This is not just a great concept. It is a perfectly executed realization of a great concept. Let me level with you, as a research nerd myself I really appreciate when you get a strong sense that the author knows what she is talking about. Do you know what I mean? I see glitches in books sometimes that totally turn me off, particularly if it's the kind of detail that would take a five second Google or Wikipedia search to clarify. It's not like you have to drive to the library anymore to look things up. (Who remembers those days?) When I feel like the author is a complete and utter expert I can relax into the story and enjoy it more. And the details in this book are fantastic. Strohm builds an authentic world by weaving all kinds of awesomely nerdy history facts into the book-- but she does it seamlessly without EVER giving you the sense that she's "teaching you something historic". The setting is fantastic-- I spent most of the book picturing nearby Mystic, CT, which I visit whenever my parents come up to CT. The storylines, large and small, are excellent. And the romance. Damn. It is a doozy. Because it is totally contemporary but nestled into this historical (or mock-historical) setting. The best of both worlds. Find this book. Read it. You will not regret it. Slightly smarter than your average pink book, but still frothy enough. There are no surprises, but there are entertaining (if stereotypical) characters and actual historical facts, more in depth history than you'd expect. Libby eschews beer and there's nothing more than kissing, and not really much subtlety to speak of; even though she's a rising senior in HS, this reads more as meant for middle school. Pop culture references will seem dated very quickly.
What do You think about Sommer Offline (2000)?
This is a really cute book to read for when you have nothing to do.
—AutumnWinters
