Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Last of Summer Reading....

 
On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves
Not yet ready for the warm, sunny days of summer to end?  Looking for that last great summer read?  On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves is just that.  It’s a story about Anna Emerson, a 30-year-old English teacher and private summer tutor who is hired to help 16-year-old, cancer surviving teen T.J. Callahan catch up on all his high school assignments so he can return to school in the fall.  But On the Island is not your typical shipwreck story; this book is about survival, determination, loyalty and romance.  It is a fantastically unbelievable story made believable.
The story begins with Anna telling readers that the plane they were flying on crashes into the Indian Ocean.  There is also much foreshadowing as Anna and T.J. embark on their survival adventure; T.J.’s instant liking to Anna, Anna’s insistence that T.J. pack an extra bottle of water, Mick the pilot devouring a greasy cheese burger and fries before the flight.
After their plane crash-lands, they drift in the dangerous shark infested waters. Their life jackets keep them afloat.  T.J. clings to an unconscious Anna, in attempts to keep her head above water.  As the sun rises in the sky Anna and T.J. awake on an uninhabited Island in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Anna bleeding and in and out of consciousness from a huge gash in her head and T.J. desperately trying to keep her alive.  From this time forward they unknowingly form an unbreakable bond.  As the sun dips through the sky they begin planning their survival strategy: stay alive until the rescue planes come.  Days soon turn into weeks and their weeks soon turn into months as Anna and T.J. realize help is not coming and they must work together to endure the heat of the sun, gather fresh water, food and build a fire and shelter.
Both Anna and T.J. must rely on their knowledge, natural skill, wit and even luck to survive.  With their basic needs met, and the months on the island turning into years Anna and T.J. find themselves encountering plenty of obstacles; tropical storms rage, the surrounding waters have dangerous unseen depths, illness affects both their lives and supplies threaten to run out.
Besides all the dangers and near death experiences time passes on the island rather predictable.  T.J. turns nineteen on the island and soon after makes his feelings for Anna known.  Despite her better judgment and all her cautiousness Anna falls for the man T.J. has become.  They grow even closer and soon a slow building and strong burning romance binds their story.
There is no doubt both Anna and T.J. fought hard to survive; between the trauma of the crash itself, long, hot sunburned days, the dangers in the water and their hope of being rescued; Anna and T.J. gave more than they thought they had to survive for each other.
On the Island is a quick, easy read with a sweet, romantic story at its center.  Tastefully written, about an older woman and a younger man’s romance Tracey Garvis Graves gives you the opportunity to join Anna and T.J. on the island as a witness of their survival and love.  On the Island is fully equipped with romance, a compelling conflict and a satisfying ending.  If you’re planning on reading one last summer read choice On the Island.


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