Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler- Review

Reviewed by: Aneeqah's Not So Real Life
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Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Genres: Contemporary
Release Date: June 1,2009
Source: Library
My Review:

In this story, we meet Anna. Her best friend is Frankie. Her other best friend was Matt. But they were becoming something more. And then he dies. This book is about Anna, a year after Matt's death, going on a trip with Frankie's family to California. They all are still trying to cope with Matt's death. So Frankie plans a game. They meet 20 boys in 20 days, and maybe Anna can finally have her romance. But Anna's heart is still broken from Matt, and here's the thing- Frankie never knew about Anna's budding relationship with Matt- because he died before he could tell her.

This is one of those books where my heart just ached, especially towards the end. By the end of the book, I was so attached to the characters. I really felt for Anna, Frankie, and Aunt Jayne. I wanted them to find their "Happily Ever After" and to move on. I was totally rooting for them, which is not something that I usually do with books. I really felt all the characters, which was amazing. They felt so real.

I also liked how not everything went as planned. Not everything you plan for a vacation actually happens, in real life. And that's how it was in the book, too, which added an even more realistic feel to the book. Not everything was perfect.

Also, the cover makes sense in the story. Yes, it's gorgeous, and that was definitely one of the reasons that I wanted to read it [because, you know, I absolutely love pretty covers!]. But after finishing the story, it totally makes sense. It's so well-thought out and fits well with the story. It's not a random girl in a dress, which most book covers are right now... So it's pretty, and it works with the book. Perfection.

However, there were some small things that I didn't like. For one, it's been a year since Matt's death. And it seems like it happened yesterday. Everyone is still depressed, crying, and everything. Shouldn't they have moved on? I've observed that it takes less than a year to accept death. Crying a little bit makes sense, but not full-out bawling all the time. Remember him, but try to move on.

There were a few other tiny things that I didn't like, but they're kinda spoilerish, so I'll just leave it at that. Overall though, it was a cute, heart-warming contemporary read.







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