Helpful Score: 5
This was such a good book - did you ever read the book "Hatchet" when you were younger - about a young boy who survives in the wilderness by himself? Take that book, make it about 2 people on a deserted island having to survive and add in a love story and this book is just about perfect for a summer read.
Anna, a 30-year old teacher, is hired to tutor T.J., a 16-year old boy for the summer at a tropical island in the Maldives. While flying to the island, the pilot has a heart attack, the plane crashes and T.J. and Anna are stranded and have to figure out how to survive.
At first, they do only want to survive, but as the time passes and T.J. grows into a very handsome man... well, it's pretty obvious what is going to happen.
The story is actually not predictable - the ending is a bit of a surprise.
I loved it and highly recommend it.
Anna, a 30-year old teacher, is hired to tutor T.J., a 16-year old boy for the summer at a tropical island in the Maldives. While flying to the island, the pilot has a heart attack, the plane crashes and T.J. and Anna are stranded and have to figure out how to survive.
At first, they do only want to survive, but as the time passes and T.J. grows into a very handsome man... well, it's pretty obvious what is going to happen.
The story is actually not predictable - the ending is a bit of a surprise.
I loved it and highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 4
On the Island is one of those books that hooks you right from the first chapter. It centers around tutor Anna and her student TJ. TJ has had a bout with cancer and due to his illness is behind in school. Anna, his tutor, will be flying to Indonesia with him for the summer to join his family and tutor him for the summer. During the plane ride the pilot has a heart attack and they crash land in the water. As they are stranded on the island TJ and Anna are forced to find shelter, food and keep themselves alive over the course of three years. During this time the much older Anna and the younger TJ find themselves falling in love. A great story. Can't wait for the movie.
Helpful Score: 4
This is an original story of island castaways in modern times. Because of the novelty it was a gripping read and somewhat unpredictable. THemes worth pursuing: what is REALLY important in this life? and what are the essential qualities in someone you love, or in yourself that will induce another love you? Well researched and a very absorbing read. NO government conspiracies, no guns. Strongly recommend.
Helpful Score: 4
I laughed. I cried. I could relate even though I have never been stranded on an island and am past the age when a 20 year old would ever interest me romantically. Wonderful reading! I hope she writes more novels.
Wendy H. (donkeycheese) -
Helpful Score: 4
When I read the premise of this book, I was intrigued and a bit wide-eyed. Sure, there are ten years between my husband and I, but now having a teenage son, to think of him with a woman that much older, I was like 'crazy'.
However, once I started reading On The Island, I was hooked - line and sinker. I loved the TV series, LOST and On the Island reminded me a bit of that, but it was soo much more! From the time the seaplane crashes to the worry Anna has for TJ and vice versa, I couldn't put this book down. In fact, I stayed up into the wee hours of the night to finish it. They were determined to survive, no matter what. From their struggles to their blossoming love, I found myself hoping that there was a happy ending for these two people. Even as Anna worried TJ's cancer might come back and TJ worried Anna would want to reunite with her boyfriend, I rooted for them to survive, to love and have a future. I really thought Anna's mom's relationship advice was sound, as well as TJ's mom's thoughts on her son's relationship. I just LOVE this book!!
If you read only one book this summer, read this one! One of the best books I've read this year!!
However, once I started reading On The Island, I was hooked - line and sinker. I loved the TV series, LOST and On the Island reminded me a bit of that, but it was soo much more! From the time the seaplane crashes to the worry Anna has for TJ and vice versa, I couldn't put this book down. In fact, I stayed up into the wee hours of the night to finish it. They were determined to survive, no matter what. From their struggles to their blossoming love, I found myself hoping that there was a happy ending for these two people. Even as Anna worried TJ's cancer might come back and TJ worried Anna would want to reunite with her boyfriend, I rooted for them to survive, to love and have a future. I really thought Anna's mom's relationship advice was sound, as well as TJ's mom's thoughts on her son's relationship. I just LOVE this book!!
If you read only one book this summer, read this one! One of the best books I've read this year!!
Sallie M. (oldrockandroll) -
Helpful Score: 3
I loved this book! The premise of the book sounds kind of iffy, but it was a great read. I loved TJ and Anna's characters and I wish the book had not ended. And surprise! It didn't! There is an e book called Uncharted that does a follow up on their lives and how being rescued from the island could have been different. She has a new book coming out this month as well, Covet.
Helpful Score: 3
English Teacher Anna Emerson takes a job tutoring 16-year-old T.J. Callahan for the summer. T.J.'s is a cancer survivor who is in remission and needs to catch up on his studies or repeat the 10th grade. The Callahan's fly to their summer home in the Maldives, agreeing to let T.J. fly to the island with Anna a few days later. But the plane crashes and Anna and T.J. find themselves stranded on an uninhabited island. There they live through tropical storms, shark-infested waters, sickness and malnutrition, wondering if they'll ever get off the island and back to their lives.
I've been hearing raves about this book for months, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was certainly not disappointed. The story grabbed me from the first page and I couldn't put it down. Anna and T.J. are both well-drawn characters. We get to know what both of them are thinking since the author alternated point-of-views with each chapter. The story is great and the romance is believable. Thanks to everyone who recommended this book. My rating: 5 Stars.
I've been hearing raves about this book for months, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was certainly not disappointed. The story grabbed me from the first page and I couldn't put it down. Anna and T.J. are both well-drawn characters. We get to know what both of them are thinking since the author alternated point-of-views with each chapter. The story is great and the romance is believable. Thanks to everyone who recommended this book. My rating: 5 Stars.
Helpful Score: 2
Anna Emerson needs a getaway. She is a 30 year old English teacher in a stalled relationship. Before she makes a huge decision she jumps at the chance for a real adventure. She accepts an offer that will get her out of Chicago for the entire summer. She will be tutoring 16 year old T.J. on a beautiful tropical island.
T.J. Callahan has been battling cancer but it is now in remission. It is completely his parents desire to spend the summer in the Maldives. They think away from his friends, with a tutor, he can catch up on the classwork he missed last year so he will not be held back. He would rather stay in Illinois with his friends. He talks his parents into letting him stay home until after a friend's party. His parents fly ahead and he will fly over with his tutor.
Anna and T.J. board a private plane for the final leg of their trip to the Callahan summer home. Then the unthinkable happens. While flying over the 1200 Maldives' islands the plane crashes in the Indian Ocean. They make it to the shore of one of the small uninhabited islands. They just need to survive until someone finds them. When weeks, turn to months, their challenges mount. T.J. is growing into a man right before Anna's eyes. Food, fire and water are not the only challenges they face.
Masterfully written! A beautiful story of so much more than mere survival. A truly wonderful debut.
Tracey Garvis Graves took what could have been a tricky story line and created a awesome book.
The characters are real and each are at a type of crossroads in their lives. The land on the island as strangers and quickly become best friends long before they fall in love. They need each other to survive but the relationship evolves a little more with each passing day. The author is written with each chapter alternating the point of view between Anna and T.J. which allows the reader into each of their thoughts. It didn't take long to become engaged in their story.
Life On the Island was far from ideal. Dealing from basic survival like building a fire, catching a fish, collecting rain water to drink and hoping each and every day to be rescued.
Need a beach read this summer, this is it! It is a New York Times Bestseller for a reason. Tracey Garvis Graves is a new author to watch! I cannot wait to read more of her work!!
T.J. Callahan has been battling cancer but it is now in remission. It is completely his parents desire to spend the summer in the Maldives. They think away from his friends, with a tutor, he can catch up on the classwork he missed last year so he will not be held back. He would rather stay in Illinois with his friends. He talks his parents into letting him stay home until after a friend's party. His parents fly ahead and he will fly over with his tutor.
Anna and T.J. board a private plane for the final leg of their trip to the Callahan summer home. Then the unthinkable happens. While flying over the 1200 Maldives' islands the plane crashes in the Indian Ocean. They make it to the shore of one of the small uninhabited islands. They just need to survive until someone finds them. When weeks, turn to months, their challenges mount. T.J. is growing into a man right before Anna's eyes. Food, fire and water are not the only challenges they face.
Masterfully written! A beautiful story of so much more than mere survival. A truly wonderful debut.
Tracey Garvis Graves took what could have been a tricky story line and created a awesome book.
The characters are real and each are at a type of crossroads in their lives. The land on the island as strangers and quickly become best friends long before they fall in love. They need each other to survive but the relationship evolves a little more with each passing day. The author is written with each chapter alternating the point of view between Anna and T.J. which allows the reader into each of their thoughts. It didn't take long to become engaged in their story.
Life On the Island was far from ideal. Dealing from basic survival like building a fire, catching a fish, collecting rain water to drink and hoping each and every day to be rescued.
Need a beach read this summer, this is it! It is a New York Times Bestseller for a reason. Tracey Garvis Graves is a new author to watch! I cannot wait to read more of her work!!
Helpful Score: 1
I had seen this book on a number of Best of 2012 lists and decided it looked like an interesting read. So I picked up a copy from the library. It ended up being an interesting and engaging read. It would have been an exceptional book, except at times the dialogue between characters sounded a bit awkward to me.
This was an engaging read about a woman named Anna who is tutoring a teenage boy named T.J. T.J. is in remission from cancer and is supposed to be catching up on school work over the summer with Annas help. On the way to meet up with the boy's parents their plane crashes on a deserted island. They learn to survive on the island dealing with storms, general survival, sharks, disease, and malnutrition.
Anna and T.J. are both excellent characters. They both really keep their cool when they crash on this deserted island. Because of this they figure out ways to cope with the obstacles in their path to survival. I found them both to be very engaging and very realistically done.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. At times the language and talking sounded a bit awkward to me. Also I thought that the fact that these two very attractive people were on this island by themselves so long and kept their relationship platonic was a bit unrealistic. Especially since they were so obviously attracted to each other and pretty much had nothing else to do.
-------SPOLIER START---------
Graves makes a big deal about pointing out how Anna and T.J. wait until T.J. is nineteen before doing anything sexual. It was a bit odd and forced feeling.
-------SPOLIER END---------
Still this ends up being a very engaging and quick read. You are constantly wondering if they will be rescued, if their relationship will go past friends, and if they are rescued how they will deal with the fall-out.
It's a quick fun read. It does go into some issues; like what society thinks about people who fall in love who are vastly different in age. It also delves into the issue of trying to balance happiness with society's demands.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. The story and writing wasn't anything spectacular but it was entertaining. There are parts of the book that are a bit awkward, but it is still a very engaging read. I would recommend to those who like contemporary romance and enjoy survival stories.
This was an engaging read about a woman named Anna who is tutoring a teenage boy named T.J. T.J. is in remission from cancer and is supposed to be catching up on school work over the summer with Annas help. On the way to meet up with the boy's parents their plane crashes on a deserted island. They learn to survive on the island dealing with storms, general survival, sharks, disease, and malnutrition.
Anna and T.J. are both excellent characters. They both really keep their cool when they crash on this deserted island. Because of this they figure out ways to cope with the obstacles in their path to survival. I found them both to be very engaging and very realistically done.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this book. At times the language and talking sounded a bit awkward to me. Also I thought that the fact that these two very attractive people were on this island by themselves so long and kept their relationship platonic was a bit unrealistic. Especially since they were so obviously attracted to each other and pretty much had nothing else to do.
-------SPOLIER START---------
Graves makes a big deal about pointing out how Anna and T.J. wait until T.J. is nineteen before doing anything sexual. It was a bit odd and forced feeling.
-------SPOLIER END---------
Still this ends up being a very engaging and quick read. You are constantly wondering if they will be rescued, if their relationship will go past friends, and if they are rescued how they will deal with the fall-out.
It's a quick fun read. It does go into some issues; like what society thinks about people who fall in love who are vastly different in age. It also delves into the issue of trying to balance happiness with society's demands.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book. The story and writing wasn't anything spectacular but it was entertaining. There are parts of the book that are a bit awkward, but it is still a very engaging read. I would recommend to those who like contemporary romance and enjoy survival stories.
Helpful Score: 1
Had a great time reading it. It was super fast read and enjoyable!
Helpful Score: 1
ON THE ISLAND was a pretty engaging story about the circumstantial romance between Anna, a 30 y/o teacher, and T.J., the 16 y/o high school student she's been hired to tutor while his family summers in the Maldives. Anna and T.J.'s plane crashes and they end up stranded on a Maldivian island for 3.5 years.
Their time on the island and the gradual evolution of their romance was well-paced and believable. I just wish there had been more of a distinction between the voices of Anna and T.J. Both tell the story through alternating chapters, but sometimes the chapter headings are the only reason you know which one of them is speaking.
I give this a B-. The writing was pretty basic and elementary, and could've been a bit more polished in some areas, but the story held my attention overall, and should make a great film.
Their time on the island and the gradual evolution of their romance was well-paced and believable. I just wish there had been more of a distinction between the voices of Anna and T.J. Both tell the story through alternating chapters, but sometimes the chapter headings are the only reason you know which one of them is speaking.
I give this a B-. The writing was pretty basic and elementary, and could've been a bit more polished in some areas, but the story held my attention overall, and should make a great film.
Helpful Score: 1
Fluffy and predictable.
On The Island by Tracey Graves is the story of Anna, a 30-year old English teacher who agrees to fly overseas with the student she is going to tutor, sixteen-year old T.J., who is recovering from cancer.
The only thing they didn't plan on happening was their plane crashing on a deserted island.
Or that they would both fall in love.
Garves has written an engaging, page-turning read. The chapters are short and it was easy to plow through. I read it in one day, and that was on a day I worked. Anna and T.J. manage to get off the island eventually, but not after falling in love with one another. Of course the thirteen year age difference between the two causes some friction. T.J. wants to experience life as any other young person, and Anna hears her biological clock ticking louder and louder.
I did like the development of this story and felt the pace was perfect, but I thought it maybe had too much of a happy ending. I was expecting some gritty realism at the end, not the nice "all tied up with a pretty pink bow" way.
I want to stress that this book is not a Harlequin romance or anything like that-it is an entertaining work of fiction, a perfect light beach read. Just don't expect a whole lot, and you won't be disappointed.
The only thing they didn't plan on happening was their plane crashing on a deserted island.
Or that they would both fall in love.
Garves has written an engaging, page-turning read. The chapters are short and it was easy to plow through. I read it in one day, and that was on a day I worked. Anna and T.J. manage to get off the island eventually, but not after falling in love with one another. Of course the thirteen year age difference between the two causes some friction. T.J. wants to experience life as any other young person, and Anna hears her biological clock ticking louder and louder.
I did like the development of this story and felt the pace was perfect, but I thought it maybe had too much of a happy ending. I was expecting some gritty realism at the end, not the nice "all tied up with a pretty pink bow" way.
I want to stress that this book is not a Harlequin romance or anything like that-it is an entertaining work of fiction, a perfect light beach read. Just don't expect a whole lot, and you won't be disappointed.
I loved this book. Read it in one day, would recommend to anyone who likes "chick lit".
I really enjoyed this book, engaging and fun, a great summer read!
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Their time on the island, I loved. It was interesting to read about the many things they had to overcome and what a person can do despite all the circumstances. The illnesses that can occur on an island and how to survive at the most basic level, I loved it.
Their time on the island, I loved. It was interesting to read about the many things they had to overcome and what a person can do despite all the circumstances. The illnesses that can occur on an island and how to survive at the most basic level, I loved it.
On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves looks at a relationship between TJ and Anna that starts under the extreme circumstances of a life-threatening illness, a plane crash, and a deserted island. It looks at the question of whether that relationship can survive when the circumstances change, and people re-emerge into the everyday world. This book would be a summer beach read except that it starts with a plane crash on the beach.
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/06/on-island.html
Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/06/on-island.html
