Review Detail

4.6 26

Twenty Boy Summer

Young Adult Fiction 369

It's more than just a beach read

July 19, 2009

Overall rating

5.0

Plot

N/A

Characters

N/A

Writing Style

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Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Reader reviewed by Lizzy

When I picked
up this 2009 debut, I expected a fun beach read (apparently, I'm not
very good at reading the synopses of the books that I purchase). Well,
I was surprised when I realized what the subject matter of the book was
(dealing with grief, death, and first love). The story is told by Anna,
and really begins after the death of Matt, the older brother of her
best friend, Frankie. What's even more traumatizing, is the fact that
Anna has been in love with him for years, and they had just recently
started a relationship (secretly, of course).

Most of the book
takes place in California, where the girls are vacationing (which is
where the twenty boy game begins). They spend time traveling to see the
sights (San Francisco), spending the rest of the time, where else, on
the beach. I've vacationed in California, and it was surprisingly
different from the chaotic lifestyle that I'm used to on the East
Coast. Granted, it was a vacation,
but Palo Alto and La Selva Beach had a different atmosphere. Plus, I
completely geeked out that I was in the city where the Stanford Prison
Experiments took place (have I mentioned I'm a psych major?). But I
digress, it was really nice to see that the laid back atmosphere I had
experienced was able to translate to the book. I also loved how Ocklwer
was able to capture how it feelts to be a teenager, particularly how
everything seems like it's the end of the world.

The great thing about this novel is that isn't just
a beach read. It's got something special that makes people look forward
to, or reminisce about their first love. I can't wait for more from
this author. On a different note, is it just me or are the debut
authors this year amazing?

Guest #1 Reviewer

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