First Summer by Ekin Oklap [Paperback]

First Summer by Ekin Oklap is a dreamy, nostalgic queer coming-of-age novel about two teenage girls, the narrator and Clara, whose friendship develops into their first experience of romantic love.

During a long, hazy summer, the two girls discover a deep connection through conversation, reading, shared imagination, and emotional intimacy. At the same time, they are fascinated by a fictional children's book series about space explorer Nadia and her companion Rosa, whose adventures mirror the girls' own emerging feelings.

The novel explores the innocence and uncertainty of adolescence, first love, loneliness, identity, desire, connection, loss, and the transition from childhood into adulthood. Its atmosphere is gentle and dreamlike, while the emotional impact is bittersweet and deeply nostalgic.