A review by gissellereads
Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

 This is a great summer book and all I wanted it to be. It is set in a small beach town in New Jersey and it made me want to go there. It is a coming of age story that follows three high school friends that reconnect when they are older.

I tend to like books that are more plot heavy, so I was surprised about how much I enjoyed this book that was more “quiet”. The book is about these characters lives during one summer. What makes this book special is the dynamic between Kate, Ziggy and Miles. Their friendships are rocky but its fun to follow and see them grow. These characters are struggling with adulting and haven’t we all been there? I think the way the author explored that theme was well done and it just makes you think about what makes you an adult. Aren’t we all just trying the best we can? We are never too old to keep growing up.

I’ve seen some reviews criticizing the book because they didn’t like Kate or people that didn’t relate to her. While Kate and I are different I found something in her that I emphasized with and I liked seeing her character develop throughout the story. I think many women in their 30s could see themselves in Kate in some way and that’s one of the things I liked about the book.