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Sharks & Boys
Fifteen-year-old Enid's carefully constructed life in Vermont is beginning to crumble. She has come to accept that, after bonding together for years in "twin studies," her friends have betrayed her. And now she finds out that her dad has betrayed her mom. It's not easy, but at least she's got her boyfriend, Wick, to help her through this tough time. Solid, funny, gorgeous Wick. Enid's loved him since she was six, and their relationship is perfect.
That is, until Wick suddenly announces he thinks they should take a break, an unclear status that Enid can't accept. As Wick abandons Enid for a trip to Ocean City, Maryland, with those same friends who betrayed her, she lets her wildest fears take over. More than five hundred miles later, Enid realized she's acting desperate as she spies on Wick, his twin, her twin, and all the boys from twin studies. That doesn't stop her from following them aboard a yacht and hiding in the bathroom. But then the boys take the yacht out into a storm—a storm which leaves everyone adrift in the ocean without food or water—and Enid discovers a new definition of desperate.
With sharks circling and no help in sight, Enid and the rest of the twins must find a way to trust one another in order to survive—and face the fact that they might not make it home.
That is, until Wick suddenly announces he thinks they should take a break, an unclear status that Enid can't accept. As Wick abandons Enid for a trip to Ocean City, Maryland, with those same friends who betrayed her, she lets her wildest fears take over. More than five hundred miles later, Enid realized she's acting desperate as she spies on Wick, his twin, her twin, and all the boys from twin studies. That doesn't stop her from following them aboard a yacht and hiding in the bathroom. But then the boys take the yacht out into a storm—a storm which leaves everyone adrift in the ocean without food or water—and Enid discovers a new definition of desperate.
With sharks circling and no help in sight, Enid and the rest of the twins must find a way to trust one another in order to survive—and face the fact that they might not make it home.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published June 28, 2011
11 people are currently reading
914 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 16, 2021
SHARK WEEK LIVES FOREVER!!!!
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 higher threshold for that which tastes bad.
but this is definitely one of the least sympathetic female leads to come out of YA fiction, ever, really. so this girl gets dumped by her boyfriend (well, he suggests they take a "break" just before going several states away to an all-guy party) she becomes suspicious, finds out where the party is, steals her mom's car, and follows the guys (one of whom is her twin brother) to the party, eventually, jumping aboard the boat they are drunkenly sailing, and hiding out, hoping to catch him in the act of infidelity or of confronting him with her boldness and then they will fall in love forever again problems solved yayyyy.
this is a terrible game plan.
even if the boat hadn't capsized into shark-filled waters leaving eight people (four sets of twins, actually - which already has me rooting for the sharks) with no food and a lotta resentment and bad blood (sharks looove bad blood) even if none of the tragic parts happened, really - your plan is to hide in the bathroom of a boat with seven teenaged boys who have been drinking?? you don't anticipate one of them is going to need that particular room?? worst hiding place ever, seriously.
but even apart from that, ladies - do not follow a man to a party to which you have not been invited. it is not bold and unconventional, it is creepy and stalkery. you weren't invited for a reason, trust me. this is totally a caro move, you lunatic.
and it's not even the big decision to track him there that is her only irritatingly weak and slavish character trait; both before and after then stranded out on the ocean bit, this girl is just... a pain in the ass. i would have dumped her, too.
is that really what my thighs look like" i ask.
because wick and i have been dating for a year, i have asked him questions about my body before, weight-related in particular. he's used to it.
"your thighs? i can't even see them. you're covered in mud," he says.
"so you're saying i look fat."
sigh...nooooooooo don't dooooooo that! just because you have made someone used to something, doesn't mean you should carry on doing it. bad girl, bad!
and that's not even the entire scope of the insecurity: she needs constant reassurance that she is smart and brave and useful.and while i know i get into moods like this, where i need to be told i am good for something or whatever, and even though there is ample textual evidence for why she is the way she is, it is a real drag to read through this character's eyes. really.all the small passive-aggressive pokes at other characters, all the point-gathering as she weighs her actions against the responses of other characters.DID I MENTION THERE WERE SHARKS?? once sharks enter, you gotta stop being petty- it is not relationship therapy time when there are six other people in the life raft, in several inches of bloody water, covered in sea-salt sores and dehydrated and hallucinating. no one wants to hear this shit. it annoys me to be in the same subway car as a fighting couple, and i have the opportunity to get into another car. these people do not want to listen to your whining, and these readers don't want to read about how nothing you are without your man.
or maybe they do. this milk tasted bad to me and wendy, but it might be good for certain self-involved chicklets to see how annoying a character like this comes across to others, and maybe learn to grow a pair, find a hobby, and adapt to life without a man for, you know... a weekend.
come to my blog!
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 higher threshold for that which tastes bad.
but this is definitely one of the least sympathetic female leads to come out of YA fiction, ever, really. so this girl gets dumped by her boyfriend (well, he suggests they take a "break" just before going several states away to an all-guy party) she becomes suspicious, finds out where the party is, steals her mom's car, and follows the guys (one of whom is her twin brother) to the party, eventually, jumping aboard the boat they are drunkenly sailing, and hiding out, hoping to catch him in the act of infidelity or of confronting him with her boldness and then they will fall in love forever again problems solved yayyyy.
this is a terrible game plan.
even if the boat hadn't capsized into shark-filled waters leaving eight people (four sets of twins, actually - which already has me rooting for the sharks) with no food and a lotta resentment and bad blood (sharks looove bad blood) even if none of the tragic parts happened, really - your plan is to hide in the bathroom of a boat with seven teenaged boys who have been drinking?? you don't anticipate one of them is going to need that particular room?? worst hiding place ever, seriously.
but even apart from that, ladies - do not follow a man to a party to which you have not been invited. it is not bold and unconventional, it is creepy and stalkery. you weren't invited for a reason, trust me. this is totally a caro move, you lunatic.
and it's not even the big decision to track him there that is her only irritatingly weak and slavish character trait; both before and after then stranded out on the ocean bit, this girl is just... a pain in the ass. i would have dumped her, too.
is that really what my thighs look like" i ask.
because wick and i have been dating for a year, i have asked him questions about my body before, weight-related in particular. he's used to it.
"your thighs? i can't even see them. you're covered in mud," he says.
"so you're saying i look fat."
sigh...nooooooooo don't dooooooo that! just because you have made someone used to something, doesn't mean you should carry on doing it. bad girl, bad!
and that's not even the entire scope of the insecurity: she needs constant reassurance that she is smart and brave and useful.and while i know i get into moods like this, where i need to be told i am good for something or whatever, and even though there is ample textual evidence for why she is the way she is, it is a real drag to read through this character's eyes. really.all the small passive-aggressive pokes at other characters, all the point-gathering as she weighs her actions against the responses of other characters.DID I MENTION THERE WERE SHARKS?? once sharks enter, you gotta stop being petty- it is not relationship therapy time when there are six other people in the life raft, in several inches of bloody water, covered in sea-salt sores and dehydrated and hallucinating. no one wants to hear this shit. it annoys me to be in the same subway car as a fighting couple, and i have the opportunity to get into another car. these people do not want to listen to your whining, and these readers don't want to read about how nothing you are without your man.
or maybe they do. this milk tasted bad to me and wendy, but it might be good for certain self-involved chicklets to see how annoying a character like this comes across to others, and maybe learn to grow a pair, find a hobby, and adapt to life without a man for, you know... a weekend.
come to my blog!
May 6, 2011
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 unrealistic, totally uninteresting Lifeboat + Shark Week lite situation in which they all get really hungry and sick and . What I don't understand about any of this is that somehow Enid becomes even more of a jealous harpy once they're adrift at sea, and the boyfriend doesn't call her on it at all. She eventually changes a tiny bit once the situation becomes extreme, but it feels like she gives in just because she's become too exhausted and dehydrated to play the martyr more than anything else--and she certainly doesn't acknowledge the stupidity and obsessiveness of her actions. There are a bunch of other things wrong with this book as well, but they pale in comparison to the problem of the main character being such a self-centered, childish airhead, so I'm not even going to bother going into them.
What a bizarre book. I kept skimming ahead because I couldn't really believe how completely asinine the story was, thinking that at some point something good had to happen to redeem it. I'll save you the trouble now and just tell you: that doesn't happen.
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 unrealistic, totally uninteresting Lifeboat + Shark Week lite situation in which they all get really hungry and sick and . What I don't understand about any of this is that somehow Enid becomes even more of a jealous harpy once they're adrift at sea, and the boyfriend doesn't call her on it at all. She eventually changes a tiny bit once the situation becomes extreme, but it feels like she gives in just because she's become too exhausted and dehydrated to play the martyr more than anything else--and she certainly doesn't acknowledge the stupidity and obsessiveness of her actions. There are a bunch of other things wrong with this book as well, but they pale in comparison to the problem of the main character being such a self-centered, childish airhead, so I'm not even going to bother going into them.
What a bizarre book. I kept skimming ahead because I couldn't really believe how completely asinine the story was, thinking that at some point something good had to happen to redeem it. I'll save you the trouble now and just tell you: that doesn't happen.
July 8, 2011
Sharks and Boys suffers from what I'm going to call, fondly, Invincible Summer syndrome. The lighthearted cover does not at all fit the book inside, and neither does, in this case, the cutesy title. It's sad and scary and not what I was expecting.
But that isn't where my 3 stars come from. I judged the book for what it is and thought it did a perfectly adequate job, but I just didn't fall in love. The writing wasn't smooth, the main character was insufferable, and the characters' names were ridiculously distracting. But the relationships were poignant and I did tear up at points.
But that isn't where my 3 stars come from. I judged the book for what it is and thought it did a perfectly adequate job, but I just didn't fall in love. The writing wasn't smooth, the main character was insufferable, and the characters' names were ridiculously distracting. But the relationships were poignant and I did tear up at points.
April 24, 2012
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.
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.
August 16, 2020
well I thought it would be a chore to read this, but I got through it in a day and half. Not sure why so fast I guess I liked the situation they were in. I heard it was a Crap book and read the reviews on it being bad and sometimes I like bad books like some ppl like bad movies. But the girl OH MY GAWD!! That freaky girl thinks it's a higher power calling that she just steals her mom's car leaving the mom stranded to take a damn 500 mile drive to STALK HER EX. yeah no I can totally bond with this main character that just up and thinks it's her right to demand to check her bfs phone and letters for evidence of cheating then stalk him across country for said reason, when there is no sign that he is, boo hoo you're dad's a cheating asshole go write a poem about it not breath down the neck of the person that you're dating. no wonder he was about to actually find someone better.GET AWAY FROM HER SHE'S CRAZY GOOD GOD AND THE AUTHOR THINKS THIS IS OKAY BC ITS NEVER REALLY TALKED ABOUT. good God. I hope they don't get together again and I think it's kinda open to if she does or not. she drops the makeshift fishing line they make and just goes "eh whatever". uh wth (also money? why? I think that'd just rip easily)... also with sharks in the title I thought they would be doing more than constantly bumping the boat. eh not much death. there's a tiny bit but it's basically just watching them all die and that's okay if the girl died it'd be for the greater good than her stabbing a man to death in the future BC of her creepy ass stalking ways.
also religion is brought up a bunch even before on the raft.. so does this book half a religious undertone??? idk but I can understand that coming up later in the book as they are dieing so yeah it'd be a common think to pop up.
update: just realized this is that annoying side character trope in movies that does nothing but whine and bitch and you can't wait to see die.. but its now our main character and they don't die but its exactly how you would think they would be in their daily day to day..
also religion is brought up a bunch even before on the raft.. so does this book half a religious undertone??? idk but I can understand that coming up later in the book as they are dieing so yeah it'd be a common think to pop up.
update: just realized this is that annoying side character trope in movies that does nothing but whine and bitch and you can't wait to see die.. but its now our main character and they don't die but its exactly how you would think they would be in their daily day to day..
May 11, 2011
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 she sneaks off to spy on him during a trip he's taking with his friends including Landon. Enid sneaks upon the ship and ends up falling asleep and sailing aboard with them.
Once the 8 are out on the water, things do not go as planned and a strong storm hits sending the ship down and the teens out in the water. The 7 boys and 1 girl try to survive the water as best as they can. It isn't all peaches and cream, things aren't easy. These 8 are trying to do anything they can to stay alive and help one another.
I am stopping there. Do you want to know what happens? Do all the teens make it alive? What do they do to survive? Do Enid and Wick end up together? Read the book to find out!
Overall: Honestly, I had high hopes for this one! I loved Tracy's Lost It so I was hoping Sharks and Boys would be just as awesome. It was a decent read, just not one of my favorites. Since so much of it took place out on the water, there wasn't much that could really happen plot-wise. It was mostly the teens talking and learning more about each person. It's a creative book with some love/family issues/ and bickering.
Cover: The cover is really cute. I love how they are holding hands and I love the shark in the background. Neat cover.
What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
___________________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
Enid doesn't like this idea at all so she sneaks off to spy on him during a trip he's taking with his friends including Landon. Enid sneaks upon the ship and ends up falling asleep and sailing aboard with them.
Once the 8 are out on the water, things do not go as planned and a strong storm hits sending the ship down and the teens out in the water. The 7 boys and 1 girl try to survive the water as best as they can. It isn't all peaches and cream, things aren't easy. These 8 are trying to do anything they can to stay alive and help one another.
I am stopping there. Do you want to know what happens? Do all the teens make it alive? What do they do to survive? Do Enid and Wick end up together? Read the book to find out!
Overall: Honestly, I had high hopes for this one! I loved Tracy's Lost It so I was hoping Sharks and Boys would be just as awesome. It was a decent read, just not one of my favorites. Since so much of it took place out on the water, there wasn't much that could really happen plot-wise. It was mostly the teens talking and learning more about each person. It's a creative book with some love/family issues/ and bickering.
Cover: The cover is really cute. I love how they are holding hands and I love the shark in the background. Neat cover.
What I'd Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
___________________________________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
May 3, 2015
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 needed constant reassurance from Wick and other people around her. Although you can understand why this might be the case it doesn't stop her action feeling slightly stalkerish when she follows the boys to the party. Many of us may want to follow our boyfriends (or boyfriends we are on a 'break' with) to make sure they are not with anyone else but many of us have too much self esteem to actually go through with it. Or at least I hope we do!
Once the boat sinks though, the story really kicks into action and I have to say I was completely gripped. It actually became quite terrifying and I had no idea if I would get the outcome I hoped. It becomes a story of survival and introspection. Enid starts to realise that she can't hold all boys to the example her father has set - and we get to see she is a lot stronger than I first thought. The girl I met at the beginning of the story was a very different one at the end - and I enjoyed her subtle journey working out what is important and what is not.
Also, I didn't realise the story was going to be focused around 4 sets of twins! I loved that the characters were twins - I have always has a fascination with what that would be like so I found that aspect of the story really interesting.
As I said - I really liked Kristen Tracy's writing style and I will definitely be checking out more of her books. I have already been recommended Lost It by a friend so I will have to start there.
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 needed constant reassurance from Wick and other people around her. Although you can understand why this might be the case it doesn't stop her action feeling slightly stalkerish when she follows the boys to the party. Many of us may want to follow our boyfriends (or boyfriends we are on a 'break' with) to make sure they are not with anyone else but many of us have too much self esteem to actually go through with it. Or at least I hope we do!
Once the boat sinks though, the story really kicks into action and I have to say I was completely gripped. It actually became quite terrifying and I had no idea if I would get the outcome I hoped. It becomes a story of survival and introspection. Enid starts to realise that she can't hold all boys to the example her father has set - and we get to see she is a lot stronger than I first thought. The girl I met at the beginning of the story was a very different one at the end - and I enjoyed her subtle journey working out what is important and what is not.
Also, I didn't realise the story was going to be focused around 4 sets of twins! I loved that the characters were twins - I have always has a fascination with what that would be like so I found that aspect of the story really interesting.
As I said - I really liked Kristen Tracy's writing style and I will definitely be checking out more of her books. I have already been recommended Lost It by a friend so I will have to start there.
March 21, 2011
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 were worthwhile and believable, and events tested them repeatedly, stretching their maturity and honesty with themselves and each other.
Unfortunately, the ending left me unsatisfied. (Spoiler Alert!) Whatever happened with Enid and Wick, or Enid and Grace, or Enid's parents? Did Dale outgrow being such a jerk? Was there anyone other than the survivors left to mourn Skate and Burr? Somewhere in her muddled thoughts, Enid reflects on forgiveness, but there is no clear focus or resolution. While it is understandable that a teenage heroine might be a little vague after several days adrift, the reader is left hanging with the physical rescue of the castaways. Since the majority of the storyline is focused on Enid's interpersonal troubles, simply finding out that she survived is not enough.
Unfortunately, the ending left me unsatisfied. (Spoiler Alert!) Whatever happened with Enid and Wick, or Enid and Grace, or Enid's parents? Did Dale outgrow being such a jerk? Was there anyone other than the survivors left to mourn Skate and Burr? Somewhere in her muddled thoughts, Enid reflects on forgiveness, but there is no clear focus or resolution. While it is understandable that a teenage heroine might be a little vague after several days adrift, the reader is left hanging with the physical rescue of the castaways. Since the majority of the storyline is focused on Enid's interpersonal troubles, simply finding out that she survived is not enough.
May 9, 2011
Yikes...got this one for free as an advanced copy, and it was worth every penny I paid for it. Underdeveloped characters, suspenseful build up that fizzled into nothing, literal, physical shark attacks in a teen drama - I can't think of many people that would like this book.
September 9, 2012
read in 4 hours. made me tear up:( in the sad parts
March 19, 2019
GENRE: Young Adult | Fiction
SETTING: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
PLOT: Enid and Wick are “taking a break”. But when she suspects Wick is planning to meet up with Simone during a trip with the boys, she decides to secretly follow. This lands her on a boat, hiding in the bathroom where the boys don’t know she’s there...but also means she’s there when the boat leaves the dock heading out to sea, gets caught in a storm, and capsizes. What follows is a tale of survival in the Atlantic Ocean, on a small raft surrounded by hungry sharks.
OPINION: This book was REALLY good. I don’t read too many young adult novels, but would definitely read more of Kristen Tracy if they were like this one! Now, I am a big ocean-loving, scuba diving girl...so any book that includes people surrounded by sharks is likely going to be one I love. I just wish sharks weren’t always painted to be such “bad guys” (but Shark Week does that too!). I liked the “facts” that the character Munny would throw out at times...lots of side info about sharks. This was fast-paced and could be read in 1 setting if you had 3-4 hours. Would be a great beach read!
STAR RATING: 🦈🦈🦈🦈/5
SETTING: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
PLOT: Enid and Wick are “taking a break”. But when she suspects Wick is planning to meet up with Simone during a trip with the boys, she decides to secretly follow. This lands her on a boat, hiding in the bathroom where the boys don’t know she’s there...but also means she’s there when the boat leaves the dock heading out to sea, gets caught in a storm, and capsizes. What follows is a tale of survival in the Atlantic Ocean, on a small raft surrounded by hungry sharks.
OPINION: This book was REALLY good. I don’t read too many young adult novels, but would definitely read more of Kristen Tracy if they were like this one! Now, I am a big ocean-loving, scuba diving girl...so any book that includes people surrounded by sharks is likely going to be one I love. I just wish sharks weren’t always painted to be such “bad guys” (but Shark Week does that too!). I liked the “facts” that the character Munny would throw out at times...lots of side info about sharks. This was fast-paced and could be read in 1 setting if you had 3-4 hours. Would be a great beach read!
STAR RATING: 🦈🦈🦈🦈/5
October 16, 2011
Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.
Sharks and Boys by Kristin Tracy is a book I really wanted to like. It's contemporary, which I absolutely love, and it also has this wild-survivor life thing going on. I mean, a bunch of teenagers stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean while sharks swim right next to their puny little inflatable 'boat'?! It has got to be amazing, right? Sadly... Not so much.
The story follows 4 sets of twins, Enid (main character), her twin Landon; her boyfriend Wick and his (jerkish) brother, two older twins and two twins with a multi-cultured background. These 8 teens have been involved in a twin-studies program since they were young kids, so they have known each other and been pretty close for years. Enid is the only girl and while it's not really a big issue, it has started changing things.
To be perfectly honest, I thought that Tracy tried to do way to many things with this story and what I feel it ended up with is a main character who drove me insane. Enid is that super clingy, controlling, possessive, annoying and insecure girl friend that no one ever wants to be around. She constantly needs Wick to tell her she's amazing or talented, even when they've already talked about that specific subject 10 times. She needs him to always be there, right when/where she needs him and she's just... UGH! Somehow, when Wick tells her that he needs some space, she's completely blindsided. (Umm, really? You didn't see that coming?!) She immediately assumes it's because of another girl, who crushed on him before moving and gets really upset. Wick then goes with the 6 other boys in their twin studies (including her brother) for a post graduation party for the oldest set of twins (who Enid has been upset with since their parents were both killed in a car accident and they took their grief out by being mean).
So, naturally, Enid assumes that he's going to cheat on her with this other chick, so she steals her mother's car (stranding her mom) and stalks him. And, it's planned. She stole the directions out of her brother's garbage can. She sneaks onto the boat the boys are all partying on, so she's there when the huge storm wrecks it. *Surprise!!*
Do you see? Do you get why I was annoyed with her? Why I didn't want to spend time with her?! Sigh.
Not only that, but there is so much additional drama to the story. And not the good kind of drama like TNT, but more like Soap Opera drama. It's about that well thought out and well planned. There was more than one occasion where I feel like the internal dialogue must have been- Oh ya... Let's go with that plot thread! But, we didn't do anything to prep for it! Oh well. That'll be okay. They won't notice because we'll toss in another shark or something right there. Ooh! Great idea! No one will notice that this is ridiculous if there's another shark!!
I have a feeling that this review is coming across as overly harsh right now, and I feel really bad about that. There were some good points to this book as well. It really wasn't all bad. But the more time passes since I've read the book, and the more I think about it, the less favorable I feel toward it.
I did like the twin dynamics at play here. It was really interesting to watch the differences and similarities from one twin set to the others and then to break that down more into the actual twins. I also really liked Landon. A lot. He was sometimes a bit stand-offish and brusque with Enid, but it was obvious that he really cared about her, and when it came right down to it, he always had her back.
I did not, however, like Wick. At all. I don't blame him at all for wanting space from Enid. I wanted space from Enid after the first chapter. But the way that he handled things later and the way that he spoke to Enid really rubbed me the wrong way. And even though Enid really bothered me, she does have some pretty valid reasons for being a little insecure in her relationship (insert really crappy dad here) so I got it, even while it bugged me.
For good or bad, the relationships were really what drove this book. The plot was just such a convoluted mess that I had no idea what to focus on. And that's not even including the bit about the sharks! I was expecting that. But there was just so much random, seemingly unconnected information and so much drama that didn't move the story anywhere or help the character development that it got overwhelming. Also, I felt like one of things that should have been the most emotional parts of the story was a complete cop-out. And, if you've read the book, I have a feeling you know which part I'm talking about.
Honestly, there are more things about this novel that bothered me. The way certain characters handled personal situations and decisions, the way the author represented certain facts about and characteristics/beliefs of the characters and so on. But, I honestly don't want to just tear the book down. It really wasn't that bad. It just definitely wasn't the book for me.
Would I ever read this book again? Highly unlikely. Would I ever give Tracy another chance? Most likely. Would I recommend this book to others? Possibly, but not without some strong reservations.
If the idea intrigues you, give the book a chance. And then, please! Come back and tell me what you thought. I'd love to be able to chat with someone about their thoughts on the book!
Sharks and Boys by Kristin Tracy is a book I really wanted to like. It's contemporary, which I absolutely love, and it also has this wild-survivor life thing going on. I mean, a bunch of teenagers stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean while sharks swim right next to their puny little inflatable 'boat'?! It has got to be amazing, right? Sadly... Not so much.
The story follows 4 sets of twins, Enid (main character), her twin Landon; her boyfriend Wick and his (jerkish) brother, two older twins and two twins with a multi-cultured background. These 8 teens have been involved in a twin-studies program since they were young kids, so they have known each other and been pretty close for years. Enid is the only girl and while it's not really a big issue, it has started changing things.
To be perfectly honest, I thought that Tracy tried to do way to many things with this story and what I feel it ended up with is a main character who drove me insane. Enid is that super clingy, controlling, possessive, annoying and insecure girl friend that no one ever wants to be around. She constantly needs Wick to tell her she's amazing or talented, even when they've already talked about that specific subject 10 times. She needs him to always be there, right when/where she needs him and she's just... UGH! Somehow, when Wick tells her that he needs some space, she's completely blindsided. (Umm, really? You didn't see that coming?!) She immediately assumes it's because of another girl, who crushed on him before moving and gets really upset. Wick then goes with the 6 other boys in their twin studies (including her brother) for a post graduation party for the oldest set of twins (who Enid has been upset with since their parents were both killed in a car accident and they took their grief out by being mean).
So, naturally, Enid assumes that he's going to cheat on her with this other chick, so she steals her mother's car (stranding her mom) and stalks him. And, it's planned. She stole the directions out of her brother's garbage can. She sneaks onto the boat the boys are all partying on, so she's there when the huge storm wrecks it. *Surprise!!*
Do you see? Do you get why I was annoyed with her? Why I didn't want to spend time with her?! Sigh.
Not only that, but there is so much additional drama to the story. And not the good kind of drama like TNT, but more like Soap Opera drama. It's about that well thought out and well planned. There was more than one occasion where I feel like the internal dialogue must have been- Oh ya... Let's go with that plot thread! But, we didn't do anything to prep for it! Oh well. That'll be okay. They won't notice because we'll toss in another shark or something right there. Ooh! Great idea! No one will notice that this is ridiculous if there's another shark!!
I have a feeling that this review is coming across as overly harsh right now, and I feel really bad about that. There were some good points to this book as well. It really wasn't all bad. But the more time passes since I've read the book, and the more I think about it, the less favorable I feel toward it.
I did like the twin dynamics at play here. It was really interesting to watch the differences and similarities from one twin set to the others and then to break that down more into the actual twins. I also really liked Landon. A lot. He was sometimes a bit stand-offish and brusque with Enid, but it was obvious that he really cared about her, and when it came right down to it, he always had her back.
I did not, however, like Wick. At all. I don't blame him at all for wanting space from Enid. I wanted space from Enid after the first chapter. But the way that he handled things later and the way that he spoke to Enid really rubbed me the wrong way. And even though Enid really bothered me, she does have some pretty valid reasons for being a little insecure in her relationship (insert really crappy dad here) so I got it, even while it bugged me.
For good or bad, the relationships were really what drove this book. The plot was just such a convoluted mess that I had no idea what to focus on. And that's not even including the bit about the sharks! I was expecting that. But there was just so much random, seemingly unconnected information and so much drama that didn't move the story anywhere or help the character development that it got overwhelming. Also, I felt like one of things that should have been the most emotional parts of the story was a complete cop-out. And, if you've read the book, I have a feeling you know which part I'm talking about.
Honestly, there are more things about this novel that bothered me. The way certain characters handled personal situations and decisions, the way the author represented certain facts about and characteristics/beliefs of the characters and so on. But, I honestly don't want to just tear the book down. It really wasn't that bad. It just definitely wasn't the book for me.
Would I ever read this book again? Highly unlikely. Would I ever give Tracy another chance? Most likely. Would I recommend this book to others? Possibly, but not without some strong reservations.
If the idea intrigues you, give the book a chance. And then, please! Come back and tell me what you thought. I'd love to be able to chat with someone about their thoughts on the book!
July 2, 2018
I have to admit, the title seemed a bit lacking in imagination; however, the very thing that made me doubt the storyline also caused me to want to read it to see how the it actually developed. I could definitely feel Enid's concern and lack of control of her emotions. It makes you want to give her some sound advice. The survival aspect was interesting but seemed flatter than I would have liked. The ending was a little abrupt but not harsh.
October 10, 2018
I love this book so much I couldnt put it down wanted to keep reading. THis was my life love the wirting make more this is the best book
October 1, 2019
It’s a great book I definitely recommend it it’s a adventurous and fun it’s amazing ♥️♥️♥️
July 19, 2021
Warning! This book will make you sad!
June 14, 2011
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.
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 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 () 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.
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.
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 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 () 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.
January 4, 2022
Do you know those cringy disney channel movies with acting as good as my singing in the shower, special effects as impressing as a toddlers artwork, songs that sound like they'd be playing in Claires or victorias justice, and a plot as basic and cardboard and thin as paper.
Well, I bring you all those things and worse in a 264 paged book with a cover that looks like it should be in the back of a Nat Geo magazine.
Something so bad, it's good.
Well, I bring you all those things and worse in a 264 paged book with a cover that looks like it should be in the back of a Nat Geo magazine.
Something so bad, it's good.
June 9, 2016
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what this book was about. I figured it would have something to do with sharks and boys and with the cover looking so summery and innocent, I was in for a surprise when I was a quarter thru.
I was not a fan of Enid in the beginning whatsoever. I found her absolutely annoying and insecure. I hate insecure people who go out of their way to make their insecurity known by controlling those around them. That’s a personality trait that I have no interest in at all. And, my god, Enid was insecure. She was the jealous type and controlling type because of her insecurity. She told her boyfriend, Wick, what he could and cannot do. Okay, I completely understand jealously and being afraid that your boyfriend is cheating on you but telling him that he couldn’t got to a party on the off chance that that girl might be there is complete and utter nonsense. So when he told her he wanted space and they should go on a break, I was all for that. And then, of course, Enid being her insecure and controlling self, decided to follow him. Basically, she became a stalker. That being said, I did not like her one bit.
But I did think she changed and matured during their survival incident. She had a lot of time to digest certain news and she realized that even though sometimes she didn’t like where her life was heading or if the people around her disappointed her, at the end of the day, it’s all just life. As much as she wants to control every aspect around her, she can’t. And the boat accident allowed her to realize that some things just can’t be controlled. During the second half of the book, she became a lot more bearable and while I can’t say I grew to like her, I grew to at least understand her a little more.
The boys around her – Dale, Wick, Landon, Manny, Sov, Burr and Skate – during the accident were like her brothers because they were all so close to one another. Plus, they were all twins. How crazy is that? I was devastated when two of the boys perished.
The plot was extremely intense. It was all about survival and how to get along with everyone in such a tiny raft clinging to life. There were a few parts that, to me, didn’t make a lot of sense. For example, the amount of weight they lost in just 3 days. Granted, they didn’t eat and didn’t drink anything but how did they go from normal kids to basically skin and bones? Pretty sure if I didn’t eat or drink anything for three days, I would not lose that much weight. At the same time, though, the situation they were in was a lot more dire than a situation I will be in if I simply didn’t eat or drink for three days. So who knows?
Overall, very intense book. There were a lot of topics touched upon in here – survival, depression, adultery, dysfunctional family, insecurity, etc. I just wish that the ending was a little thorough. Once they were saved, the book ended. There was no mention of the result between Wick and Enid, no mention about the dead boys’ family, etc. Otherwise, pretty good book.
To read more: http://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/20...
I was not a fan of Enid in the beginning whatsoever. I found her absolutely annoying and insecure. I hate insecure people who go out of their way to make their insecurity known by controlling those around them. That’s a personality trait that I have no interest in at all. And, my god, Enid was insecure. She was the jealous type and controlling type because of her insecurity. She told her boyfriend, Wick, what he could and cannot do. Okay, I completely understand jealously and being afraid that your boyfriend is cheating on you but telling him that he couldn’t got to a party on the off chance that that girl might be there is complete and utter nonsense. So when he told her he wanted space and they should go on a break, I was all for that. And then, of course, Enid being her insecure and controlling self, decided to follow him. Basically, she became a stalker. That being said, I did not like her one bit.
But I did think she changed and matured during their survival incident. She had a lot of time to digest certain news and she realized that even though sometimes she didn’t like where her life was heading or if the people around her disappointed her, at the end of the day, it’s all just life. As much as she wants to control every aspect around her, she can’t. And the boat accident allowed her to realize that some things just can’t be controlled. During the second half of the book, she became a lot more bearable and while I can’t say I grew to like her, I grew to at least understand her a little more.
The boys around her – Dale, Wick, Landon, Manny, Sov, Burr and Skate – during the accident were like her brothers because they were all so close to one another. Plus, they were all twins. How crazy is that? I was devastated when two of the boys perished.
The plot was extremely intense. It was all about survival and how to get along with everyone in such a tiny raft clinging to life. There were a few parts that, to me, didn’t make a lot of sense. For example, the amount of weight they lost in just 3 days. Granted, they didn’t eat and didn’t drink anything but how did they go from normal kids to basically skin and bones? Pretty sure if I didn’t eat or drink anything for three days, I would not lose that much weight. At the same time, though, the situation they were in was a lot more dire than a situation I will be in if I simply didn’t eat or drink for three days. So who knows?
Overall, very intense book. There were a lot of topics touched upon in here – survival, depression, adultery, dysfunctional family, insecurity, etc. I just wish that the ending was a little thorough. Once they were saved, the book ended. There was no mention of the result between Wick and Enid, no mention about the dead boys’ family, etc. Otherwise, pretty good book.
To read more: http://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/20...
June 23, 2011
Source: Received from netgalley as part of the Teen Book Scene blog tour. Many thanks goes to Netgalley and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: 3.5/5
Enid is having a tough time with her parent's relationship woes, so much so that she thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her. When he decides they should take a break she crumbles. She knows he's going to a party and she's wondering if he will be meeting up with a girl there. In the heat of the moment, she decides to trail him to the party, and sneaks on board the boat he and his friends are on. She falls asleep, and when she wakes up, she realizes they are in the middle of the storm, the boat is sinking, and she will have to try to survive in a life raft with all 7 boys.
Enid is a character that you're either going to love or hate. She's emotionally needy, and is trying to win her boyfriend, Wick, back. He just wants some space, but she doesn't want to give him that space. She follows him to their friend's boat, and sneaks on board. When she gets there she starts to re-evaluate why she's sneaking around, but before she decides to get off of the boat she realizes that they are at sea.
The interesting fact about all of the boys and Enid is that they are all twins and part of a program that chronicles how close twins are. It's neat to see how one person can feel something or be hurt somewhere, and their twin knows what they are feeling or feels phantom pains in the spots that they are hurt. When they are stranded in the life raft they have nothing but time on their side so they re-evaluate life, and what brought them to that moment in time.
With the added shock factor of the sharks and their deliberate attempts to flip the raft, things get a little scary. Many Jaws comments were alluded to, and it was also neat to see Sov and Munny spouting off facts about sharks, and shipwrecks in general.
The main storyline revolves around their time in the life raft, so the plot isn't propelled forward at a fast past. Rather, it meanders while everyone reminisces over their past, their future goals, and what brought them to this point. I would have loved to have read more about what happened afterwards, how they recovered or dealt with their time at sea, and the losses that befell them.
All in all, this is a solid story, but it didn't give me that tearjerker quality that I was expecting; especially since certain scenes should have left the reader emotionally bereft. I would be interested in knowing how everything ended for the teens as they recovered from this harrowing time in their lives. Regardless, the shark lore, and tidbits spouted by Sov and Munny, and the teens narrow escapes, at times, from the sharks made this a compelling read.
My rating: 3.5/5
Enid is having a tough time with her parent's relationship woes, so much so that she thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her. When he decides they should take a break she crumbles. She knows he's going to a party and she's wondering if he will be meeting up with a girl there. In the heat of the moment, she decides to trail him to the party, and sneaks on board the boat he and his friends are on. She falls asleep, and when she wakes up, she realizes they are in the middle of the storm, the boat is sinking, and she will have to try to survive in a life raft with all 7 boys.
Enid is a character that you're either going to love or hate. She's emotionally needy, and is trying to win her boyfriend, Wick, back. He just wants some space, but she doesn't want to give him that space. She follows him to their friend's boat, and sneaks on board. When she gets there she starts to re-evaluate why she's sneaking around, but before she decides to get off of the boat she realizes that they are at sea.
The interesting fact about all of the boys and Enid is that they are all twins and part of a program that chronicles how close twins are. It's neat to see how one person can feel something or be hurt somewhere, and their twin knows what they are feeling or feels phantom pains in the spots that they are hurt. When they are stranded in the life raft they have nothing but time on their side so they re-evaluate life, and what brought them to that moment in time.
With the added shock factor of the sharks and their deliberate attempts to flip the raft, things get a little scary. Many Jaws comments were alluded to, and it was also neat to see Sov and Munny spouting off facts about sharks, and shipwrecks in general.
The main storyline revolves around their time in the life raft, so the plot isn't propelled forward at a fast past. Rather, it meanders while everyone reminisces over their past, their future goals, and what brought them to this point. I would have loved to have read more about what happened afterwards, how they recovered or dealt with their time at sea, and the losses that befell them.
All in all, this is a solid story, but it didn't give me that tearjerker quality that I was expecting; especially since certain scenes should have left the reader emotionally bereft. I would be interested in knowing how everything ended for the teens as they recovered from this harrowing time in their lives. Regardless, the shark lore, and tidbits spouted by Sov and Munny, and the teens narrow escapes, at times, from the sharks made this a compelling read.
August 5, 2011
Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracy shows us somewhere even crazier that a relationship on a ‘break’ can lead than ‘Friends’ did. When the book first stars Enid Calhoun and her boyfriend Wick Jarboe are together – making marzipan sea creatures for a wedding cake, no less –but before their afternoon is over, Wick lets Enid know he thinks they should take a break.
The break, of course, leads Enid to think Wick wants to be with another girl – or girls. So, while she’s with her mother delivering the wedding cake (the one with the sea creatures), she does a very irresponsible, un-Enid like think: she takes off. Not just to anywhere, though. To Maryland.
The boys, including her twin brother Landon and Wick are having a party and Enid is sure Wick is going to use the opportunity to cheat on her. So she’s going to use the opportunity (that she’s made) to spy on him and find out.
Only things go terribly wrong when the party moves to a boat and the boat moves to sea . . . and a hurricane comes. Shipwrecked miles from shore with sharks surrounding them, the teens will have to confront their fears and problems with each other if they hope to survive.
And even then it’s only a hope.
When I first began reading Sharks and Boys I forgot the summary and thought that the sharks on the cover were just referencing the marzipan sea animals and that I’d gotten the real shark/survival part wrong. I was glad to know I had not made it up. (Not because I’m some crazy person who wants teens eaten by sharks but because it had the possibility to make a much different tale.)
Having eight teenagers stuck in the ocean for almost all of a novel is definitely different and very interesting. I really liked the issues that arose due to the circumstances. There was thought put into how they would have to survive, what they would have to do – it wasn’t just used to get them away from civilization and then they were floating pleasantly along.
The characters names were a little distracting, however. Usually I like different names, I think this time because it was only the characters for so much of the book, I just kept wondering why their names were what they were. (Some of them were explained towards the end of the book and maybe if they were explained earlier on, it would have been easier.)
Because the majority of the book is the characters on the water, you really have to like the characters (Enid especially) to love this book. I didn’t dislike the characters, per se, but I did not love them either. I could understand why Enid and Wick were on a break, they didn’t seem to be these to people that should be together. The characters all had quite a few issues (family wise, etc) but I never quite connected with them.
6/10
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eGalley of this title.
The break, of course, leads Enid to think Wick wants to be with another girl – or girls. So, while she’s with her mother delivering the wedding cake (the one with the sea creatures), she does a very irresponsible, un-Enid like think: she takes off. Not just to anywhere, though. To Maryland.
The boys, including her twin brother Landon and Wick are having a party and Enid is sure Wick is going to use the opportunity to cheat on her. So she’s going to use the opportunity (that she’s made) to spy on him and find out.
Only things go terribly wrong when the party moves to a boat and the boat moves to sea . . . and a hurricane comes. Shipwrecked miles from shore with sharks surrounding them, the teens will have to confront their fears and problems with each other if they hope to survive.
And even then it’s only a hope.
When I first began reading Sharks and Boys I forgot the summary and thought that the sharks on the cover were just referencing the marzipan sea animals and that I’d gotten the real shark/survival part wrong. I was glad to know I had not made it up. (Not because I’m some crazy person who wants teens eaten by sharks but because it had the possibility to make a much different tale.)
Having eight teenagers stuck in the ocean for almost all of a novel is definitely different and very interesting. I really liked the issues that arose due to the circumstances. There was thought put into how they would have to survive, what they would have to do – it wasn’t just used to get them away from civilization and then they were floating pleasantly along.
The characters names were a little distracting, however. Usually I like different names, I think this time because it was only the characters for so much of the book, I just kept wondering why their names were what they were. (Some of them were explained towards the end of the book and maybe if they were explained earlier on, it would have been easier.)
Because the majority of the book is the characters on the water, you really have to like the characters (Enid especially) to love this book. I didn’t dislike the characters, per se, but I did not love them either. I could understand why Enid and Wick were on a break, they didn’t seem to be these to people that should be together. The characters all had quite a few issues (family wise, etc) but I never quite connected with them.
6/10
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eGalley of this title.
July 13, 2011
more reviews here
After I finished reading this book, it really made me thankful for fresh water and a warm safe bed.
I literally could not stop reading this book because I wanted to know what would happen next. This book was so suspenseful and I almost wished I could reach into the pages and hand them each a glass of water and some food.
This book starts out with Enid and wick, making decorations for a cake and getting into a fight, they decided to take a break after dating for a year. Wick then decided to go to a party that his friends were having. Sort of a celebration before going off to college, the party consisted of wick and three sets of twin brothers and then Enid’s twin brother. All of them twins, all of them best friends, except for Enid, she was the only girl.
Enid didn’t trust Wick; she thought he was going to cheat on her while he was away. So she left her mom and drove to the party, she then followed the all the boys to “Gretchen”. Gretchen was a boat that skate and burr’s uncle owned. Enid snuck on the ship and hid in the bathroom down below the deck.
Suddenly she woke up to the boat rocking back and forth. There was a major storm and water was coming down the stairs and water was slowly coming up to her ankles. Next the window opened and water started streaming in. Soon enough the ship was sinking with everyone in it. All eight of them jumped overboard and got onto a raft.
They thought the Coast Guard was coming. But three days out at sea with no water, no food, the sun shining down on them, leaving welts on all there exposed skin, and sharks swarming around them they were all doomed. Everyone thought they were going to die.
What I liked about this book was that there were some emotional and gruesome parts. The book wasn’t all happy, with rainbows and puppies. There were deaths, emotional breakdowns. Some parts I almost didn’t want to keep reading because I almost felt the pain they were in. But I voyaged on, and soon enough I was at the end. I really did enjoy this book though.
*spoiler alert*
The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. It didn’t end with a cliffhanger, but it didn’t say what happened after they got into the plane. I’m assuming everyone made it up to safety alive. I would have loved to read what happened when their parents saw them or what happened when they made it home. I was going hoping for that ending. Maybe the author is working on an alternate ending. I hope so!
Anyways, this was a great book so if you haven’t read it, and you want to take a break from paranormal books then dive into Sharks & Boys.
After I finished reading this book, it really made me thankful for fresh water and a warm safe bed.
I literally could not stop reading this book because I wanted to know what would happen next. This book was so suspenseful and I almost wished I could reach into the pages and hand them each a glass of water and some food.
This book starts out with Enid and wick, making decorations for a cake and getting into a fight, they decided to take a break after dating for a year. Wick then decided to go to a party that his friends were having. Sort of a celebration before going off to college, the party consisted of wick and three sets of twin brothers and then Enid’s twin brother. All of them twins, all of them best friends, except for Enid, she was the only girl.
Enid didn’t trust Wick; she thought he was going to cheat on her while he was away. So she left her mom and drove to the party, she then followed the all the boys to “Gretchen”. Gretchen was a boat that skate and burr’s uncle owned. Enid snuck on the ship and hid in the bathroom down below the deck.
Suddenly she woke up to the boat rocking back and forth. There was a major storm and water was coming down the stairs and water was slowly coming up to her ankles. Next the window opened and water started streaming in. Soon enough the ship was sinking with everyone in it. All eight of them jumped overboard and got onto a raft.
They thought the Coast Guard was coming. But three days out at sea with no water, no food, the sun shining down on them, leaving welts on all there exposed skin, and sharks swarming around them they were all doomed. Everyone thought they were going to die.
What I liked about this book was that there were some emotional and gruesome parts. The book wasn’t all happy, with rainbows and puppies. There were deaths, emotional breakdowns. Some parts I almost didn’t want to keep reading because I almost felt the pain they were in. But I voyaged on, and soon enough I was at the end. I really did enjoy this book though.
*spoiler alert*
The only thing I didn’t like was the ending. It didn’t end with a cliffhanger, but it didn’t say what happened after they got into the plane. I’m assuming everyone made it up to safety alive. I would have loved to read what happened when their parents saw them or what happened when they made it home. I was going hoping for that ending. Maybe the author is working on an alternate ending. I hope so!
Anyways, this was a great book so if you haven’t read it, and you want to take a break from paranormal books then dive into Sharks & Boys.
April 24, 2011
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.
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.
August 18, 2011
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.
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.
November 9, 2011
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.
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.
August 7, 2011
Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com
"Enid has boy problems. But once she's adrift at sea in a life raft, they're not nearly as bad as her shark problems."
One day, fifteen-year-old Enid's boyfriend decides that he wants to "take a break," and all of a sudden her life in Vermont starts to crash down around her. Right after Wick tells her he wants a break, he also announces that he'll be going on a trip with the other guys from their twin studies (Enid has a twin brother and they participate in twin studies with three other sets of twins). They'll be traveling to Annapolis to celebrate the end of the school year - and Enid does not like this one bit.
On the day that the boys leave, Enid is helping out her mother at a wedding she's catering. Suddenly, she gets the idea to take her car and drive the 500 plus miles to Annapolis to spy on the boys. When she gets there, she hears them talking about Gretchen, which she assumes is a girl. So when they get in the van and drive down to the water, she of course follows. She's surprised to find out that Gretchen is a boat and proceeds to sneak on and hide out in the bathroom.
The next thing she knows, they're out at sea in the middle of a terrible storm. Worse comes to worse and the boat sinks - and the eight friends find themselves squeezed into a tiny life raft surrounded by sharks. Now, Enid and the guys are faced with the possibility that no one has any idea where they are and that they may not survive.
This wasn't the type of book that I was expecting from Kristen Tracy, but it was great! I could definitely understand why Enid decided to go spy on Wick and the other boys. From the very beginning of the book I could tell that something bad was going to happen, and that made it hard to put it down.
For the majority of the story, the kids are stuck on the life raft, but that definitely doesn't mean that the book is boring by any means. A lot of things happen when they are on the raft that each set of twins has to work through. Not one part of this book is boring, so I highly recommend picking up a copy. If you don't mind a heart-wrenching story involving a little bit of blood and a lot of sharks, then this is the book for you!
"Enid has boy problems. But once she's adrift at sea in a life raft, they're not nearly as bad as her shark problems."
One day, fifteen-year-old Enid's boyfriend decides that he wants to "take a break," and all of a sudden her life in Vermont starts to crash down around her. Right after Wick tells her he wants a break, he also announces that he'll be going on a trip with the other guys from their twin studies (Enid has a twin brother and they participate in twin studies with three other sets of twins). They'll be traveling to Annapolis to celebrate the end of the school year - and Enid does not like this one bit.
On the day that the boys leave, Enid is helping out her mother at a wedding she's catering. Suddenly, she gets the idea to take her car and drive the 500 plus miles to Annapolis to spy on the boys. When she gets there, she hears them talking about Gretchen, which she assumes is a girl. So when they get in the van and drive down to the water, she of course follows. She's surprised to find out that Gretchen is a boat and proceeds to sneak on and hide out in the bathroom.
The next thing she knows, they're out at sea in the middle of a terrible storm. Worse comes to worse and the boat sinks - and the eight friends find themselves squeezed into a tiny life raft surrounded by sharks. Now, Enid and the guys are faced with the possibility that no one has any idea where they are and that they may not survive.
This wasn't the type of book that I was expecting from Kristen Tracy, but it was great! I could definitely understand why Enid decided to go spy on Wick and the other boys. From the very beginning of the book I could tell that something bad was going to happen, and that made it hard to put it down.
For the majority of the story, the kids are stuck on the life raft, but that definitely doesn't mean that the book is boring by any means. A lot of things happen when they are on the raft that each set of twins has to work through. Not one part of this book is boring, so I highly recommend picking up a copy. If you don't mind a heart-wrenching story involving a little bit of blood and a lot of sharks, then this is the book for you!
July 2, 2011
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’ physical corrosion, and sometimes it’s just too much for those who are easily queasy. There’s also the psychological aspect of being stranded; each character copes in a different way, and the way they subsequently interact with each other is fascinating.
With death a looming enemy, the author attempts to stress the importance of forgiveness, but the message is ultimately lost amongst the drama of the situation.
Though very little actually happens in Sharks and Boys, the novel still manages to be gripping. Other than an occasional shark encounter and the initial sinking of the boat, Sharks and Boys is relatively devoid of action. Yet there’s a sense of urgency about the whole book, and I found myself knotting my brow, fervently hoping for the characters’ rescue.
During the more quiet scenes of Sharks and Boys, Kristen Tracy uses dialogue to flesh out her characters. Though initially it seems that the boat being filled with pairs of twins would play a pivotal role in the story, each character ultimately ends up coming into their own. It’s easy to love certain characters and dislike others. Enid, the protagonist, is a bit overdramatic, but she matures during the few days she is stranded at sea.
Sharks and Boys may sound like a beach read, but it’s surprisingly serious. There are funny moments, but the story is mostly thought-provoking. Sharks and Boys will be a great fit for readers who love character-driven stories with high stakes.
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’ physical corrosion, and sometimes it’s just too much for those who are easily queasy. There’s also the psychological aspect of being stranded; each character copes in a different way, and the way they subsequently interact with each other is fascinating.
With death a looming enemy, the author attempts to stress the importance of forgiveness, but the message is ultimately lost amongst the drama of the situation.
Though very little actually happens in Sharks and Boys, the novel still manages to be gripping. Other than an occasional shark encounter and the initial sinking of the boat, Sharks and Boys is relatively devoid of action. Yet there’s a sense of urgency about the whole book, and I found myself knotting my brow, fervently hoping for the characters’ rescue.
During the more quiet scenes of Sharks and Boys, Kristen Tracy uses dialogue to flesh out her characters. Though initially it seems that the boat being filled with pairs of twins would play a pivotal role in the story, each character ultimately ends up coming into their own. It’s easy to love certain characters and dislike others. Enid, the protagonist, is a bit overdramatic, but she matures during the few days she is stranded at sea.
Sharks and Boys may sound like a beach read, but it’s surprisingly serious. There are funny moments, but the story is mostly thought-provoking. Sharks and Boys will be a great fit for readers who love character-driven stories with high stakes.
July 6, 2011
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.
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.
June 27, 2011
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*
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*
July 26, 2011
Scary.
That's basically all I could think about when I was reading Sharks & Boys. Sharks & Boys is mainly a story of survival...and what you'll do to survive.
I have to admit, Enid annoyed me for the first quarter of the book. She was annoying, extremely possessive of her boyfriend, and whiny. Whiny girls do not sit well with me. Thankfully, being out on a yellow raft thing with a bunch of boys did the trick. She wasn't half bad, actually she turned out to be a really good character, and I loved seeing Enid grow.
Tracy knows how to make you shiver and make you fear. I felt like I was out on that raft with Enid and all the twins. I felt like I was going to be attacked my sharks and die. It was frightening and enough to make me scared of the ocean. Which I love but now I'm a little afraid. That's what a well-written survival/suspense book can do to you.
Not much happened while Enid and the boys were out on the raft. But we got to here them talk about their fears, hopes and we got to see them discover some pretty interesting things. And, therefore, it wasn't boring. You were kept on your toes through the entire book...waiting...waiting...for the shark to come up and bite you on the head.
A really cool aspect of Sharks & Boys was all the twins. Enid and Landon; Wick and Dale; Sov and Munny; Burr and Skate. Yes, weird names and it took me awhile to get used to all the characters but eventually you get to know them really well. And there was the aspect of the twin studies, which was interesting!
I thought there was going to be more of a romance in this book but there wasn't really. I was intrigued enough by the sharks and tyring to survive that I didn't need a romance. Though there is a rumored sequel, which I would happily read!
Sharks & Boys was an awesome, scary tale that will have you shivering with suspense. And if you live close to the ocean...beware. No, seriously, be careful.
That's basically all I could think about when I was reading Sharks & Boys. Sharks & Boys is mainly a story of survival...and what you'll do to survive.
I have to admit, Enid annoyed me for the first quarter of the book. She was annoying, extremely possessive of her boyfriend, and whiny. Whiny girls do not sit well with me. Thankfully, being out on a yellow raft thing with a bunch of boys did the trick. She wasn't half bad, actually she turned out to be a really good character, and I loved seeing Enid grow.
Tracy knows how to make you shiver and make you fear. I felt like I was out on that raft with Enid and all the twins. I felt like I was going to be attacked my sharks and die. It was frightening and enough to make me scared of the ocean. Which I love but now I'm a little afraid. That's what a well-written survival/suspense book can do to you.
Not much happened while Enid and the boys were out on the raft. But we got to here them talk about their fears, hopes and we got to see them discover some pretty interesting things. And, therefore, it wasn't boring. You were kept on your toes through the entire book...waiting...waiting...for the shark to come up and bite you on the head.
A really cool aspect of Sharks & Boys was all the twins. Enid and Landon; Wick and Dale; Sov and Munny; Burr and Skate. Yes, weird names and it took me awhile to get used to all the characters but eventually you get to know them really well. And there was the aspect of the twin studies, which was interesting!
I thought there was going to be more of a romance in this book but there wasn't really. I was intrigued enough by the sharks and tyring to survive that I didn't need a romance. Though there is a rumored sequel, which I would happily read!
Sharks & Boys was an awesome, scary tale that will have you shivering with suspense. And if you live close to the ocean...beware. No, seriously, be careful.
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