Графический роман «Midsummer Sisters» рассказывает о поиске семейных связей в разводе

Midsummer Sisters by Niki Smith; illus. by the author Intermediate, Middle School    Graphix/Scholastic    272 pp. 6/26    9781546128953    $25.99 Paper ed.  9781546128946    $14.99 What happens to family connections when a blended family dissolves? That’s the largely unspoken question on the minds of tweens Kenzie and Quinn in this graphic novel. They’ve been sisters as long as they can remember, ever since Quinn’s divorced mom married Kenzie’s widowed dad when the girls were toddlers. Now, though, their parents fight constantly, prompting Gramma (Kenzie’s biological grandmother) to whisk the sisters away to her home on the Outer Banks for the summer. There the girls bask in a temporary respite, finding time for Kenzie to beachcomb and for Quinn to correspond with her crush, Willow. The two also grow fascinated by the wild horses living nearby. Always on the horizon, however, sits the specter of loss, especially as it becomes clear that a divorce is imminent. Smith’s loose, expansive artistic style offers plenty of room for emotional expression; picturesque spreads of beach and boardwalk also invite readers into this elegiac summer setting. (Some final art unseen.) Regardless of readers’ own family structures, they’ll empathize with the protagonists’ grief and uncertainty as well as the helplessness of knowing such monumental decisions and changes are entirely out of their control. The hopeful ending spurred by Gramma’s creative thinking is both realistic and hard-won. A bittersweet ode to family bonds worth fighting for. From the July/August 2026 issue of The Horn Book Magazine. We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.