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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Twenty Boy Summer was Ockler’s first novel – she’s published five more since, including the utterly gorgeous Bittersweet, made of ice hockey and cupcakes – and despite the cutesy title and premise – two best friends decide they’ll meet twenty boys each on their summer vacation! – it’s much more layered than that.
Anna has been Frankie’s best friend forever, but this is the first time she’s been invited on holidays with the family – because everything’s different now. A year ago, Frankie’s brother Matt died suddenly, and Anna’s been the strong one for her friend. Frankie is dramatic, confident, flirtatious and just a tiny bit out of control; Anna’s the sensible one keeping everything together. Frankie decides Anna needs to lose her virginity this summer. Anna doesn’t mention that she’s still caught up on the first boy she ever loved – Matt.
Meeting cute boys seems like fun – but also not anything Anna can take too seriously. Does falling for someone new mean forgetting Matt? And how long can she keep this secret from her closest friend in the world? A dreamy and thoughtful summer romance and meditation on friendship and loss for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.
Anna has been Frankie’s best friend forever, but this is the first time she’s been invited on holidays with the family – because everything’s different now. A year ago, Frankie’s brother Matt died suddenly, and Anna’s been the strong one for her friend. Frankie is dramatic, confident, flirtatious and just a tiny bit out of control; Anna’s the sensible one keeping everything together. Frankie decides Anna needs to lose her virginity this summer. Anna doesn’t mention that she’s still caught up on the first boy she ever loved – Matt.
Meeting cute boys seems like fun – but also not anything Anna can take too seriously. Does falling for someone new mean forgetting Matt? And how long can she keep this secret from her closest friend in the world? A dreamy and thoughtful summer romance and meditation on friendship and loss for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.
Plot: The idea is fresh and original, which is great on Sarah Ockler's part. I also loved how she incorperated the sea glass into the book -- when you're looking at the cover, you think it's just pretty, that it doesn't really have meaning. However, as you read the book, you find the meaning, and I really liked how that was incorperated into the cover as well as the story.
Characters: The characters were written really well. You found yourself rooting for them in certain situations or getting so mad at certain decisions that you want to throw your book against the nearest wall. You get so caught up in the character's story, that you feel like YOUR the one living it. Like you're actually there with Anna and Frankie in Zanzibar Bay. Like you're actually Anna feeling all this pain, still, from Matt's death. That's what really made me love this book so much.
Wow Factor: Very wowed. And very recommended.
Characters: The characters were written really well. You found yourself rooting for them in certain situations or getting so mad at certain decisions that you want to throw your book against the nearest wall. You get so caught up in the character's story, that you feel like YOUR the one living it. Like you're actually there with Anna and Frankie in Zanzibar Bay. Like you're actually Anna feeling all this pain, still, from Matt's death. That's what really made me love this book so much.
Wow Factor: Very wowed. And very recommended.
5 out of 5 stars
Where to start with this book?
I previously read Bittersweet which I really enjoyed and decided to read this book through recommendations, although this book is set in the Summer and I read the book in the Winter I have no complaints!
SPOILERS AHEAD
This book got me crying by the end of the second chapter and cried three more times after, while reading this book. It was unexpected to cry this much but feelings were involved (The Helicopter Pilot's performing, the last talk Anna and Frankie had in Zanzibar Bay and Chapter 33)
Ockler's descriptions without overemphasizing the details made me fall for this book, as well as, creating and developing real, raw relationships through the characters. The style of writing was just beautiful. The figurative language drew me in and added to all the wonders of the book.
This book made me look at the beach, water in a new way and how we all have our own secrets like the ocean, "sad blue secret keeper".
Last but not least the cover is beautiful and after reading the book I had a revelation- the sea glass colors. The details, style of writing, story itself, growth- SO much perfection in this.
P.S. Was anyone else wanting a sequel or at least a continuation?!
Where to start with this book?
I previously read Bittersweet which I really enjoyed and decided to read this book through recommendations, although this book is set in the Summer and I read the book in the Winter I have no complaints!
SPOILERS AHEAD
This book got me crying by the end of the second chapter and cried three more times after, while reading this book. It was unexpected to cry this much but feelings were involved (The Helicopter Pilot's performing, the last talk Anna and Frankie had in Zanzibar Bay and Chapter 33)
Ockler's descriptions without overemphasizing the details made me fall for this book, as well as, creating and developing real, raw relationships through the characters. The style of writing was just beautiful. The figurative language drew me in and added to all the wonders of the book.
This book made me look at the beach, water in a new way and how we all have our own secrets like the ocean, "sad blue secret keeper".
Last but not least the cover is beautiful and after reading the book I had a revelation- the sea glass colors. The details, style of writing, story itself, growth- SO much perfection in this.
P.S. Was anyone else wanting a sequel or at least a continuation?!
This book made me sad. Promises made to someone who passes away can't be easy. Then struggling to maintain your memory of them, and trying to live your life.
Twenty Boy Summer is one of the most emotional and moving contemporaries I've read in a long time. It's the type of story that invades your being and settles deep in your bones, becoming a part of who you are and touching you in ways you forgot books had the power to do. It's the type of book that leaves you thinking, deep into the night, and that gives you hope as you turn the final page.
Anna is a beautiful protagonist. Determined to keep her secret from her best friend, she's never able to let Frankie know the extent of her grief over Matt's death.
I think Ockler's treatment of a family in mourning was one of my favorite aspects of Twenty Boy Summer. Frankie's family was volatile, with the smallest of things setting one of them off. Every happy moment felt like it was stolen, like their grief was timing itself for the perfect reminder that it was a constant. It made for a page-turning read, as I waited for a seemingly happy moment to be destroyed by a glass of spilt coke. It also brought out the most raw and honest truths, with one or more family members laying their heart on the line, daring someone to break it all over again. And Ockler is a master at repeatedly breaking hearts.
I just loved everything about Twenty Boy Summer. Anna and Frankie's friendship made me nostaltic for the type of summer where I could spend every day scheming the next big adventure, or the latest plan to capture a boy's heart, with my friends. I loved that Anna saw her relationship with Sam for what it was, and that I was ok with them having mere weeks together. I loved that Anna and Frankie both got closure, of a sort. And I love that I closed the book with a smile on my face and tears running down my cheeks.
Anna is a beautiful protagonist. Determined to keep her secret from her best friend, she's never able to let Frankie know the extent of her grief over Matt's death.
Every morning, I wake up and forget just for a second that it happened. But once my eyes open, it buries me like a landslide of sharp, sad rocks. Once my eyes open, I'm heavy, like there's to much gravity on my heart.She's selfless, pushing back her emotions in order to be the best possible friend to Frankie, putting Frankie's feelings and grief before her own, and she's heartbreaking, succumbing to the pain of losing Matt when she thinks no one's looking. She's the best friend Frankie could ever ask for, despite the lies she feels she's forced to tell her everyday. I loved watching her work through her grief, using a summer fling with a surfer boy to help her realize that no one could ever erase Matt, that she could learn to love again, and that her loss might not always be so heavy a burden to carry.
I think Ockler's treatment of a family in mourning was one of my favorite aspects of Twenty Boy Summer. Frankie's family was volatile, with the smallest of things setting one of them off. Every happy moment felt like it was stolen, like their grief was timing itself for the perfect reminder that it was a constant. It made for a page-turning read, as I waited for a seemingly happy moment to be destroyed by a glass of spilt coke. It also brought out the most raw and honest truths, with one or more family members laying their heart on the line, daring someone to break it all over again. And Ockler is a master at repeatedly breaking hearts.
Weeping is not the same thing as crying. It takes your whole body to weep, and when it's over, you feel like you don't have any bones left to hold you up.
I just loved everything about Twenty Boy Summer. Anna and Frankie's friendship made me nostaltic for the type of summer where I could spend every day scheming the next big adventure, or the latest plan to capture a boy's heart, with my friends. I loved that Anna saw her relationship with Sam for what it was, and that I was ok with them having mere weeks together. I loved that Anna and Frankie both got closure, of a sort. And I love that I closed the book with a smile on my face and tears running down my cheeks.
This was a really awesome book. All the main characters were wonderful and the writing was great.
A few things seemed over-the-top, like the "he died of a broken heart" and Frankie discovering Anna's journal. But those things were forgivable overall.
A few things seemed over-the-top, like the "he died of a broken heart" and Frankie discovering Anna's journal. But those things were forgivable overall.
I don't know what it is but these days I am just not in the mood for all the poetic-like writing and maybe at another time all of the descriptions in poetry form would amaze me but not now. It just took away from the story for me and I feel like I wasn't able to understand Anna's plight as much as I wanted to.
I don't know what else to say about this book probably because I'm kinda tired now but it was an alright read, especially for something I was so excited to read for the longest while.
I don't know what else to say about this book probably because I'm kinda tired now but it was an alright read, especially for something I was so excited to read for the longest while.
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sweet and sad. A really good summer teen novel about moving on after loss, friendship and growing up.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Twenty Boy Summer was moving and beautiful, and very unexpected. Although the synopsis implies young love as the center focus of the novel, it is so much deeper and more complex than that. Sarah Ockler developed a beautiful plot-line with realistic characters and very real emotions.
Ockler’s debut novel was successful and well-written. Her plot-line flowed, she used a diverse vocabulary, and her novel contained a plethora of memorable quotes I couldn’t stop writing down.
Sarah Ockler presented a few important themes in her novel. The most broad and important themes in Twenty Boy Summer were love and loss. It kind of upsets me that the synopsis implies the love is solely young love between a boy and a girl. The most prominent love was between Anna and Frankie, between best friends. This love is relatable and honest. Anna and Frankie also experience the death of a loved one. The grief they feel effects them differently. For Anna, she is having a conflict with herself for the majority of the novel, struggling with feelings of doubt, guilt and secrecy.
There are many things about this novel I enjoyed. The plot-line was well-done and the emotions of the characters were real and relatable. However, the sensory detail was lacking in some aspects. It was difficult to envision places or people. With the lack of better sensory detail, it was difficult to invest in the realness of the characters or their story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Sarah Ockler’s debut is beautifully written with characters I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more of her works.
Twenty Boy Summer was moving and beautiful, and very unexpected. Although the synopsis implies young love as the center focus of the novel, it is so much deeper and more complex than that. Sarah Ockler developed a beautiful plot-line with realistic characters and very real emotions.
Ockler’s debut novel was successful and well-written. Her plot-line flowed, she used a diverse vocabulary, and her novel contained a plethora of memorable quotes I couldn’t stop writing down.
Sarah Ockler presented a few important themes in her novel. The most broad and important themes in Twenty Boy Summer were love and loss. It kind of upsets me that the synopsis implies the love is solely young love between a boy and a girl. The most prominent love was between Anna and Frankie, between best friends. This love is relatable and honest. Anna and Frankie also experience the death of a loved one. The grief they feel effects them differently. For Anna, she is having a conflict with herself for the majority of the novel, struggling with feelings of doubt, guilt and secrecy.
There are many things about this novel I enjoyed. The plot-line was well-done and the emotions of the characters were real and relatable. However, the sensory detail was lacking in some aspects. It was difficult to envision places or people. With the lack of better sensory detail, it was difficult to invest in the realness of the characters or their story.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. Sarah Ockler’s debut is beautifully written with characters I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more of her works.