Rachel Shumate
Set in 1981, "The Last Summer" tells the story of 12-year-old Joel Shuman's first summer after the sudden death of his mom. Joel helps his family come to terms with their tragic loss while spending his last summer of innocence with the best friends he will ever know. "The Last Summer" recalls a time when life was still a mystery and every day was a new adventure.
Even though he's the only black student at the elite Palmetto Grove Academy, star basketball player and future NBA hopeful Odin James has the adoration of all, including the team's coach and the Dean's beautiful daughter Desi. Odin's troubled friend Hugo, the coach's son, is deeply resentful of his father's preference of Odin on and off the court. When Hugo plots a diabolical scheme to sow the seed of mistrust between O and Desi, it sets in motion a disturbing chain of events which erupts into a firestorm of breathtaking intensity.
