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focaccia7 's review for:
Twenty Boy Summer
by Sarah Ockler
I was torn on how to rate this book. On the one hand, I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I enjoyed reading it, but I don't see myself ever picking it up again. I didn't think the characters were as vibrant or memorable as they could be. But on the other hand, I think Ockler addressed some very important issues in a beautiful manner. I liked how Anna was not just struggling to get over her first love; she also had to deal with supporting her best friend, who she felt had more of a right to be hurt by the loss. My favorite layer was that she didn't even know what her relationship was with Matt. All of these aspects of this tragedy felt so real, poignant, and truthful that I can't help but have very high respect for this book. She takes the basic premises of a teen love story and redefines everything about it, navigating love, sex, relationships and friendship in a way I've rarely seen in teen novels. So overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it is an important YA novel, but I do wish the characters had been a bit more memorable.