Twenty Boy Summer

Reader reviewed by BooksObsession

Anna and Frankie, inseparable best
friends, are looking for a summer romance while they vacation in
California.. but they're still grieving for Matt, who was Frankie's
older brother and Anna's secret boyfriend. As Anna tries to comfort
Frankie's grief, and her own, the secret of her love for Matt threatens
to destroy their friendship.

I have heard a LOT of great talk
about this book, and now I can see why. I dove right into the story,
connecting to shy and secretive Anna - the main character. I couldn't
believe this was Sarah Ockler's debut book because the writing was just
spectacular! I would've thought she had been writing books for years
and years. I could literally feel Anna's heartache and longing for Matt
throughout the book - and I'll admit that I cried a few more times than
I had expected.

Halfway through the novel, it started to wind
down a little bit for me and I wasn't sure where the story was headed.
Chapters passed, and nothing big was happening. I kept anticipating for
Anna to finally come clean and share her big secret with Frankie
already. But OH MY GOODNESS...when you hit the climax in this book it
will just shatter your heart into little bits and pieces! (Well, for me
it did anyway.) I felt so many different emotions as I ripped through
the pages, wondering what conflict would arise next. I felt frustrated
for Anna, sad, angry, lonely, happy, overwhelmed - basically I just
literally felt like I was IN the story. I love that feeling. :)

One
thing that I didn't like at all at first was the fact that Frankie and
Anna acted like virginity was nothing. That's the whole reason the book
is called, "Twenty Boy Summer." Because they plan to meet a different
boy each day that they are in California, in hopes of finding the one that Anna can give her purity to. I'm a big believer in abstinence so I didn't really like the idea.

This
is an amazing heart-touching book that you must read! I was very
content with the ending, and happy with how it all turned out in the
end. I feel like all the bits and pieces of it came together, all the
loose ends tied together, and the stray pieces completing the puzzle. 

Reader reviewed by Erica

Twenty Boy Summer
Sarah Ockler

Rating: 5 stars

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

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

This was Sarah Ockler's first novel, but all I can say is holy debut! Twenty Boy Summer was incredible! Sarah Ockler writes a touching story about tragic loss, friendship, love, and summer romance. Ockler really touched all aspects of life that are meaningful to people. Matt lingers in every conversation even when not being discussed.

Anna, the main character, was so real. Her wave of emotions were all so deep that one must wonder how Sarah Ockler wrote such a wonderful character. Throughout the entire book, I found myself feeling for Anna, especially when dealing with the grief Anna felt. As the novel went on, you could see Anna changing, starting to move on. As changes progressed, I found myself more and more drawn to Anna. Her best friend, Frankie, changed in different ways - more as a cover for that emormous pool of grief she's feeling. The two girls were so different and unique, making reading about each that much more alluring.

I absolutely loved the cover! When I first picked up the book, I had no clue what it meant, and within a few chapters I could completely connect with what the cover symbolized. That made me love the cover that much more.

I cannot wait to see what ideas Sarah Ockler comes up with next!

Reader reviewed by Sab H. (Crystal Reviews)

What a great read. After so many supernatural books in a row this was
like a summer break. It's a wonderful story. A story about friendship
and love, specially about grief and letting go. Ockler has a magic gift
when she writes. It's amazing how words seem to have sounds and
backgrounds and you're wondering around in her young world seeing
things through Anna's eyes. I feel like I felt the book more than read it. I could see every single scenario. Amazing.

It
also has this refreshing sense of humor, ironies and splendid sarcasm,
so characteristic of teen years. I laughed out loud several times
during reading and felt that sting before crying several times as well.
A beautiful debut.

Anna's character feels so real, it was hard
for me to remember it was not me. All the characters are wonderful,
specially Frankie's. Plus, the cover! I loved the cover before reading
the book, and after reading it, I think there is no other way to make
this book more perfect than with that gorgeous cover. If you like
fun/sad, growing up-romance books you shouldn't hesitate to read this
right now.

Reader reviewed by Sara

Title: Twenty Boy Summer
Author: Sarah Ockler
Publisher: Little, Brown
Date Published: 2009
Genre: Young Adult
Main Themes: Love, Friendship, Family, Grief, Secrets
Pages: 290
Plot (from book jacket):
" 'Don't worry Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it.'
'Okay.'
'Promise me? Promise me you won't say anything?'
'Don't worry.' I laughed. 'It's our little secret, right?'

According to Anna's best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie - she's already had her romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago."

Ahhhh! I devoured this book; it was simply stunning. Seriously! I hadn't heard a bad review about it, but I was hesitant. Was it too good to be true? Nope, apparently not!

The characters were so amazing in this novel - I came to love Frankie, Anna, Matt, and Sam! Anna was an awesome narrator with the perfect balance of truthfulness, wit, and sarcasm. Sam was definitely swoon worthy; I loved that he wasn't just a good looking guy Anna meets on vacation, he was smart and had depth as well.

Frankie and Anna's relationship was one of my favorite parts of the story. I think that it perfectly captured what many best friend relationships are like: there is jealousy, love, protectiveness, and a billion other emotions and feelings all wrapped together - not just happiness and sunshine.

I've been reading a lot of books where an important person in the main characters life has died (Broken Soup, Evermore, Willow,I Heart You, You Haunt Me, etc) and I really thought that those authors did well, but I really liked Sarah Ockler's depiction in particular. Twenty Boy Summer is most closely related to I Heart You, You Haunt Me (in that the boyfriend/love interest is the character that is lost), but I really liked how the author portrayed Anna's feelings and confusion. If you liked I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder, I would definitely recommend Twenty Boy Summer.

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing style: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!!)

I think it is quite obvious that I think everyone should read this book! Add this review to the rest of the stack of glowing reviews!! :) Skip the library for this one - you're going to want it on your shelf!

Reader reviewed by ReggieWrites


Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah
Ockler is UH-MA-ZING! Almost all aspects of it are flawless. Again,
there is so much to say about this book so I'm going to break it down
for you:

The Cover.
Have you seen the cover? It's so vibrant and eye-catching. The red
glass stands out above all of the other sea glass. They were extremely
significant in Twenty Boy Summer.
I loved it. The book has a lot of references to sea glass. It's pure
genius and completely original. The only thing I didn't really like was
the title. I didn't think that Twenty Boy Summer was an appropriate title, but don't judge a book by it's title!

The writing.
Ockler's writing all throughout this book was beautiful and smooth. Not
once did I find a flaw in her writing. The words just flowed, seemingly
effortless. There's no other way to explain it. Ockler described
everything with detail but it was never boring. Her writing was like
discovering everything all over again...full of wonder and awe.

The characters.
Every single character in that book was well-developed and realistic.
Even though I couldn't relate to most of the characters (because I
haven't experienced that type of love yet), I loved them all. Anna and
Frankie were my favorites. Anna was so intent on not forgetting Matt,
and on keeping her secret from Frankie, that she wasn't able to let go
yet. The way Ockler was able to depict Anna's emotions was beyond
impressive. But the character that Ockler did the best job on, was
Frankie. Ockler was able to change Frankie's character and personality
so completely. At first, I thought that the sudden change in character
was random, but as the ending neared, I was able to gain more insight
into her character, her emotions, and how she dealt with them. I was
able to understand how it really felt like to loose a sibling.
Character-developement is definitely Ockler's strength in this book.

Layers.
On the surface, this is just another chick-lit book. But underneath the
layers of flirt, angst, and love, lies the underlying message of what
it means to truly let go and what it means to truly be friends. I saw
through these layers and double meanings. This book made my heart break
and it made me laugh and smile.

The Bottom Line: Twenty Boy Summer is
an incredible debut. Reading this has made me more appreciative and
thankful for everything in my life, just a little bit more. No words
can explain it. You just have to read it yourself. Twenty Boy Summer is a book of friendship, first love, family, and ultimately, letting go. Ockler did an impeccable job. A+ :-)

Reader reviewed by Erica

Twenty Boy Summer
Sarah Ockler

Rating: 5 stars

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

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

This was Sarah Ockler's first novel, but all I can say is holy debut! Twenty Boy Summer was incredible! Sarah Ockler writes a touching story about tragic loss, friendship, love, and summer romance. Ockler really touched all aspects of life that are meaningful to people. Matt lingers in every conversation even when not being discussed.

Anna, the main character, was so real. Her wave of emotions were all so deep that one must wonder how Sarah Ockler wrote such a wonderful character. Throughout the entire book, I found myself feeling for Anna, especially when dealing with the grief Anna felt. As the novel went on, you could see Anna changing, starting to move on. As changes progressed, I found myself more and more drawn to Anna. Her best friend, Frankie, changed in different ways - more as a cover for that emormous pool of grief she's feeling. The two girls were so different and unique, making reading about each that much more alluring.

I absolutely loved the cover! When I first picked up the book, I had no clue what it meant, and within a few chapters I could completely connect with what the cover symbolized. That made me love the cover that much more.

I cannot wait to see what ideas Sarah Ockler comes up with next!

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?

Reader reviewed by Anna

One of my all-time favorite books. Although the title seems unacceptable, it's pretty much clean. This book deals with summer love, heartbreaks, secrets, and friendships being ruined: pretty much the drama of beings a teenage girl. This book is so east to relate to, and I hope this encourages you to read this amazing book.

Reader reviewed by Kristen

Anna is friends with Frankie and in love/friends with her older brother
Matt. After her birthday party, Matt kisses her and everything changes,
but they decide not to tell Frankie. Just as Matt is about to leave for
a family vacation where he plans to tell Frankie about them, he dies in
a car accident. Anna and Frankie survive and manage to cope. A year
later, they're going back to the same vacation spot, Anna in Matt's
place.

Frankie is changed though, obsessed with boys and
experienced. She plots for them to find 20 potential boys for Anna to
lose her Albatross (aka virginity) to. Anna does find a really
potential boy in a native Californian named Sam, but will she be
betraying Matt by doing anything with him?

I must say this book really surprised me. This really isn't my typical type of read, but I really fell in love with the story.

When
reading this book, I was totally immersed in Anna's character. She had
never told Frankie the secret Matt and her kept and she struggles with
it every day. I felt for both characters and well, I was completely
moved by this book. I didn't cry, but I was close. I suggest anyone
looking for a great summer read to read this book!

Reader reviewed by Kristin

Sarah Ocklers Twenty Boy Summer tells the story of Anna as she deals with the grief of the death of the guy she always loved. The thing is, after years of admiration from afar, Anna and Matt only acted on their feelings for each other a short while before his death. And did I mention that Matt happened to be Annas best friend Frankies brother and she promised him she wouldnt tell Frankie about their secret, but rather leave it to him during family vacation. A year later, their vacation is finally rescheduled so that Anna and Frankies family can try to cope with Matts death, while Anna continues to struggle with the secret she holds so dear.

In this poignant young adult novel, Ockler takes the typical beach read novel two girls and a beach and a hunt for guys and expands upon it, creating a rich story about the trials of friendship and love. While Ockler could gone further with her use of the first person narrative to really expand on Annas inner emotions, I still felt that the reader was able to pick up on and relate to Annas raw grief, confusion, and frustration. Though Twenty Boy Summer doesnt have the usual happily-ever-after ending, Ocklers ending is as uplifting as would be suitable for the story and I was thankful for its grounding in reality as I believe this contributed to the impact of the story. Beyond the text, the cover is absolutely lovely and I was pleased to find how meaningful the pieces of sea glass are. More than anything else, I felt that Ocklers Twenty Boy Summer taught the lesson of appreciating every moment you have a lesson that will resonate with every reader. 10 out of 10.