Twenty Boy Summer

Twenty Boy Summer is another book that I have read a ton of reviews on and finally have got around to reading (why is it I am always so far behind?!). For the most part the reviews I have read have been positive, but I have read a few that weren't exactly glowing. I am probably somewhere in between those two positions. Every time I read a YA book I always have to realize I am reading this book as an adult, which is not the same perspective as a young adult. Then I have to ask myself if the reason I don't love the book is because I am not really in the audience this book was intended for, or whether there was some other reason this book isn't working for me.

My young adult self would have really enjoyed this book. Three friends, Frankie, Matt, and Anna enjoy hanging out together, and when Matt and Anna start to have feelings for one another the two decide to keep it a secret, not yet sure how Frankie (who happens to be Matt's sister) will feel about their romance. Before the two can let Frankie in on the shift in their relationship, the three are in a car accident in which Matt is killed.

Now a year later Frankie and Anna are heading to California with Frankie's parents for a vacation. While there Frankie has convinced Anna to work toward their "Twenty Boy Summer" goal - getting twenty different guys interested in them. Things don't go exactly as planned - the two do find a few guys to hang out with, but Anna becomes smitten with Sam, not really interested in finding more guys. And, when Frankie finds Anna's journal and reads it she feels betrayed by her best friend's relationship with her brother.

First of all, this book's title leads you to believe this will be a great fluffy read, yet there is not a lot of focus on the "twenty boy summer," making me wish they had picked a different title for this one. There is also a little predictability in this book, and some things I don't feel were adequately explored - like Frankie's comment about her parents no longer caring about her because she wasn't the child that died, yet never addressing this, or seeing Frankie or her parents really grieve for their son/brother, but this is a good YA read with a lot of appeal for teen girls.

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