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A funny, bracing, poignant YA romance and coming-of-age for fans of Huntley Fitzpatrick, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and The Beginning of Everything.
lake effect | n.
1. The effect of any lake, especially the Great Lakes, in modifying the weather in nearby areas
2. The effect of elderly ladies, mysterious girls, and countless funerals, in upending your life, one summer at the beach
It's the summer after senior year, and Briggs Henry is out the door. He's leaving behind his ex-girlfriend and his parents' money troubles for Lake Michigan and its miles of sandy beaches, working a summer job as a personal assistant, and living in a gorgeous Victorian on the shore. It's the kind of house Briggs plans to buy his parents one day when he's a multi-millionaire. But then he gets there. And his eighty-four-year-old boss tells him to put on a suit for her funeral.
So begins a summer of social gaffes, stomach cramps, fraught beach volleyball games, moonlit epiphanies, and a drawer full of funeral programs. Add to this Abigail, the mystifying girl next door on whom Briggs's charms just won't work, and "the lake effect" is taking on a whole new meaning.
Smart, funny, and honest, The Lake Effect is about realizing that playing along is playing it safe, and that you can only become who you truly are if you're willing to take the risk.
"Starred Review. Observant, sarcastic, compelling, and very funny ... this thoroughly enjoyable read is a seductive invitation to relax and let life happen." - Kirkus
"Elegant and touching ... Heartwarming [too], illustrating the ways that family can expand beyond blood." - Publishers Weekly
"Thought provoking - and at times hilarious - this book is filled with effective imagery that makes it a great summer read. Teens can almost hear the waves of Lake Michigan lapping against the shore in the background of the characters' dialogue. Some moderate drinking and discussion of sex make this novel more appropriate for mature readers. Grades 9 and up." - School Library Journal
"The rare book that fills you with delight from the first page to the last. The Lake Effect is funny and witty and a little bit sad and every word glows with brilliance." - Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World
"The perfect smart, beachside read. This is an unforgettable story about a boy who thinks he's got his future figured out, and a girl who knows what she wants but is scared to get it. The Lake Effectwill pull you in like the waves of the lake and won't let you go until the last satisfying page." - Stephanie Elliot, author of Sad Perfect
"Refreshingly honest and real. Every one of Erin McCahan's characters rings perfectly unique and true - you'll laugh with them, struggle with them, and seriously hate to leave them when the book is over. An absolute must-read." - Elise Allen, New York Times bestselling co-author of Elixir
This information about The Lake Effect was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Erin McCahan is a native Michigander who grew up on the beaches of Grand Haven and Macatawa. Now a resident of landlocked New Albany, Ohio, she and her husband return every summer to North Beach in South Haven, on the shores of Lake Michigan. Look for them under the red and white striped umbrella.
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Dictators ride to and fro on tigers from which they dare not dismount. And the tigers are getting hungry.
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