[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Aladdin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
When Jake’s dad is critically injured while serving in Afghanistan, his mom sends Jake to Dewees Island to stay with his grandmother, Honey. At first, Jake’s upset – he has to leave his friends, go somewhere without wifi, and he’s worried about his dad. Jake also discovers his grandmother hasn’t been doing so well since his grandfather died. Most of the food in the fridge is long past edible. The house is filled with dusty stacks of books. And his grandmother spends a lot of time in her room.
But Jake starts helping his grandmother, and he makes a couple friends his age. And that changes everything. But even as he starts to feel more comfortable on the island, he worries about how his dad’s injury will change things.
Review
This was great! There’s a terrific blending here of Jake’s personal story – with the island, with his grandmother, and with his father’s injury – and a strong friendship story. Each of the three kids – Jake, Lovie, and Macon – are challenged by something. And their friendship helps each kid face that thing and address it in some way.
I enjoyed the naturalist/conservationist pieces – Jake learning about the island wildlife in general as well as the work the three kids do together for the (adorable!) turtles.
There’s a lot here for readers to love – great characters, a fascinating setting, and just enough interpersonal conflict to keep the story moving and the characters growing. I was excited to see that Goodreads lists this as the first in a series. I would definitely read more books with these characters in the future!
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.