“A Summer That Changed Everything” is a gay romance novella of over 37,500 words, written from the perspectives of two high school graduates who bond over life difficulties and a summer bucket list.

*

Markus is a half-German half-Italian high school student living in Berlin. Academic pressure, bullying, and unrequited love for his friend Susanna cause him to suffer a mental collapse in the winter before finals.

When his classmate Karsten unexpectedly shows up on their high school’s roof and saves him from the suicide attempt, a unique friendship starts between them. After graduating, they type a bucket list to make their summer more enjoyable.

Staying active helps, and Markus slowly finds the courage to improve his life and starts feeling happier... This, in turn, makes him ponder the question: is he finally getting over depression? Or perhaps - falling in love with Karsten?

Karsten, on the other hand, can’t stop struggling with his secret and unrequited romantic feelings for Markus and his personal family issues. His mother is moving to Australia to join her boyfriend, Rolf. This effectively leaves Karsten caring for his younger anorexic sister, Judith. Supported mostly by his three quirky friends, Ilse, Tariq, and Lukas, Karsten does his best to help everyone, but he feels challenged, too...

Will Markus accept his growing feelings for Karsten and find the courage to confess them before Karsten moves on?

Will the two of them end up as lovers or friends?

And can Markus find a way to maintain his happiness?

*

“A Summer That Changed Everything” is more than a friends-to-lovers gay romance novella. It’s a coming-of-age work revolving around the themes of depression recovery, self-compassion and self-discovery, one that paints a credible picture of millenials struggling with their early adulthood. It's a work that criticizes the unhealthy coping ways in favor of healthy ones, and that teaches how to cope with the pain to let it go. And last but not least, it also embodies the old philosophy of carpe diem, encouraging readers to take life in their own hands like the protagonists, and discover that happiness can be found anywhere, at any time.

Table of Contents:

• The Summer That Changed Everything 1. Part 1

• The Summer That Changed Everything 1. Part 2