Twenty Boy Summer Review

According to her 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 that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.
Taken from GoodReads.

Twenty Boy Summer follows the story of 16-year-old best friends Anna Riley and Frankie Perino as they cope with the prospect of visiting the family's vacation spot one year after Frankie's brother's tragic death. A year ago, Anna was floating on air, experiencing her first kiss with Matt Perino, finding her first love, and waiting for the perfect moment to tell Frankie. In an instant though, Matt was taken away, the void left in Anna's heart couldn't be filled, and she had to keep her promise to Matt. She had to protect Frankie in the wake of his death - and she could never tell Frankie, no matter what.

I never read a review for Twenty Boy Summer, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The premise sounded intriguing, and frankly the only reason I put off reading this book so long was because of the title. It sounded, well...loose, shall we say. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. Sarah Ockler has spun a magnetic tale that examines the intricacies of friendship, mourning, loss, and finding the will to live again.

Twenty Boy Summer had the elements of romance that make it sweet and beautiful, while tempering them with the overwhelming sorrow one feels in the wake of a loved one's death. Frankie's emotions, while a bit trying to read, felt real, and Anna's quiet demeanor helped the story ring true. If I could sum Twenty Boy Summer up in one general theme, it would be that true love never dies. It changes, transforms, and helps one overcome the sadness and find out how to live again. Most of all though, this book deals with the depth of Frankie and Anna's friendship, and it proves just how strong they are united.

I give Twenty Boy Summer a very strong 5 out of 5. I would recommend it to those who enjoy realistic YA fiction, romance, and reading about the complexities in a unique coming-of-age tale. I would, however, recommend it to a more mature YA audience due to some discreet sexual situations and drinking etc.