Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland
Series: N/A
Source: Traded for
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: May 7, 2013

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.

At that moment it seemed that all our feelings were shimmering above us, around us, in a new and stunning constellation.

The first third of Nantucket Blue kind of annoyed me. Not to say that the book itself wasn't good, because it was, but the first third was just chock full of drama. It was all about friend issues and just general brattiness. I wanted to strangle Jules, and poor Cricket had her own little annoying things going on. I wasn't even sure that I even liked Cricket at all until all that was passed.

It just took up too much space in the book, in my opinion. I admire Cricket's personality, though. She didn't let these things hold her back, and she tried really hard to be there for Jules.

Cricket herself wasn't all that awesome of a character. She was just a good one. Her actions are what made her great-- without them she's just mediocre. Thankfully, she makes some great friends on Nantucket that really broke the ice for me. Liz was so great and care free, and she made everything so light and fun! I also loved the jokes that she would make, and how she wanted to find a nice "bloke" for Cricket. She was sweet.

Mostly, my big problem with Cricket is that I just couldn't relate to her. I can't think of one thing that makes her like me, and I look for that in characters.

On another note, though, I really liked the romance. It was so sweet and innocent. I was cheering for them the whole time. Especially with the age difference thing-- I'm so proud that for once the guy was younger than the girl! It's not a dynamic that we see very often in YA, but it happens a lot in real life.

All in all, Nantucket Blue is worth a read, just for the romance dynamics. But I enjoyed it. ;)