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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This was my first Jennifer Niven book but I can already see why she is a hit with young adult readers. The plot is about Claude, our protagonist who was supposed to be going on a road trip with her best friend Saz after graduating. Instead, her parents are getting a divorce and Claude is stuck on an island off the coast of Georgia with her mother for the summer. It is only when she meets Jeremiah Crew that she is able to find a way through her grief and mature in her approach to family, love and sex.
Niven has a nice writing style and vividly portrays the island, illustrating it as an isolated paradise. In the author's note, she comments how this place is based on her own experiences which is why Niven is able to bring island life alive so beautifully for the reader.
At first, Claude is self-centred and quite infuriating in her immaturity. However, this allows Claude clear character development, particularly as she explores sex for the first time. There are some important messages in here for teen readers about virginity, consent and what it means to be in a sexual relationship. I found the portrayal of some of these discussions very on the nose but are written in a way which will hopefully resonate with younger readers.
Overall, Niven's book has some nice messages which will be important for teen readers to hear but the story was not compelling enough to really hold my attention. A large portion of the narrative is Claude contemplating her feelings in place of driving the plot forward. This, along with the disappointing lack of closure at the novel's ending, made this a pleasant but 3 star read for me. I will still be recommending this for my older students.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Niven has a nice writing style and vividly portrays the island, illustrating it as an isolated paradise. In the author's note, she comments how this place is based on her own experiences which is why Niven is able to bring island life alive so beautifully for the reader.
At first, Claude is self-centred and quite infuriating in her immaturity. However, this allows Claude clear character development, particularly as she explores sex for the first time. There are some important messages in here for teen readers about virginity, consent and what it means to be in a sexual relationship. I found the portrayal of some of these discussions very on the nose but are written in a way which will hopefully resonate with younger readers.
Overall, Niven's book has some nice messages which will be important for teen readers to hear but the story was not compelling enough to really hold my attention. A large portion of the narrative is Claude contemplating her feelings in place of driving the plot forward. This, along with the disappointing lack of closure at the novel's ending, made this a pleasant but 3 star read for me. I will still be recommending this for my older students.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was alright. A bit long and I did like it left the ending open to interpretation but I don’t know. I feel meh about the book.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
I'm not giving this book 5 stars because it was such a well written novel, i'm giving it 5 stars because i loved every single second of this book and it made me feel something.
The only thing i hated about this book is that he drives his car without shoes. Biggest ick everrrr
The only thing i hated about this book is that he drives his car without shoes. Biggest ick everrrr
i don’t even know what to say this ending made me sad
Another book by Jennifer Niven and another lovely piece. Definitely aimed for young adults but can be enjoyed by all. This is a story based on the author’s own life. Claude’s life feels like it’s falling apart when she finds out that her parents are separating. She and her mum spend summer on a remote island where she falls for one of the boys working at the island. A typical plot but heartfelt. I could see this being a Netflix movie in the future.
this book was a bit too real - it’s so emotional and the author’s note?
This book was so-so. In my opinion, It wasn’t as good as All The Bright Places. It is a story that takes place over one summer and showcases the main character and how she grows through loss and love. Through hardships with her family and finding love with a boy, she finds herself. Solid 3 stars.