“For a second, I’m transported back in time, born once more into the water, everything fresh and new yet also filled with an overwhelming sense of home.”
Title: Girl Out of Water
Author: Laura Silverman
Series: Standalone
Publication: May 2nd 2017 by Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley
Summary from Goodreads:
Anise Sawyer plans to spend every minute of summer with her friends: surfing, chowing down on fish tacos drizzled with wasabi balsamic vinegar, and throwing bonfires that blaze until dawn. But when a serious car wreck leaves her aunt, a single mother of three, with two broken legs, it forces Anise to say goodbye for the first time to Santa Cruz, the waves, her friends, and even a kindling romance, and fly with her dad to Nebraska for the entire summer. Living in Nebraska isn’t easy. Anise spends her days caring for her three younger cousins in the childhood home of her runaway mom, a wild figure who’s been flickering in and out of her life since birth, appearing for weeks at a time and then disappearing again for months, or even years, without a word.
Complicating matters is Lincoln, a one-armed, charismatic skater who pushes Anise to trade her surfboard for a skateboard. As Anise draws closer to Lincoln and takes on the full burden and joy of her cousins, she loses touch with her friends back home – leading her to one terrifying question: will she turn out just like her mom and spend her life leaving behind the ones she loves.
Why I Loved It:
- This book was a much needed breath of fresh air, for starters
- It’s cute, sweet, and ooey-gooey yet also so powerful with its ideas of family and belonging and what home means
- Lincon. Just saying.
- FRIENDSHIP! Ugh, I identified with Anise so damn much. As someone attending college out of state, I have such a hard time keeping in touch and I pretty much hate myself for it. Anise struggled to maintain her relationships with her friends back home after she was gone, she was just so busy. This part really hit home with me.
- Home isn’t a place, it’s people – and I couldn’t agree more.
- Strong father-daughter relationship, it was pretty awesome. I miss seeing parents in YA who aren’t overbearing or absentee stereotypes. Genuine familial relationships = happy Sammi
- Is it too much to say I loved this book simply because I loved this book?
- ROAD TRIP
- Such a strong family bond, I mean – Anise spends the whole summer taking care of her younger cousins and her aunt. She complains, but wouldn’t we all if we were torn away last minute from our year long plans to do this? She complains, but she cares, and it shows. I loved seeing her grow and seeing her interact with her cousins. This book made me miss my family, in a good way.
- Learning new things can be terrifying, I was glad to see how Anise tackled the challenge while also acknowledging how outside of her comfort zone she was. Role Model material guys.
- The writing was so beautiful, I mean, just look at that quote? I’m in love, seriously.
Overall:
If you’re looking for a cute contemporary that’s both tooth-hurty sweet and an emotional ride, Girl Out of Water is the book for you.
Reed's Reads & Reviews 