Island Girls (And Boys) by Rachel Hawthorne

Pages: 336

Publisher: Avon

Age Group: Young Adult

Challenges: N/A

Release Date: June 1, 2005

Date: July 4
Rental type: 2-person sailboat
Rented by: Jen Taylor and Dylan Nelson
Rental time: 8:15 p.m.
Destination: Out to sea!
Life jackets: 2 
Time back: ??? Don't wait up!

Stars: 4.5/5

Cover: B+

Plot:

I bought this book while in San Diego so that I would have a nice, summery, fluff read. I honestly didn't expect the book to be anything special, and let me tell you, I was extremely surprised. The story started off strong, and right away, I was swept up into the pages. 

It was an easy read, and only took me a day, but it was very eventful. I especially liked the plot in this book because it wasn't just about one thing --- Jen had to deal with her extremely annoying best friend, Chelsea (more on that later), keeping her grandparents' house in one piece, while also falling for a boy camping on the island. 

All-in-all, the book was very fast-paced and a very enjoyable read. :)

Characters:

Jen was a fun MC. She was easy to relate to, and overall, I thought she made rational decisions and wasn't overly annoying.

Speaking of overly annoying, let's talk about Jen's friend, Chelsea. I absolutely HATED her. She was irritating, bossy, childish, she put her loser of a boyfriend before her friends, and she just rubbed me the wrong way. Now, that's not to say I didn't completely admire Jen and their other friend/roommate, Amy, for putting up with her. 

Writing:

As I mentioned before, Island Girls (And Boys) was extremely fast paced. It didn't have any dull spots in the plot, and I was constantly wanting to read on to find out what would happen next in the book. 

Ending:

The ending is cute! I thought I knew what was going to happen, and then I went back on my prediction, and then I changed my prediction . . . I like that about this book. I thought it would be completely cliche, but it kept me guessing a little bit.

Cover:

I think the cover is what stopped me from having any good expectations for it in the first place! It's not really enticing, and kind of seems a little childish. on a brighter note, it's cute, and it attracts people looking for a summer read (Exhibit A: me).

The Final Verdict:

I've never read any of Rachel Hawthorne's books before, but after reading Island Girls (And Boys) I will definitely be checking them out!

I recommend this book for anyone who wants a taste of summer and a quick, romantic read.

FTC: Bought