Cool for the Summer is Dahlia Adler's spin on (idk if I can say this bc I haven't seen Adler herself say this I don't think, but oh well) a loose Grease retelling -- "summer fling transfers to my school" and all the chaos that ensues. There are obvious differences to the musical which I couldn't be happier about but mostly it doesn't matter that much, so I'm just going to move on.

I loved this book.

It spoke in no uncertain terms about a lot of the same thoughts I've had in my own journey of self-identity with regards to sexuality and reading them is always so validating. Larissa struggles with the idea that perhaps she's just had a girl crush and sometimes that's just something girls do -- that constant effort (because it takes effort) to convince herself of her own straightness reminded me so achingly of my own high school years.

Larissa herself was just such a fun interesting character -- I loved how at first she seemed like a vapid popular girl just as she seems to everyone else at her school but that as the book goes on we understand her more and more as she shows more of herself to her friends and her peers. I loved how much she loved Demi Lovato and how the song Cool for the Summer isn't just the namesake for this book but an actual plot point.

I've only read two of Adler's books so far but I fully intend to increase that number because both have been such delightful engaging reads! I highly recommend them to any who are interested.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley