Shortlisted for the Costa Book Award 2020 and the Books Are My Bag Reader Awards 2021, this is the story of one family and one dreamy summer—the summer when everything changes. In a holiday house by the sea, amidst a big, messy family, one teenager watches as brothers and sisters, parents, and older cousins fill hot days with wine, games, and wedding planning.

Enter the Goddens—irresistible, charming, languidly sexy Kit and surly, silent Hugo. Suddenly, there's a serpent in this paradise, and the consequences will be devastating.

From bestselling, award-winning author Meg Rosoff comes a lyrical and quintessential coming-of-age tale—a summer book that's as heady, timeless, and irresistible as Bonjour Tristesse and I Capture the Castle, but as sharp and fresh as Normal People. Featuring a bonus essay from Meg Rosoff on her experiences of summer, this is the unmissable book of the summer. From the author of How I Live Now, one of TIME magazine's 100 Best YA Books of All Time.