Butterfly Summer

by Anne-Marie Conway

Some secrets last a lifetime. When Becky and her mum move to the tiny village of Oakbridge, Mum is hoping for a new beginning. But when Becky discovers an old photo of her mum in hospital clutching a baby, twelve years before Becky was born, Becky becomes haunted by the thought that her mum is keeping something from her. Stifled by her mum's over-protectiveness and depressive moods, Becky feels more alone than ever. The only place she finds comfort is at the beautiful local Butterfly Garden with her new friend, the wild-spirited and impulsive Rosa May. But Becky can't shake off the unanswered questions. Why can't she swim? Where is her dad? Who is the baby in the photo? And why is her mum lying to her? As the two girls spend more time together however, Rosa May's unpredictable temper and possessive streak suggests that she is hiding something as well...and in the heat of the sun-drenched summer, it seems that Becky is the only one in the dark.

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Fiction, Mystery

336 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Anne-Marie Conway is a primary school teacher specialising in drama, but also runs her own children’s theatre company, Full Circle. She lives in London with her husband, two young sons and two eccentric cats, Betty and Boo. Anne-Marie has written a number of humorous sketches which have been performed by her theatre company, but "Phoebe finds her voice", shortlisted for the inaugural Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition, is her first novel.

Reviews

[Tahera · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And do you know what the Ancient Greeks used to believe? That butterflies represent the souls of the dead."

"There's a story about the Silver-studded Blue. I don't know if you'd call it a rumour or an old wives' tale.Some people say it's an ancient myth."

"What is it? What do they say?"

"They say that if you spot the first Silver-studded Blue of the summer then the person you love the most is on their way to see you. But.....if it lands on your shoulder, then that person has come to say goodbye for ever."

This book seems to be an under-rated gem which should be read. Since the protagonist is a 12 year old girl, this book might be aimed for children in their adolescence and early teenage years but that doesn't mean adults can't enjoy it as well. All the events in the book subtly build up the mystery surrounding Becky's past & present, Rosa May and the Butterfly Garden without marring the suspense and the climax.

[samantha Bookworm-on-rainydays · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, I was surprised to find how much this book kept me guessing, that first I was thinking this was just a kids book with some mystery but it kept me reading all day turning the pages of Butterfly Summer and try and figure out the truths behind the lies.

[Fayrouz Elkhouly · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING ... Once i started i couldnt put it down.. I love the book so muchh , its very exciting , sad , cheerful and just the best book i have read this year!

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when everything you thought you ever knew about your life turned out to be a lie ? Butterfly Summer tells the tale of Becky who at age 12 moves to the smalltown of Oakbridge with her mother. Becky thinks that moving out to the middle of nowhere will be boring with a capital B but what happens when she finds a photo of her mum taken 12 years before she was born holding a baby girl. Who is the baby and how did she not know that she had a sister ? On the same day, Becky recieves a mysterious note telling her to meet at Butterfly Garden after 11am . Becky heads down there and meets a strange girl named Rosa-May aka Fish. Soon though, Becky is thrown headfirst into a world where she finds Oakbridge familiar yet she hasnt been here before or has she and her new friend Rosa-May is starting to seem a bit possessive over Becky . Will Becky discover what secrets her mother is hiding and the truth about who Rosa-May is ?
There's no such thing as ghosts or is there as we turn the pages of Butterfly Summer and try and figure out the intensity and mystery of the story.
A fun read, that you won't what to put down as you discover the truths behind the lies.

[Greta Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn’t my usual kind of read. In fact, it belongs to my younger sister and I only picked it up as I was waiting on the delivery of my books and I needed something to do. It’s a cute little read which can be completed rather quickly (in a couple of hours if you’re a speedy reader).

It’s a beautiful little piece, although I will admit there were some predictable moments in it. I also felt as though the ending itself could have continued on in another manner – by that I would have liked to see what happened when the main character, Becky, went on to finally meet her father. It has the mystery and romance to appeal to lovers of both genres, along with a slight hint of horror thrown in (although not the kind to keep anyone awake at night fearful of what is hiding under the bed). I’m sure numerous younger readers will love it.

[.सोनिया. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book! It was similar to Cecelia Ahern's The Book of Tomorrow in the untold secret, unusual behaviours from people in Oakbridge and wow.. what a suspenseful ending. If you enjoyed this book, another similar one is Forget Me Not by Isabel Wolffe. I loved this from beginning to end and I hope if you're thinking about reading this, please do. You won't regret it! 5 stars all the way. This story has emotional depth, likable characters and it's one I couldn't put down.

[Taylor King · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was AMAZING and I like how it got everyone thinking .. It was just secrets secrets secrets and them BOOM information it's was soooo good and that's coming from someone who never reads ( me ) and this time I couldn't put the book down ... I think there should be a number 2 where it carries on and she meets her dad and becomes closer with mack but overall a TRUELY AMAZING book x

[Ramaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my days!! #surprise.ending

I loved the way the suspense kicked in right at the start but still a little confused....

[Dolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it, its so gorjuss!

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favourite books with the best plot twist

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I picked this book up on a whim purely based on the cover but I wasn't pleasantly surprised. It is quite a short book and I got through it very quickly. It follows Becky and her mum who move back to Oakbridge after her mum gets a new job. Her mum seems to have a lot of secrets and Becky struggles with this but she makes a friend at the Butterfly Garden but everything is not what it seems.

I did think that the story was quite predictable and I guessed the way that the story was going to go. This book is clearly aimed at younger readers and I think if I had read it when I was younger I would probably have rated it higher.

This story is quite simplistic which is why I only gave it 3 stars as I don't feel that it stands out enough to give 4 stars. I feel that this book is very similar to other books that I have read which is why I couldn't give it a higher rating.

[Alison May Cotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOK!!! It's got twists on every page, and the plot just gets thicker and thicker. I don't want to give away too much (even though it'd take years to tell u the plot), but PLEASE read this.

[Amy Braid · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was one of my favourite books growing up and please tell me why i picture the EXACT same things when reading it again now.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

would have give it a higher rating but realised i had already read it before but only realised when near the end of the book

[Soni 🕯️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the plot twist so much

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seem to be on a roll lately with really fabulous books. I just finished listening to Audible's Butterfly Summer by Anne-Marie Conway and read by Kate Harbour. This is added to my list of good reads. For the description of the butterfly garden alone, this book is worth the read. But who would have thought that a modern ghost story could take place in this setting?

Becky and her mother move to Oakbridge where her mother will start a new job back in her tiny home village. Becky is often alone as it is summer so she spends her days keeping herself entertained at the butterfly garden where she meets Rosa May. They quickly become good friends but Becky wants to keep her friend a secret as her mother would forbid her going to the garden fearing the lake. One day Becky finds a photo in a shoe box under her mother's bed. Her mother is laying in the hospital with a baby wrapped in a pink blanket. Who is this baby and where is her father who left when Becky was very small? Many questions begin to build up for Becky who is afraid to ask her mother as she is not well. But secrets do come out and some secrets change lives forever.......

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very, very, very underrated book. The best way to go in it is blindly. If you haven't read a lot of mysteries/ thrillers this is a perfect book because I'm pretty sure you won't be able to see the plot twists. If you have read lots of mysteries/thrillers, the ending might not surprise you as much. Overall I would recommend picking this up if you need a fast paced read.

[Stephanie Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite predictable, really, but then I might be too old for this kind of litterature... Really nice teen or child read though. I would have loved this book if I had read it when I was a child.

[Milla · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread my favourite childhood book, 5 stars for the nostalgia

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book every summer since I was eight, and still love it as much now as I did then

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most touching books I've ever read. It always makes me so angry to see the pain and destruction that secrets cause in families and relationships, especially because everyone has the power to end them, but I do understand that it takes immensely strong people and sometimes extraordinary circumstances to truly spill every last secret, which is what happened in this book. This book has the most surreal twists that I would never have guessed in a million years, which makes this book so hard to put down, in fact, I read it all at once, and so do not regret that. I think my favourite thing about this book is that it really makes you want to do something about families suffering with secrets and other tragedies, some of which you will find in this book. Hands down, my favourite character in this book is Mack. At the beginning, because it took him a while to enter the scene, I didn't think he would even be nice, but I was proved so so wrong. I love that he was so understanding and caring, but especially that he was always there for Becky. He was never too pushy, spiteful, overpowering or demanding, he was just everything Becky needed at that time. He was also funny, down to earth, and so carefree, like he knew that every problem in the world could be solved. He was clearly very easy to talk to, and was always willing and ready to listen. He understood what Becky was going through, and was able to talk about his experience with his problems. This book is such an engaging read. I think it would really help children and teenagers that silently suffer their parent's divorce. These kind of books should be mandatory reads for every child. This book deserves five stars, whatever anyone else says about it.
Thank you for reading my review.

[Booklovers_journey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Secrets tear you apart or hold you together”

Becky and mum move to Oakbridge, everything’s about to turn upside down.
As Becky discovers a secret box under mum’s bed, leads to a dark discovery. One she may regret knowing.

The beautiful Butterfly 🦋 garden seems to be the only place to bring solace in this worn out town.  In the garden Becky meets Rosa May and very possessive friend with a slight temper. Becky starts to sense her new friend may be hiding something from her?

With all the unanswered questions, Becky is falling apart. What is the truth? Will her mother ever give her a straight answer or allege another migraine is coming on?

It’s a beautiful book that moved me emotionally and literally couldn't put the book down. The concept of and the structure of the story is well thought 10/10. 
 A gripping book about a mysterious friendship.

#summertime#butterfly#friendship

[NotAnotherEmptySkull · Rating 2 out of 5]

☆2 Stars☆

NOTES & THOUGHTS
• Unique ideas.
• A great YA read.
• Emotional throughout.
• Themes of love, loss, finding yourself and growing up, as well as mental heath problems and realistic family dynamics.
• I found it quite easy to work out the plot and I could see how the story was going within the first couple of chapters of the book.

I LOVED
• The ending.
• The mystery element.
• The realistic characters, relationships and overall feel.

I DIDN'T LOVE
• That I wish the ending of the book was longer or that more actually happened in the ending, rather than just being hinted at.
• That some parts felt overly detailed and described, whereas others were in need of having more information and detail.
• That it was really quite easy to work out the plot and see where the storyline was going on early on in the book.

[Fira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is good and there's a lil bit of supernatural parts, but that just it. The story is good enough to keep you enchanted but not too full of plot twists that'll make you overwhelmed. Highly recommend this book 💖 rating it a solid 4/5 for the quite broad of genre it touched. From family issues to coping with a great loss, Becky here teaches you that it's always better to know the truth. No matter how painful it is to relive the past and sometimes, things happen for a reason and you don't always have to live in the past to make it up for it. And also a good start to learn about butterflies 🦋
(p.s. : highly recommend that you guys read this while blasting lofi with earphones)

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not read YA at all .. there are plenty of books aimed at grown ups, and reading about teenage angst is not how I usually spend my time .. However, the title of this book grabbed me and I was intrigued by what I would find between the covers .. Well, a Butterfly Garden, so what was not to like .. This sensitively told tale of Becky, a 12 year old, who is forced to cope with adult problems - her relationship with her Mum, who has just moved them back to the Village she grew up in, whilst she struggles with her new job, and the loneliness of the school holidays .. The discovery of a secret pulls you in further as you want to know who the baby is ..
I would give 3.5

[Elouan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful, meaningful story that keep me thinking about. Though it’s just a kids book, it’s mysterious and somewhat, reveal the dark, deep side of the society. The rights of a child to things other than basic requirements; how parent’s emotions and thoughts affect the child; the complexity of friendship and other relationships;... After reading, my mind just go somewhere else, can’t stop thinking ‘bout it. It is super suspenseful, and i don’t think this is suitable for children thats under 10- 11 yrs old. Very worth reading, in my opinion.

[Felicia B · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's an amazing book, very exciting and very relatable. the end is a bit sad but also suspenseful because it turns out becky had just hallucinated her dead sister, as her dad had once before her. at least i think she hallucinated rosa-may, because it's the only way i can explain the ending to myself. otherwise, its adorable how becky and mack are only sort of together since both are only like 12 and 13 years old. i love the book, i read it so fast and used every spare minute to just keep reading.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly just a beautiful book, exciting and suspenseful - quite an interesting read. Great story line and it's written perfectly. Secrets and mysteries in this HAUNTING novel !
It's somewhat scary how Becky 'knew' Rosa-may and 'saw' her everyday when there's no logical explanation as to how this was possible as Becky was never told about her and the fact that she's dead. And quite freaky how the dead Rosa-may tried drowned Becky.
Butterfly Summer is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. I am planning to read one of her other books, Forbidden Friends.