Nantucket #2
Published May 13, 2014 by Disney Hyperion
288 pages
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Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Series: Nantucket Blue | Nantucket Red
Source: Publisher | Netgalley
Rating: Loved
Cricket Thompson’s lifetime of overachieving has paid off: she’s headed to Brown University in the fall, with a spot on the lacrosse team and a scholarship that covers almost everything. Who knew living in the dorm cost money? An Ivy League education seems to mean living at home for the next four years.
When Cricket is offered the chance to earn enough cash to afford a real college experience, she heads back to Nantucket for the summer. But the faraway island challenges Cricket in ways she hadn’t anticipated. It’s hard to focus on earning money for next year, when she finds her world opening up in entirely new ways-to art, to travel, and, most unexpectedly, to a future completely different from the one she has been working toward her whole life. A friendship blossoms with Ben, the gorgeous surfer and bartender who encourages Cricket to be free, even as she smarts at the pain of seeing Zack, her first love, falling for her worst enemy.
But one night, when Cricket finally lets herself break all her own rules, she realizes she may have ruined her carefully constructed future with one impulsive decision. Cricket must dig deep to fight for her future, discovering that success isn’t just about reaching goals, but also about listening to what she’s been trying to ignore-her own heart. (Source: Goodreads)
You don’t see sequels to Contemporary books, often. I wasn’t sure where LEILA could take us next. I shouldn’t be so pessimistic, because NANTUCKET RED doesn’t disappoint.
Cricket is officially one of my all-time favorite main characters. Readers got a good dose of her gumption and goodness in NANTUCKET BLUE. I was so thrilled to see that she stays true to herself. She doesn’t lose anything, so I found myself eagerly turning pages wondering where the summer would end.
Cricket is so brave to try PAUSE her relationship with Zach. Understandably, she is worried about time and distance ruining the sweet and carefree love they found over the summer. But lets repeat the mantra, “Boys are Stupid.” Unfortunately, she can’t read into Zach’s appeal to see each other over Thanksgiving. He doesn’t use his words and explain how he is so incredibly lonely, missing his mother and feeling weak. So my heart broke right along Crickets when she receives a hello-high-five instead of a hug.
Why I love Cricket? She picks herself up and dusts herself off. She doesn’t deny the hurt, but doesn’t wallow in it. And she heads off to Nantucket. Not deterred by her broken heart, mean girls and working relentlessly for dorm money, she tries to move on, finding adventure and her own way, following her heart and being true to herself.
LEILA gives us another tale of journey, not of first loves, but what comes after. It will stretch and challenge the reader as much as the characters within. Don’t be afraid of the unknown. Embrace the adventure and don’t always play it safe.
