Sharks & Boys

Feb 04, 2012 karen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-biggest-fear, why-yes-i-ya, shaaaaarks

i am the person who will happily be on the receiving end of the question "does this milk taste bad to you??" i mean, what do i have going on that i shouldn't be drinking your spoiled-ass milk?

and wendy darling tried to warn me off with this negative review, but i just had to see for myself.

and she's right, although i hated it less than she did. maybe because i read it in a couple of hours, when i was stranded on the subway platform, waiting for the trains to take me home. or maybe i just have a...more

like 53 likes · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Akanksha Ramesh rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy is about 15 year old Enid and how she solves relationship issues with her father, brother and boyfriend, while trying her hardest to survive on the Pacific Ocean after a storm. The main themes of the book are trust and love.

Enid’s parents are going though a divorce, so her relationship with her father is complicated and strained. Her twin brother, Landon and her disagree on every possible subject and they just can’t get along. To make matters worse, her boyfrien...more Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy is about 15 year old Enid and how she solves relationship issues with her father, brother and boyfriend, while trying her hardest to survive on the Pacific Ocean after a storm. The main themes of the book are trust and love.

Enid’s parents are going though a divorce, so her relationship with her father is complicated and strained. Her twin brother, Landon and her disagree on every possible subject and they just can’t get along. To make matters worse, her boyfriend, Wick, thinks they need a break, leaving Enid feeling confused and rejected. One evening, she follows Landon, Wick and a group of their friends to a party she wasn’t invited to. But as the guys get drunk and end up taking out one of their boats on the ocean, Enid follows them onto the boat and hides in the bathroom. A huge storm hits the boat, causing it to sink, reveling Enid and forcing all the teenagers to work together to survive. To add to their struggles, they are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with none other than hungry sharks for company. As the group drifts together on their raft, all of them find out about the secrets that have been kept from each other and most of them hit Enid the hardest. Enid realizes that the only way to survive is by learning to forgive others and to forgive herself.

My favorite part of the book was when Enid was treading water and she realized that a shark was a few feet behind her and she scrambled onto the raft. She voices her feelings and fears very clearly and the reader gets a vivid mental picture of the scene. Another one of my favorite scenes was in the end, where I don’t know what exactly happened to Enid, as she tells the reader that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go to heaven and be in peace forever. The last line of the book just says that she was still, but I don’t know what the author is trying to convey about Enid’s fate to the reader.

I would give Sharks and Boys a 4.5 on a scale of 1 to 5. It would loose a few points because the author did use some inappropriate language while writing. This book is ideal for readers ages 13-17 and readers who enjoy reading romance, adventure and suspense. (less)

like 1 like · see review

Aug 02, 2011 Sammee (I Want to Read That) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was different from what I was expecting but I did really enjoy it. I really liked Kristen Tracy's writing and I'll be sure to check out more of her work.

The story begins with Enid and her boyfriend Wick 'taking a break'. Convince he will cheat on her she follows him to a party and sneaks on board the boat. When the boat sinks they all find themselves in a world of trouble...

The main character of Enid is where this book was different than I was expecting. She came across as quite lost - she...more

like · see review

Jul 21, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

After her boyfriend Wick tells her they need space, Enid kind of freaks out. And when she finds out that he is going to an out-of-state party (in Maryland!) with her brother and some other friends, she invites herself along. When I say that, I mean that she doesn't tell anyone and drives down there, tracks them down to a friend's boat and sneaks on board. Then there's a major storm and the boat sinks. Enid, Wick, her brother Landon and five of their friends are stuck on a small raft with no food...more

like · see review

Jun 25, 2011 cecilia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: blue-covers, hands-covers

Wow. I am totally glad that I do not have a waterbed because honestly, after finishing sharks & boys, I am a little anxious about seeing dorsal fins in my dreams tonight! This is a book that will make you hesitate to step foot into a body of water – at least, without proper equipment and supplies.

At first, I had been skeptical about how this story would play out. A group of teens stranded on a boat? Not the usual setting for teenage drama, but Kristen Tracy makes it work – and how! As these...more Wow. I am totally glad that I do not have a waterbed because honestly, after finishing sharks & boys, I am a little anxious about seeing dorsal fins in my dreams tonight! This is a book that will make you hesitate to step foot into a body of water – at least, without proper equipment and supplies.

At first, I had been skeptical about how this story would play out. A group of teens stranded on a boat? Not the usual setting for teenage drama, but Kristen Tracy makes it work – and how! As these teens float in the middle of nowhere with no signs of rescue, I could not help but imagine a Life Of Pi or Lord Of The Flies scenario for them! The pages flew by as I wondered how far these teens would go to survive, how much dignity would they sacrifice, who would die, and who would live. Conversation and cooperation become vital during this situation – I mean, there isn’t anywhere to go and be alone in such a cramped space! These teens hash out everything from drinking urine, lifetime goals, racial slurs, and eating fish eyeballs. There are some things that I found useful or interesting; and then there are things that I wish I had rather not know (i.e. I don’t think I can look a fish in the eye anymore *shudder*).

What is also unique about this book is that Kristen Tracy chose to tell the story of 6 kids who all happened to be twins. Not related to each other, but became friends because they participated in the same research group for twin studies. This specific detail definitely makes their situation even more interesting – nothing says life-or-death more than when 2 people who are in sync with each other can feel each other’s hurts! They learn just how much their other self is a part of them, and sometimes it is more than they had ever imagined!

sharks & boys may sound like a crazy Snakes On A Plane scheme, but I found it as fascinating and hard to forget as Castaway had been. With only a hint of the common teenage woes and more “bigger picture” reflections, the story seemed very real and very critical as Enid and company struggled to hold onto their hopes for rescue.(less)

like · see review

May 06, 2011 Wendy Darling rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: annoying-main-characters, heroines-wimpy, young-adult, read-2011, eye-bleeding, adolescent-wish-fulfillment, 2011-publication

Wow. This might be the most annoying girl I've ever read about in YA book--and I've read a lot of YA books.

Enid and her boyfriend are on a break, because she is controlling and possessive and mistrustful. She tells him he can't go to parties, she reads his emails, she checks his text messages, she jealously hounds him about a girl who is interested in him, and then she STALKS him 500 miles on a weekend getaway, where she spies on him and his friends.

The book then becomes a totally weird, totally...more

like 26 likes · see review

Mar 20, 2011 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is an interesting journey to nowhere. A group of teenagers, through a series of bad decisions and a violent storm, ends up on a raft in shark-infested waters. As the group is stranded longer and longer, Enid's thoughts grow more and more tangled, taking the reader with her through a mental labyrinth with no exit. I was enthralled throughout each twist and turn of the story, as Enid and her friends found themselves in an unthinkable situation that continued to intensify. The characters...more

like 1 like · see review

Jun 25, 2011 ABookVacation rated it 3 of 5 stars

Disney-Hyperion has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel prior to its release on June 28th, 2011. I found the synopsis of this novel very interesting and was excited to pick it up, especially since I’m deathly afraid of sharks and being shipwrecked is one of my biggest nightmares—a reason I haven’t ever been on a cruise and rarely visit the ocean.

Tracy does a phenomenal job keeping the story afloat (no pun intended) through the dialogue between the eight teens lost...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2011 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Apr 23, 2011 -k The Lady Critic rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, for-review

This novel was by far not what I was expecting to read. Granted, I am also guilty of judging the book by the cover, so that’s the reasoning I can give for why I was so surprised by it. I also seemed to miss the whole “hypothermia, dehydration, survival” bit of the summary.

This started off fluffy enough – which is the path I thought it would continue to take – and I even found myself bored by Enid and I really wanted to just slap the sense into her. But then she bites off the Groom and Bride’s fe...more This novel was by far not what I was expecting to read. Granted, I am also guilty of judging the book by the cover, so that’s the reasoning I can give for why I was so surprised by it. I also seemed to miss the whole “hypothermia, dehydration, survival” bit of the summary.

This started off fluffy enough – which is the path I thought it would continue to take – and I even found myself bored by Enid and I really wanted to just slap the sense into her. But then she bites off the Groom and Bride’s feet (this makes sense once you read the novel) and stows away on a boat.

From there it takes a turn for the very worst.

Instead of the fluffy little read I was anticipating, I get this gut-wrenching tale about literally surviving in shark-infested water. When it was being described about how the sharks could be felt through the thin material of the life raft chills went up my spine. From there it all goes downhill for the characters.

One thing that I learned from this novel – and I learned a lot actually – was how to survive for days in a life boat with little to no supplies. Basically, shiny hair clips are key, you can drink your own pee (if you can get over the fact that you’re drinking pee), and once dehydration really sets in stay away from all sides of the life boat. Oh, and salt water is bad no matter what.

The characters in this novel are hard to put down in words for a review. For the most part they all fell into one stereotype or another. You have the token female who’s needy, the brother who is the classic brother, the jerk-off boyfriend, his meat-head brother, and four other characters who sadly blend indistinguishably together for a lot of the novel. However, stereotypical though they may be, they all worked really well together. By about 2/3 of the way through the novel I couldn’t read fast enough to see what happened next.

The faint of heart should consider not reading this novel. I’m a pretty unflappable person and there were parts where I was shocked at what I was reading. At times, this reads more like one of those horrific true stories that you watch on TLC or the Discovery Channel. So if you do decide to read it – and it is quite good – just make sure that you know what you’re getting into. I’m giving this a 6.5/10 and I would like to see what else this author has to offer.

I was given the opportunity to read this eARC by Hyperion and netGalley. (less)

like · see review

Apr 02, 2012 Chloe Bear rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first when I started to read the book, I sort of didn't want to read it because the main character was annoying. I thought it was going to be one of those books where the girl just whines about her boyfriend the whole time. When things got faster-paced, I got more into the story. The names were weird and it was kind of hard to identify who was who and which were twins. Also, the twin studies thing wasn't too clear to me until farther into the book. Some parts of the book made me laugh because...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't begin to tell you how much I really loved this book. There is so much in it that I don't even know where to start!

Okay, so, the storyline...AMAZING! I really loved how it all flowed so smoothly that nothing passes you in the story. As the reader, you immediately fall into the story and into Enid shoes. Enid is your typical teenager with realistic problems that we all face, except she get stranded in the ocean with nothing but boys. At the beginning, we see Enid struggling in finding who...more I can't begin to tell you how much I really loved this book. There is so much in it that I don't even know where to start!

Okay, so, the storyline...AMAZING! I really loved how it all flowed so smoothly that nothing passes you in the story. As the reader, you immediately fall into the story and into Enid shoes. Enid is your typical teenager with realistic problems that we all face, except she get stranded in the ocean with nothing but boys. At the beginning, we see Enid struggling in finding who she is. Enid deal with family problems, boyfriend drama, etc. Things are crazy in her life and she is dealing with it the best that she knows how. I loved how insecure she was and how she kept all her feelings inside. It made Enid much more real to the reader. Ms. Tracy really grabbed the voice of the teenager really well. I love how easy it was to not only see Enid in your mind but as well as her feelings.

I also loved how we, as the reader see things from different points of view. I have never read a book where I can really see from a guys point of view. I love it when Landon said," Don't think like a girl." He had such great advice and such strength to his sister. I really admired him for being a great older brother. I think I will even take that advice for myself.

One thing I enjoyed in this book are the lessons in it. It really gave a strong message on forgiveness. Forgiveness for not only the others, but for yourself as well. Sometimes we don't realize how angry we are with the person and how much it changed us. It can change relationships, your whole personality cause of the hurt, betrayal, and pain that you are carrying. I love that while Enid is facing such a hard time in her life, that she can have such a great and profound revelation.

Shark & Boys is an excellent read. Full of sharks not only in the water but in life, the reader see the characters grow immensely in this book. This book blew me away in the foundation of the story from hurt and betrayal going to love and forgiveness.

*There was some cursing and drinking*

(less)

like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Natalie Cheetham rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: gstba-2013

When Enid's boyfriend, Wick, tells her that he thinks they need a break, something inside Enid snaps. Usually reliable and responsible, Enid leaves her mother high and dry while delivering a wedding cake and takes her mom's car on a joyride to find Wick, from Vermont to Maryland. Sure, he's off to meet another girl, Enid follows Wick and his friends (one of whom is her twin brother) onto a docked boat. But before she can make a quick getaway, the boat is caught in the midst of a storm. Enid is o...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Becky Moe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya

(I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley)

Sharks & Boys is a gritty, intensely realistic novel from Kristen Tracy that, had I read it at a different time, I might would have given four stars--or probably at least three and a half--to. I read it while on an eighth grade class trip, though, and just wasn't quite in the right place for the no-holds-barred drama that it contained. Enid's character comes off for much of the novel as fairly unsympathetic and overly obsessive, and I had a har...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2011 Mariah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arc, june-11, own-arc

3.5

If you are looking for a summer read where happiness abounds and everything is great minus a few little scuffles. This is not the book for you. But if you are looking for a book that will make you think about the fragility of life, and make you think back on all the shipwreck victims you hear about on the news. Then this is the book for you.

I’m going to warn you while this book has some semi-happy moments they are at the beginning of the book. The rest of the book is filled with pain, death,...more

like · see review

Jun 07, 2012 Jessie rated it 1 of 5 stars

So many writing rules broken, so little time. Where do I start?

THERE WAS NO STINKING RESOLUTION TO THIS STINKING STORY. The beginning is slow as it builds the story and several character conflicts. You think 'wow, a lot is going to have to happen for this to all get cleared up'. No such thing. Once you get to the lifeboat part of this novel, not much happens. There is a glimmer of hope that things might change slightly when they get home (if they get home), but then the ending is abruptly cut...more

like · see review

May 28, 2012 Hillary DePiano rated it 1 of 5 stars

If I didn't have an insane compulsion to finish everything I start, I would not have made it past the first few pages of this one. I read the whole thing and regret to say it never improved for me. I hate to give a negative review but I thought this book was awful. (I'm sorry, Kristen! Just one person's opinion.) Hated the characters, kept rolling my eyes at the plot, dragged myself through the dull writing and rooted so hard for the sharks. What awful, unlikable characters to be trapped with al...more

like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Brittany Flaming rated it 3 of 5 stars

Liked? I’ve never actually read a ship-wreck survivor story (that I can recall) so I was really interested by the premise of this novel. The plot is good, and it does grab you at points, but it never really reaches the point of desperation I wanted it to.

Problems? For a novel about being lost at sea, it lacks anything incredibly profound. And the moments of shipwreck and then being lost at sea and *spoilers* the deaths just seem very surreal and kinda, well, blasé, like “oh, there they go” *end...more

like · see review

May 10, 2011 Princess Bookie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2011

My Thoughts: We are introduced to Enid and her twin brother Landon. They are a part of a twin studies group where they are around other twins all the time. The study also checks to see if they are like one another, or can connect easily. We are than introduced to Wick. Wick is Enid's boyfriend. At the beginning of the story, we see them together and he wants to take a break. A lot has been going on in Enid's life and things have gotten "weird" between them.

Enid doesn't like this idea at all so...more

like 1 like · see review

Jul 06, 2011 Kaitlyn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya, review-books

This book is part of the Contemps reading challenge. The cover for this one is really cute. I love how blue the ocean is and after reading the book, I really appreciate the shark fin in the water. Also, I love how the green bracelet from the book made it onto the cover. It’s always fun when the cover for a book actually matches the content of the novel. It doesn’t always happen.

I honestly had a love/hate relationship with many of the characters in this book. I don’t want to go as far as telling...more This book is part of the Contemps reading challenge. The cover for this one is really cute. I love how blue the ocean is and after reading the book, I really appreciate the shark fin in the water. Also, I love how the green bracelet from the book made it onto the cover. It’s always fun when the cover for a book actually matches the content of the novel. It doesn’t always happen.

I honestly had a love/hate relationship with many of the characters in this book. I don’t want to go as far as telling you their fates (because this is a main part of the story), but Kristen Tracy really made me feel bad for some of them...and not feel bad for other ones. It’s funny... I think the characters I liked the most were not really the main focus of the story. I liked Munny and Landon way more than I liked Enid and Wick. Munny was a “fact box” and was always telling everyone random stories and statistics. I often wish I retained so much knowledge where I had a fact I could throw into every situation. Much like Dr. Spencer Reid on “Criminal Minds.” If you don’t watch “Criminal Minds,” you probably should. Reid is amazing. Garcia is such a techo-nerd that I absolutely love her. Landon seemed like such a genuinely good person. I wish he was real! Enid, at times, was very needy and insecure, but with what has went on in her life, I feel like it is natural for her to be a bit insecure. I don’t really know how to express my feelings for Wick. So, I’m just going to let everyone form their own opinions on him.

I love how the characters were all twins and that they met through a study at a college. I always find anything involving twins fascinating. I found myself thinking about what happened to these characters well after I was finished reading. This may be because Tracy ended the novel very abruptly. Some people may not like this, but I found it kind of nice.

Tracy did an excellent job of describing the locations and effects of being shipwrecked. I felt as if I was lost at sea while reading. It’s definitely not a situation I want to be in anytime soon.(less)

like · see review

May 31, 2011 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2011, ya-teen

After reading this book, my secret desire to be shipwrecked was renewed (crazy I know, but it somehow seems so romantic...to almost drown...and as long as I'm fantasizing, an island would definitely be better than being stuck on a boat).

Back to the point, Enid follows her boyfriend to a party, thinking he might be cheating on her. She sneaks onto the boat where the boys are spending their wild night and is discovered when a hurricane hits and the teens are shipwrecked (stuck on a life raft with...more

like · see review

Mar 01, 2011 Cory rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book in one day, and actually stayed up (too) late to finish it because I just couldn't leave this group of teens floating in a rubber raft without finding out what happened to them. It was a bit of a slow starter, but I ended up really caring about the characters. Maybe the best thing was that the group was shipwrecked in such a believable, mundane sort of way. They weren't rich kids on an ocean liner. They weren't canoeing around Antarctica. They were just teenagers who went out on...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Giselle rated it 1 of 5 stars

I could really not get into this book. If your are into books that have a romantic appeal than this is not the book for you, just like it wasn't for me. If you like the whole trying to survive novel, than this book probably IS for you. In my opinion i found the book to be not very realistic and believable. In a way its sad and emotional at times, but i couldn't absorb my self completely into the story and at times it bore me. I would not recommend it to readers who like romantic books, but if yo...more

like · see review

Nov 08, 2011 E. Anderson rated it 4 of 5 stars

You know, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Kristen Tracy‘s latest, SHARKS & BOYS. Sure, there would be sharks, and yes, there would be boys. But the plot is bigger, the characters more complex, than you’d ever get from the two words in the title.

Enid is one of two fraternal twins, and her core group of friends include three other sets of twins, one of which is her boyfriend, Wick. Enid and her friends have been part of a local twin study for quite a while, and in the past year she and...more You know, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Kristen Tracy‘s latest, SHARKS & BOYS. Sure, there would be sharks, and yes, there would be boys. But the plot is bigger, the characters more complex, than you’d ever get from the two words in the title.

Enid is one of two fraternal twins, and her core group of friends include three other sets of twins, one of which is her boyfriend, Wick. Enid and her friends have been part of a local twin study for quite a while, and in the past year she and Wick started dating. The problem is, she and Wick have recently started fighting. Like, a lot. And maybe Enid is kind of reactionary and maybe she nitpicks and pokes and prods but really she loves Wick and she can’t imagine life without him. So when he suggests they take a break and then takes off to a party — a party thrown by Skate and Burr, the twin-group’s resident bad boys, not to mention Enid’s recent arch nemeses — Enid tries to be normal. Her brother Dale tells her to stay cool, give Wick his space. But that’s not how things go down. Instead, Enid steals her mother’s car, drives from their homestate of Vermont to the party in Maryland, and proceeds to stalk the boys to a marina where she boards Skate and Burr’s yacht. For the moment, Enid’s biggest fear is getting caught by Wick and ending up with even bigger relationship issues than she’d started with. But that soon changes when the yacht ends up out at sea, and in a really nasty storm. Enid and the boys end up on raft in the middle of the ocean, without food, water, and with very limited survival skills. To make matters worse, Skate sustained a head injury while the yacht was sinking. With emotions already running high, and with the threat of exposure looming, the sharks circling their raft present an even more immediate danger.

SHARKS & BOYS is a fast-paced read, with all the action and adventure that the title promises. However, what you might not expect is the well-woven characters, all of whom are distinct and interesting. Almost the entire book takes place in a tiny raft, with six teens packed in around each other, and nobody fades into the background. The relationships are realistic and riveting and the stakes of their story are highly emotional. SHARKS & BOYS is a wonderful summer book. But, here’s a tip: don’t read it at the beach.(less)

like · see review

Aug 18, 2011 Clementine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 2011, horror

Enid’s life is dramatic enough before she ends up stranded on a raft in shark-infested waters with her friends. Her boyfriend Wick wants to take a break, her mom’s wedding business is keeping her busier than ever, and Enid’s lothario father is trying to make amends with his family. Yet all this takes the proverbial backseat as the group of teens grapple with exposure, dehydration, and the very real threat of being eaten by sharks.

The problem with Tracy’s book lies mostly with its misleading cove...more Enid’s life is dramatic enough before she ends up stranded on a raft in shark-infested waters with her friends. Her boyfriend Wick wants to take a break, her mom’s wedding business is keeping her busier than ever, and Enid’s lothario father is trying to make amends with his family. Yet all this takes the proverbial backseat as the group of teens grapple with exposure, dehydration, and the very real threat of being eaten by sharks.

The problem with Tracy’s book lies mostly with its misleading cover and title. The brightness of the book’s jacket and its mostly lighthearted title tell the reader that this will be a quick, quirky read. The actual experience is somewhat different. While it is a quick read, the rest is pretty deceptive, because this is a sad, often scary book. Readers who go in expecting a fun summer read are going to be disappointed.

Of course, it is this deception that ultimately does the book a disservice, because there are some very good things happening in Tracy’s book. Because the group of teens on the raft are all sets of twins, Tracy is able to delve into the dynamics of these siblings complex relationships and explore what happens when they’re put in life-threatening situations. There are some very tender, very real moments between the characters. Much of this is accomplished through the dialogue, which Tracy excels at.

It’s not all good news, though. Tracy has chosen some strange, distracting names for her characters (Wick, Skate, and Burr are three such names). The writing is uneven at times, and there are some pretty serious plot holes in the story that some readers aren’t going to be able to ignore. To add insult to injury, Enid is one of the most irritating, unlikable protagonists to be found in YA literature today: she’s selfish, immature, and implacable. While part of this was certainly Tracy’s intent, Enid’s genuine issues are overshadowed by her downright grating personality. This is going to put some readers off the story.

Despite my reservations about the plausibility of this story, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. As someone who has a fascination with survival stories, this book will work well for readers looking for a bit of wild adventure. Recommended for reluctant readers.

Sharks & Boys by Kristen Tracy. Hyperion: 2011. Library copy.(less)

like · see review

Jun 26, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, contemporary, young-adult, e-books

Don’t let the bright, summery cover fool you because you’re in for one gripping tale of survival following a group of teens after a hurricane leaves them shipwrecked.

Enid started the story as a very rigid character who is suspicious of her boyfriend Wick possibility cheating on her. It stems from her father’s many affairs coming to light and the strain on her parents marriage. Wick puts the breaks on the relationship and decides to head down to a guys only graduation party hosted by friends. Th...more

like · see review

Jul 02, 2011 Lauren (365 Days of Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Summary: Enid has just been dumped by her boyfriend Wick, but she’s desperate for another shot. She follows Wick (and his friends, who happen to be part of their Twin Studies group) onto a boat to spy on him, but the ship ends up sinking, leaving the group stranded at sea—without supplies—for days on end.

My thoughts: Sharks and Boys is a haunting, vivid portrayal of the symptoms of slow, steady starvation. Kristen Tracy is horrifyingly honest in depicting every aspect of her characters’ physica...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2011 Gwen the Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks

Enid is the only girl in a pack of eight friends who are all twins. All of their lives, the eight of them have been together in twin studies, hung out together, done everything together. Now that Enid and Wick are dating, though, it changes the group dynamic and the other guys don't really want a girl with them all of the time. Enid feels adrift from the rest of the group. When Wick says they need to take a break and leaves for a weekend away with the other guys, Enid's neediness and fears of be...more

like · see review

Aug 08, 2011 Shannon (aka Readergirl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own-arc

I wasn't sure what I would think of this story, as I had read some reviews by others that were mixed. A lot of people felt that Enid was annoying, flirting with all the boys while in a dangerous situation, and other issues. So I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really engrossed in this story. I've always liked, I'm ashamed to admit, stories about people floating out in the ocean with sharks and having to fight to survive. I feel awful that I find that entertaining, but I can't help it. I...more

like · see review

Jun 14, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, read-in-2011, netgalley

This book was kind of a wow. There's a lot of problems, and I'm even kind of surprised that I was so engaged and into it the whole time.

The beginning is slow. There's exposition, and A LOT going on. Everything except the adventure/suspense story is pretty muddled. There's Enid's job helping her mother decorating cakes, there's something about a llama that NEVER makes sense, there is some talk of twins stuff that is interesting later, but introduced so confusingly that you ignore it for a while....more This book was kind of a wow. There's a lot of problems, and I'm even kind of surprised that I was so engaged and into it the whole time.

The beginning is slow. There's exposition, and A LOT going on. Everything except the adventure/suspense story is pretty muddled. There's Enid's job helping her mother decorating cakes, there's something about a llama that NEVER makes sense, there is some talk of twins stuff that is interesting later, but introduced so confusingly that you ignore it for a while.

Then, the adventure suspense part happens and it is worth it. I kept getting the stupidly named boys all mixed up, and some of the actions are silly, but I was tense, I was on the edge of my seat, and I wanted to know what would happen. At the end, things don't wrap up neatly, and I liked that. I was pleased with the overall of the book, adored the adventure/survival/suspense, and displeased with the relationship-girly bits. There's so much about Enid's father cheating and her relationship issues, and they could have effectively been communicated in a quicker and better way.

Basically, I think this book should have been focused and edited differently. The title and the slow beginning will turn off male readers who would LOVE the stuck-in-a-raft-survival bits. They would probably put up with a female narrator if her whiny I LOVE YOU, WICK! -ness would be toned down. Enid and her mom are the only females who actually appear in the book, the rest of the cast is a group of interesting and dynamic teenage guys, who do stupid stuff but basically like the one girl they hang out with due to twin studies. Focus on the survival, and survival relationships, and you can keep the romantic elements without the male readers getting frustrated. As it is, I doubt any of them will read up to the good part.

Spoilers follow, although I will try to hide the really spoily bits.

(view spoiler)

The twin aspects of the book were really interesting in the natural pairings of the raft, in the knowledge that they have had these psychological tests and know who is considered "dumbest" etc. That part I liked, the idea that (view spoiler) was pretty thought provoking, the Landon-Enid relationship (so much more interesting than the Wick-Enid relationship, YA doesn't have to all be about romance, not when siblings are more interesting!) with Landon showing he lied because he wants to be detached from her, that was all cool but the author very clearly decided that twins have a psychic connection, and I wish that had been more muddled, more possible, but not sure, more like real life. I don't want a dash of fantasy to take away from the other powerful frightening aspects of the book.

So, there was a lot that was confusing and muddled and poorly planned about the book ((view spoiler)) but the emotion of it and the suspense of it rang true. I wish it was as perfect as I think it could easily have been, I wish I could hand this to teen boys more unreservedly. It would have and could have been so awesome. (less)

like · see review

title link	preview: Sharks & Boys
avg rating	preview: Sharks & Boys Goodreads rating: 3.39 (208 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/8922136-sharks-boys?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360567911l/8922136.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/8922136-sharks-boys?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Sharks & Boys by Kristen Tracy[/url]

Sharks & Boys

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kristen Tracy

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Sharks & Boys

Sharks & Boys

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (4)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Books by Kristen Tracy

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Sharks & Boys

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)