On the Island

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

I purchased the ebook through Barnes & Noble.

My review:

The summary of this book will unfortunately deter many readers. A thirty-year-old teacher is en route with her 16-year-old pupil to his family's summer stay in the Maldives when their plane crashes, stranding the two of them on an island. Days stretch into years and Anna and T.J. struggle to survive, eventually developing a "Relationship."

While the subject matter sounds as if it should make the skin crawl, the book is beautiful and so is the love story. The chapters are told from alternating points of view, which helps the reader to understand how their relationship unfolds and changes. Graves' writing is clear and flows well, making this an easy book to read in quick snatches of time, but the story will linger in the reader's mind long after the e-reader is put down.

Stars: 4

 

This book is actually a re-read for me. I purchased a copy last year, when it was only available as an e-book (the author was originally unable to find a traditional publisher and went the self-pub route). My book club selected it as this month's read and I was more than happy to revisit this one.

The most problematic aspect from a suspension-of-disbelief perspective was T.J.'s maturity level. I bought the premise that as a cancer survivor, he had a different outlook on life than most guys his age. And of course the years on the island would shape him deeply, particularly as they occur in his transition to manhood. Still, in the latter sections of the book, he was just a little too "together" and adult at points.

I hesitate to file this book it under "action/adventure," but the characters' efforts to survive are a huge part of the story. Though written for a primarily female audience, this is one love story that I could see having above-average cross-gender appeal.