SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Sarah Kapit

When I saw the premise of SECOND CHANCE SUMMER by Sarah Kapit, I couldn’t wait to feature it! Not only does it have a summer theater camp as its background, it also has an extremely engaging voice. Libraries should definitely get this one on their shelves!

Maddie and Chloe have always been best friends—until last year, when Chloe’s popularity and budding fame as an actor left Maddie in the dust one too many times. Their friendship is over, and they’re both ready to move on.

But when the girls arrive at theater camp, they discover that the universe isn’t ready to let go of this friendship just yet: They’re cabinmates, and each of them has to spend the summer with her ex-best friend. Is it time to try again, or are they doomed to drift apart for good?

What is your favorite “history geek” topic and why?

I wrote my dissertation on the history of women’s medical education in the U.S. and internationally, so I guess that would be my favorite historical topic. (Yes, I promise it’s more interesting than it sounds!)

I don’t doubt it! SECOND CHANCE SUMMER draws on changing friendships in a camp setting. Without giving away spoilers, in what ways did Maddie and Chloe surprise you as you wrote them?

Maddie and Chloe are based on me and one of my childhood friends, so I thought I knew their characters pretty well going into the story. But there were still some things about them that surprised me. Chloe is based on my friend. She discovers that she is a lesbian and navigates her first romantic relationship, which turned out to be a huge part of the book. I had no idea at first that this would happen. (And as far as I know, my friend does not identify as queer.) Maddie, who is based on me, also surprised me in a few ways. I had no idea she would be so intent on actually performing in musicals. But as I talked through the book with my editor and agent, that just seemed like a natural progression for her. (She’s braver than I am–I never starred in anything!)

That doesn’t make you any less brave! You’ve also been a mentor for Author Mentor Match. What have you enjoyed most about this experience?

What I’ve enjoyed most about mentoring other writers is seeing their drafts progress while we work together. And, of course, it’s pretty cool to see my name in the acknowledgments of a finished book.

Indeed. If you could tell your younger author self one thing, what would it be?

I would tell myself to cherish the good moments, because there will be hard moments, too. But that’s why you need to enjoy the positive things when they come around. Also, block Goodreads on your web browser.

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