Chapter by Chapter

A Midummer’s Nightmare is a story that actually played close to my heart. No, not the falling for my step brother part, but the divorce, and the new family, and the feeling of belonging nowhere. When my parents divorced, I did act out, albeit not to the extent of main character Whitley Johnson, but still…there was some teenage angst. This story brought about some emotions that I had buried deep down, which in itself made it a read that I simply could not put down.So basically, Whitley is a party girl who has a good time but making out with random guys, drinking heavily, and repeating. She has just recently graduated from high school and the story opens up with the aftermath of the grad party. Oh yes, I’m sure we’ve all been there. Fun and hilarity I’m sure had ensued. At any rate, Whitley discovers that she has slept with some random hottie at the party. Not wanting any resemblance of a relationship, Whitley pretty much brushes him off.As the product of a divorced family, Whitley has been accustomed to spending her summers with her father, and hopes to make this summer an unforgettable one in which she spends her last summer before college with her father. Little does she know, that her dad has other plans in mind. He has dropped the M bomb on Whitley. He’s getting married again in the fall, which he had failed to mention to Whitley. I mean, he didn’t even mention that he was serious about someone. It was this part of the story that kind of irked me. I know that families are different…I know life is busy…but how do you not mention that you are planning to marry someone to your own daughter? I mean, I would think that when discussions of things getting serious were laid out on the table, the “other half” would insist upon meeting the significant other’s fruit of their loins? Maybe that’s just me…At any rate, the bomb has been dropped, and rather than give Whitley the opportunity to even let this information sink in, he takes her to their new home to meet the new family. Wowzaa! I mean, helloooo, awkward situation much! And speaking of awkward situations, it turns out that the son of Whitely’s fiancée, Sylvia, is the dude that Whitley hooked up with, Nathan. Talk about uncomfortable situations.Whitley must now learn to deal with a new family, feelings that she may or may not have for Nathan, trying to find something that resembles a family, and a sudden reputation that has popped up as her being promiscuous.Keplinger has created a cast of characters that are true to themselves and bursting with personality. You can’t help but get caught up in the drama surrounding A Midsummer’s Nightmare. My heart was totally reaching out to Whitley feeling the pain that she was going through, and the confusion with the situation that has been thrust upon her. We watch as she continues her downward spiral, trying to deal with her issues. I couldn’t help but smile with the interaction between Whitley and Nathan, and laugh outwardly with the antics and flamboyant personality of Harrison, whom I absolutely adored to no end!Fans of contemporary reads will fall in love with A Midsummer’s Nightmare, and with the characters found within it’s pages.