Nantucket Blue

Starred review from March 11, 2013
Cricket Thompson is inseparable from her best friend Jules Clayton, so much so that she’s practically a member of the Clayton family. When Jules’s mother, Nina, dies unexpectedly, everything changes, including the friends’ plans to spend the summer in Nantucket—it’s “family only” now. Disappointed, 17-year-old Cricket heads to Nantucket anyway, becoming a chambermaid at a popular inn (“Would I be churning butter, cleaning chimneys, beating rugs with a broom? Who cared?”). As she tries to handle Nina’s death and rejection by Jules, unexpected love awaits. Debut author Howland’s descriptions for everything from a summer storm (“The grass in the back yard was rain-drunk”) to the stirrings of first love (“There was this lightness that occasionally took me over, making me feel like I was made of balloons”) are lush and moving. Readers should feel empowered by Cricket’s efforts to grow up into a strong, honest, and emotionally intelligent young woman, even as they are enchanted by the romantic and exclusive island setting. This is a natural beach read, but will easily win Howland year-round fans, too. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger.

April 1, 2013
A summer-at-the-beach story takes readers to Nantucket. When 17-year-old Cricket is promised the chance to spend her summer on Nantucket at her best friend Jules Clayton's vacation home, she's psyched. In addition to lazy days at the beach, summer on Nantucket means the opportunity to connect with her longtime crush, Jay Logan. But when tragedy strikes the Clayton family, Cricket's summer invite is rescinded. Undeterred, Cricket hatches her own secret plans to stay on the island to support Jules, but upon arrival, her plans fall through, leaving her without a place to stay, no summer job and on the outs with Jules. In a stroke of good luck, Cricket lands on her feet, finding a less-than-glamorous job at an inn that serves as her base for a summer of unexpected adventures and new friendships. Though the book has an overall lighthearted summer vibe, Cricket's bumpy relationship with her divorced parents, especially her mother, and her fractured friendship with Jules ground the text, providing a welcome sense of reality in a tony island paradise. Cricket's narration vacillates between hyperbole and thoughtful introspection, making the text feel uneven in places; this reflects Cricket's development, as the narration matures along with Cricket. A solid beach read. (Fiction. 15-18)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Cricket Thompson, 17, is elated to be invited to her friend Jules's home on Nantucket for the summer. She adores Jules's family, who have been a sanctuary for her since her parents' divorce. The cherry on top is that Cricket's crush, Jay, will also be on the island. An unexpected tragedy, however, brings Cricket's idyllic plans to an abrupt end. Determined to be available for Jules in the aftermath of her mother's death, Cricket finds a job on Nantucket as a chambermaid at an inn. Jules, however, is aloof and unresponsive; Cricket is left to fend for herself. The teen's summer of independence leads her to an internship with a journalist, a friendship with a feisty Irish fellow-chambermaid, revelations about her mother, and an unexpected romance. Howland captures the delicious summery flavor of Nantucket beautifully. Readers with an aversion to an overly sweet romantic story will find themselves pleasantly surprised with "real" language, humorous quirks in characters, and some interesting perspectives and angles. The story is paced well: slow enough to savor, yet not so tedious as to become monotonous. Minor characters appear, add a bit of color, and then vanish appropriately-quite reflective of real life as it unfolds. Cricket's experiences give her a route to a new sense of confidence, and her story is told in a way that is both engaging and alluring. Definitely a standout novel in its genre.-Corrina Austin, Locke's Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 Cricket's summer holds such promise: staying with best friend, Jules, on Nantucket; seeing too-good-to-be-true Jay every day; and, of course, sunbathing in a bikini. But when Jules' mother dies unexpectedly, the summer offer is rescinded and Jules distances herself from her friend. But Cricket heads to Nantucket anyway and takes a job as a chambermaid ( It sounded like a job from another century, like a charwoman ) and settles into a daily rhythm of cleaning toilets, avoiding Jules and Jay (she offended him), and interning for a journalist. As with the best summer romances, Cricket falls for someone unexpected and totally off-limitswhich only amps up the crackling sexual tension. Cricket is a smart, driven character, and despite having plenty of issues to work through the summer before senior year, she's on the path to self-awareness. Nice descriptions of Nantucket, too.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)