Two Winters by Lauren Emily Whalen

Release: September 14th 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Source: Suzy approved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N

Two Winters is a contemporary YA retelling of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale about birth, death, Catholic school, improv comedy and the healing nature of time.

The winter of 1997 is a tragedy waiting to happen. Small-town life isn’t easy for seventeen-year-old, bisexual and closeted Paulina, especially when her best friend Mia becomes pregnant and doesn’t want to tell the baby’s father, Paulina’s other best friend, Tesla. Meanwhile, Paulina’s secret relationship with volleyball star Ani is about to go public. One fateful night, everything changes forever.

In the winter of 2014, Perdita, bi and proud in Chicago, is weeks away from turning seventeen. She loves her two moms, but why won’t they talk about her adoption? When Perdita meets improv performer Fenton, she discovers both a kindred soul and a willing accomplice in her search for the truth. Will Perdita find what she’s looking for?

About the Author:

Lauren Emily Whalen is the author of two books for young adults: the novel Satellite (2017) and the nonfiction book Dealing with Drama (2021). Her queer YA short story “I Saw Her Again” appears in the holiday ghost anthology Link by Link (2020). Lauren is a freelance writer, professional performer, and very amateur aerialist who graduated from Catholic school and is an unabashed devotee of the Bard. She lives in Chicago with her cat, Versace, and an apartment full of books..

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Two Winters Review:

“Two Winters” is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale,” and I enjoyed reading it.

Let me preface by saying that I have not read the particular title by Shakespeare, so I’m not sure how close the retelling was. But, reading this without any comparison, I did enjoy the book. The author splits the story into two halves, of two different storylines set in two different timelines. Yet, some characters connect between them both, which makes it interesting to read.

Frankly, I enjoyed both the story arcs. Paulina is charming in the first half, where you see her struggling with her sexuality and how she gets immersed in Mia and Tes’s life. The author creatively adds shocking moments surrounding Paulina’s love for Ani, which nicely added to the plot. Even the side story of Blair-Marie Elliott was captivating. However, I felt that the author wrote the romance much better in the second half surrounding Perdita. Perdita and Fenton make a great pair as they try to find answers to her past. One of my favorite passages from this timeline was when Perdita goes to Havendale and is in awe of the vibrant colors of the sky and the clouds. Even though it is a small moment, I loved how the author captured Perdita’s emotions.

Moreover, the author also changes the style of writing by changing the perspectives between the two timelines. I also liked the letter inserts from someone ‘she doesn’t know’ who throws in hints about the past. This book turned out to be a lovely novel.

Overall, “Two Winters” is a charming book to pick up if you are in the mood for some emotional drama or a fan of Shakespeare.