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Twenty Boy Summer

by Sarah Ockler (Goodreads Author)

3.97 · rating details · 6,471 ratings · 1,072 reviews

"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 Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer ...more

Hardcover, 290 pages

Published June 1st 2009 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Jan 10, 2011

Arlene rated it

Recommended to Arlene by: TBR Reduction Challenge #1 - Flannery

Shelves: read-2011, ya-contemporary

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.

Don’t know why I put off reading Twenty Boy Summer for so long, but I’m very glad I was challenged to read this book sooner than later. I really.really.really enjoyed this story! It has all the ingredients of a well-written and perfectly plotted YA contemporary novel, and I ...more

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Sep 11, 2010

Nic rated it

Recommends it for: Older young adults, adults

Shelves: 2010, favourites, realistic-fiction, romance-awww, young-adult

Nothing ever really goes away - it just changes into something else. Something beautiful.

Don’t let the light and fluffy title of this book deceive you. This book will make you cry, break your heart and then fill it up with hope again.

Twenty Boy Summer is an unforgettable story about friendships, love, loss, and finding the courage to let go. This book was an emotional roller coaster ride, it made me smile one moment, cry the next, smile some more, cry again but at...more

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Oct 08, 2010

Janina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, summer-books, suicide-death-loss, covers-i-love, books-i-own, read-in-2010, made-me-cry, contemporary, unputdownable, books-i-won-t-forget

I have been waiting to read this book for ages, and although it wasn't quite as fantastic as I had counted on (maybe my high expectations are to blame?), it was definitely a great read that I would recommend to everybody interested in the genre.

I think this book is one of the books that has made me cry the most while reading it.
Having read the plot summary, this was to be expected.
Anna, Frankie and Matt have been neighbours and close friends since childhood. Anna has had a c...moreI have been waiting to read this book for ages, and although it wasn't quite as fantastic as I had counted on (maybe my high expectations are to blame?), it was definitely a great read that I would recommend to everybody interested in the genre.

I think this book is one of the books that has made me cry the most while reading it.
Having read the plot summary, this was to be expected.
Anna, Frankie and Matt have been neighbours and close friends since childhood. Anna has had a crush on Matt for almost as long as that. On her 15th birthday, all her wishes finally come true. They kiss. Most YA novels would probably end here: The heroine gets her dream boy and they live happily ever after … but not in this case. Shortly after their first kiss, Matt dies unexpectedly and leaves Anna alone with their secret and a grief that she can't really express, especially not around his sister and her best friend, Frankie.
Twenty Boy Summer takes place one year after the tragic incident. Anna spends her summer with Frankie and her family at their beach house in California. The emotions surrounding Matt's death are still raw, and with memories of earlier, happier summers resurfacing, it is hard to find closure.

This situation is the starting point for a sometimes sad, sometimes funny, emotionally intense and beautifully crafted story about love and loss, friendship and family, but first and foremost about moving on and and letting go.

While both Anna and Frankie are relatable, realistic and fully fleshed out, I wish I could say the same about the secondary characters. Especially Anna's love interest remains pale concerning the important role he plays and their relationship didn't feel that special to me. Also, while the issues revolving around Frankie's parents are picked up in the beginning, they are never fully explored. I certainly agree that a book doesn't have to bring closure in every possible sense, but this situation seemed fairly important to me. Often times, the scenes when Anna and Frankie are out together with them are partially glossed over and almost always labelled boring. They are something to get over with, where you pretend to have fun, and then run out to meet the boys as soon as possible. I really wished the book would have shown more growth in this relationship.
Additionally, the girls' frequent sneaking out and never getting caught began to grind on my nerves towards the end. I have a hard time imagining that parents really are that clueless and uninterested in their daughter’s whereabouts.

Nevertheless, Twenty Boy Summer is a book that will stay on my mind not only for the emotional ride it took me on, but also because it clearly is more than the cute and light beach read its cover suggests.

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Oct 26, 2011

Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it

Shelves: conflicted-thoughts, fast-paced-and-engrossing, crushing-on-the-cover

Rating: 3.5

“Don't move, Anna Reiley. Right now, everything is perfect.”

When the boy you love is the brother of your best friend, things tend to get a tad complicated. In Anna's case, the moment Matt kisses her, she knows without a doubt that he's "the one". Anna is overjoyed but Matt wants to wait before he tells his sister, Frankie. The three have always been a trio of sorts, and he fears revealing their relationship too soon could be too much for her.

G...more

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Jun 01, 2011

Jude Henderson rated it

Shelves: favorites, in-my-shelf, my-favorites

http://inbetweenwritingandreading.blogsp...

It shattered my heart to pieces, It gave me the deepest wounds, It made me stronger than ever, And it put me back together. Those are the words I have to say about this book.

At first, when I bought the book, I really didn’t know what I was getting into, I mean, 20 boys? One each day? I thought it would be a simple comedy and a fun read for the summer. How wrong I was.

Twenty Boy Summer follows Anna through her summer, where ...more

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Nov 24, 2011

Stacia ~ platonic rated it

Shelves: young-adult

2.5 stars. The beginning and end of the book were great to read and a solid 4 stars. Most of the middle part of the book was 1 star. I'm not sure what else to say. I zipped through the book fairly quickly and liked the idea for the story, but think I wanted more out of the actual vacation and "20 boy challenge" than what was given. There really weren't 20 boys (heck, not even 10!), so the title was extremely misleading.

Mildish spoilers ahead :

What I liked :
...more

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May 29, 2009

Kristi (The Story Siren) added it

Shelves: own-arc, books-i-own

First off, let me just say that I LOVE the cover for this book! And I love that the book has all these references to sea glass, just like the awesomely beautiful cover. Genius!

And the pages between the fantastic cover are just as awesome. This was undeniably one of my most favorite debut novels this year. Anna and Frankie were phenomenal characters. I totally understood Anna, I got her right away, but it took me the entire novel to finally get Frankie. Incredible. Ockler's depictio...more

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Nov 09, 2011

Stephanie rated it

Shelves: 50-book-2011, romance, coming-of-age, death, favorites, young-adult

34 years ago my brother died in a car accident, I was a little over a year old, he was three. I don't remember much about him, save one strange memory of him standing outside the car entertaining me while my mom pumps and pays for gas. I recall the car, the sun sparkling off of the metal on the window and the smell of the summer day mingling with the smell of the gasoline. And, of course, I have the stories, of how he called me Finnie Shell for Stephanie Michelle, how he would chase me around t...more34 years ago my brother died in a car accident, I was a little over a year old, he was three. I don't remember much about him, save one strange memory of him standing outside the car entertaining me while my mom pumps and pays for gas. I recall the car, the sun sparkling off of the metal on the window and the smell of the summer day mingling with the smell of the gasoline. And, of course, I have the stories, of how he called me Finnie Shell for Stephanie Michelle, how he would chase me around the house, how he could make me laugh...it hurts that I only have these stories and not their memories.

2 years ago I gave birth to a tiny person, I was a little over 33 years old, she was a surprise. I remember everything about the night I found out I was pregnant, everything about the day the doctor confirmed it, showing us the ultrasound of our little girl already 5 months in the making and every moment anxiously awaiting her arrival. And, of course, I have the stories, of how she calls me Mommy and Mom and sometimes Mommy Stephanie, how she comes to school with me on Saturday Publication work days, how she makes me laugh...it hurts to realize I used to think my life was complete without her.

It's these two people, the brother I never knew and the person I didn't know who could make me, well, a better me, that I think about when I think about Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.

This book has so much in it and it speaks honestly about love, friendship, family and what it means to grieve the loss of a loved one.

I am more than willing to believe that when you are still grieving the loss of someone you truly love that having sex for the first time helps to heal the wound, that blocking it out and drinking and pretending to have sexual exploits makes it a little easier to be alive and that when your child dies a piece of you dies and living doesn't even seem possible. I believe that each of the characters in this book acts how people act when their hearts hurt so much they can't feel it.

I like that the parents and other grown-ups in this book are ancillary to the true narrative. I do not mind that the girls sneak out of the house to hang out with boys, go to a party by lying and making up imaginary girl friends. I believe that grieving parents who are just as lost as their still alive children, in this case the very lost Frankie, don't know how to act or how to feel, I believe they ignore and believe what they want to believe. Here's what I don't like, here's the part that makes me sad and here's the part that I hope makes me a better parent...neither of the girls talk to their parents about how they feel and I believe Anna's parents, would listen and trying to help. While I don't need to know everything that my daughter is doing or will do I hope that she knows that she can always talk to me and she can always share her most personal thoughts with me. I hope that she knows that I love her no matter what.

Everything in this book is real and honest and tender and I wouldn't change a single word of it.

My niece is reading this book right now and I know that I'm going to make sure this book finds its way into the hands of my daughter and then we can have a talk about love and friendship and when it's appropriate to have sex and I hope that while I am not her peer she sees me as someone to go to when she needs to do so.

While I write this my daughter is singing "Happy Birthday to Mommy", it isn't my birthday until next May, but it sure feels like a celebration.

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Aug 21, 2011

Emily rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-favourites, best-of-ya, books-that-linger, favourites, prose-envy, rainy-day-reads, read-in-2011, swoon

Sometimes when I'm with him, something will remind me of Matt. A shooting star, the smell of someone's shampoo, a long laugh, a turn of phrase from someone passing by along the shore. When it happens, I close my eyes, count to ten, and will him to go away. To give me back my memories so that something as simple as a song floating out from behind a bonfire doesn't bring me all the way back to him every time.

It was hard to choose just one quote to start my (gushing) review of Twenty B...more

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Sep 15, 2011

Kathy rated it

When the same Republic, Missouri school district that banned Slaughterhouse Five banned this book, I figured it must be good and picked it up at the library (yep, sleepy conservative little Florence, Alabama has it in their library, that's how shockingly outside the realm of decency it is).

What I found was a solid 3.5 YA read. Anna goes on vacation with her best friend, Frankie's family, while they all mourn the loss of Frankie's brother, Matt. The big secret is that Matt and Ann...more

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Jul 02, 2011

Susie rated it

There were many flashes of excellent writing in this book (very good for a debut novel), and overall, the plot is not bad. It's just that it could have used some editing. I understand a bit about grief, but that doesn't mean I want to read a LOT about it.

There were a couple of things I wondered about; the girls had already made a trip to Alcatraz, so why did they seem so surprised at the chaos of San Francisco? You can't get to Alcatraz without being on the wharf.

Ockler ...more

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Jun 15, 2011

Jasprit rated it

Shelves: read-in-2011

3.5/4 stars

Twenty Boy Summer is the story of two best friends Anna and Frankie. They’ve practically grown up together and share everything with one another. Except for the fact that Anna has always been in love with Frankie’s brother Matt, just when Matt and Anna finally admitted their feelings for one another and were getting to spend more time with each other Matt tragically passed away. They had always planned to tell Frankie, but they just didn’t get the time. Now a year later wi...more3.5/4 stars

Twenty Boy Summer is the story of two best friends Anna and Frankie. They’ve practically grown up together and share everything with one another. Except for the fact that Anna has always been in love with Frankie’s brother Matt, just when Matt and Anna finally admitted their feelings for one another and were getting to spend more time with each other Matt tragically passed away. They had always planned to tell Frankie, but they just didn’t get the time. Now a year later with everyone still recovering from Matt’s unexpected death Anna agrees to go on holiday with Frankie’s family to California, a yearly family trip which for the first time Frankie’s family are making without Matt. Frankie who keeps telling everyone she is okay convinces Anna to have a twenty boy contest with her; in the 20 days they will spend in California they will try to get with 20 different guys, whoever gets with the most will win. This is where Anna faces a dilemma, she wants to keep Frankie happy and she can do this by taking part in the contest, but taking part in the contest also makes her feel guilty; as getting with other guys will mean forgetting Matt.

Twenty Boy Summer was beautifully written, Ockler did a brilliant job illustrating how hard it can be to lose somebody you love, to go through the grieving process and then finally reach the turning point where you can live your life, and that doing something which makes you happy doesn’t mean you’ve forgotten or don’t care about that loved one just that you’ve finally learnt how to cope better without that person being around anymore. It was such a moving read.

For me Twenty Boy Summer was a perfect summer read it left me longing for the summer where you can just spend a day lounging around on the beach with a great book in your hands!

Thank you Emily for giving me your copy!! :)

Memorable quote;

"Anna what's the number one coolest thing you've ever seen in
your life?"...
"It's always been the ocean. But I'm thinking about changing my
answer"
He didn't say anything after that. He just looked at my eyes for
a long, long time, missing all the stars above us until it was too light to see them anyway.(less)

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Mar 21, 2010

Daisy added it

After reading Sarah Ockler’s “Twenty Boy Summer,” I feel like I’m 16 again, sunning on the beach, about to embark on an epic summer romance. OK, I’m definitely not 16, not even close, but my point is Ockler’s writing is so transportive I dare anyone to read her debut novel and not think they’re on a beach. I could literally smell coconut oil and pineapple shakes and salty sea air while reading. Summer and its attendant romances are infused in every single page of this simultaneously heartbreakin...more

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Jul 04, 2009

Natasha rated it

Shelves: stand-outs

SUPER SPOILER.

AH!
I was about 20 pages into a new book when this came in the mail, a few days late but still.
I saw the package, tore it open and examined. I thought the heart on the cover was made of paper bits, but as it turns out, it was glass shards.
So I read the inside flap. And just like that, I completely forgot the storyline inside those other 20 pages. I plunked myself down on my bed and started reading.

This book left me with a heart wrenching fe...more

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Mar 16, 2009

Laura rated it

Shelves: mt-bookpile-2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wanted so much to like this book and instead was vaguely disappointed by the lack of depth and inner dialogue at several critical points.

This is the story of three friends, Anna, Frankie and Matt (Frankie and Matt are siblings, Anna is the girl-next-door), and how Matt's death changes things. Just before he died, Anna and Matt had started a clandestine relationship while Matt waited for the right moment to tell Frankie. After his death, Anna keeps it all to her self, writing le...moreI wanted so much to like this book and instead was vaguely disappointed by the lack of depth and inner dialogue at several critical points.

This is the story of three friends, Anna, Frankie and Matt (Frankie and Matt are siblings, Anna is the girl-next-door), and how Matt's death changes things. Just before he died, Anna and Matt had started a clandestine relationship while Matt waited for the right moment to tell Frankie. After his death, Anna keeps it all to her self, writing letters/journal entries and "talking" to him, while outwardly portraying her grief as that of best-friend-to-sister-of-Matt.

Matt's death wasn't due to carelessness, drunk driving, or anything "teachable": he had a heart defect and was unlucky enough to be driving (with Anna and Frankie) at the time. This was one of those could have happened anywhere/any time events, and so is glossed over. The majority of the book takes place a year later, as his family heads to California for their annual vacation and Anna comes along to help Frankie get over her grief.

You see glimpses of what Frankie's going through (dressing more provocatively, smoking, grades going down, acting out) but you never really get a sense of what Anna thinks about this or what she has tried to do other than be there for Frankie. She even goes along with the "20 boy summer" idea without a lot of internal process.

Most disturbing was the almost blase way in which Anna's losing her virginity was handled. Dubbed "Anna's Albatross" (and the reason for the 20 boy idea - surely one of them will Do the Deed) by Frankie, you never get how Anna feels about it. When she finally does have sex, any thoughts or emotions are swept away by the drama of Frankie finding out about Matt/Anna.

Given that there was a lot of Anna "hearing" Matt's voice, talking to him, thinking about him, I expected something more in the way of self-reflection and internal conflict at times. Anna seemed too passive in places, which didn't ring true. Perhaps as an adult I expected more, and younger (eg, teen) readers will not.(less)

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Apr 10, 2009

Yan rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Sarah Ockler weaved a tragic love story as easy as pie. Effortless and yet full of tender and care she told of a brother, love, and a best friend’s death cause to the breakdown of two families' life.

I am a sucker for a tragic love story and Sarah delivered it to me. It was a stunning book that left me breathless. Matt’s accident left a hole in Anna’s heart where she faces life with a façade even to her closet friend. It was a tender matter, holding back your own tears and trying to ...moreSarah Ockler weaved a tragic love story as easy as pie. Effortless and yet full of tender and care she told of a brother, love, and a best friend’s death cause to the breakdown of two families' life.

I am a sucker for a tragic love story and Sarah delivered it to me. It was a stunning book that left me breathless. Matt’s accident left a hole in Anna’s heart where she faces life with a façade even to her closet friend. It was a tender matter, holding back your own tears and trying to be the strong one that you promised to be. Francesca’s and Anna’s friendship is one with ups and downs but always remaining strong despite the heated fights. Sarah crafted the constant struggle to maintain to strained smile, wishing—hoping—to remember the past but still letting go what needs to be done in a expert manner that needs to be applauded. Although I may have not cried throughout the book, I was still emotional attached to Anna’s journey, so bravo to Ms. Ockler for making me almost cry—almost.

One of my favorite parts was this quote “Shhh, ahhh. Shhh, ahhh” (I pick the oddest quotes ever). There are so many ways you can interpret this. The sound of the waves—coming and going, the quiet hum of secrets, the possibilities of the future lingering with the past, I can go on and on with it.

It was like Matt was still with us; cajoling Anna to hold onto their secret but a slight hesitation that if told would might make things better. Or even voicelessly trying to tell Anna what they were, what they could have been, and yet telling her that he’s gone to live life to the fullest. It’s the gentle lull of the waves pulling you closer—helping you forget, but then regretting it a step later, maybe, just maybe, you can make things right for yourself. It whispers into your ear with a sad voice that it is okay to cry but to not let it hold you down—pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and face on to life.

The intensity of the book was the strongest at the beginning and toward the end. It somewhat faded in the middle where she focused more on Sam and vacation. While I enjoyed this one touching scene between Anna and Sam, I would have liked a bit more dialogue between the two. It was a bit fast paced and not really developed that left me grasping the thin thread.

Overall: Read it and pass it on. “Let someone else have a lucky day”. (less)

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Nov 24, 2008

Sarah MacLean rated it

Shelves: young-adult, debs2009

I just finished the incredible Twenty Boy Summer, and I'm not quite sure how to begin to review it. Sarah Ockler has a stunning, moving, lyric turn of phrase--so very stunning, so very moving, that I found myself rereading whole passages to take the words in.

Anna, the main character, is so compelling and so so real...and her pain and joy and love and anger and sadness are all so palpably true that you can't help but marvel at how deftly and deeply Sarah has built this lovely characte...more

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May 14, 2011

Noelle rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Noelle by: Sarah

Shelves: ugly-cried, yay-for-ya

Jeez, the title does not do this book justice. At all. I can safely say I did not expect to choke up at the mere mention of cake frosting while reading a book entitled Twenty Boy Summer.

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Mar 18, 2009

Kricket rated it

Shelves: 2009, grief, first-reads-and-arcs, teen-fiction, friendship, teen-romance

**read an ARC of this**
anna and her neighbors, matt & frankie (francesca), have been best friends for as long as anna can remember. as anna grows up, her feelings for matt get stronger, and on her 15th birthday, matt returns those feelings when he kisses her after an adorable cake-fight.

but how to tell frankie, matt's sister? matt promises that he will take care of it on their family vacation to california, and matt and anna spend the next month sneaking out at night and steal...more

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Mar 17, 2009

Diane R. Chen rated it

Here is my review posted on SLJ's blog Practically Paradise:

Spring Break is a wonderful time to read books beyond what I need to meet the daily needs of my middle-schoolers. I'm tackling this pile of more mature titles and books for high schoolers. Enter in Sarah Ockler's 20 Boy Summer which will be released in hardcover June, 2009 (Little Brown & Co., ISBN 978-0-316-05159-0, $16.99).

20 Boy Summer is a beautifully written story of love, friendship, summer romances, and d...moreHere is my review posted on SLJ's blog Practically Paradise:

Spring Break is a wonderful time to read books beyond what I need to meet the daily needs of my middle-schoolers. I'm tackling this pile of more mature titles and books for high schoolers. Enter in Sarah Ockler's 20 Boy Summer which will be released in hardcover June, 2009 (Little Brown & Co., ISBN 978-0-316-05159-0, $16.99).

20 Boy Summer is a beautifully written story of love, friendship, summer romances, and dealing with grief. At times I was so consumed with the character's grief that I felt I had lost a potential love. I admit I cried and grieved anew during the journal and ocean scene. This is a healing title that does not downplay the roller-coaster of emotions after the death of a friend/brother/boyfriend/son. Yet 20 Boy Summer helps us move through our grief to learn how to continue with life and how to savor each moment.

Anna has lost her first love and through a twist of fate feels she must keep this a secret from her BFF Frankie (a girl). For all those students who shoulder adult burdens and take on the pain of others while they are masking their own grief, 20 Boy Summer will be a catharsis.

Frankie attempts to move on by setting a goal with Anna to meet 20 boys in their 20 days of vacation while at the same time ditching the A.A. - Anna's Albatross (aka her virginity). Yes, readers, there is some teenage protected sex in this title, but not rampant promiscuity. (I've been waiting to use that phrase). Instead there is gentle and sweet summer romance with grounded ideas of the future instead of grandiose dreams. Because the emotions after sex aren't delved into enough to satisfy my grown-up wishes, I'd probably keep this on my high school recommendation list first, but I'm open for debate.

20 Boy Summer takes us through a three week summer vacation on the ocean shores that I could never experience growing up in land-locked Iowa. For all students who want to go somewhere and experience a different life, 20 Boy Summer will take you there. I have this overwhelming urge to wander the beaches looking for sea glass. Anyone have a place on the shores and need a visitor?

20 Boy Summer helps us learn to add new memories without fearing they will overwrite or replace our existing memories. This is a definite must read on my grief list and on my MUST READ FOR SUMMER list.

I hope you will take the time to curl up with 20 Boy Summer. It is a lovely read. The emotions you will work through as you read are cleansing and will enable you to begin anew for the summer. I love Anna and Frankie and will miss them as I lay down this book. Be sure you pick it up.

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog...
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Feb 04, 2012

Wendy rated it

Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: 2011-reads, gave-up-reading-and-skimmed, not-worth-your-time, young-adult

It's very possibly my own fault for picking up a book called Twenty Boy Summer. But man, did I ever hate this book.

The premise caught my attention: Anna has been best friends with Frankie and her brother Matt for years. She and Matt start liking each other but keep it a secret from Frankie. Then Matt dies tragically. Now Frankie wants Anna to go on vacation with her and meet some boys. Should Anna tell Frankie about her feelings for Matt? Is she ready to move on?

OK, so t...more

· see review

Jan 22, 2012

Kylie rated it

Twenty Boy Summer is one of my favorite books ever. It touches my heart in ways that other romance novels normally would not. I love how the characters have realistic emotions. The main character, who I believe is named Anna, struggles to get over the death of her secret-boyfriend and brother of her best friend. She doesn't easily forget him or take a dreadfully long time either, it's the perfect amount. And instead of actually forgetting, he just becomes a loving memory instead of this huge wei...more

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Jan 03, 2012

Tori Martin rated it

Have you ever had a secret that you had to keep from your BEST friend? It's a hard thing to do as a teenage girl, but Anna Reiley is forced to decide between keeping the secret or breaking her promise to her first love who recently died in a car accident. The trouble is that this secret boy is her friend's brother. The three had grown up together as the inseparable friends and just a month before the accident Anna and her former best guy friend, Matt, became something more. Matt wanted to be the...more

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Jan 02, 2012

Liz Bollinger rated it

Falling in love is a big deal, especially when its happening with someone you know it shouldn't be. In this story the romance is a big key theme, the main theme in fact. A twist of fate somehow manages to bring good things to the two main characters of the story, whom are 16 year old girls. If you like romance, then this is the book for you. This story would be catagorized as being for a young adult.

This was an amazing book, I finished it within the first day I picked it up and star...more

· see review

Nov 15, 2011

Imani added it · review of another edition

Shelves: advisory-2011-2012-10_grade-sophomo

Anna hade the biggest crush on Matt. Matt and frankie(a girl), they were the three amigos even thouhg Matt was older. Matt, Ann and frankie grew up together, they lived next door to eachother. Matt finally made his move and showed Anna that he did like her and they were more than friends on her birthday, the best birthday of her life. Matt and Anna were together but kept it a secret because Matt was scared of the way his sister would react to the news. Matt wanted to tell her during their break ...more

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Nov 08, 2011

English Teachers rated it

Recommends it for: people who love Sarah Dessen, Judy Blume

Shelves: realistic, death, romance, coming-of-age

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Oct 29, 2011

Emily (You Are Beautiful) rated it

Shelves: favorites, reads-of-2011

Concept Ideas: 4/5
Storyline/Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5/5 stars

I just love love loved this book! I did not expect it to be so good. At first, it seems like a typical, light summer read. I was totally wrong. You immediately from page one get sucked into the story that is Frankie, Anna, and Matt. From page one, you know that the story will NOT be easy.

I read Sarah Ockler's "Fixing Delilah" before this one...more

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Oct 16, 2011

Cherylann rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: ya, realistic-fiction, banned-challenged

I read this book in honor of banned books week. Now that I'm finished, I don't quite understand why it was banned. The parent who challenged the book cited promiscuity. Okay, I can understand that, I suppose. However, I didn't find the girls to be promiscuous. In fact, they seemed like "normal" 16 year old girls, worrying about the things 16 year olds worry about. Furthermore, I think that Ockler addressed the issues surrounding virginity and sex with sensitivity and frankness. The par...more

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Oct 07, 2011

Bibliojunkies rated it

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 Zanzibar 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...more

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Oct 01, 2011

Valeria rated it

I was actually kind of disappointed with this book. I read so many good reviews that I guess I expected so much more.
I know what loss is like, even though it's a different one. But, even so, the way Anna deals with Matt's death is kind of... strange.
I mean, the crying, freaking out, not talk, supporting Frankie's bad-ass behaviour... all of that I understand and relate to. But it seemed to me that Anna was a little superfual about what she felt for Matt.
I mean, is a year really...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Twenty Boy Summer	3	21	Dec 14, 2011 06:32am
Lit Muse: Sarah Ockler's message.	2	7	Dec 09, 2011 06:54pm
lost book	2	18	Oct 25, 2011 04:11pm
Banned Books: Banned Book Giveaway: Twenty Boy Summer!	3	30	Oct 14, 2011 07:41am
Young Adult Ficti...: Banned Book Giveaway! Twenty Boy Summer!	3	19	Oct 12, 2011 09:08pm
Best Teen Books: Banned Book Giveaway: Twenty Boy Summer!	3	20	Oct 12, 2011 09:06pm
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About Sarah Ockler

Sarah Ockler is the bestselling author of novels for teens, including Bittersweet, Fixing Delilah, and the critically acclaimed Twenty Boy Summer, a YALSA Teens' Top Ten nominee and IndieNext List pick. She is a champion cupcake eater, coffee drinker, night person, and bookworm.

When she's not writing or reading at home in Colorado, Sarah enjoys taking pictures, hugging trees, and road-...more

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“Nothing ever really goes away--it just changes into something else. Something beautiful.” — 169 people liked it

“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.” — 161 people liked it

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