Normally, I would tell you to take novels about romance and shove them, but I enjoyed The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding so much that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. My normal stance is: stuff falling in love, stuff romance, and stuff soul mates, but this novel caught me off guard.

I think what attracted me to this novel was the gay aspect. I’m not gay (well, maybe a little gay) but love is love is love and though I’m loathe to use the words “heartwarming” this one sucker punched me right in that empty space in my chest I usually save for Cheetos and horror movies. Abby is a plus-sized girl who is deeply in love with fashion. She applies to an indie fashion store for the summer before her senior year and gets the internship along with another girl from her high school named Jordi who she thinks might have been in one of her classes.

Abby came out a little while ago and has never had a girlfriend, never been in love. She’s had a couple of heart-breaking crushes (straight girls who find boyfriends and leave her in the dark), but no one has shown an interest in her. As body positive as she is in her blog about fashion, she believes that no girl could ever fall in love with her (I hear you girl; as a chubby chick, I have my doubts too) and she can’t see a future with a girl who would ever fall in love with her. That is until she finds herself competing for the job at the indie dress shop with Jordi Perez. But does Jordi even like girls? Should Abby even bother nurturing a crush on her?

At home, Abby’s mother is becoming famous for her healthy vegan recipes and ends up going onto local talk shows all while making her daughter feel bad about herself for being overweight. She lets slip one time to Abby that she would be so much prettier if she lost weight and Abby hasn’t been able to forgive her. In her plus size fashion blog, Abby never posts pictures of herself. While she’s body positive, she’s still uncomfortable showing herself.

When Jordi starts showing an interest in her, Abby is slow to believe it. After all, Jordi is tiny and a talented photographer, and Abby’s competing against her for a job at the dress store. But Jordi is into Abby and they both find themselves falling in love and spending time together. Jordi is a bit of a bad ass although the moniker of “Juvenile criminal” is a bit misplaced. She wanted to take a picture of a fire and ended up burning the lawn of an abandoned house. Both Abby and Jordi are aware that they’re competing for the same job, but that doesn’t stop them from falling in love. Ah, youth. If only I could find a way to legally suck it out of them and inject it into my bitter old heart.

Abby’s been spending time with Jax over the summer, a boy from school who she used to see as a spoiled brat with a McMansion and nice ride. He asked her to be his wingman (or wingwoman) as he tried to pick up girls and to help him out with one of his father’s inventions which happens to be an app rating the various burger joints in town. She learns that Jax isn’t quite the “bro” she thought he was and finds herself enjoying his company. Abby’s mother thinks she’s dating Jax, even though Abby came out to her parents several months ago. Abby’s mother seems to think if she lost weight and got skinny, she
might enjoy being straight.

Not so. Abby’s wildly in love with Jordi even though the prospect of them both being up for the same job in the fall is weighing on her. Abby’s job in the store is to be a social media presence and boost the popularity of the store while Jordi is tasked with being the photographer. Everything is going perfectly until Jordi does the unspeakable during her first photography show at an art gallery. Will Abby forgive her transgressions? Will Abby get over herself? Will Abby begin to see herself as more than a plus size girl? Will Abby believe that she is worth loving and being in love with?

For fans of books such as Dumplin’ and She’s Come Undone, The Summer of Jordi Perez offers everything: first love (that wild and nauseating feeling of handing your heart to another person), self-acceptance, and trying to accept how others see you (and accept that they’re going to see you a certain way that is totally out of your control). Get ready for an emotional roller coaster and if you have PTSD from being a teenager, take this novel slowly. I had a panic attack while Abby was trying to figure out if Jordi had feelings for her or not. I went all the way back to being 16 and almost didn’t make it back to my 43-year-old self.

Read this and then go forgive your mother for not loving you like you wanted her to. She tried her best. Please remember she’s human and lived an entire life before you were born. And now, go live your life how you want it to be. You’ll thank me later.