Review: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Title: Nantucket Blue
Series: Nantucket, #1
Date Published: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperian

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

My Thoughts:

I have been looking for some good reads that take place during the summertime, and I kept seeing Nantucket Blue being mentioned. It sounded perfect, and I could not resist a young adult book that takes place in Nantucket. I have personally never been to Nantucket, but I have always wanted to travel there and see it for myself.

Leila Howland does a wonderful job describing the island- from the ferries, to the houses and buildings, and even the scenery and the weather. I could really envision the place in my mind (the next best thing to actually being there). It just seems so relaxing and peaceful.

Cricket was a good, all-around character. She's smart, athletic, yet she loves to goof around and have fun. I have to say, my heart really went out to Cricket. The girl really put her all into everything that she did. She worked hard in school, showed up for work and did her job as best she could, and she tried to be there for her family and friends. Even when it seemed like they did not want her around.

There were a couple of times that I had to stop reading and set my book aside, so that I could calm down some. Both of her parents had issues. I could actually understand why Cricket's mom was the way that she was, but her dad was another story. I actually texted a friend of mine because I was so mad, I was starting to cry angry tears. (I just needed to get  out some of that emotion). Honestly, I was a bit bummed that this issue did not seem to get resolved, either. 

Jules was another one I had an issue with. Jules. Jules. Jules. You know, I really felt bad about what happened to her and why she got upset when she did, but she had a bit of a mean streak, that Cricket did not deserve to be the recipient of. She did something to Cricket, and yet our heroine still tried to go out of her way to please Jules. And I just could not see why she felt like she had to keep her "secret" from Jules, especially since they weren't getting along.

Now, you might be thinking that after saying all of this that I didn't like the book, but I did! Nantucket Blue evoked so many emotions and feelings from me. Even anger. I like a book that makes me feel something. I completely realize that no character is perfect, and teens especially are going to make mistakes and go through bumps here and there in an effort to find independence and who they truly are. There was one thing, however, that Cricket did that I don't think I could forgive so easily (at any age!).

One of my favorite parts of the book were the notes written in the Emily Dickens book. They were so sentimental and romantic, and I kept trying to guess who they were about! The romance in Nantucket Blue was also very sweet! After I finished reading, I had to immediately begin the sequel- Nantucket Red. It's not that there was really a cliffhanger, but I just did not have a peace that everything was quite resolved at the end.

I would recommend Nantucket Blue to those looking for a good, summer read. I do want to say that even though this book is found in the teen section, I would be more inclined to recommend it for older teens, based of the language and some of the content.