Quinn has finished school and doesn't know what to do with her life. Over the Summer, she stays at her cool Aunt's house to escape the pressure and questions from her concerned mother. When Quinn starts playing in a band, her mother is horrified that she is going to "run away" on tour with the lead musician and wants to put a stop to it. Quinn must choose between the band, a friendship/romance with Malcolm -- a reformed alcoholic-- or maybe another future. Nice book for older kids who are musicians. Quinn is a drummer and there is a lot of behind the music scenes in the recording studio but with also a few cliches in the sex and drugs and rock'n roll theme. ( )

4.5 stars.

August and Everything After by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski is a charming young adult novel about forgiveness and healing.

Recent high school grad Quinn Gallo's life forever changed after the death of her best friend Lynn three years ago. Quinn has never forgiven herself for her self-perceived role in Lynn's death and she has made one bad decision after another in the intervening years. Following her latest mortifying choice that landed her in the local news, her mom lets her spend the rest of the summer with her Aunt Annie on the Jersey Shore. Quinn's mom wants her to use this time away to come up with a plan for what she wants to do with her life. Will a chance meeting with singer/songwriter Malcolm Trent help her figure out a direction her future?

Although on the surface he appears to have his life together, in many ways Malcolm is a bigger mess than Quinn. He is dealing with his own issues from a tragic accident that left two of his band mates dead. Six months into recovery from an addiction to painkillers, Malcolm is hoping a few original songs will jumpstart his musical career. A relationship is nowhere in his plans but will the time he and Quinn spend together lead to a romance that lasts beyond the summer?

Quinn and Malcolm unexpectedly bond over their respective tragedies since they both struggle with survivors' guilt and their misplaced belief they are unworthy of happiness. However their friendship is firmly cemented when Quinn and her co-worker Liam become Malcolm's band mates on his upcoming album. Quinn does not have the best track record in choosing boyfriends so she is content with the slow development of their surprising romance. Their relationship has a shelf life since Quinn may not be staying in town past August and Malcolm is going to embark on a three month tour. He would like nothing better than for her to go on tour with him, but is leaving with Malcolm the right choice for Quinn?

With an appealing cast of characters, a picturesque setting and realistic issues to overcome, August and Everything After is well-written, engaging young adult novel. Although both Malcolm and Quinn grow and change throughout the story, Quinn undergoes the biggest transformation as she makes peace with her past and begins to figure out what she wants for her future. Jennifer Salvato Doktorski brings this redemptive novel to a somewhat surprising conclusion that will definitely take readers off guard. A fantastic read that I absolutely loved and highly recommend to readers of all ages. ( )

I was hoping for a book like The Summer After You and Me which I really liked, especially since some of the same characters are in this book. But something about this book didn't quite work for me. The ending was really unexpected and unexplained. I actually reread the end of the book to see if I missed anything. Quinn did seem to realize putting her plans on hold to follow a guy, especially one with addiction issues, was not a good idea. But one moment she was packing and telling her family she was going on tour, and telling Malcolm she loved him, and the next she was no longer in contact with Malcolm and was flirting with a new guy.... and the book ends. What?? ( )