Nantucket Red by Leila Howland [Review]

3.5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Nantucket Red by Leila Howland
Series: Nantucket Blue #2
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release: May 13, 2014
Hardcover:  288 Pages
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

Cricket Thompson's lifetime of overachieving has paid off: she's headed to Brown University in the fall, with a spot on the lacrosse team and a scholarship that covers almost everything. Who knew living in the dorm cost money? An Ivy League education seems to mean living at home for the next four years.

When Cricket is offered the chance to earn enough cash to afford a real college experience, she heads back to Nantucket for the summer. But the faraway island challenges Cricket in ways she hadn't anticipated. It's hard to focus on earning money for next year, when she finds her world opening up in entirely new ways-to art, to travel, and, most unexpectedly, to a future completely different from the one she has been working toward her whole life. A friendship blossoms with Ben, the gorgeous surfer and bartender who encourages Cricket to be free, even as she smarts at the pain of seeing Zack, her first love, falling for her worst enemy.

But one night, when Cricket finally lets herself break all her own rules, she realizes she may have ruined her carefully constructed future with one impulsive decision. Cricket must dig deep to fight for her future, discovering that success isn't just about reaching goals, but also about listening to what she's been trying to ignore-her own heart.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

I liked the first book, Nantucket Blue, fairly well so I was interested to see where Cricket's story went in this sequel.  Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me.  Part of the problem was Cricket morphs into a somewhat unlikable person.  There was just something about her in this book that I didn't gel with. I honestly can't put my finger on it, but my feelings weren't always generous towards her.  I just didn't like how she dealt with some situations or how she viewed certain people.

Then there are the relationships.  I really liked Cricket and Zack's budding relationship in the first book, so I was disappointed with how Cricket and Zack decided to deal with their long distance relationship.  It made me little annoyed to read a whole book about the fall out from those decisions.  Then there is the thing with Ben. Everyone warns Cricket about Ben...but I didn't really see why they should.  Sure, maybe he and Cricket are in different places in their lives, but it wasn't like he was off doing bad things behind her back.  He was actually really sweet with her. 

I did like to see Cricket and Jules rekindle their relationship.  I liked to see them having fun together and teasing each other.  We only heard about their friendship in the first book, so it was really fun to see it in action.

The book ends on a very positive note with a happily ever after and everything.  But I couldn't help but feel the a lot of the lead up to that point was a little pointless.  It just lost of the fun of the first book.