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On the Island

by Tracey Garvis-Graves (Goodreads Author)

4.17 of 5 stars 4.17 · rating details · 31,449 ratings · 4,687 reviews

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he...more

Kindle Edition, 329 pages

Published June 7th 2012 by Plume (first published September 3rd 2011)

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Dec 26, 2012 Aestas Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 6-star-books

Wow. 5.5 stars!! (New review - edited after re-read)

LOVE LOVE LOVED this absolutely beautiful , unique and unforgettable story about survival and love.

Its well-written, riveting and heartfelt. The HEA ending is just perfect with an epilogue that brought the happiest tears to my eyes. I honestly don’t have one single complaint to make about the this book.

One of my top favorite reads ever!

I just finished reading it for the second time. I read it once a year ago and absolutely adored it but it w...more

115 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2012 ♡KarLynP♡ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: steam-warm, genre-contemporary, read-2012

Awesome, wow, what a great book this turned out to be! It's one of the few 'hyped' books I've read lately that really live up to the hype.

At first I really wasn't sure about it. The book description didn't sound like my cuppa, and in a way it wasn't, but the author really made this one work and made me a believer.

Seriously, don't shy away from this one! Yes, there is a whopping age difference between the H/h, with the heroine being the older of the two. 13 1/2 years actually, but by the time t...more

75 likes · like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, 2012-debuts, 2012-4-5-5-stars

4.5 stars

I was thirty years old when the seaplane T.J. Callahan and I were traveling on crash-landed in the Indian Ocean. T.J. was sixteen...

Treatment for cancer has left T.J. behind in his studies. His parents hire teacher Anna Emerson to tutor T.J. over the summer at their rental on one of the small islands off the main island of the Maldives. When the pilot suffers a fatal heart attack, the seaplane crashes into the ocean and T.J. and Anna make it to a small, uninhabited island.

To pare down...more

33 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Karla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: emotional, favorites, harsh, intense, pain, scrumptious-hero, strong-willed-heroine, sweet-romance, sweet-boy, terrific-dialogue, thought-provoking, young-adult, survivors-of-tragedy, may-december-romance

5 Stars!!Absolutely loved it!! Wow...the writing style, the characters, the storyline, the romance...everything. Once I started I could not stop. TJ was awesome and so was Anna. My goodness, how they survived and the love that developed between them, was a bond that would prove to stand the test of time. Anna was so strong and composed, and TJ, forced to become a man at young age, handled his circumstances better than most mature men could. He faced death twice by the age of 16 and I think that...more

37 likes · like · see review

Mar 01, 2013 Kris (KC) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Kris (KC) by: Amy (Foxy)

Shelves: favorites, contemporary-romance

Utterly breathtaking!

A friend of mine (Amy aka, Foxy) persuaded me to read this book and helped me through it since I was initially concerned about the subject matter. I couldn't be happier that she finally convinced me! If you are someone who, like me, tends to shy away from books involving sickness and/or tragedy, don't cross this one off your list; its focus lies on a very positive outcome and is substantially more encouraging than it is tragic.

Anna is T.J.'s tutor and agrees to attend a vac...more Utterly breathtaking!

A friend of mine (Amy aka, Foxy) persuaded me to read this book and helped me through it since I was initially concerned about the subject matter. I couldn't be happier that she finally convinced me! If you are someone who, like me, tends to shy away from books involving sickness and/or tragedy, don't cross this one off your list; its focus lies on a very positive outcome and is substantially more encouraging than it is tragic.

Anna is T.J.'s tutor and agrees to attend a vacation with T.J. and his family in order to catch him up on school work during his summer break. When their plane goes down en route, Anna and T.J. become stranded on a desolate island with limited resources for survival. Together they face hardships, fatigue, sickness, and despair...as their hope for being rescued dwindles with time. But they also experience many triumphs, large and small—and those are what powerfully remain with me.

The extent of what these characters endured was as intense as it was encouraging. My heart broke at times, rejoiced during others, and never lost hope for the fate of T.J. and Anna. I'll admit to being slightly deterred by the considerable age difference; Anna being 30 and T.J., 16 when they first meet...but do not fret! Time passes, people mature, and I can assure you that all encounters are tasteful and very much 'legal'. The ultimate bond formed through despair was solid and heartwarming.

The pacing of this story is quick and flows gracefully. The monotony of being trapped on a deserted island could tend to make a story feel like its dragging— but this author tackles this feat flawlessly. I never once became bored; in fact, I found this to be a real page turner and extremely un-put-down-able!

It's amazing how one's view of life transforms when 'surviving' becomes the sole priority. It is then that you'll find all the unnecessary worries and petty desires stripped away, leaving behind only what truly matters in life...And I loved being able to witness this extraordinary and inspiring journey of survival.

* I believe Tracey Garvis-Graves has mentioned she'd like to see these actors play T.J. and Anna in the upcoming OTI movie. Fabulous choices!*

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Oct 19, 2012 Buggy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, love-story, survival, shelf-12, top, cryin-over-u, virtual-vacation

Opening Line:"I was thirty years old when the seaplane T.J Callahan and I were travelling on crash-landed in the Indian ocean."

Gawd this left me shattered, easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s taken me ages to get a review organized because I just couldn’t figure out how to write one that would do this amazing story justice.

There were just so many things I loved about this; a survival story, a forbidden romance, a tropical desert isle location, action, suspense, (freakin shark...more Opening Line:"I was thirty years old when the seaplane T.J Callahan and I were travelling on crash-landed in the Indian ocean."

Gawd this left me shattered, easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s taken me ages to get a review organized because I just couldn’t figure out how to write one that would do this amazing story justice.

There were just so many things I loved about this; a survival story, a forbidden romance, a tropical desert isle location, action, suspense, (freakin sharks) uncertainty, heartbreak. ON THE ISLAND was unputdownable from the very first page, took me on a ride that I didn’t want to end and tugged at my heartstrings every step of the way. Anna and T.J’s story of survival and ultimately love is fascinating, well written and not one that I'll be able to forget.

Thirty year old Anna Emerson has just taken a job tutoring a wealthy family’s 16 year old son for the summer. The job takes her to the Maldives, which is perfect because her current relationship is going nowhere and she wants the time away to sort out her feelings. Anna meets up wither student in the airport where they begin the long multi connection journey together. T.J Callahan is old beyond his 16 years, having just stared cancer in the face but spending his summer vacation with his family and a tutor is the last thing he wants to do even if she is kinda hot.

On the last leg of their journey the pilot of their single engine plane suffers a heart attack and crash lands somewhere in the Indian Ocean. With Anna unconscious T.J manages to get them ashore and then their journey begins. For 3 1/2 years Anna and TJ struggle for survival on the deserted tropical island (think Tom Hanks in Castaway) armed only with only with items that wash up on the beach, a determination that they will be rescued and each other. Together they face insurmountable odds and with each year that passes their bond and dependence on each other only grows.

A lot of other reviewers have mentioned the age factor being an issue but I never had a problem with it. I felt that their relationship took a natural progression due to their circumstances. I mean they relied on each other completely and after a time rescue and the outside world would have seemed a dream. Through uncomplicated writing and an alternating 1st person POV the author really gives us a feel for both characters. This is particularly important in T.J’s case because his POV matures from boy to man, assuring the reader that there isn’t anything wrong or dirty with the romance aspect.

The survival side of their ordeal is also realistically portrayed and this is definitely one of those books that will make you stop and think; what would I have done in their situation? Would I have done anything differently? Would I have survived? Could I have bettered the situation?

Throughout I kept having flashes of The Blue Lagoon (especially during the shark scenes) which was an absolute favourite movie of mine as a teenager (Come on, Christopher Atkins romancing Brooke Shields in a loin cloth) This may have played a part into why I loved this book so much, well that and haven’t we all had the marooned on a desert isle with a hot guy fantasy at one time or another? Other influences here were Lost and as I mentioned Castaway.

This is a beautiful love story that until the very end I was never sure how it was going to play out. *Sigh* the epilogue. I want to thank everyone who recommended it to me and I’ll be doing the same Cheers.

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38 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2012 Leslie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, chicklit, romance

My goodness...what a WONDERFUL book!!

Anna Emerson is a 30 year old English teacher who is offered a job tutoring 16 year old, T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives. Almost seventeen, T.J. is in remission from cancer and now he's on his way to spend his first summer, free from radiation and chemo, with his family; along with a stack over overdue assignments. Understandably, he is not looking forward to his summer. However, Anna jumps at the chance to spend the entire summer...more

46 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2012 ♥Rachel♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ♥Rachel♥ by: Bethany

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites, kindle

I started this books thinking I'd just read a few chapters but then couldn't put it down until I finished. Wow!

Anna is a thirty-year old teacher who has accepted a tutoring job on a Maldives island over the summer. Anna is to tutor to sixteen year-old T.J., while he and his family vacation in this island paradise. Anna is more than happy to do this, she needs to get away to make a major decision in her life. Should she stay with the man who she's lived with, John, for the last seven years, or s...more I started this books thinking I'd just read a few chapters but then couldn't put it down until I finished. Wow!

Anna is a thirty-year old teacher who has accepted a tutoring job on a Maldives island over the summer. Anna is to tutor to sixteen year-old T.J., while he and his family vacation in this island paradise. Anna is more than happy to do this, she needs to get away to make a major decision in her life. Should she stay with the man who she's lived with, John, for the last seven years, or should she make a clean break? Anna is ready to get married and have children. John is not.

T.J. is almost seventeen, and three months into remission from Hodgkin's lymphoma. He's missed a lot of school because of his illness and needs to catch up over the summer. T.J. would've rather stayed at home with his friends than be on an island alone with his tutor and family for the entire summer.

Anna and T.J. are flying in together meeting the rest of the family who are already there. While en route, the pilot suffers a heart-attack and the plane goes down in the ocean stranding Anna and T.J. on a deserted island. After days and then weeks go by without any rescue, Anna and T.J. realize that they have to figure out how to survive on their own, and accept that they may never be rescued. I was totally hooked frantically turning the pages to see what happened next, thinking about what I would do in their situation, and all the things they had to do just to stay alive.

At first when I read the blurb on this book, I was a little nervous about the age difference between these characters when it seemed like there would be a romance. Then when I began reading this didn't bother me at all, partly because their relationship didn't start right away. Also, due to what T.J. had already been through in his life, he seemed mature beyond his years. Their relationship felt real, and being in this situation it would be hard not to form such a connection and bond. They relied on each other so much, for basic necessities and emotional needs too. This story was so touching. I'm a sucker for romance, as any of my friends will tell you and this one is sooo sweet!

This is a definite recommend!
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36 likes · like · see review

Nov 20, 2011 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, kindle-deals, 4-star, thought-provoking, fabulous-characters

4 to 4 1/2 stars

On the Island turned out to be a wonderful surprise for a free ebook. Amazing actually! It's engaging, thought provoking, realistic, and heartwarming. Not to mention, I fell in love with the two main characters. I highly recommend this book.

26 likes · like · see review

Apr 30, 2012 Katie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, beta-hero, contemp, audio

What a pleasant surprise! I had On The Island on my radar for a while, but was finally pushed over the edge when I saw quite a few of my GR friends were really enjoying it. I have to say I totally agree. Pay attention authors! The most important thing is creating likable characters, and this is how you do it.

After a long battle with cancer, T.J's parents have decided the entire family is going to an island for a little R and R and family QT. Because of T.J's illness he had fallen behind in his...more What a pleasant surprise! I had On The Island on my radar for a while, but was finally pushed over the edge when I saw quite a few of my GR friends were really enjoying it. I have to say I totally agree. Pay attention authors! The most important thing is creating likable characters, and this is how you do it.

After a long battle with cancer, T.J's parents have decided the entire family is going to an island for a little R and R and family QT. Because of T.J's illness he had fallen behind in his school work. Instead of making him repeat his sophomore year in high school his parents have decided to bring a tutor along on their vacation to catch T.J. up in his studies. Leaving a few days later than the family so T.J. can spend one last weekend with his friends, he and his tutor Anna are lost when the pilot of their chartered plane has a heart attack and their plane goes down in the ocean near a small deserted island. T.J. and Anna survive on the island for over three years. They make due with fish, coconuts and considerable luck with the few items that washed up onto the island in Anna's suitcase.

Anna and T.J's relationship develops slowly. I was very curious when I decided to read On the Island how the author was going to pull off a relationship forming between a 16 year old boy and a 30 year old woman. Well, she didn't. By the time T.J. and Anna actually form any kind of physical relationship T.J. is almost 19. I have to say I appreciated this. That added to the fact, when you put a teenager on an island with only one other person, who happens to be a beautiful woman, and is relying on him to assist in her survival, T.J. had to grow up real fast. These factors completely eliminated the skeeviness of a woman in her 30s sleeping with a teenager. After a point, I no longer looked at T.J. as a teenager, he was a man. I loved both Anna and T.J. I cared about what was happening them. All the while reading on the edge of my seat worried what was going to happen next to them.

I give kudos to Tracey Garvis-Graves for creating such a unique and consuming story containing characters like Anna and T.J. The editing within this Indie book was also pretty close to stellar (which is quite often a huge issue with indie books). There were a few minor things but no more than you would find in a main stream published book.

The only thing within the entire book that I would've liked spelled out a bit more detailed was the bedroom door was only cracked open a bit. I usually prefer a little more steam. But this is 100% my personal preference and takes nothing away from the overall story. I am so lucky to have been able to begin my 2012 with such a great read.

***Even better the second time around. The audio is excellent as well!
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41 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Calia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: new-adult

Before I even start my review I need to ask the most important question.....
How is this Tracey’s first book? I’m skeptical, I don’t believe it.
She writes so flawlessly.
The story was amazing!

I mean, she wrote about two people living on a island, how entertaining could that possibly be?
Turns out more than I knew.. I truly could not stop reading this book.

I read this during a nasty cold. Now thats dedication people!

T.J. is a sixteen year old, that is in remission from cancer. Anna is a 30 ye...more

75 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 ✿Alyssa✿ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review was posted at My Secret Romance

To sum it up: When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; A working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family- And a st...more

16 likes · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Lisa Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: theme-shipwrecked-stranded, genre-ya-young-adults-mature, authors-g, authors-t, xyzcover-sea-lake-water, theme-mrs-robinson, 2012-in-2012-group-challenge, m-kindle, buddy-read-nbrc, setting-maldives, all-time-favorites, xyzcover-beach, zzcover-blue

White sand beaches of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.
I’m sure Anna and T.J. wished they’d had this hammock.

★★★★½ Oh, this is a good one. I have a bookshelf entitled “mrs-robinson” that this one is placed on; however, don’t let the age difference put you off about the relationship between Anna and T.J. Their story of survival and love is a wonderful read, which goes so fast and is so engrossing it was hard for me to maintain the slower pace of my “buddy read.”

Speaking of which, I loved reading...more

29 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Abbi Glines added it · review of another edition

Fantastic book. One of my favorite romance reads… of the year. Can I say that? I mean I started reading it in 2011 and finished in 2012… so um….
Anyway it is awesome.

21 likes · like · see review

Feb 15, 2013 Bri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bri by: Jaime Arkin

Shelves: romance, chick-lit, favorites, book-boyfriends, supposed-to-make-me-swoon-boys, baby-daddy, best-of-2012-recs, 2012-favorites

Fucking Goodreads. I just spent 45 minutes typing this review and it's over capacity. CAN WE GET AN AUTO-SAVE ALREADY? JESUS.

I will try to remember everything that I said, but basically I just want to cry right now.

4.5 stars

If you're reading this review before you dive into the book, let me set your mind at ease: don't feel skeevy. I went into this book blindly, on a recommendation from my BFF. Granted, I sort of assumed it was a romance, so you can imagine my surprise and confusion when there w...more Fucking Goodreads. I just spent 45 minutes typing this review and it's over capacity. CAN WE GET AN AUTO-SAVE ALREADY? JESUS.

I will try to remember everything that I said, but basically I just want to cry right now.

4.5 stars

If you're reading this review before you dive into the book, let me set your mind at ease: don't feel skeevy. I went into this book blindly, on a recommendation from my BFF. Granted, I sort of assumed it was a romance, so you can imagine my surprise and confusion when there was a bit of an, erm, age difference between our two main characters. For the first quarter of this book, I felt so conflicted (no, they can't get together! oh, god, please let them get together... omg, what will happen if they get together?! please, lord, let them get together...).

But I sat back. I let the story evolve. I let the author take me where she wanted me to go. I watched as the characters and the plot and the timeline moved forward seamlessly, beautifully. Garvis-Graves performed miracles in her realistic progression on both the timeline and the characters. Anna was strong and grounded. She was an amazing person, and I never once felt any sort of hostility toward her. Her feelings were so easy to relate to that I found myself empathizing with her in the most wonderful and painful ways.

But who really stole the show for me was T.J. It doesn't happen very often where I fall so utterly in love with a hero in a book. He was everything you hope for in a man. Strength and conviction and sincerity and quiet passion. After not very long, it was hard seeing T.J. as anything other than a man. After having gone through so much in his short years, it wasn't hard to imagine that he was so mature, or how it could possibly work with the two of them. As Anna answered when asked if she saw him as being young, she simply said, "I just see T.J." I would quote all the lines of his I could, but I would be A) quoting everything he ever said to Anna, and B) spoiling the entire book. (view spoiler)

While the first half of this book had me turning pages left and right, I have to agree with Jenny's review in that the time could've been split more effectively. In the second half of the book, I found myself getting a little bored and wondering when the climax of the story was going to come upon us.

And when it did? Oh, God. It hurt. I knew it was coming. I knew it had to happen. But, still. The pain. I haz it.

I'm also going to agree with Jenny and say I wish there had been more detailed love scenes. I think this author could've pulled off a little Jill Shalvis and left us with more than several fade to blacks (*shakes fist at FTB*), but nothing overtly graphic.

While there were a few problems I had with this book, I'm still rounding up to 5 stars because I want this to separate itself from the other 4 star books I've rated. Anything that has my undivided attention all day and manages to make me laugh, cry and swoon multiple times is going on my favorites shelf.(less)

17 likes · like · see review

Feb 01, 2012 Lenore rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, age-difference, less-than-perfect-hh, taboo, reviewed-by-yours-truly

What a beautiful, beautiful story. I discovered it yesterday, sampled it from Amazon and then I just had to read the whole thing.

It has quite a few elements that would normally keep me away, like alternating first person POVs and a storyline (two people stuck on a deserted tropical island) that can easily lead to disastrous results but, surprisingly, the author manages to tell her story in a simple (another term that comes to mind is "unembellished") yet captivating way, turning the first person...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Yvonne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm having great luck with "new to me" authors lately! This book was fantastic and the H/h, TJ and Anna are wonderfully written. I couldn't put this book down and stayed up way too late!

This is a beautiful story about two people falling in love in the midst of trying to survive each day. I was hooked from the first page.

I highly recommend this book and I was not at all uncomfortable with the age difference.

15 likes · like · see review

Mar 18, 2012 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, adult

What a beautiful story this was.

First, off, I would like to thank my friends who have taken the time to read books like these and recommend them to me. At first glance, I had sort of bypassed the book, not thinking much of it.

After seeing that On the Island was gaining buzz on GR for being a sleeper book, I gave it a second look. The cover? Basic; nothing too impressive. The summary? It peaked my interest a little. I had a guilty fascination with movies like The Blue Lagoon and Return to the Blu...more What a beautiful story this was.

First, off, I would like to thank my friends who have taken the time to read books like these and recommend them to me. At first glance, I had sort of bypassed the book, not thinking much of it.

After seeing that On the Island was gaining buzz on GR for being a sleeper book, I gave it a second look. The cover? Basic; nothing too impressive. The summary? It peaked my interest a little. I had a guilty fascination with movies like The Blue Lagoon and Return to the Blue Lagoon back in the 80's. The idea of being stranded with a hot guy (okay...so the guy in BL was NOT hot, but we're fantasizing here...) on an island, where you get to have him all to yourself - it makes for a good story.

I even went so far as to try a couple of books out with this theme, the most recent being Nerd in Shining Armor. To say I was underwhelmed would be kind. I knew that I wanted to read about both the good and the bad that came along with being shipwrecked, planewrecked, etc. This means people are going to get sick and injured. Hygiene would not be the greatest. Pina Coladas were not going to drop from the sky. Life is probably going to suck more than anything.

Ms. Garvis-Graves did an excellent job of showing how tough life would be when thrown to the elements. I felt like I was right there on the island with Anna and T.J., experiencing the trials alongside them. The author also captivated me with her portrayal of a slow-building relationship, one that came together through mutual respect and understanding. There was nothing to feel squeamish about. After a while, you didn't even notice the almost 14 year age difference between teacher and student. This could possibly come from the slow-build, but I'd more likely accredit the fact to real-life hardships being pushed to the forefront. Survival came first. Then friendship. Then eventually more...way down the road.

By the time our pair made it off the island, the only normalcy they knew was the truth in what they were together. It was heartbreaking at times to watch this couple come to terms with their world having changed and moved on, while they stood still in another place and time.

I felt like every step of this book was written carefully and sensitively, in such a way that anyone would be able to relate in one form or another. Even if you're not particularly into May/December romances, you might be able to find something real in this particular relationship. Simply put, there is beauty to be found in most everything, if only you would take the time to look for it.

This just made me smile :

"What's it like being with her? Is it true what they say about older chicks?"
"She's not that much older."
"Uh, okay. So anyway, how is it?"
"It's incredible."
"What's she do?"
"She does everything, Ben."(less)

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Jan 25, 2013 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* by: 5-Star Reviews from Goodreads Friends

Shelves: 2012-releases, romance-contemporary, favourites, owned-read, read-2013

5 Stars!!! - Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Den

WOW. SO DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED! Beautiful, real and moving.

It’s been a long while since I finished a book the same day I started it, but I did with this. I couldn’t put On the Island down! Even though I was meant to be doing work at home this past weekend. I was THAT hooked!!!

Sometime last year, I saw many 5-Star reviews for this book, and I added it, just waiting for the right time for when I was in the mood for a Blue Lagoon type of sto...more

36 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 Akanksha ❤ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite

I started this book thinking 'Ah, seems like a weird book with a huge age gap beween the main leads and the story seems like its going to be dragged' Holy hell, how wrong was I.
God fucking knows why I haven't read this book when I've had it since like Aug!! I feel like kicking myself, HARD!!

Author, I love you and I've got only one thing to say to you
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^ ^ ^ I was like this after finishing the book. ^ ^ ^

I AM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK
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Totally touch me to the core
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My eyes should really stop leaki...more

20 likes · like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 HJ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Re-read in June 2012, originally read in January, 2012:

This is my review from Amazon, but first, I'd like to emphasize that the romance in this story, despite the significant age gap of the characters, happens after the age of consent has been reached. BTW - this is also my first Goodreads review. So...

I read this book based on a recommendation from an Amazon forum. Lately, I have been in the habit of bypassing self-pubbed books due to the remarkable inconsistency of quality. Thank goodness I di...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Belkis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: love-most-ever, 0-audios-done

I'm so in love right now! Just pure unadulterated love for this book. I'm completely satisfied to the rim. Finished reading this really late and went to bed with a huge grin on my face. Woke up and the minute I remembered this wonderful book the silly satisfied grin was plastered back on my face and I spent the day on and off basically daydreaming snippets of it keeping myself giddy all day. I think I'm just going to have to go right back and reread it! This book felt like a testament to human r...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Mimi Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 stars

If it hadn't been for my GR friends I never would have picked this book up for 2 reasons:

1)I've never enjoyed survival, on a deserted island story. This traces back to my Robinson Crusoe experience, since at 11 I found the book hopelessly dull.

2)The older woman-almost underage guy thing. It's not that I have a problem with the heroine being older, but when he's 16-18, it's a big difference. Yes, the physical relationship only began when he was almost 19, but it's not something I looked f...more

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May 19, 2012 Alexis ~*Too many books, not enough time*~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: To All Book Lovers

Shelves: boy_meets_girl_girl_meets_boy, bestofthebest, contemporary_romance, danger, discovery, emotional-read, first_comes_love_then-_comes_marria, funfearless-andfemale, heart_pounding_moments, his-her-pov, jealousy, mar-apr2012, rescued, self_discovery, tragedy-tragic, strong_female_lead, all-time-faves, authors_to_lookout_for, hea-included, her_-pov, may-december-romance, kleenex-required, a-must-read, unputdownable, unexpected-twist, keep-u-up-all-night

Spoiler Free Review
5 STARS
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!

-I had every reason to dress up. Dinner was always special when you killed it, instead of the other way around. -Inner thoughts of Anna On The Island

This is a story about Survival, Love and Purpose. T.J. is 16 he has just finished a bout with lymphoma. Its the summertime and his parents want to wisk him away to a tropical vacation. The problem is TJ just wants to spend the summer with his friends. When he stays behind instead of catching his...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Kay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads, contemporary, faves-highly-recommend

Re-read 07/08/12:
I couldn't make up my mind on what to read last night. So, I decided to read this book again and it is just as good the 2nd time around *sigh*

01/26/12 Review:
Wow!! This was a wonderful book and I read it in a matter of hours. I couldn't put it down. The first few chapters instantly pulled me into the story as I followed T.J. and Anna's POVs through their experiences on the island and off. The love was beautiful and I didn't have any sort of weird cradle robbing feelings at all....more

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Feb 13, 2013 Jaime Arkin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: have-this, ebook-format, recommend-forever, stand-alone-books, swoony-boys, will-be-rereading, 5-starers, favorites, don-t-even-ask-just-read-it, reading-again, romance, contemporary, on-my-real-shelves

I absolutely loved this book.

We first meet thirty year old Anna Emerson as she is being dropped at the airport by her boyfriend of 8 eight years. A teacher, she's decided to take a tutoring position with a family that will take her to the Maldive Islands for the summer. She's hoping to use the time to make some major life decisions... see, she's ready to take the next step with her boyfriend, marriage and children, but he's not.

Sixteen year old T.J. Callahan missed his last year of school due...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Ren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to Ren by: Join the reading games

Shelves: 5-stars, contemporary-romance, family-theme, favorite, there-are-hot-men, wow-fantastic-baby, almost-weep-when-read-this, best-cover-at-series, e-books, friend-turn-to-lover, long-age-gap, read-2013, reccomended-to-translated, tower-team-b-reading-challenge, top-read-2013

For all my Goodreads friends who had read this and give it 5 stars..

Shame on you guys, not pushing me hard enough to read this ASAP, because I just found that On The Island is SOOOO GREAT!!

I don't mind with the long age gap between T.J. and Anna, since well, it's still acceptable. Do that age gap make Anna is cougar, to fall in love with T.J? Nope. I see why the author fast forward their time on the island to 3,5 years, because she want to show how T.J become a mature and responsible adult man....more For all my Goodreads friends who had read this and give it 5 stars..

Shame on you guys, not pushing me hard enough to read this ASAP, because I just found that On The Island is SOOOO GREAT!!

I don't mind with the long age gap between T.J. and Anna, since well, it's still acceptable. Do that age gap make Anna is cougar, to fall in love with T.J? Nope. I see why the author fast forward their time on the island to 3,5 years, because she want to show how T.J become a mature and responsible adult man. How he's finally fit when he start his relationship with Anna. Do their love is a crime? Nope. Their love is beautifully written actually. I almost cry when reading about their fight to survive on the island. And how, after they got rescued, the problem still not end yet. There, in the modern civilitization, people will not accept their love and relationship. People will see them as weird, some see with disgust. But T.J and Anna are strong. They will not let people to judge them and the time on the island had shaped them to be a better person.

I really love T.J. voice and glad Anna don't fall into TSTL heroine. Duuudee, she is so mature. Even she also has her own problem, T.J. always come first. Her fear for become older than T.J. and doesn't fit into his world, also understable. And of course T.J. have the same problem. I love the time when they had stranded on the island, but I also sad when read it. How they are rely to each other, encourage to each other, to not give up even it took 3,5 years for them to come home.

And the mention of tsunami in Indonesia make my heart hurt. I'm not there when it happen, but the disaster affect us all. I still have tears on my eyes when re-watch the report about it.

I wonder what category this book fit. Some categorized it into New Adult (which I never understand what the meaning of it). I will categorize this into contemporary romance. On the Island more like Castaway or Life of Pi (nooo, not them met FSoG!! On the Island is way way BETTER than FSOG!) but with romance. There's some coincidence with what happened to them on the island. Sometimes is not logical, sometimes I ask about it over and over. Then I stop thinking and just reading until the end. Finish it with a happy smile on my face. Happy for T.J. and Anna.

No matter what how hard your life can be, whether you stranded on the uninhibited island, whether you just have problem in your life, it is always grateful to have someone beside you. To rely, to encourage. To not give up.(less)

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Dec 30, 2012 Crista rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, kindle, contemporary, favorites, tortured-heroes, tear-jerkers, tortured-heroines

Re-read 12/27/12. This one gets my vote for favorite book of 2012 and the re-read just solidified my feelings! Awesome love story!

What an inspiring story of survival and beating seemingly insurmountable odds. This book joins very few others on my "up-all-night-to-finish" shelf. This speaks for itself, as I highly value my sleep!

On the Island is told in first person narrative, alternating chapters between Anna and T.J.'s perspectives. I love this writing technique. The reader is given the gift of...more Re-read 12/27/12. This one gets my vote for favorite book of 2012 and the re-read just solidified my feelings! Awesome love story!

What an inspiring story of survival and beating seemingly insurmountable odds. This book joins very few others on my "up-all-night-to-finish" shelf. This speaks for itself, as I highly value my sleep!

On the Island is told in first person narrative, alternating chapters between Anna and T.J.'s perspectives. I love this writing technique. The reader is given the gift of understanding both Anna and T.J's perspectives, motivations, and feelings about a multitude of things. Another book that I love that does this brilliantly is Perfect Chemistry. Both books illustrate just how effective this writing technique can be.

When this story opens, we learn that 30 year old Anna has been hired to tutor 16 year old T.J. Newly in remission from cancer, T.J. has missed a lot of school due to extended hospital stays. Anna and T.J. are both boarding a private plane that is to take them to meet T.J'S family for the summer. The age difference was almost a deal breaker for me. At the beginning of the book, the idea of Anna and T.J. being in a relationship had a serious "ick" factor for me. I am pleased to say that after finishing this book, if I was asked about whether the age difference bothered me, my response would be NOT. AT. ALL.! T.J. and Anna depend on one another for survival and are on the island together alone for YEARS. The relationship gradually evolves over an extended amount of time and it absolutely felt natural, "right", and appropriate considering their circumstance.

I love the movies "Castaway" and "Return to the Blue Lagoon", and this book is definitely in that same vein. Anna and T.J. battle thirst, hunger, lack of shelter, disease, and animal predators in the time they are on the island. I loved seeing their resourcefulness and the will to survive they both possessed.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about this book. I cared for these characters and this book held my complete interest and has occupied my thoughts long after the last page was turned. Anna and T.J's love and devotion for one another was all consuming, and I feel blessed to have "experienced" this book.

(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Arlene by: A Tale of Many Reviews Blog Tour

Shelves: adult, read-2012, favorites

Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars

Love love loved this book!!

I did not expect to feel this passionate about On the Island going into this read. I was planning to just breeze through a summer-y type book with mild interest. Well, that surely didn’t happen here! On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves was amazing! It’s one of those books that render you useless the entire time you’re lost in the pages. I wanted to give it all of my attention because it definitely captured all of my heart.

In this novel,...more Rating Clarification: 4.5 Stars

Love love loved this book!!

I did not expect to feel this passionate about On the Island going into this read. I was planning to just breeze through a summer-y type book with mild interest. Well, that surely didn’t happen here! On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves was amazing! It’s one of those books that render you useless the entire time you’re lost in the pages. I wanted to give it all of my attention because it definitely captured all of my heart.

In this novel, Anna takes a tutoring job for the summer where she’ll be helping sixteen year old T.J. catch up with his school work after falling behind due to an illness. They’re slated to catch up with his family at a vacation spot and board a charter plane toward Maldives, but an unexpected accident leaves them stranded on one of the twelve hundred small islands in a vast area. Their struggle to survive and obtain food, water and shelter is not the only challenge they face. After what seems like an endless and hopeless wait for a rescue, which spans from months into years, these two people begin to battle the feelings they develop for one another despite the thirteen year age difference.

This was such a powerful story that was told in multiple perspectives between Anna and T.J. I’ve seen many authors struggle in making alternating POVs work for their story, but Tracey executed this narrative style with perfection. I could vividly imagine what Anna and T.J. had to overcome physically, emotionally and psychologically throughout this ordeal. My heart went through a wide range of emotions for these two including hope, despair, happiness and oh so much angst.

Graves did a masterful job of pacing this story and it never felt rushed in any way considering it took into account a multiple year ordeal. I’m always on the fence about epilogues, and I’ve even gone so far as removing a star or two for epilogue misuse. Not in this case. I wanted to add a few stars because Tracey’s ability to catapult us into these characters’ future provided the perfect closure to this journey.

What I love most about this book is that it started off as a self-published novel and worked its way up from there solely based on great storytelling. Hats off to Tracy Garvis Graves for writing such a spectacular book about survival and hope that gained traction by word of mouth and exploded into the success it is today. Beautiful book that I hear is now being optioned for a movie… I’ll be buying a ticket to that show and that’s for sure! Once again… Loved it!

**This review can be found at WinterHaven Books.**(less)

18 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Kristalia marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: new-adult, buddy-reads

Buddy read with my darlings Nab & Basuhi & Pavlina, AND NEW TO THE GROUP: AWESOMENESS ALERT: Jerry aka 9 3/4 and probably Monisha somewhere in the summer break :)
Date: yet, unknown, but possible in july :)

10 likes · like · see review

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About Tracey Garvis-Graves

Tracey Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky sense of humor to write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You can e-mail her at traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to h...more

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Quotes from On the Island

“I don't fit in your world."
"Neither do I," he said, his expression tender yet resolute. "So let's make our own. We've done it before.” — 168 people liked it

“[T.J.] I pulled my arms out from underneath her body and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I love you, Anna.”
The surprised look on her face told me she hadn’t seen that coming.
“You weren’t supposed to fall in love,” she whispered.
“Well, I did,” I said, looking into her eyes. “I’ve been in love with you for months. I’m telling you now because I think you love me too, Anna. You just don’t think you’re supposed to. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. I can wait.” I pulled her mouth down to mine and kissed her and when it ended, I smiled and said, “Happy birthday.” — 120 people liked it

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