On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves - Perfect Summer Love Story

On The Island – where do I start? From the very minute that I opened up my Real Readers parcel to discover this book, I was literally beside myself. I blame my English teacher, as after being forced to read Lord of the Flies at school, I have been ever so slightly obsessed with “castaway” stories ever since. And with a love story to boot, I was literally on cloud nine. I got it several days before I went on holiday, so I was (somehow) able to hold back my eagerness and waited a whole 48 hours before I gave in and read it.

I was hoping that my expectations and my anticipation would be rewarded, and dear blog reader, I can confirm, it very definitely did. I literally devoured this book from cover to cover in less than a day. And I really didn’t want it to end. I loved it from start to finish, and whilst it wasn’t necessarily the story I thought it would be, it worked out better than I could have thought. For this little old cynic to be moved by a love story, it has to be pretty special!!

Anna has been hired for the summer as a tutor for T.J, a teenager who needs help with his school work due to having been ill earlier in the year. On the flight to his family’s holiday home in the Maldives, the pilot has a heart attack and Anna and T.J crash land in the ocean. At 17, T.J is more worldly than some teenagers as a result of his serious illness, but he still has a lot of growing up to do. And it seems, with no one knowing where they are, time is one thing that Anna and T.J have in abundance.

The book starts at the airport and tends to focus on the present rather than providing the reader with flashbacks. Although we learn a little about Anna and T.J and their friends and family, the main focus is on the relationship between the two. Prior to the crash, Anna and T.J don’t know anything about each other and so not only are they forced to rely on each other , they have to work together to survive the dangers on the island. The narration switches between Anna and T.J, so we get to see the story develop through both of their eyes. As the story progresses, it’s hard to know how the story will end – will they get rescued, and if they do return to “civilisation”, what will happen to the two of them? Without spoiling anything, I was pleasantly surprised by, and happy with, the ending.

On The Island is, in many ways, the perfect summer holiday book, as it is light to read, and doesn’t drag too much in the descriptions. Without meaning to be critical of the author, the language is nothing fancy, nor is it particularly literary prose. But that means you can focus purely on the story, and a simple story like this doesn’t need flowery text. The language style works brilliantly with the story and carries it through to the end. This doesn’t downplay the interesting concepts the book arises. Topics of thought are touched upon (what are the rights and wrongs of Anna and T.J’s relationship?) but aren’t turned into a debate or a main focus, which would have detracted from the story. What would I do if I was on a desert island, and what would happen if I was Anna, and on the island with TJ?

This is very definitely a book to pack on your holidays (although maybe not if you’re flying over the Maldives)!