eight: twenty boy summer

Ockler, Sarah. Twenty Boy Summer. New York City, New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Adults, 2009. Epub file.

Annotation
"To give me back my memories so that something as simple as a song floating out from behind a bonfire doesn't bring me all the way back to him every time."

When Anna's best friend, Frankie, suggest that she take a chance at having a summer fling, she willingly takes the offer. But Anna has a secret of her own, one she cannot tell, especially to her best friend. After the death of Frankie's brother, Matt, Anna must face grievance  true meaning of friendship, and love.




Justification for Nomination
After Anna's fifteenth birthday Matt confesses his feelings to Anna, but she must keep it a secret from Frankie, her best friend. Matt, Frankie's brother, wanted to be able to tell Frankie the truth, once he felt it was right. But after a tragic accident and Matt's death, things turns for the worst, as Anna is burden with the secret that she never wants to tell Frankie.

A year after the death of Matt, Frankie and her family invites Anna on a trip back to California. Here Frankie suggests that they take a chance at a summer fling and meet twenty boys, during their vacation. Anna willingly accepts her proposal, despite not wanting to think about any boy but Matt. Until she met Sam, who
she felt comfortable with and when she was with him she didn't think about Matt.

One day, Frankie comes across Anna's diary and finds out the truth. She is torn to find that she was kept away from such secret about her best friend and brother. Together, Anna and Frankie must cope with what their friendship means and how they choose to deal with the pain. Especially for Frankie, who has felt betrayed, not only from her best friend, but her own brother.

Twenty Boy Summer was definitely a teaser title. When you read the title, you would think it's about teen girls having a summer fling with twenty boys in twenty days. That would be mind-blowing and unethical.

Twenty Boy Summer was an interesting book, as I can't exactly grasp to why it would be considered a banned book. For me, it felt more like a book about grievance, moving on, and dealing with pain; from death, betrayal, and trust. I think that Sarah Ockler put this book together well and she told the story in a way young adults can see it, but as well as parent readers.

Twenty Boy Summer was banned due to it's soft-pornography, use of drugs, and drinking. The biggest impact on what young adults can read and watch these days factor from how much influence parents have on it. Many parents would feel that this title represented that lying to friends and parents is okay. That having sex or losing one's virginity will make them anymore less remorse. I think it is important that parents take time to read what their young teens are reading and discuss the matter with them. Express options from both perspective and see the outcome of it.

This title was a great book about trust, dealing with death, friendship, love/romance, and feeling content.

Genre Challenged | Coming of Age | Romance