This Summer Will be Different

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your overall impressions of the central romantic relationships? What facets of these relationships were most frustrating or engaging?
• What other contemporary romance novels does This Summer Will Be Different remind you of? Consider the romance tropes Future uses and how their effects compare to similar titles.

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• How did you respond to the revelation that Felix and Wolf were the same person? Were you surprised by how Lucy and Felix’s relationship developed despite this relational conflict? Why or why not?
• Which facets of Lucy and Bridget’s friendship were most resonant to you? Have you had a similar connection with someone? How have your close friendships evolved over time like Lucy and Bridget’s?
• How did you process Lucy’s complex familial dynamics? Did you find her biological family and found family experiences believable? Why or why not?
• What was your emotional response to the scene where Lucy and Bridget reveal the truth to each other? Did you expect different results from their exchange? Have you been in a similarly challenging interpersonal situation?
• Have you visited any of the places described in the novel (e.g., Prince Edward Island)? Would you like to, having read about them?

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• This Summer Will Be Different explores nontraditional family structures. What social and cultural commentary do you think Future is making with her emphasis on Lucy’s found family? How would you describe the status of nontraditional family structures in contemporary society?
• The novel centralizes Lucy and Bridget’s close connection. Discuss how this relationship relates to contemporary notions of female friendship. How does Lucy and Bridget’s connection buoy and empower them over time? What does their bond give them that’s different from what their heterosexual romances give them?

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• Prince Edward Island (PEI) is one of the novel's primary settings. How does this setting provide insight into Lucy’s character? How does she relate to the place, and how does the place change along with her? 
• Analyze and discuss the symbolic significance of In Bloom. How does Lucy relate to the shop and what does the shop convey about her character? Particularly consider how the shop connects her to her aunt Stacy. 
• How does Future use Stacy’s death to launch an exploration of grief? Consider how Lucy responds to Stacy’s passing. Would her character arc be different without this plot point?
• This Summer Will Be Different toys with the conventional linear plot line. How do the novel’s temporal shifts relate to the novel’s thematic explorations? How did the novel’s structure impact your engagement with the story and interpretation of its themes?
• This Summer Will Be Different uses the best friend’s brother and miscommunication tropes popular in romance novels. How does Future abide by and/or subvert these familiar narratives?
• How does Future use Lucy and Felix’s relationship to explore romance, intimacy, sex, and connection? What unique aspects of their connection complicate the novel’s thematic explorations of love?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• Imagine that your best friend gives you three rules for a summer together like Bridget gives Lucy. What rules would your friend set? Would you abide by them, or would you test them as Lucy tests Bridget’s?
• If you were going to adapt This Summer Will Be Different into a film, whom would you cast as the main characters? Who would direct and produce the film, and why? Consider which stylistic elements from the text you’d want to preserve in the adaptation. 

Need more inspiration for your next meeting? Browse all of our Book Club Resources.