𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍'𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 ☕︎

Book Discussions 1

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Hi lovelies, it's Shaana (@MaeShaanaP)! I'm so excited to have this first book discussion with you all! This post's pick is none other than our founder's beautiful novel "The Summer We Turned Thirteen", a coming of age tale for tweens, teens and young adults combined. Don't worry, this discussion will be spoiler-free for those who haven't read the book yet (which you can find here on Wattpad or buy online). Let's start now, shall we?

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~ Friendship ~

One of this novel's main themes is the value of friendship with all its complexities and benefits. Our main protagonists, Harlee Ramirez and James Whitmire, fall out of their close friendship, leaving Harlee confused as to why James decided to end things between them. I loved how the author portrayed their relationship and how accurate it was to the real world. How can you draw parallels from Harlee and James' friendship to your own personal experiences? Personally, I remember the time where one of my friends from fifth grade told me that she didn't want to be friends with me no more, but we parted amicably and in good circumstances.

~ Bullying ~

Another recurring theme in "The Summer We Turned Thirteen" is bullying, mainly in the form of James being the victim of it. I know this can be a hard subject to tackle, but I believe in the power of meaningful and insightful conversations for deeper understanding and awareness. Do you have any tips for people that are being bullied or that have witnessed bullying? Remember that if you need to talk to someone, the pm's are always open here at SGC (but we are not professionals, so please seek help from experts if the situation is serious).

~ Growing Up ~

The third important pillar of this book is the whole coming of age aspect, that period of time where the world slowly takes a more mature perception. The main as well as side characters all go through what a lot of people call 'growing pains' and not the physical ones. First loves, parties, new friends-- all of it can be pretty overwhelming. Pre-teen and teenage years are usually the years where we learn about ourselves and the world around us, so can you think of anything you learned or are learning in adolescence? How can you relate to the characters' experiences in the book?

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And that brings us to the end of this first book discussion! Be sure to leave a comment if there's anything else you would like to discuss with others, just make sure not to spoil too much of the book :)