A memorable tale about moments that leave a mark.
Best friends Calvin and Derek don’t view their daily activities as reckless; to them, it’s just the standard chaos of boyhood adventures in their Connecticut town. A treehouse assembled with questionable construction techniques? Pretty solid work for 12‑year‑olds. Setting off fireworks with no adults in sight? A typical Fourth of July. Stirring up another round of trouble with the vindictive Eicher boys? A longstanding tradition. So when Calvin and Derek hear about an abandoned treehouse at the far end of the woods, they assume it’s just one more adventure they’re built to handle. They know every inch of the woods near Calvin’s house, so exploring a little further is what summer is made for. What begins as a scavenging expedition to shore up their own treehouse takes an exciting turn when they find a bag of cash tucked in an old steamer trunk. Derek, as expected, claims the funds under the standard finders-keepers law. Calvin tries for diplomacy and level-headedness, leaning toward parental or police involvement. Before the boys can reach a consensus on what to do with the money, the Eichers catch wind of their find. However, neighborhood squabbles and decisions about frivolous spending pale in comparison to the debt owed by the one who hid the cash in the first place. Trouble comes knocking, and the mob is at the door. And mobsters don’t take kindly to anyone taking what’s theirs, even if it is a bunch of kids.
What We Found Last Summer is like a mystery-tinged time capsule that transports readers to an era before bicycle helmets and cultural awareness. The small-town setting and preteen cast are an homage to classic coming‑of‑age tales where curiosity outruns caution, bike rides are stories waiting to write themselves, and life always catches up to you. De Lucia’s effortless writing style pulls audiences back into the energetic headspace of young boys who have no filter, no fear, and no sense of how big the world really is. Adolescent priorities, like arguing over the finer points of comic‑book art while thousands of dollars hang in the balance, capture the preteen years with nostalgic clarity. The story steadily gains momentum, climbing toward a compelling peak with unexpected ramifications. Though the resolution arrives quickly, make sure to stay for the ultimate finale, as it recontextualizes Calvin’s story and adds a layer of maturity to the novel. If you loved the raw honesty and lingering consequences of King’s The Body, you’ll be swept up by De Lucia’s quintessential buddy novel, What We Found Last Summer, a memorable tale about moments that leave a mark.
