20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

20 Boy Summer

Sarah Ockler

OVERVIEW

Frankie and Ann have been best friends since they can remember. They are practically sisters, joined at the hip. Frankie has done all there is to do with boys. Anna has zero experience, hence, 20 boy summer. Vacationing in California, what’s there not to love? Beach, Boys, Summer and just plain ole fun in the sun. These girls are headed towards the Absolutely Best Summer Ever. Anna might even finally find that summer romance Frankie is dying for her to have.

From The Back Cover:

“Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores wh at it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.”

REVIEW

I don’t even know where to start. The paragraph on the back says it all, no joke. I would have never guessed that this was Sarah’s debut.

20 Boy Summer is a heartbreaking, tear jerking, mouth laughing, gush of awesomeness that told the true meaning of friendships and relations. I soo totally recommend it to all readers!

I had no problems at all getting into this book, or feeling empathy for the characters. Sarah touches on such an intense subject, death, and getting over a loved one. But she’s wound it to where you actually find yourself enjoying reading about it. I don’t know if that means I have a twisted mind but I hope not. Sarah did such a wonderful job with 20 Boy Summer, I have no trouble knowing that she has a great career ahead of her.

The plot was a great one. I don’t know if I’ve read a book with the same premise as this one before. It was definitely one of a kind. Death is not a happy topic at all, but there’s more to it than crying and grieving. 20 Boy Summer not only touched on that part, but also on the ‘getting over it’ part. How do you really know when you’re over the death of a brother, a friend, ore more specifically, a secret “boyfriend”?

Anna was such an awesome character to read about. She was very well developed and I never felt left in the dark with her. Her story of first love was very sweet, one of those we all wish to have. You know, when you know it’s the real deal. Frankie definitely grew though out the book. After that destructive car ride, she completely forgot who she was. Luckily, she has a friend like Anna to remind her of the real Frankie underneath that powered face of hers. Sam was a sweet kid. He and Anna developed a true friendship, even though it only lasted a few weeks, everyone moment they had together was real and meant a lot to them.

After finishing the book, I heart, heart, heart, this cover, even more than I did before. And it makes a lot more sense now. The heart is truly much more significant than you think. The pieces of glass represent more than you know. And you’ll just have to read the book to understand it all.