AMAZON BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.
T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.
Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.
At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.
Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.
At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.
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Book Review:
When I
first decided to read this book I didn't no what to expect. I mean from the
blurb teacher falls for student…yes I was a skeptic!! BUT after reading this
book trust me I shouldn't have been. As I read one thing stuck with
me, Love knows no age!
This book
is ANNA and TJ’s story. Anna is a school teacher whose life isn't where she
wants it to be at the age of The BIG 30. Not happy with her life/relationship
(lets just say more than 5 years…) she takes a teaching job in the Maldives
TJ is a
high school student who was diagnosed with cancer. When his cancer went into
remission his parents thought going away to the Maldives
Tired and
just wanting to get to there destination, Anna/TJ take the last spots on a
small private plane headed to there destination. Little did they know there
lives would be changed forever by a “Greasy Cheeseburger” (the pilot’s last
meal before he had a heart attack…. Yup the McDonald’s of the world are
clogging arteries).When the pilot had a heart attack and the plane went down
ANNA/TJ’s story then became one of survival.
As this
story unfolded and we saw some of the things TJ/Anna had to do to survive, I
can honestly say I don’t think I could have survived this….. BUT I have always
heard when a person finds there back against a wall with no way out, Strength
you didn't know you had comes to the surface. As castaways on the island for
YEARS, how do you entertain yourself and keep busy?
Homemade
checkers, poker, swimming, building houses, hunting sharks etc.., Oh ya, cant
forget fall in love and have hot steamy sex on a deserted island (wait isn’t
that a fantasy of so many people, lol).
As this
story unfolds, we watch ANNA/TJ develop a true friendship that ends up pushing
so many boundaries. They literally fall in love with each other before your
eyes. This had to be one of the sweetest love stories I’ve read. Even though in
the back of my mind I knew TJ was a teenager he always felt so much older to me
as I read this book.
“You weren't supposed to fall in love,” she whispered.
“Well, I did,”
I said, looking into her eyes. “ I've been in love with you for months. I’m
telling you now because I think you love me too, Anna. You just don’t think
you’re supposed to. You’ll tell me when you’re ready. I can wait.” ---–TJ
I mean
what 15 year old boy cancer or not thinks about freezing his sperm in case he
wants a family some day (he seriously was a old soul in a young body).
While
Anna/TJ’s love story unfolded over the years on the island the most interesting
part of there story to me was when they got off the island. Despite being consenting
adults of legal age/surviving against all odds, the media took there love and
tried to turn it into something UGLY! I know every relationship has its ups and
downs, but watching how they overcame this obstacle of public scrutiny put me
over the edge with this book. Despite family, media, and friends opinions there
Love always brought them back to each other.
As I
stated earlier this was one of the sweetest love stories I've read in a while. Despite
being a love story the issues of survival, strength, and public scrutiny were
touched on as well. I wish more of Anna and TJ life after the island was told
(Thank goodness for the epilogue).
Great job
Mrs. Graves…..
BOOK RATING: A/4.5 stars
***** For
anyone wanting more of TJ/ANNA like me, Mrs. Graves is giving us more with ISLE
of Bones (I CANT WAIT!)
CHEERS,
Dr. Books
Dr. Books
