Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

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.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer. (summary by Goodreads)

This book perfectly portrays grief and what it truly means to lose someone. I was crying within the first fifty pages. This book also displays what defines us and how e can move on when something so tragic and devastating has happened. 

One of the things I loved most about this book was the writing and descriptions. I felt like I was really there with Anna, experiencing her grief. I really understood why Frankie was acting so awful most of the time. There were some lines that were just so poetic, gorgeous, and beautiful.

The only thing that I did not like about this book was that it seemed like Anna totally forgot about Matt once she started hanging out with Sam all the time.

Overall, this was a phenomenal book. It may be one of the best contemporaries I have ever read

Favorite Quotes (to demonstrate how truly amazing this book was)

Like the stars, fading with the halo of the vanishing moon. Like the ocean, falling and whispering against the shore. Nothing ever really goes away - it just changes into something else. Something beautiful.

Every story is part of a whole, entire life, you know? Happy and sad and tragic and whatever, but an entire life. And books let you know them.

Rating

A definite 5 out of 5 stars