Why we’re excited
Daisy plans to spend the summer before college alone while her mother is away at the beach. Then her older brother, whom she barely speaks to, turns up injured in the middle of the night with his dog and moves in. Soon she is caught up with the staff of his music club and with one of them in particular.
Sarah Dessen has written summer stories for teens for decades, including The Truth About Forever, Just Listen and Along for the Ride, the last now a Netflix film. Bendo, the club in this book, appears in some of her earlier novels too. Fans old and new can start here.
On our most-anticipated list since 26 October 2026. See all the most anticipated books →
What to know about Something Like Magic
We haven’t reviewed Sarah Dessen before, so this would be our first look at their work.
From the publisher
For the first printing only! This hardcover features sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts.
From acclaimed and #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a heartfelt and funny coming-of-age story about a teen whose summer of solitude gets upended by a reunion with her estranged brother, an exuberant new friend group, and the possibility of love.
The summer before college, loner Daisy is thrilled when her larger-than-life mom leaves for a month-long beach vacation with her bestie. That is, until she wakes up at two o’clock in the morning to the older brother she’s barely spoken to in years in her kitchen with a broken ankle. Apparently, Richard took a nasty fall at his music club, Bendo, and he and his dog are moving in—ruining Daisy’s plans for a solo summer.
Now instead of the quiet, orderly days she’d planned, Daisy finds herself getting roped into wild side-quests with Bendo’s staff, pet- and plant-sitting, and nursing a childhood friend’s breakup wounds. And then there’s Richard’s protege, aspiring band manager, and, increasingly, the person Daisy wants by her side, whether in a crisis or in moments of joy.
When summer began, all she wanted was to be alone, but could it be that having company—messy, unpredictable, and real—is exactly what Daisy needs? By summer’s end, Daisy just might discover there’s much more to life, and to herself, than she ever imagined…and that when love finds you, it really is something like magic.
Description supplied by the publisher.
We haven’t read Something Like Magic yet. When our review goes up, it will replace this page.
