20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Young Adult
Little Brown and Company
290 Pg.
From the back cover:
According to her best friend Frankie, 20 days in Zanzibar Bay os the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there is a pretty good chance Anna will find her summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game. But there's something that hasn't told Frankie-- she already has that kind of romance, and it is with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before the tragic death one year ago.
Beware there are sex scenes.
Frankie and Matt are brother and sister. Next door Anna, has been friends for a long time with Frankie and Matt. Anna become more than just friends with Matt. They decide to keep it secret. Matt plans to tell his sister the next day when Frankie and Matt go on vacation. Unfortunately, Matt dies the next day.
Then after that there is alot of emotional upheavals to deal with after Matt dies.
Frankie is still good friends with Anna. The family asks Anna if she would like to go on vacation with them at Zanzibar Bay in California.
The girls, Frankie says during the vacation we will meet 20 boys for 20 days. Anna falls for a boy Sam. But she still has alot of emotion when it comes to Matt. She has alot of guilt. Anna still writes in her journal about her feeling for Matt. Her friendship with Frankie. Her new love Sam.
There are times that the girls sneak out. Alot of summer fun what teenage girls do at the beach. The sneak out at parties, with boys etc.
Frankie reads the journal that Anna writes and is devasting that she did not know that they were more than friends. She can not accept this and throws the journal in the ocean.
Anna's last night she sneaks out to meet Sam and they say their last goodbyes.
Frankie and Anna don't talk for quite awhile. Frankie can't forgive Anna.
They finally forgive each other and come to terms with this.
My thought on the book. I am over the hill about 50. This is the first time reading a young adult book. I don't remember reading books like this. We either read children's books when we were young, and then you went on to adult books when you were a teen reading romance which I don't read now at all. I may be a little old fashioned but I would not like the idea of my daughter reading this at all.
Twenty days with 20 boys I would not promote this. But I am sure this is how teenagers acted when I was growing up too. As I was reading this I thought this is how young love acts, I quess. Sneaking out at the late hours to see your boy friend. There were teenage sex scenes. Many things to aggravate your family.
I felt sorry for the whole family with the pain they were feeling especially her sister. Her mother not wanting anyone in Matt's room and Matt's favorite necklace was finally given to Anna by Frankie. This was finally her acceptance of her friend and brother's relationship.
I would not like this book in a library personally for a teenager. Sorry but I must be a prude. I wander what young parents think about books like this for their teenage daughters. Am I old fashioned or do you agree with me?
I know sex is open now a days but I would have a hard time with this one. I thought I was a pretty open person. But after reading this I don't think I am.
I did like the writing it is poetic. When she describes the book getting thrown in the ocean. The book falls deeper and deeper and she even makes it mystical when she is describing mermaids. I did like the book and the story and how the book developed.
If I forget the sexual scenes then I would rate this book a 4 thumbs up.