Despite my excitement over Girl Out of Water, I wasn't drawn into the story as I hoped. I did appreciate the poc and disabled rep, and liked some of the characters, but this book wasn't for me. I hope other readers would think otherwise because of the diverse rep.

Girl Out of Water was one of those books that I went into without know much about it, but the minute I opened it, I was inexplicably drawn to every part of the story. It's one of those YA books that may seem light and summery (not a bad thing), but also possesses a depth to it that made it memorable. I'm already crowning Girl Out of Water as one of the top debut novels of 2017.

I hate author comparisons, but as I was reading Silverman's novel, I kept thinking about how much this book would appeal to Morgan Matson, Jenn Bennett and Sarah Dessen fans. And I really think it would. Laura Silverman pays just as much attention to her characters and their character development as these author wonderful authors do. I seriously loved all the characters here. Anise and I didn't have a lot in common in terms of interests, but I bonded with her because of how multi-layered her character was. Her deep love for surfing, her kind soul and her shades of vulnerability truly made her an exceptional protagonist. When her dad decides to uproot her to the middle of nowhere, Nebraska, for her last summer break to take care of her recovering aunt, she is undeniably frustrated. This is a girl with a bond with the ocean as deep as Moana's, and a girl who lives to be around her friends, so she is completely thrown off balance at this turn of events. We see Anise's frustrations with the situation come out quite a bit through her actions and thoughts in the book, but I also love how she never let her family feel like they were a burden to her. She takes care of her cousins, and she grows up a lot throughout Girl Out of Water - she especially learns to deal with her mom leaving her dad and her.

Girl Out of Water also has a strong focus on the family dynamics. Firstly, there was Anise's relationship with her father. It's so beautifully written, and I fell head over heels in love with this father-daughter duo. They don't always see eye-to-eye, but there was an openness to their relationship and it was one that was built on trust. They were each other's moral support, and damn if that didn't make me want to tear up a time or two. Then, there was Anise's relationship with her cousins. Her mischievous twin cousins, were specially a highlight of the story. They were raucous little trouble-makers, but they pushed Anise to try new things. The pureness of their love for Anise was just too cute for words. Anise has a different relationship with her other cousin, Emery, mostly because Emery is dealing with teenage angst, but you see Anise stand as a role-model to her and helping her become better.

Friendship was another element explored in Girl Out of Water. I very much related to the conversations about long-distance friendships and how hard they can be to maintain. I saw a lot of my own mistakes in Anise's ones, so it hit very close to home, because I've lost many friendships because of my inability to maintain them long-distance. Unlike me though, Anise realized her faults, and by the end makes amends in repairing her relationships. There was also a pretty fantastic romance in Girl Out of Water. Though Anise had a potential beau back in California, I wasn't completely sold on him. The minute Lincoln entered the scene though, I was entirely too obsessed with this charming dimpled one-armed boy. He was a smooth-talking, teasing and kind-hearted boy with a bright personality, who truly pushed Anise to be a better version of herself. Their relationship was very much slow-burn, but with plenty of swoony kisses along the way. I need an age-appropriate Lincoln for myself.

I know that there are plenty of YA contemporary novels about family, love and growing up out there, but please, please, please give Girl Out of Water a chance. This book was just special in many ways, and it's only Laura Silverman's debut. Read it and join me in my fangirling over this story!

Some books are perfect for summer reading. Girl out of Water is definitely one of these; a breezy but heartfelt YA contemporary about growing up and moving on. It's entertaining but sincere and inclusive in equal measure. Bolstered by a great voice and personality in the main character of Anise and an engaging romance involving a black, one-armed badass skateboarder, Laura Silverman's debut novel is fun but also capable of really bringing the feels.

Surfer-girl Anise's story picks up right at the beginning of summer before she and her friends disperse into different directions - some bound for college, or off to serve in the military, or to endure one final year of high school. Her feelings of displacement and confusion about her future are not only about college but about the evolving nature of friendships and belonging, especially when her final summer and friend traditions are usurped by family emergencies and..... landlocked Nebraska.

Besides growing up, family is a big theme for Girl out of Water and its characters. Anise is haunted by her mother - a woman who flits in and out of her life but leaves the most impression when she is leaving. Lincoln, her swoon-worthy love interest who isn't defined by his disability or his race, also wrestles with family issues. The two bond and bicker over similarities and obvious differences; they have great chemistry and their banter is charming and fun. Anise has to grow a bit when it comes to her relationship; she comes from a place of privilege that must be acknowledged a couple times in the novel.

Anise's family, especially her cousins, and Lincoln himself are more defined and well-developed than her friends back in California, or anyone connected to Lincoln's character. I liked the inclusive nature to the group of friends and family but because they only appear as bookends to Anise's central plot, it can feel hollow (which is why it's also so easy to forget Anise had a love interest before Lincoln showed up). Anise and Lincoln steal the show and carry the novel, which is why I have so little issues upon finishing Girl out of Water. The ending may be a bit open-ended for readers who prefer finality, but Anise and Lincoln's futures look bright. As does the future of Laura Silverman, since her debut was refreshingly authentic.

I finally finished this book! I feel honestly bad for not having been able to finish it before the releasing date, but somehow my time flew by me. I did finish it though, and I really really enjoyed it.

The thing in this book that most stood out for me was the amazing writing. I loved it! I will for sure read any other thing that Lauren Silverman writes. This book is told in the first person, which on itself is a major plus for me, but Silverman managed to paint such vivid pictures and situations, that it was a delight to read, especially the parts that showed Anise’s connection to the sea.



But while the writing was wonderful, I had some issues truly connecting with Anise. I understand that being a teen is hard, and being taken away from everything you know for what seems like the most crucial moment of your life, would be super tough, but I wanted to slap this girl in the face when she started whining.

Hey, maybe it’s because I’m like Lincoln in a way. I started moving around when I was 9 and didn’t truly stop. I don’t have that special connection with my “home”, and I always felt like true friends would remain, even with miles and miles between us. I understood Anise to some degree, her connection to her friends and her fears. But her reactions and actions pissed me off. Here she is, living in a time where distance is just a number, and I truly felt like she didn’t put any effort.

Again, yeah yeah, I get it. She had to grow up and learn, and she does, and I was happy with her character growth in this book. But I still felt like it was completely avoidable, if only she had tried… just a little… she just had to answer her phone.

But even if I had my issues with Anise, please keep in mind that those only came up sometimes. For the most part, I truly liked her, especially when she was with her family and Lincoln. I loved how fiercely protective she was and how headstrong she could be.

Speaking of her family, I loved all the members in her little family. Her dad was awesome, and I loved their relationship, even if I thought that she should have tried to be a little more honest with him. I also loved her cousins, Emery, Parker and Nash, they had such unique personalities and small issues, and they just brought MORE to the story.

But Lincoln, the love interest, is a piece of art! I loved him 😀 ! I loved his strength and his confidence, and his cool head and rational thinking. I loved that he understood Anise and tried to support her even when he didn’t. I loved how he took care of his brother and the rest of the kids. Lincoln was an awesome character, and I loved him!

Now, I had some issues with the plot, especially the ending portion of this book. I already mentioned that some things that Anise did were not okay in my opinion, right? But the ending felt way too rushed for me. There was a lot of build-up regarding her relationship with her mom and her relationship with her tight group of friends, and in the end, everything was resolved with them in no time, and it was quite anticlimactic.

And while Anise grew a lot during the book, realized she was wrong and that her mother’s actions didn’t define her, and learned to take risks and leave her comfort zone, I was still hoping for some closure in some pretty major points in her life, such as her relationship with her mother, her decision regarding college, and what her relationship with Lincoln was to become. I guess I needed closure, and this book is totally open ended.

Overall, I really really liked this one, even if I had some issues along the way, and I truly recommend it.

SO, HAVE YOU READ GIRL OUT OF WATER? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON IT?

"Maybe hospital have McDonald's for one simple reason: fries stitch families back together."

Mmm. Fries. Delicious. Just like this book. Girl out of Water was absolutely delightful! This is the story of a young girl named Anise Sawyer who would love nothing more than to surf every day of every minute of her life. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA (which is a 40 minute drive from my house and it's absolutely gorgeous) has a great group of friends and is ready for the summer of her life.

But when her aunt suffers and accident Anise must leave her friends behind and fly to Nebraska with her dad for the whole summer. All summer she is taking care of her younger cousins and missing home. To complicate things there is Lincoln, a one-armed charming skater who has a big taste for life and adventure.

Anise fears that soon her friends will forget about her or worst of all that she will forget about them.

I really loved this story. It had everything I could want in a contemporary love story. Family drama. Cute boys. Kissing. Silverman did a great job creating this story and writing such diverse characters.

And best of all a TALL girl. Anise is 5'10 and that made me so happy for some reason. I always read stories of girls being little and the boys being giants in comparison. WE TALL PEOPLE EXIST AND NEED LOVE TOO.

I loved that there the main love interest was not only a person of color but someone with a disability. And the best part was that it wasn't part of the story. Lincoln had a disability and that was it. Our world is diverse therefore our books should be a presentation of it.

Anise suffered from anxiety and as I was reading her moments of panic I thought to myself "Hey! That happens to me too! I freak out meeting new people when I'm not in my 'turf'." It was nice to see that other deals with anxiety and that I'm not alone.


This story is the perfect summer read! Fans of Sarah Dessen will love this story. This was just a fun story and I definitely recommend it especially if you are planning on hitting the beach.

Sometimes the directions an author doesn't take say more than the ones she does. That's where a lot of my thoughts on this book are pointed. It seemed like something significant was going on with the cousin, that we were headed to a confrontation with the mother. Neither of these came to fruition. The cousin's problems were typical middles school drama based on misunderstanding. The mother never makes an appearance. On the one hand, it can feel like Silverman flaked on her plot. BUT, she does acknowledge these things. There's this idea that sometimes we over-complicate relationships with assumptions. Lay it all out. At the same time we can't control people and keep them a part of our lives if they're determined to leave. Silverman doesn't say "don't let it bother you" but rather "accept the pain without bitterness." There are a lot of interesting ideas floating around in this book but no cohesive statements.

Yes, please, this was good. I loved all of the characters, especially Anise who was a bad ass athlete potty mouth with a heart of gold and a great, realistic set of emotional issues that were a part of her, but didn't take her over completely. I enjoyed the family dynamics immensely, as well as the idea of friendship near and far, old and new. The settings were vibrant and perfect for the season. Lincoln is bae, though I wish we had gotten even more from him, more of his backstory, more of his reactions. I loved that the ending was ambiguous and that this didn't take any of the melodramatic turns it could have easily employed. Fun and emotional and sweet...a great summertime read.

This will go live on my blog on May 16. Kellyvision.wordpress.com

Anise's plans for the summer (surf, hang out with friends, become more than friends with Eric) have just changed after her aunt breaks both her legs in a car accident. Now she and her dad are headed to Nebraska to take care of her aunt and three cousins. This would be completely awful except that she meets this guy, Lincoln...

I love this book. It's so sweet on the one hand (light and full of surfing and skateboarding--which Anise learns to do in Nebraska, thanks to Lincoln) and also surprisingly deep and thought-provoking on another. Anise's mom is gone (she left when she was two and has mostly been gone, except for some cameo appearances randomly throughout her life); Lincoln is adopted and only has one arm; Anise's uncle is dead and so she and her cousins are essentially half-orphans.

This is a story about family and friends and love--not even just relationships but also the fact that Anise really defines herself as a surfer and so she's kind of shaken without that aspect of herself. I understand it, of course; we'd all feel lost without access to our top hobby, right?

Highly recommended.

A coming of age novel with substance and beautiful imagery. Silverman's prose is captivating. The characters are diverse yet not pigeonholed in their differences. I received an ARC through NetGalley.

This is the sort of novel that will make you rethink the books you read as a teen- the world has changed and bloomed. Anise is terrific; she's complex and realistic in dealing not only with the big issues but also the challenges of everyday life. I liked watching her mature. Lincoln is also quite a character. He's the sort of boy you'd like as a BFF. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Highly recommend.

I seem to have an unpopular opinion about this one because the Goodreads rating is about a 4.7 for this book.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I had hoped, especially after seeing all the hype around it. I found the main character, Anise, to be a bit annoying at times and a bit self centered. Mind you this is a book focused on teenage characters, so that is to be expected. I just never really feel like I connected with her character at all, which then makes me not get too invested in the story itself. I was really excited about the summer and beach vibe as well, but without really connecting with the main character, it just kind of fell flat for me and I didn't really find anything too exciting about the book. The writing is fine and I am sure a lot of people will enjoy this book!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC.

A good mix of real-life teen issues and romance; definitely a purchase for YA collections!

I received a copy of the following story in exchange for an honest review.

If you're looking for a book to kick off your summer, Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman has got all the summer vibes with surfing, skateboarding, a road trip, bonfires, and romance. The book had been on my to-read list for months, and I was so grateful to have gotten my hands on a copy. Now, while I must admit that this book wasn't what I expected, it certainly did not fall short of my expectations! Skimming through the summary, all I could focus on was how it promised an adorable romance, but the novel also touches on themes of family and friendship.

Anise Sawyer is a dedicated surfer who's on her turf from morning to dawn, and she and her friends had their last summer together all planned out. When her aunt gets into an accident, she is uprooted from her home in California to help take care of her aunt's kids for the summer. In Nebraska, she balances maintaining her relationships with friends back home and keeping her rowdy younger cousins in check. Then, she meets a one-armed skateboarder who changes her perspective.

As previously mentioned, the focus of the novel isn't on the romance as I had thought, although the banter with Lincoln is sweet and funny and Lincoln and Anise have natural chemistry. The focus is really on Anise's journey as she figures out where she stands with her family and friends, and Lincoln and her summer in Nebraska are part of that journey. I believe that you can always take something away from a good book, and Girl Out of Water definitely has that something: it's a lesson that people won't forget if you don't want them to. I also enjoyed how there is the occasional thoughtful line in between the humorous dialogue.

Exhibit A: humorous exchange between Anise and Lincoln.

And yet I don't want to fuel his already fired-up ego, so I tease, "Dimple or deformity?"
Exhibit B: a thoughtful line from her cousin.

"Well, just because Mom got into an accident it doesn't mean she can't get into another one, right? One bad thing doesn't stop more from happening."
While I liked the dialogue between Lincoln and Anise, I found it difficult to connect with Anise on an emotional level because her "close" relationship with her aunt isn't developed enough to justify her thoughts and reactions in her situation. Her narration felt so detached at some points that, although I wanted to give her a big hug and tell her to stand firm, the story felt slow. She and her aunt don't act as close as she suggested, and she is too nice, considering the fact that she already had plans for the summer. Anise's relationship with the oldest of her cousins also feels a bit awkward. She acts more motherly than sisterly or friendly, even though she should be the one who relates the most to her cousin about friendship drama.
On a situational level, it's easy to understand her cooped up frustration. She's lived in the same place her entire life and grown up with the same friends, only to have her friendship unravel so quickly due to distance. With college coming up, this is a test trial for friendship, and the results don't seem to look good. In addition, her aunt is hospitalized and she is tasked with the responsibility of babysitting. I had expected for Lincoln's story to be the most heart-wrenching, him being only one-armed and because of his background story, but Anise carries the most load of all the characters in this novel. And I like that. It breaks the notion that someone handicapped is helpless and that people from difficult backgrounds can't be happy. Lincoln is a light in Anise's life. The thing that stands out the most about him is not his stump of an arm but his spirited personality.
An example:

"There are presents everywhere if you look hard enough."

"Okay there, Confucius. I'll see you later."
I don't want to give away too much about the ending, but it really deserves praise. Besides this one moment that felt suspiciously suspenseful and curiously sputtered out, the ending wraps the story up well. It is satisfying and really made me smile because it connects the end to the beginning of the novel, which I absolutely love. The word "fulfilling" comes to mind.

The conclusion? Girl Out of Water, though not a typical summer romance novel, is a laid-back read that also prompts your mind to reflect at points in the story. I breezed through it quickly. It's a pleasant adventure for a static day. I rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Anise has her whole summer planned out, she is going to surf, surf some more, hang out with friends, go to surf break, and surf. Her best friend Eric will be with her every step of the way and she is beginning to see him as more than just a friend. Just when she thinks this is about to be the best summer yet her dad breaks the news that they will be going to Nebraska to help out her aunt Jackie who was in an accident.
Anise feels like her whole summer is now crumbling in front of her and the new relationship that is beginning with Eric is now left in the dust while she travels to Nebraska to help her aunt and cousins. She is definitely out of her comfort zone where there is no ocean and no surfing. When her cousins decide they want to go to the skate park one day, she agrees. Anise is not impressed by skate boarding at all, but is intrigued by Lincoln. He challenges her to learn how to skate in a week and Anise is not one to back down from a challenge.
As Lincoln and Anise begin to spend time with each other, she realizes that maybe being pushed outside of your comfort zone is not such a bad thing, but at the same time can you leave home and still go back to it and those who you have left.
Anise will have to struggle with where home really is and even if you do leave that doesn't mean you don't care about those you have left. You just need to believe in yourself and know that you can always come back.

~review to post on my blog on 5/26~

Do you ever pick up a book randomly, only to realize that it was pretty much exactly what you needed? Girl Out of Water was this book for me. I’ve read a lot of heavy books lately, for good reason obviously, but this book just warmed my soul like the California sun on my skin—or at least, how I imagine the Cali sun would feel, based on Laura Silverman’s beautiful descriptions.

cute contemporary with a unique premise--
Girl Out of Water follows Anise Sawyer as she leaves her hometown—and her surfing obsession—behind for the summer, heading to Nebraska to help out her family as her aunt recovers from a near-fatal car accident. Anise doesn’t know the first thing about taking care of her cousins, two nine-year-old twin boys with tons of energy, or their sister, the withdrawn 12-year-old who’s unwilling to talk about her problems. Anise is terrified of leaving her home and her close-knit group of friends behind in the last summer they all have before several of them head off to college. Meanwhile, she’s dealing with never knowing when her adventuring absent mom is going to show up—oh, and the adorable one-armed black guy she meets at the skate park.

reliability: 11/10--
This is the only book I’ve ever read about a surfer girl and probably the second book I’ve ever read about skateboarding. It’s a unique premise that kept me interested. Anise is a wonderful main character with some of my favorite attributes: she’s flawed, she’s stubborn, and she’s got some stuff to work out. Her voice is extremely relatable. Her fears of losing her friends to time and distance really resonated with me, as I’ve now moved away from friend groups three times in the last five years.

On top of that, the side characters are incredibly diverse, including Anise’s Samoan best friend and a biracial lesbian couple back in Cali; Lincoln and his white brother, both adopted by a Vietnamese father; and even Lincoln’s friend in Utah, Wendy, is described as an Asian girl with pink hair. And while you could say this is the author checking off a bunch of diversity boxes, the book absolutely doesn’t read that way. Anise just lives in a diverse world; it doesn’t really phase her. What I loved even more was that Anise sometimes f*cks up, her white and able-bodiedness making her look stupid—but she learns. None of these characters are defined by their marginalization which is incredibly refreshing to read.

realistic, every day struggles--
This isn’t a heavily plot-driven book. Rather, it’s a book about single-parent families and about leaving home for the first time. Anise deals with realistic but everyday struggles, which I loved (but I realize it’s not for everyone).
I appreciated the focus on single-parent families. I hate how often YA authors under-write their parental figures, but Silverman doesn’t fall into that trap. Anise’s dad seriously should get the #1 Fictional Dad Award: he communicates openly and honestly, respects his daughter but also holds her accountable. A main portion of the book focuses on their relationship as well as the extended family of Aunt Jackie—another single parent—and her kids. I seriously think single parents don’t get enough credit, and this was a heart-warming account.
The main plot—aside from the romance—is about Anise grappling with her absent mom, the woman who has run out on them more times than she can count, the woman who appears at will every couple of years, then disappears without a trace. Anise’s “mama drama” drives the novel, as she wonders if she’s becoming her mother by leaving her friends behind in Cali. At no point, though, does it really feel overdramatic or used for shock value. And there isn’t some sort of neat ending, either; Anise has to accept her mother’s absense while learning to move forward with her own life.

adorable romance--
I’d like to think I’m pretty picky when it comes to romance, but Lincoln had my heart from the very first time he and Anise met at the skate park. He’s just such a warm, inviting character who’s not defined by his blackness or his disability. He’s an adventurer, a nature-loving guy who’s spent his entire life never living in one place for long—which goes to show that being a wanderer doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an asshole like Anise’s mom.

Lincoln falls into the category of my favorite type of book boyfriend/girlfriend: the romantic interest who helps the character grow into their full potential. Lincoln’s adventurous personality helps Anise let go of her fear of new places and people—plus he teaches her how to skateboard, which is just adorable. Their relationship progresses at a realistic pace where the anticipation is palpable to the reader.

what’s not to love?--
I really struggled to find anything at all wrong with this delightful read. If I had to give one caveat, it would be this: the ending left me wanting a little more. I wanted to see if Anise and Lincoln maintain their relationship—because there aren’t enough (positive) stories about long distance relationships. And I wanted to see Anise apply to colleges outside of Santa Cruz and take the plunge into the rest of her life.

I seem to have this problem a lot: where I enjoy a book so much that my only complaint is that it had to end. Nevertheless, I do have a problem with the fact that the book ends before Anise and Lincoln have The Talk about where their relationship is going; this is a trope I’ve seen a lot in YA, where the story ends just as the relationship is beginning. But again, this is probably a personal preference.

overall recommend:
I highly recommend Girl Out of Water. It’s the adorable, heartwarming YA contemporary you need on your summer TBR. Now! What are you waiting for!

Review posted on U.S. - Brazil Book Review on April 7th:

3.5 “Surfing x Skateboarding” Stars

ARC via NetGalley

Thank You, Sourcebooks Fire!

I’ve had Girl on Fire on my Kindle for a while, but I decided to wait until a bit closer to publication date to read this. That gorgeous cover made ignoring it a little harder each time I got a glimpse at it.

This is the story of Californian, surfer girl, Anise, who loves the ocean more than anything. She’s super excited about the prospect of spending all summer with her best friends surfing until some of them have to leave for college. She’s also looking forward to exploring these new feelings for her recently single male best friend. Summer is looking bright, until her Dad informs her about her aunt’s accident. Now Anise is forced to leave everything she loves behind to go help her aunt recover, and she’s obviously less than pleased about it.

The big theme in this book is how Anise’s relationship (or lack thereof) with her mother influences her life. Anise’s mother is a real bitch, if you ask me, because the woman can’t be bothered to care for her daughter enough to keep in touch with her while she travels the country (maybe the world?) looking for the next adventure. I felt sorry for both Anise and her Dad. Her mother is even a bigger asshole because she comes back into their lives when she feels like it just to leave again. So you see, Anise has a real problem with people leaving. That’s also one of the reasons why she’s scared of leave her friends behind.

Anise’s fear is explored to the maximum in this story, which is a positive and a negative thing. I like when characters have a strong background that explains their insecurities and helps the reader understand why they act the way they do. Anise’s action are often ruled by her fear of turning into her mother, and it’s a pretty reasonable fear all considered. The problem is the book spends way too much time on that single theme. After a while, it just got tiresome.

Sure there were other distractions, like Anise’s great relationship with her father (I loved how open, honest and friendly they were), with her cousins and, later on, with Lincoln. There was also the whole battle between surfing x skateboarding that I thought was quite interesting. I loved how the author had her female character be good at these sports that are often played by boys without making it a big deal. Still, I think these aspects needed to be better developed in order to take away from the whole “my mom sucks” theme, which grew a little too heavy after a while.

The characters were likable enough, despite my lack of connection with Anise. I thought she was a good leading character, but she lacked some of that extra factor to make her great. I think I liked Lincoln more than Anise, if I’m being completely honest. He had a fire to him that Anise lacked.

Here I have to congratulate the author on her respectful approach on disability. She portrayed Lincoln beautifully, and I was extremely happy to see a disabled POC as the love interest. I definitely want to see more characters like him in books.

My only issue with the romance was that I thought Anise should’ve made the connection between Lincoln’s way of living with her mother’s. They were both free spirits looking to explore the world, so I thought that should’ve had an impact on Anise. She never seemed to register this similarity, though, which I found super weird considering Anise was also so focused on how her mother’s actions affected her life.

I appreciated Anise’s arc, though. I thought she grew considerably throughout the story, and I was proud of her for putting herself out there and apologizing to the people she hurt, whether she did that intentionally or not.

The ending was a little lackluster for me. I understand that this is just the beginning of Anise’s life, but I was expecting something more exciting or at least something that would give me a little insight on the future. It almost felt like there was a page missing.

Overall, Girl out of Water was a solid book. The writing was good, the characters were likable and the themes were strong. It lacked that extra something that makes me fall hard for a story, but it was a pleasant read.

4.5 Stars

This is the book you need for summer. It’s so absolutely perfect for a summer read. It’s got a really cute love interest and some great self-discovery as well. This book made me want to got to the beach SO BAD. I’m telling you, grab this book for the summer and you won’t be disappointed.

Things I Liked :
-I really loved the writing. It felt very fluid and natural. There was a rhythmic and almost poetic quality to it that drew me in without feeling like rambling fluff.
-There was great diversity in this book. We have multiple non-white characters, a lesbian couple, an adoptive interracial family, a disabled character. The inclusion of these character felt completely natural. The character’s were real people and their identities did not revolve around their diversity status.
-Lincoln Puk is such a vibrant and commanding presence. He is an incredible charming and charismatic person with such a positive disposition. His happiness is infectious and it was so easy to connect with him. I loved that he openly talked about his disability with Anise and didn’t shy away from her questions. I loved that he was so confident. Everything about his was great and you will love him.
-There is such a great sense of family in this book. Obviously Anise goes to Nebraska to help care for her Aunt and cousins, but the family relationships were all so real. I loved Anise spending time with her little cousins and filling that caretaker role. I LOVED everything about Anise and her dad’s relationship because it was so open and supportive and he is everything a parent should be. In contrast, Anise has to deal with her absent mom and deal with very conflicting feelings. I thought all of the family love and struggles were so relatable.
-The skating community was awesome as well. It was so uplifting and encouraging. Even when Anise thought she failed, they supported her and continually helped her improve.

Things I Didn’t Like :
-It took way too long to figure out what the deal was between Emery and her friends that by the time we finally figures out what had happened, I did not care at all. There was too much build up and back-and-forth is she going to tell or is she not that I was over it when we actually got the resolution.
-Anise completely withdrawing from her friends and putting no effort to keep in contact or return calls or texts was a little bit frustrating. I know she missed her friends and was sad to see them having a good time while she wasn’t there, but I felt like she made absolutely zero effort to keep in touch or talk to her friends at all. For such a close-knit group it was a bit weird. I also didn’t like how she decided to wait to apologize in person instead of actually starting to talk to her friends again.

This is the summer book you need in your life. You will smile, you will laugh, you will wish you could skate or surf. It was so easy to become enveloped in this world and fall in love with these characters. Highly recommend for fans of all YA contemporary!

Girl out of Water is an unexpectedly good debut by Laura Silverman. The blurb sounded really interesting to me, but I don't read YA Contemporary very often so once I received it I had "reviewers remorse" and didn't pick it up for several months. I wish I hadn't waited so long. This book is really good.

Laura Silverman did an amazing job of capturing what it feels like to surf and skateboard. Or at least what I, as an extremely uncoordinated non-athlete, imagine that it feels like to participate in those sports. Her descriptions made me want to try my hand at both activities.The characters were perfect. They were diverse and seemed well fleshed out. Lincoln is her "disabled" black love interest (he seems anything but disabled).... and he's smart & hot! She has a Samoan best friend and counts a lesbian couple that has been together forever as part of her core group of friends.

I will mention for those that care, Anise has a "sailor's mouth" and extensive curse word vocabulary. There is underage drinking and talk of sex though I believe kissing is the furthest anyone goes. It is a true depiction of teenage life and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!

The long triangle-ish situation made me uncomfortable because both guys are really great. They both have reasons why they are perfect for her and it's sad when you realize that someone will inevitably get hurt. The ending is HFN, which I'm not usually a fan of, but fits this couple and their life plans.

<I>Girl Out of Water</I> was a cute coming-of-age story and I enjoyed it.. I went in expecting a fluffy, fun summer read but it actually dug deep into struggling with abandonment.

Our main character, Anise, begins her summer doing what she loves; spending time with her best friends, surfing the days away, and topping it all off with some good food. Then her aunt is in a car accident that sends her to Nebraska to help take care of her younger cousins. This is when the book took a serious tone since Anise was now staying inside the house her absentee mother grew up in.
It's not easy for her. Her thoughts are constantly drifting back to her mother and all that she wishes she had when it comes to her (or doesn't have). I didn't think this book would deal with her abandonment issues as much as it does, and it <I>really</I> is present throughout the story. Not gonna lie, sometimes reading from her POV became a bit much and hard to read.. I didn't love or hate Anise, but she was a little selfish at times. So that's what was a little frustrating BUT it made perfect sense since she's a teenager trying to come into her own and grow up. She had great character development and by the end I really did enjoy her overall story.

This book is perfect for everyone because it's full of so much diversity!! And you know what I truly loved about it?? Their differences didn't <b>define</b> them. Laura Silverman did a fantastic job at showing readers that no matter what we look like, who we love, what we love, etc. we are all human. The love interest, Lincoln, has one arm and is black, but these were simply just physical traits. They didn't define his character and adding so much diversity into the story didn't feel forced like it sometimes does for me. Also.. Let me add that Lincoln is totally sweet, charming, and swoony! ;)

Family is the center of this novel, though. I'm always a fan of strong family presence in any YA story. And I really loved Anise's relationship with her younger cousins. Besides her mom, well, I enjoyed all the family because they were great!

The story wraps up nicely but I wish it was a tad bit longer.. Everything is left for the reader to interpret on what happens next. Overall, I enjoyed this book. This isn't a bad book at all. I'm positive other people will fall in love with it. . . I just didn't. But that doesn't mean that it's a bad book, it was good and enjoyable. If you're looking for a good, diverse friendly contemporary that's centered around family then this book is for you!

I was so excited to dive into this book and it was so awesome! I buddy read this book with my best friend who is also a fellow blogger since we were both fortunate enough to get an ARC from the author and I enjoyed it so much.

The plot was heartwarming. We follow Anise, who is excited to spend the entire summer with her friends in Santa Cruz, CA before some of them leave for college until her Dad tells her that they have to spend it in Nebraska helping her aunt who’s been in an accident. This is the epitome of a fish out of water story (hence the title! heehee). The main character was taken right out of her comfort zone and I liked how that began to shape her coming of age story. She had to expand her mind and her beliefs as well as her day to day life because she was so far away from everything she had known. Not only did she have to help take care of her younger cousins but she had a lot of loneliness and anger with being away from her and being confronted with her mother’s childhood home. While on the outside, specially with the cover, this book looks like a light and fluffly contemporary romance but it deals with much deeper topics. I specially liked the focus on family relationships. Anise’s relationship with her Dad is so beautiful. Honestly, it made me cry because there’s nothing I want more than to be able to interact the way she does with her Dad. They’re honest with each other and they speak frankly and without judgement. Her friendships and caring nature with her cousins was also amazing to see. They were adorable and you can really feel how much she cares for them. However, the most real part of this story is the abandonment that she still deals with. Her mother is flakey, she comes in and out of her life constantly and Anise is terrified of being like her. These fears cause attitudes and decisions from her that end up hurting her more than helping her and those lessons that she has to go through was such an amazing journey. I really enjoyed the romance aspect. It was natural and developed well but it didn’t take over the story which was nice. The ending was really nice though a bit open ended in a way that’s hopeful almost and I really want more from these characters.

I am going to be completely honest here and say that Anise annoyed me because she reminded me of me. Throughout my teen years, I adamantly refused to grow up or to be separated from my mom. I didn’t think there was any reason for me to have to leave my comfort zone and in the end, it’s ended up hurting me more than helped me. I’m now struggling with a lot of harsh truths in life so reading from Anise’s point of view was actually kind of painful for me and I covered that up with being annoyed with her attitude. I empathized a lot with her feelings but I also really loved her growth and her journey because it hit so close to home. She spent a little too much time agonizing about not being at home, when she could’ve taken advantage of the time she had with her family. But besides that, she was an amazing main character.

I really loved the side characters! Anise’s family was absolutely amazing and I felt so jealous of the wonderful people Anise had in her life. They felt so real and they were so loving toward each other. Her little cousins are so cute and beautiful! Lincoln was such an amazing male character as well as love interest. I got kind of jealous of Anise (again) just because he was such a great person. He’s so honest with her but at the same time, he challenges her and makes her think things through and to imagine beyond where she is now. He’s black and has an amputated arm but those things are just a part of who he is, like his soul is so much bigger. He officially made it onto my very small book boyfriend list because I want one of those dimples for myself! I needed more from Anise’s best friends. They felt like such an amazing group of characters but because she leaves for the summer, we only see them in the beginning of the book and at the end. I wanted to see more of their friendship dynamics and more from them as individuals. I almost want to beg the author for companion books with them as main characters because it’d be amazing!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and all of you should read it! This was an wonderful debut that tackles some in depth themes in a beautiful coming of age story. With amazing relationships between the characters and a natural and slow burning romance, I was just completely sucked in and enjoyed every minute of my buddy read.