Published: 2022
Series: N/A
Author: Jen Ferguson
Illustrator: N/A
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQ+, Fiction, Indigenous, Queer, Realistic Fiction, Canada
Audience (Grade Levels): Grades 11-12
Number of Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Goodreads Link: The Summer of Bitter and Sweet
Triggers / Content Warnings: Sexual assault, racism, intergenerational trauma, and threats of violence.
Review By: Patricia Gabello
Publisher’s Summary:
In this complex and emotionally resonant novel, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.
Lou has enough confusion in front of her this summer. She’ll be working in her family’s ice cream shack with her newly ex-boyfriend—whose kisses never made her feel desire, only discomfort—and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word. But when she gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life—Lou immediately knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists. While King’s friendship makes Lou feel safer and warmer than she would have thought possible, when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.
Review:
I really wanted to include Canadian literature in this blog! The Summer of Bitter and Sweet is published by Heartdrum, an imprint of Harper-Collins which “offers stories about young native heroes by Indigenous authors and illustrators.” Jen Ferguson is Métis, and offers a personal and intimate look into the life of an Indigenous family. At the core of their challenges are the Canadian laws and policies that were created to further suppress Native peoples. Only recently have these laws been abolished and time will tell if Canadian citizens themselves choose to amend their relations. As Lou is discussing this forgiveness with her ex boyfriend she says, “It’s more than talk. It’s doing. It’s action. It’s being.” This statement is the culmination of her turbulent soul-searching summer- both bitter and sweet.
This novel is big on imagery:
- Colors: Each chapter begins with a color linked to a flavor, as all of the ice cream flavors at Michif Creamery are referred to only by their color.
- Water: Lou feels strongest in the swimming pool, but soon that’s no longer an option, and the prairie suffers from harsh rains.
- Beads: The way many small things work together to create a beautiful picture.
Classroom & Curricular Connections:
- ELA (English Language Arts): A phenomenal mentor text for upperclassmen to study sensory motifs, evaluate non-linear character-driven pacing, and analyze how an author uses extended metaphors (like beadwork) to construct a cohesive theme.
- Social Studies & Global History: Integrates perfectly into high school history or sociology modules looking at Canadian literature, examining the historical impact of colonial laws on Indigenous populations, and discussing the ongoing socio-political realities of First Nations and Métis communities.
- SEL (Social-Emotional Learning): Provides mature, safe entry points for discussing boundary setting, identifying healthy vs. toxic relationships, exploring the asexual/aromantic spectrum, and processing anger stemming from familial trauma.
- Extension Activity / Library Application: Perfect for use as a high school library choiceboard application or a creative writing extension. Librarians can host a “Motif & Identity Creative Writing Showcase.” Inspired by Ferguson’s unique formatting where chapters open with color-linked flavors, students can select a defining memory from their own lives and write a short vignette structured around a specific sensory motif (a color, a sound, or a texture) that represents their internal emotional landscape.
- Diversity & Representation: The book models elite standards of diversity, equity, and inclusion by amplifying authentic Indigenous voices through an ownvoices lens. By centering a bisexual, Métis protagonist and showcasing a supportive, complex Indigenous family system navigating institutional discrimination, Ferguson brings vital visibility to marginalized identities. The story treats intersecting spectrums of race, sexuality, and trauma with deep dignity, providing an invaluable literary mirror for students searching for nuanced representation.
Readalikes:
- Those Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson
- Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
- We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
- This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender
- Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
