SOLVED. Juvenile titled the secret summer or something like that. I remember there were pink+red converse shoes on the cover and a letter type frame around the border of the photo. [s]

[Avery]

I remember reading this book back in elementary school. It was again something I read when I was about 13/14. The story took place in the summer; around august I think. The main girl lives with her family in a house by the ocean where she vividly describes the way the salty air smells and creates a nice atmosphere around the place. Her grandfather I think walks down to the beach with her sometimes and she gets shells with him

She has a pen pal who she writes notes to and it’s seen in the book the “handwriting” from the person she’s sending letters back and forth with. There’s also a subplot going on that the person she’s writing letters to lives in a room of the house that no one is allowed to go in or out of but the main girl slips letters to this person under the door. There’s a general vibe about the book of youth and young love energy, I can’t recall why the person was locked in the room be it if they were old or if it was a young boy who was sick or something

[Avery]

Update: I’m fairly certain the movie “Secret Summer” (2016) is based on the book bc the plot sounds identical to what I remember but I can’t find any trace of the book existing as I remember it which is weirdddd

[Capn]

I didn't find it on this list ( https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3... ), but just for ref, here's the link.

In which years were you 13 or 14 years old? Or, how old are you now? :)

[Becca]

There's also a Converse! list

[Becca]

Avery wrote: "Update: I’m fairly certain the movie “Secret Summer” (2016) is based on the book bc the plot sounds identical to what I remember but I can’t find any trace of the book existing as I remember it whi..."

Is this the movie you mean? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4743250/

[Capn]

Becca wrote: "There's also a Converse! list"

Wow! :D Ha ha ha!

I found Secret Summer (1997), but I can't see it with the cover described...

Ah, nevermind. The synopsis for this was on FictionDB:
Stella Foster went to the village of Lange in Provence to carry out historical research for her thesis. When she met an attractive man who introduced himself as Professor Martin de Croix from the University of St Ayr, Stella thought there was somet...

[Rainbowheart]

The Romeo and Juliet Code?

[Avery]

It was the Romeo and Juliet code!! Thank you

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, glad to help out!