Some graphic novels are loud. They shout their themes at you in bold panels and dramatic reveals. This One Summer, on the other hand, whispers and that’s exactly why it stays with readers long after the last page. Written by Mariko Tamaki and illustrated by her cousin Jillian Tamaki, this coming-of-age graphic novel captures the strange, quiet ache of growing up without ever reaching for melodrama. Anyone who has spent a childhood summer at a lake house, watching the adults around them argue about things kids aren’t supposed to understand, will recognize something true on nearly every page.

What Is This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki About?

The story follows Rose, a girl on the edge of adolescence, during her family’s annual summer trip to Awago Beach. This has always been her happy place swimming, horror movies, and hanging out with her friend Windy. But this particular summer feels different. Rose’s parents are distant and tense, and she’s drawn into the personal drama of a group of local teenagers, forcing her to confront ideas about relationships, bodies, and loss that she isn’t quite ready for.

What makes this one summer by jillian tamaki and mariko tamaki so effective is its restraint. Nothing is explained too neatly. Emotions are left to sit in the silences between panels, much the way real feelings do when you’re twelve and don’t have the vocabulary for them yet.

The Art: Why Jillian Tamaki’s Illustrations Carry the Story

Jillian Tamaki’s linework does a huge amount of narrative heavy lifting. The entire book is rendered in a deep indigo-blue wash rather than full color, which gives every scene a dreamy, nostalgic haze like a memory rather than a live event. Splash pages of the lake, the woods, and the convenience store where the kids buy snacks and rent movies feel almost cinematic in scope, while quieter panels zoom into small gestures: a sideways glance, a clenched fist, a half-finished sentence.

In this one summer by mariko tamaki illustrated by jillian tamaki, the art isn’t decoration for the text it’s doing storytelling work the dialogue deliberately leaves out. Readers who default to skimming graphic novels for plot will want to slow down here, because entire emotional beats live only in the imagery.

Themes: Growing Up Is Messier Than It Looks

This is where the book earns its critical acclaim it received a Caldecott Honor and a Printz Honor from the American Library Association, rare recognition for a graphic novel. It doesn’t sanitize adolescence. Body-shaming, teen pregnancy, depression, and marital strain all surface, handled with a light touch that trusts young readers to sit with discomfort rather than be shielded from it. Mariko and jillian tamaki this one summer manages to treat Rose’s confusion and occasional cruelty toward Windy with real empathy, never turning her into either a villain or a saint just a kid trying to make sense of an adult world she’s suddenly being exposed to.

If you enjoy this kind of unflinching, award-winning YA storytelling, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang another First Second title that broke ground for graphic novels at the ALA awards — makes an excellent next read.

Who Should Read This One Summer?

• Teens navigating their own “in-between” summer, caught between childhood and adolescence
• Fans of quiet, character-driven YA who prefer emotional nuance over fast-paced plotting
• Readers who enjoyed other literary graphic novels exploring identity and family tension
• Parents and educators looking for a thoughtful entry point into difficult conversations with teens

If you’ve read this one summer written by mariko tamaki and illustrated by jillian tamaki before, you’ll know it rewards a second read details that felt incidental the first time (a particular look, a half-heard argument) land very differently once you know where the story is headed. Readers who want a more recent take on the same coming-of-age territory should also check out Weirdo by Tony Weaver Jr., a graphic memoir that covers similar emotional ground from a different angle.

Final Verdict

This one summer by jillian and mariko tamaki isn’t a book that hands you easy answers, and that’s precisely its strength. It sits with the uncomfortable, unglamorous parts of growing up and lets them exist without judgment. For readers who want a graphic novel that respects their intelligence and their ability to hold complicated feelings, it’s hard to find a better one. Mariko tamaki and jillian tamaki, working together, have created something that feels less like fiction and more like a memory you didn’t know you had.

Looking for more recommendations in this space? Our YA Graphic Novels: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Graphic Novel Books for Teens and Adults rounds up the genre’s strongest titles, This One Summer included.