A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel Review

"A story of second chances from the author of Between Us and the Moon, which Kirkus Reviews called “what first love is meant to be.”

A year ago, Penny Berne was the star of her high school’s theater department, surrounded by a group of misfit friends and falling in love for the first time. Now her old friends won’t talk to her, her new best friend is the most popular girl in school, and her first love, Wes, ignores her. Penny is revered and hated. Then, in a flash, a near-fatal lightning strike leaves Penny with no memory of the past year—or how she went from drama nerd to queen bee.

As a record number of fireflies light up her town and her life, Penny realizes she may be able to make things right again—and that even if she can’t change the past, she can learn to see the magic where she never could before.

This captivating new novel about first love, second chances, and the power of memory is perfect for fans of Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall and Katie Cotugno’s How to Love."

YABC.

I really enjoyed reading Between Us and the Moon (written by the same author), which I thought was a really realistic and heartbreaking book. Here's what I thought of her next book, A Season For Fireflies. YA Contemporary (with romance), A Season For Fireflies is a story about second chances... without realizing that you were at fault in the first place. 

Penny Berne is missing a year's worth of memories. When she goes back to her social life, she finds it amazingly changed in so many ways. She has a new group of friends, she lost her old group of friends, she has abandoned her passion for theater, and she is friends with the most popular girl in the school. She begins to put back the pieces together, and in the process, she manages to find herself again. 

The story unfolds by starting in sophomore year (late May). It's an awkward entrance, and it doesn't exactly follow the synopsis quite closely. (The synopsis is a tad misleading.) It shows the beginnings of Penny leaving the gang behind, it shows Penny quitting theater, and it shows Penny joining the popular girl. The plot of rediscovery could have been spread out a bit more, however, so it would have more "cushion." 

The romance between Penny and Wes, though a part of the book, takes a larger influence over the story, which isn't unexpected. However, though their romance is terribly sweet, it is Penny's relationships with other characters (and her love for theater) which seems to be written more strongly and have a better effect on the story overall. 

The relationships are really indeed the best part of the book. I enjoy Penny's dynamic with her new and popular best friend, Kylie. (I must add that I really do love Kylie as a character. That's all I will say about her.) 

The ending along is perhaps the best part of the entire book, though. Reading it alone just makes me smile so much, and I absolutely adore it. (But I won't spoil!) 

Overall, A Season For Fireflies is a great book (though Between Us and the Moon overshadows it, in my opinion). It's great for those who need a book to read, and it's perfect for those who are looking for books about second chances and getting lost and finding the place you're truly meant to be all along. Those who wish for a HEA in Between Us and the Moon will find it in A Season For Fireflies. 

Rating: Three out of Five