On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves (£7.99) is a tale of a young teacher, Anna, and 17 year old student, TJ. One summer, Anna signs up to tutor TJ on his family holiday in the Maldives. Paradise right? However things take a turn for the worst when Anna and TJ have to fly out a day later than TJ's family. The pilot of the sea plane suffers a heart attack whilst in the air, and all of a sudden, Anna and TJ are fighting for their lives. They manage to swim to an island, of which they make their home for the next few years. During those few years, TJ grows from boy to man, which can't escape Anna's attention.
This is a story of survival, friendship and eventually love, as Anna gives in to her desires. Having each other is the only thing that keeps the unlikely couple going, until the infamous Tsunami unknowingly hits Anna and TJ's island. The pair get spotted by an air ambulance which becomes their key back to the real world. As they get back home, their idyll together on the island becomes short-lived, and their blissful romance is misunderstood and tainted. Anna suddenly becomes the teacher who pursued her student. Although their families (who believed the pair were dead) begin to accept their relationship, Anna remains tortured by the media. The novel is followed by the novella, Unchartered, which is spin-off of On the Island, following on from a cave of bones Anna and TJ discover deep in the wilderness of the island.
On The Island is by far an enjoyable read, easy to follow and well written. It's the perfect holiday read, with it's gripping combination of survival and romance. It's not your average chick-lit novel, and Tracey Garvis Graves really lets you in to the protagonist's worlds. You really feel like you know the characters, and that's what drove me to download Unchartered. It was a lot shorter than On The Island, and although I enjoyed the different perspective of the novella , I felt I wanted to see more of Anna and TJ. Tracey Garvis Graves is for sure an author to watch and has rightfully earned her place in The Book Club.
Have you read On The Island?
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