In this runaway New York Times bestseller, a harrowing near-death experience brings together an English teacher and her student as they struggle to survive on a desert island.Sixteen-year-old T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. With his cancer in remission, all he wants is to get back to his normal life. But his parents insist that he spend the summer catching up on the school he missed … on the school he missed while he was sick.
Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher who has been worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere. To break up the monotony of everyday life, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring T.J.
Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahans’ summer home, but 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 they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.
At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, and as birthdays pass, the castaways must brave violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the worst threat of all—the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. With only each other for love and support, these two lost souls must come to terms with their situation and find compaionship in one another in the moments they need it most.
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i loved it. I didn’t want it to end
Completely unrealistic. Which made it more entertaining. I really enjoyed the good read.
Feel good story well written made me want to skip to the end to find out if the main characters survive.
Loved it! Another great candidate for book club.
I loved this book! It felt like a true ‘stranded on a desert island’ account with addition of a romance that would have been forbidden under normal circumstances. There were the expected challenges of finding food, water, and shelter that, while expected, were described so clearly the reader will feel the ache of an empty belly and his throat …
Good read from the first page to the last
Elementary…I prefer something with more to it. But I guess this might be ok reading if you want something fast and easy. Just not for me.
Quick and easy read
I read the negative reviews about this book & was almost tempted not to bother reading it. Then I reconsidered thinking what kind of person would be that negative. Not me
It’s s nice read, perfect for light happy endings. The story doesn’t pretend to be heavy, philosophical or mind blowing. There are some sad parts, some tense moments, sexy …
I have read her other two books, and I like the way she writes the characters in chapter verse. Changing the points of view of each character. Very satisfying read. They are making a movie of this novel, I hope they remain true to the characters. Looking forward to her new novel.
i enjoyed – quick read
While surviving on a desert island is perhaps a tired scheme, it blooms once again with the infusion of two modern survivors. They employ common sense and some creativity to make fire, find shelter and food. Too, throwing together a teenage boy and a teacher just in her thirties add early questions. So romance, realism and multi-dimensional …
I’m a big fan of survival novels, and this is one of the best. Realistic , with good twists and complications that kept it from being predictable. Plus, it didn’ Just end with rescue, as so many such survival-themed books do. The author recognized that life after survival can be every bit as complicated as survival itself. I recommend it highly!
loveddddddddddddddddddddd it 1 of my favorites reread it a few more times
Really enjoyed this book. It was interesting that the author switched from one character to another to tell the story in the first person. You got both the male and female emotions.
Several years ago I know I read maybe 3 times . I t was a great survival story.
One of my favorite books.
After reading it, it stayed with me for quit a while.
I loved the book. Loved the characters and all they went through.
I knew it was going to be fairly predictable but I have to say I enjoyed it anyway. You do have to suspend reality – what kid wears the same shorts from the time he is sixteen until he is nineteen? (My kids were lucky to make six months!)
Anyway I did enjoy it and made it to the end. It is a good beach read.