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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Sharks & Boys Not Quite As Gripping As It Sounds
1:06 PM

Enid's got issues. First, there's her philandering father, who's pressuring her for a he

As if fighting hunger, thirst, sunstroke, and bloodthirsty predators isn't quite bad enough, Enid's stuck doing it with some of her least favorite people. There was a point when she count

Funny thing, though - the closer Enid gets to death, the more she wants to live. It's a problematic hope, considering that with every passing hour the possibility of rescue becomes less likely, a shark attack seems imminent, and the chances of survival grow slimmer and slimmer ...
Sharks & Boys, a new YA novel by Kristen Tracy, tells a straight-up survival story. Its mainstreamed plot leaves little room for subtlety or real depth, but the life-or-death nature of it all does keep the story moving. Our heroine comes off as whiny and clingy, a double whammy that makes her both authentic and annoying (albeit in a funny way). I didn't feel a lot of connection to her or to any of the other characters, really - probably because there are way too many to keep track of (even on the raft, there were eight). What I really wanted from this book was complexity, good character development, and a little bit of psychological drama since, believe it or not, the story actually grew a little boring at times. Since it didn't have much of any of those things, I found myself more disappointed by Sharks & Boys than intrigued.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of Back When You Were Easier to Love by Emily Wing Smith, Trapped by Michael Northrop, and Life of Pi by Yann Martel.)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), depictions of underrage drinking, and sexual innuendo.
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Sharks & Boys from the generous folks at Disney/Hyperion. Thank you!
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