Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

A short summary from Sarah Ockler’s site: 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.


TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.

This book was such a conglomeration of emotions: happy, sad, heart-warming, funny, and even frustrating at moments. Anna was in love with the boy next door, literally. He was also her best friend’s brother. However, just as they were getting together, a tragic accident ripped them apart. Eventually we find out that Anna is not the only one with secrets to keep. She also learns that Matt is not the only one she’s mourning, but also her friendship with Frankie. It has morphed into something different and she’s trying desperately to grab onto any glimmer of what it once was.

There were little gems throughout this book about friendship, grief, and letting go. One of my favorite quotes was: “My breathing shatters, tears blur the stars in the overhead skylight, and all the old ghosts I tried to leave home float like dandelion seed wishes into our room.”

I thought this book would be a major cry fest in the end, but it wasn’t. There were wonderful images. The fun parts of friendship and the tough parts of friendship too. I LOVED the idea of sea glass and now wish I didn’t live in a land-locked state. ; ) The cover is just gorgeous.  I really liked this book and am going to give it 4 roses. There was some sex present in this book, some drinking and smoking. Minimal swearing, if at all. I say 15 or so and up.