Book Review- Summer by Summer

I finished reading Summer by Summer by Heather Burch last night for a 2015 Booksparks YA Summer Reading Challenge.

From Goodreads:

When Summer took a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she imagined it would be a fresh start before starting college in the fall. And while she adores her charge, Josh, she can’t say the same for her employers’ oldest son, Bray. He’s cocky, inconsiderate, and makes her feel she’s a chore he has to put up with. In short, he’s everything she dislikes in a guy.

Bray had a plan for the summer: party, hang out with friends, and forget all the responsibilities waiting for him back home. But every time he’s forced to be around Summer, her dour, serious mood sets him off. Not to mention she has a habit of picking up on what he already knows is wrong with him.

Then the two find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong, stranded on a remote island. As they focus on survival, their differences melt away, and they find being together may be what both needed all along.

The premise of this story was pretty interesting.  I mean, how often have you played the whole "If you got stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things" game?  And I'm conflicted.  In a way, there was too much drama.  So much happened and even though it's fiction, I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking "really??"  And the whole ending with the illegal event was kinda strange.

I think somewhere in the summary, it should be mentioned that this is a religious book.  There is a lot of mention of God and praying and youth groups and abstinence.  Which is all good.  But something I don't really seek out in my books and I had no idea it was in this one.

I liked Summer and Bray separately.  Summer was sweet and I loved how good she was with Josh.  (Although comparing him to the fifth graders at the school where I teach, his actions and comments sounded more like a second grader).  And even though Bray was a party boy, there was something good in him.  Like the way he wanted to keep his family together.  But I didn't like their relationship.  I mean, come on.  Summer hated him minutes after she met him--such a strong feeling for a guy she didn't even know.  And he wasn't fond of her either.  But then they get stranded and suddenly, immediately, they're okay with each other?  Not likely.

That being said, there was something in the story that kept me hanging on and wanting more.  It's definitely not a beach read like the cover might lead you to believe but more of an adventure-type book.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free to review as part of the 2015 Booksparks YA Summer Reading Challenge.