“This One Summer” reminisces on youth

BY ALEXA DUMAS

Web Editor

“Awago Beach is this place. Where my family goes every summer. Ever since… like…forever.”

Ever since Rose Wallace was a little girl, her family spent the summers at Awago Beach. This summer seems to be different, as Rose’s mother, Alice, is on edge emotionally. Once the family arrives, Rose is met by her friend, Windy, who lives nearby the Wallace’s vacation spot.

Although the two girls have spent numerous summers together, this summer is different, as the girls are going through puberty.

Boys, love, loss and plenty of swimming can be found between the lines.

“This One Summer” is a coming of age graphic novel, published in 2014, and was written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki.

The graphic novel is illustrated in a simplistic style, with purple lines replacing the regular black lines that are normally found in comics. The color of the lines set “This One Summer” apart from other graphic novels, as it shows the whimsical nature of both the story and illustrations.

Since puberty is at the forefront of the graphic novel, the girls dive into the drama that some of the teens within the small beach town are facing. Rose and Windy frequent a small corner store whenever they are in search of snacks or peruse the rental movie section, as they both love to watch scary movies.

As the graphic novel progresses, they discover that Duncan, the boy who works behind the counter, has gotten Jenny, a teen girl who works at the local historical village, pregnant.

The news of Jenny’s pregnancy is almost like a mystery to the two girls. They act like detectives and try to search for clues in order to discover the truth about Duncan and Jenny’s relationship.

Rose then discovers that she has a crush on Duncan, even though they don’t know each other besides the encounters at the store.

Mars Doerr is a sophomore childhood education and special education major and a Community Advocate in Macomb Hall. Doerr does not identify as aromantic or any identity under the aromantic umbrella, yet does wish there were more educational materials out there for aromanticism.

Aromantics tend to be a minority in society, and norms reflect that. Love songs, breakup songs, romance media and other romantic material are rampant. This is a part of heteronormative expectations. Heteronormativity is the societal expectation that everyone falls in love with a person of the opposite gender, gets married, has kids and passes this onto the next generation.

Heteronormativity does not just affect asexuals and aromantics, as it can target queer individuals, it does include a subsection: allonormative. Allo is the “opposite” of ace or aro, where one does feel attraction.

Duquette commented on the prevalence of allonormativity.

They felt that it can be a destructive and harmful expectation to hold.

“I know personally I had tried to emulate what I thought a romantic relationship entails and it didn’t really work,” Duquette said. “I don’t have this understanding of this separate romantic version of love that everyone else seems to have.”

The societal pressure of finding a life partner can be crushing. “Incels,” involuntary celibates, have swarmed the internet harassing women and spreading overall mysognisitic ideologies. They feel that it is society’s fault they have not lost their virginity.

It does not always have to end in bloodshed.

“It just ends in a lot of hurt feelings.” Duquette said.

Many forget that love isn’t just romantic. There is platonic love, familial love and love that goes beyond words.

“Love isn’t just a romantic concept,” Duquette said “I have lots of love in me for my friends, family, hobbies and passions.”