not ready for romance? No problem! There are different endings to satisfy every reader, so you're guaranteed one fabulous beachside summer!

(Goodreads)

When I was growing up, I loved "choose your own adventure books." I especially had a soft spot for the Goosebumps one. I stumbled upon Summer Love while browsing Goodreads and decided to give the younger version of me some love.

While marketed as young adult, the stories read more middle grade. Innocent flirtations, small kisses, nothing too crazy that you may encounter in a young adult novel. The stories are quick to read - roughly five minutes - and it was still kind of fun to go back through and find out where I would have ended up had I chosen to go to the pool instead of the beach or talk to the guy reading on the beach instead of the lifeguard. Side note, my first go round I ended up kissing the lifeguard over some ice cream  ;)

Over all, Summer Love was a short and light hearted. If you enjoyed the choose your own adventures when you were younger, or know some younger individuals who enjoy them now, then I would look into this and Love on the Lifts.