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Twenty Boy Summer

Sarah Ockler

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Jul 02, 2010 Nicole rated it it was amazing

Wow... just wow! This novel was so beautiful and heart-warming and heart-tearing it was difficult to put down. I know what its like to have your best friend change right in front of your eyes (though not from her brother's death, or any death for that matter), so I feel Anna's pain over her best friend Frankie. The title is misleading though because (and no big secret here) they never get to 20 boys and simply stick with #5 and #6 for most of their vacation in California. Anna's mental growth th Wow... just wow! This novel was so beautiful and heart-warming and heart-tearing it was difficult to put down. I know what its like to have your best friend change right in front of your eyes (though not from her brother's death, or any death for that matter), so I feel Anna's pain over her best friend Frankie. The title is misleading though because (and no big secret here) they never get to 20 boys and simply stick with #5 and #6 for most of their vacation in California. Anna's mental growth throughout this whole thing was amazing, and the whole process was interesting to watch. Out of something completely devastating comes something new and beautiful and life renewing, and that was the main appeal of this novel. This one deserves my full 5 stars, and if you want a great summer read this is it.

**SPOILERS!!!**
This is really one of the saddest books I've ever read. It wasn't the kind of sadness where I just wanted to cry all the time, but it had many moments where I either felt close to tears or it was just painfully difficult to read. Everyone changed so much, but each change was breathtaking and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

I live in California and I was trying to figure out where this beach was that they were at. I mean with all the hot boys mentioned it was hard not to wonder. But at one point, I figured out that it didn't matter that it was California. Anywhere far away from her parents and the death of her sort-of boyfriend was good enough. This book was predictable enough, but the fact that I knew certain things were coming still didn't prepare me enough for them.

The virginity thing was kind of funny in a sick, horrible-best-friend way. How could you not tell your own best friend that you really hadn't had sex for your first time on the school soccer field with some guy? That's what best friends do: they keep your most embarassing secrets! I suppose I have to give her the benefit of the doubt because it wasn't long after her brother Matt had died from a dormant heart deffect. It's not a very good excuse after all that time and there was no reason for Frankie to keep up the charade by telling Anna that she had already had sex with Jake as well. I just don't understand...

Anna and Sam were cute and serious, but unserious at the same time. They both knew that it wasn't going to last because Anna wouldn't be coming back any time soon, but what they had was still beautiful and more real than any fantasy she would have had about Matt coming back. She needed to move on, and Sam was a main contributer to that. He was perfect for her and exactly what she needed. She didn't exactly need to lose her virginity to him, but that might have been some of Frankie's doing too. And maybe it truly helped her move on from Matt.

This was one of the best summer reads I have had the pleasure of diving into. ...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Andrea at Reading Lark marked it as to-read

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Dec 29, 2011 Crystal Paglino marked it as to-read

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