Book Blurb
The rules for swimming are simple:
Rule #1: There is no lifeguard on duty.
Since her mom died three years ago, nineteen-year-old Zosia Easton’s been treading water. Living at home. Community college. Same old Saturday nights. So when her father breaks the news he’s taken a job transfer—and by the way, it means renting out the house that’s been her refuge—a summer in Tokyo feels like it just might be a chance to start swimming again.
Rule #2: Beware of unexpected currents.
Finn O’Leary has spent God knows how many years trying to drown out his past. Juvenile detention. Bad decisions. Worse choices. He’s managed to turn it around – MIT, Dean’s List, a sexier-than-thou body with a smile to match – at least on the surface. When his mom asks him to spend the summer with her, Tokyo seems as good a place as any to float through the summer.
Rule #3: Swim at your own risk.
Links
Toot's Review by Stacy Sabala
Zosia’s mother died of cancer and it has just been just her dad and her for three years. Her grandmother lives near by and helps when she can. Zoe has basically been living her life with an occasional interaction with her father. She currently goes to the community college in town and will start at the University of Rhode Island in the fall. She has been struggling with the loss of her mother, but trying to move on with her life.
Her summer is proving to be eventful. She comes face to face with her high school crush one night after she learns her father is moving to Tokyo for three years. She is leaving the house and spending the summer in Tokyo. She is sad as it seems she is leaving her mother behind.
Once in Tokyo she learns that her dad has a girlfriend which surprises her. What really shocks her is her crush, Finn, is in Tokyo and his mom is dating Zoe’s dad. Talk about small world. As a result they start hanging out together as they explore Tokyo and Japan’s tourist attractions. She and Finn start off as friends but she starts to fall for him. However, he doesn’t seem to want more than friendship and he has had a troubled past. Zoe knows that getting over the devastation is hard and Finn doesn’t know if it is possible for him.
This book was instantly sad as the main character, Zosia, is dealing with the loss of her mother and the emotional distance of her father. Part of the story revolves around how she and her father are handling life and what changes after the fact. Moving on proves to be hard to do. Both Zoe and her father go through changes in the story. The reader watches as they finally start dealing with life continuing instead of the holding pattern they seemed to be stuck in. Lots of emotions spill over from the pages.
Then Zoe’s relationship with Finn is the other part of the story. He is definitely troubled but he has every right to be. He has to realize that he can’t allow his past to dictate who he is or what his future is going to be.
The journey for both characters was emotionally charged but I liked them better together than alone. Well worth the ride. I give it a 4 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment