Review Detail

Nessa and Jacie have been friends since kindergarten. When they both have had a terrible year, they decide to take up Jacie’s aunt’s invitation to stay with her at her home on the Jersey Shore. Jacie and Nessa plan to live summer to the fullest before they begin their senior year of high school .
On the surface, ‘Corner of Ocean and Bay’ seams like a fun summer beach read. This novel does touch on the fun, carefree, lifestyle of teens on vacation. However, Azzi takes it a step further and explores some of the harsh realities of being young.
While Nessa is the ‘good girl’ and Jacie is the wild one, both girls have their own ups and downs.
Jacie and Nessa handle their romantic relationships in very different ways. Nessa takes the slow approach with the new boy she meets while Jacie jumps into a new relationship impulsively. Although I can’t really delve into both Jacie and Nessa’s romantic interests without spoiling the plot, I will say Jacie heads off in a dangerous direction.
I really loved both Jacie and Nessa, although I kept thinking that Nessa was a little too good. There were even times that I wondered how two such different people could be best friends. Their personalities do complement each other and helped push the story along. I liked Jacie’s aunt and Nessa’s crazy drunk mother but I found Jacie’s parents to be irritatingly complacent. They just seem to let Jayce do what ever she wants.
‘Corner of Ocean and Bay’ is a really good mix of summer fun (laying on the beach, surfing, and parties). It is, however, deeper than the usual beach read. While the story is not over the top steamy, I will warn readers that there are many big trigger points.

‘Corner of Ocean and Bay’ did not disappoint . I just loved this one all the way through and the end just blew me away. This is a great young adult novel that highlights the fact that life isn’t perfect and there can be negative consequences for the decisions you make.