Praise
Original, deftly crafted, emotionally engaging, and with an impressive authenticity with respect to the background of a unique coming-of-age story set in the Antarctic that includes 'grief, friendship, and the quiet courage it takes to heal', "Summer Solstice" by Kelly Williams showcases the author's effective and narrative driven storytelling style. Especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as elementary school, middle school, high school, and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections for young readers ages 10-16.
Jim Cox
Midwest Book Review
A lonely boy and a broken bird find their way forward in Williams’s graceful, moving middle-grade novel. After a car crash kills his father, twelve-year-old Elliot Blake retreats into silence, burdened by guilt he can’t share. When his climatologist mother takes a research post in Antarctica, Elliot is dragged into a frozen wilderness for what she calls a “healing journey.” There, he meets Olivia Alvarez: lively, talkative, and impossible to ignore. As the unlikely pair explore their icy surroundings, Elliot discovers an injured albatross he names Solstice. As he helps the bird heal, he begins to heal too. But letting her go may be the hardest part.
Williams writes with restraint and tenderness as she captures both the grandeur of Antarctica and the rawness of a boy’s inner storm. The pacing is slow in the best way; unrushed, careful, attuned to emotional truth. Antarctica’s cold isolation is tempered by scenes of domestic warmth and cultural texture. Olivia is a spark in Elliot’s quiet world, and Marina’s grief, though muted, grounds the story in something deeply human. What makes the story land is its refusal to rush emotional repair. Elliot’s healing doesn’t happen all at once. It occurs slowly: through quiet companionship and the act of caring for something more fragile than himself. When hope does appear, it feels soft, earned, and deeply honest. This is a story about guilt, yes, but also resilience, friendship, and how healing often comes from the most unlikely companions.
A novel of quiet courage, emotional honesty, and deep empathy.
Summer Solstice has a lot going for it: fascinating setting, appealing main characters, flawless storytelling, and plenty of charm. Its story is simple, concise, yet with layers that can be explored in subsequent readings. Maybe not to the degree of a proverbial iceberg but enough to make this a book worth buying to keep, rather than merely to borrow and pass on.