On the Island

By: Tracey Garvis Graves

Narrated by: Heidi Baker

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

When 30-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost 17 and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter.

Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return.

As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

©2011 Tracey Garvis-Graves (P)2012 Tracey Garvis-Graves

Ridiculously Entertaining

I thought this would be a pleasant Young Adult novel (aka, light literature). Instead, ten minutes into it I was hooked and spent the rest of the day listening to the end. Yes, I agree that the narrator could have done a better job of differentiating the two main characters, but the story was well-paced and compelling. Tracey Garvis Graves excels at the subtleties of relationships, and has an unusual understanding of teenage boys. Entirely satisfying.

Engaging Yarn

This was a fun YA story in the vein of The Blue Lagoon movie from the 80's. It was a fun listen. I found the chipper tone of the narrator grating, but not enough to turn me off completely to the story. Some people didn't like the suspension of disbelief needed (fruit trees that produce all year; the backpack of needed items washing up at the ideal moment) but I liked the overall story. Definitely worth a "Daily Deal" price. Dunno if I can recommend it at full price.

Kept me coming back

Loved it but I don't think I could have waited as long as TJ did! His willpower was tremendous to say the least!

A wonderful surprise ;-)

I love survival stories and romances and this combines both beautifully. This story is not going to please the reader of literary fiction but it offers more than the average lightweight read. I loved the interaction between the characters and the story is touching. If you cry at touchy-feely commercials, have some tissues on hand because this is a tearjerker. I can't wait to see what this first time author writes next! And IMHO, it's not just for teens either!

Fantasic story!

I loved this story the first time I read it and ai have a print copy at home. I am anxiously waiting for MGM to produce the movie.

Finally

I've been wanting to read this for a while now but it kept slipping further and further down the list...thankfully I snagged it before it got away. Good read. The age difference was at first alarming but I liked how the author developed them individually before bringing them together. I was hooked into the storyline and it moved quickly.

This book is amazing!

I loved the book, it was great! I love a good story, and this is definitely a good story!

Sweet, passionate summer read

The story was captivating. Our unlikely couple, so easy to care deeply about. The heat of their romance was warm, snug, ever present. Brilliant!

Decent book, narration of audio book lacking

Decent book and story. The narrator was not the right choice in my opinion. Her tone was always upbeat, “smiley “ even during stressful parts of the book. My opinion would be different with better narration

BEST BOOK EVER?

This book isn’t really know, but I recommend it to anyone who is in a reading slum. I love the characters, the story, and I wish this author would write more books. It’s about a boy who is in remission, and his tutor traveling to an island to meet up with the boys family. During the journey the plane crashes, and they end up on the island. Every good book!
AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY