Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler

In the book Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler,  According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn't told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

This was undeniably one of my most favorite debut novels this year. Anna and Frankie were phenomenal characters. I totally understood Anna, I got her right away, but it took me the entire novel to finally get Frankie. Incredible. Ockler's depiction of Anna's emotions was beyond spectacular, I can't even begin to imagine how it felt to write that, because I know how it made me feel reading it. Wow. And how fantastic was the writing!This book is captivating.


Reviewed by Iren H., grade 10
Glendale Central Library