Let me start off by saying, I went into this book knowing nothing. I liked the cover and wanted to give it a chance. Now that's I've finished it, I kind of feel a little underwhelmed.

I loved the idea behind the story, but I felt like the big conflict through out the whole story between Anise and her mom went unresolved. Now with that said, I did get an e-arc so it is very possible that more was put into the story. I just felt like more should have come out of the postcard being sent and Anise leaving the message on the mirror for her mom. But nothing more ever came. The big deal through the whole book was whether or not her friends would forgive her.

I loved the relationships between the family and Lincoln and Austin, but this story just really left me unfulfilled. I gave it a three out of five stars because I do think the potential is there for the Laura to go places with her writing. There was great detail and imagery, but I just really and disappointed that nothing more came of Anise and her mom.

I do like the way things ended up with Lincoln though. That was hands down my favorite part of the book.

This is the perfect summer read, even when it's not summer. Silverman has a way of just really making you feel like you are right there with the character. I could almost smell the salt of the ocean breeze or feel the sweat of the Nebraska heat without ever thinking that there was too much description. So, even when I didn't agree with every choice Anise made, I was with her in the moment no matter what. Anise is definitely a flawed person, but I could understand her and even relate in most moments. While I am in no way as athletic as her, I get the level of passion she has towards surfing. And while I do not have this close knit group of friends in my current geographical location, I went through similar difficulties with having to adjust to the distance between me and people I cared about more than once in my life. She makes mistakes, but you know that she is never intentionally out to hurt anyone.

I think one of the things I appreciated most about this book was how much it was about family, the one you are born into and the one you choose for yourself. It's a theme I am often missing in my YA books, because whether parents or other family members are there for us or not, they always shape us and our youth. So, to see the struggle and the love that both come with this topic just made my heart sing. And it's not like there wasn't still room for other things, such as the really amazing love interest. Lincoln totally won me over with his self-confidence, charm and genuine interest and care for the people around him. And yes, also his dimple!

I didn't mind the swearing and the underage drinking in this one, but if I could have changed something it would have rather been Anise's storyline with her mother and her final confrontation with her friends when she got back home. Somehow I felt like there was more build up and nerves from Anise compared to the easy way it was finally resolved. That is such a minor thing though, I still adored this book and would definitely recommend it as a book to pick up this summer.

Girl Out of Water was the perfect summery contemporary! Our main character, Anise, feels betrayed when her summer suddenly takes a turn: instead of surfing the days away with her group of friends in her beloved hometown of Santa Cruz, CA, she is forced to move to landlocked Nebraska for two months to help take care of her cousins while her aunt recovers from a major car accident. I’ve been following Laura Silverman on Twitter for quite a while now, and I’m so happy to see her debut getting so much love! It definitely deserves it.

Although I have virtually nothing in common with Anise, I loved reading from her perspective because it’s one I haven’t seen often in YA, especially in YA contemporary. First off, she’s a kickass athlete, who loves nothing more than surfing and comes to love skateboarding over the course of the book. She’s also incredibly flawed and, because of this, realistic. I definitely could see that she was being selfish at times over the course of the novel, but then I realized that I would be, too, if I were in her situation. Anise’s character growth over the course of Girl Out of Water was remarkable: she definitely evolved into a more caring, mature, and intelligent person as her summer progressed. I loved seeing how she grew to care for her cousins– it was really sweet and heartwarming. Another thing I loved about Anise: she’s always eating. I know that might sound weird, but again, I just never read about girl protagonists who eat nonstop in YA. And, like, as a killer athlete, her appetite is totally normal. This is definitely one of those books that will make you hungry– I need to try Anise’s signature cereal mixture (Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, and Reese’s Puffs) ASAP.

I also adored the fantastically diverse, three-dimensional cast of side characters. Their diverse backgrounds were woven in so nonchalantly, yet their portrayals were sensitively done. Anise’s friends, especially her best friend, Tess, were all such good friends to her, and I enjoyed reading about the way distance affected their friendships in a very real way. Even though we as readers got to spend very little time with Anise’s crew of friends in Santa Cruz, Silverman managed to make them jump off the page in an extremely short amount of time. And, of course, like I mentioned before, I loved Anise’s cousins. All the familial relationships were done incredibly well– I adored Anise’s relationship with her dad and also with her aunt, and even Anise’s turbulent relationship with her estranged mother was captured well.

Then we have Anise’s love interest, Lincoln. What a genuinely great human. I enjoyed learning about him. I thought the way he and Anise’s relationship developed was so sweet! It felt so natural. The two of them shared so many things in common, and you could tell through their actions that they genuinely cared for one another. Also, yes to more interracial relationships in YA! Yes to love interests with disabilities! Yes to all kinds of love interests and all kinds of relationships!

The pacing of Girl Out of Water was another element of the story that was masterfully done. Every scene served a purpose, and it seemed like Silverman wrote them deliberately. This is definitely more of a quiet YA contemporary– nothing too crazy happens, and its more about characters than plot, I think. Even so, I really enjoyed this book! Girl Out of Water is a strong debut, and a great book to add to your summer reading list.

Have you read Girl Out of Water? If so, what did you think? If not, do you plan to pick it up anytime soon?

Girl out of Water does a couple of things really well. It sets up an effective contrast of protagonist Anise’s two environments—the ocean, the sense of freedom, the comfort of home against the alien stark, dryness of the place she is forced to travel to. This establishes Anise’s mind set – In California everything is comfortable, familiar and supportive. In Nebraska there is only responsibility, obligation and isolation. Anise is leaving behind friends, potential love interests, and the chance to catch up with her absent mother. Straightaway there is conflict and a heavy sense of guilt, making Anise a character readers will readily identify with, as she accepts the enforced change.

Anise’s development through the novel is another high point. She learns to adapt to life looking after her three cousins while their mother recuperates from a serious car accident. She spends time talking to her father, really talking, about serious matters, although her flighty mother isn’t one of them (unfortunately). She challenges herself to learn to skateboard which is nothing like her beloved surfing, but adapting and showing courage is something Anise excels at.

The introduction of the charismatic Lincoln breathes fresh air into Anise, and his teasing charming smile certainly makes her life better. While there is instant attraction on both sides, Silverman wisely lets the romance build slowly. It’s complicated of course, because just before she left Santa Cruz, Anise kissed her best friend Eric and they didn’t really have a chance to talk. This is a part of the novel that I struggled with—In moving to Nebraska, Anise stops talking to all her friends, people she has known all her life. There are reasons given for this behaviour—she’s jealous they are having fun without her, she is caught up with the trauma of her younger cousins, she doesn’t have anything really to say to them (and yeah, that’s true enough)—but I felt the story didn’t really need that drama.

Because the other element of the story is Anise’s mother, an absent and negative influence in her life. She can’t help but compare herself to this woman, who flits around the country, only dropping in occasionally before whisking off again. She in unreliable, unpredictable and perhaps a little trope-y. We see this woman far too much in YA, and the only redeeming feature about its use here, is that she remains off-page, and we don’t have to see her turn up and hurt Anise one more time. By the end, Anise is more confident of her own power, her own strengths. Her realisations that she doesn’t have to stay to be loyal is a huge step towards reconciling her disappointments and insecurities.

I need to talk more about Lincoln. He represents the positive energy in the world. His optimism, his ability to celebrate nature, and love himself is a strong force in the novel. He has one arm, but it’s not a disability or limitation, or an obstacle. Nothing stands in his way, and Anise can see how he role models to the younger kids at the skate park. As well, he is an adopted child. His blended family (Vietnamese parents, Caucasian younger brother, while Lincoln is black) is presented as an accepted and loving group, and I enjoyed all the stories he shares with Anise about them. Such positive representations are welcome in all novels.

Copy was provided by publisher, via Netgalley, and read with thanks. Recommended to readers who love their main characters sporty and fearless. The romance builds slowly, but turns into a loving and committed relationship. The young children in the story are realistic and not just there to serve the plot. They have their own troubles and develop into fully developed characters. While Anise’s mother is problematic, the other adults balance out with their supportive and caring portrayals. There is a road trip, and a satisfying resolution of the estranged friends. Released 1st May.

Anise Sawyer is a surfer and a great one at that. She plans to spend her summer on the beach and the waves of Santa Cruz with her group of friends. However, her plans change suddenly when her aunt gets into a serious car accident which forces herself and her father to Nebraska to care for her aunt and her three children. Spending the summer in her mother’s childhood home bring up memories, questions and fears. Her mother has been a wild figure in her life since birth – flying in and out of her life with a moments notice and she starts to ask herself the question, what if she’s just like her?

Girl Out of Water was an okay read. It had enjoyable elements, and at times it was a fun read. But it also didn’t WOW me like I was hoping, and there were times that our protagonist, Anise, annoyed me – I’m all for unlikeable female characters but I felt like Anise was very selfish, spoiled, bratty, and privileged at times.

Anise is an avid surfer, and she is really good at it. She was really looking forward to her summer spending her days and evenings on the beach with her friends, and surfing the waves. When her aunt got into a car accident and she had to go to Nebraska to help out, she was angry that she had to give up her summer of surfing, sun and sand to help her family out. She despises the responsibility – mainly because she’s not used to it. At one point, she called her aunt a burden, in the heat of the moment, when she was arguing with her father because she wanted to go back to Santa Cruz so badly. She lost touch with her friends and it hurt her, but she wouldn’t answer their calls or their texts because she was jealous they were back home. I understood the message at the end, and I eventually understood her fears of becoming like her mother. Becoming a fleeting memory in people’s lives who comes and goes whenever she pleases, leaving people behind. But it came a bit late in the book that I was already annoyed by Anise’s selfish and privileged behaviour.

I did really love Lincoln and the romance was a great element in the book, it was very cute and sweet. Lincoln was a fun and charasmatic. He wasn’t just his disability, which was great to read. Lincoln was a skater and when they first met, Anise never saw skating as a real sport, not like surfing anyway. But Lincoln pushed her to try it out for herself, and it turns out it was harder than she thought. So if you are a fan of either surfing or skating, then I do highly recommend this book. It shows the passion for both sports. I loved the description of surfing, and how Anise felt about it. The freedom and thrill of being out in the ocean and riding the waves. It was fun and it was full of summer vibes.

The real gem in this book was the family dynamics. I loved her relationship with her father and cousins. It was really well developed.

Overall, Girl Out of Water is a good contemporary romance – perfect for the summer days out in the sun or by the beach.

RATING: ★★★☆☆

Girl Out Of Water suprised me. I have to admit, I was expecting something far less heartfelt and well-written. But I’m so glad I picked this up.

This is a spectacular book on most levels; it contains prime characterization, a sweet romance, and well-developed themes. But it does bear mentioning: it was a little boring. For the first half, I didn’t connect to the story much, despite my enjoyment of the characters. That being said, everything else about this story was so perfect that I can’t not give it four stars, and I’m sure many won’t suffer from my issues.

This book is about leaving home and growing up, but it’s first and foremost about how we reflect our parents' mistakes. This wasn’t a theme I expected, but it was definitely a theme I loved. It’s clear Laura Silverman knows what she’s doing with the themes here.

I also admired the descriptions of Santa Cruz. Anise’s love for her home comes through in every description. This expert description made her love for Santa Cruz and desire to go home so real and so tangible. As the book developed, her love for home got more and more complex, which was awesome. Anise isn’t the shrinking violet of many contemporary novels; no, she’s far more confident. She’s got a complex relationship with self-esteem that I instantly connected to. So many authors feel the need to make self-esteem either/or, and it was lovely to see a character break that mold. I understood her character on a deep level.

None of the side characters felt throwaway, which was great. We meet six members of Anise’s family, a few members of Lincoln’s crowd, and several of Anise’s friends, yet all of them felt real. Silverman definitely deserves a shoutout for the casual diversity here. Her love interest, Lincoln, is disabled without it being a huge part of his character. Many of the main characters are mixed race, and Silverman is careful not to make white the default. There’s also casual lesbian rep in the form of Anise’s friends. Silverman is definitely putting her money where her mouth is in terms of protesting discrimination in America.

VERDICT: A great contemporary coming-of-age with very well-developed characters and well-incorporated themes.

This book made me SO HAPPY? I can't even form coherent thoughts right now because my brain is taken up by all the feels. Seriously, it is such a quiet beautiful book that I'm sure everyone would love. So I'd encourage you to run and pre-order it right now *waits for you to come back* Now that you have done that we can go one with the rest of the review
The writing is both exquisite and very simple. It also feels personal, very unique to Anise -the MC-'s voice. It naturally is written from her POV, she has a very honest and spontaneous voice that reminded me of myself. I actually saw a lot of me in her, and that alone has made Anise a huge win for me.

This is the story of how Anise was taken away from what she expected to be the summer of her life, from everything she knew and loved to help her aunt take care of her home and kids after she was in a bad accident. And how she adjusted to all the changes in her life and how she dealt with them. Which made this a very character driven story with a lot of growth, family and friendship.

Anise's mom is absent, she comes and goes like the wind, has never been and never will be a pilar in her life and I loved how that was kept that way until the end, there was no reunion, no closure, no understanding her mom's behavior. She was just this presence -or rather absence- that affected Anise's life more than she liked to admit. Because of her absence, Anise is very much afraid of being like her so she doesn't like leaving home, not to go to her aunt's, not to go to college, not ever. She's so afraid of abandoning the people who matter to her that that's exactly what she ends up doing to her friends back home.

As you may have gathered, Anise is a very flawed character, which made her all the more loveable. She's a very well written, three-dimensional character with strengths and weaknesses. She's very caring and sweet. What I particularly loved about her is how responsible and mature she was about the whole situation. She wasn't resentful, she understood why she had to do what she had to do even though she was really disappointed which showed in the writing, but never in the way she behaved around her dad, her aunt, or any of her cousins, her conversations with them were warm and natural. One thing that's hilarious about her (and that annoyed Sara while I was enjoying it immensely) is how big of a sore loser she was. THAT IS SO ME! I hate losing and I behave the exact same way she does when that happens.

The character development she went through was remarkable. Through her time away from home, she realized that change wasn't such a bad thing and that home wouldn't disappear just because she leaves for a few months because her people will always be there when she gets back and that rings so true. Slowly but surely, she frees herself from her mom's hold and is able to see things differently.
This book has a big focus on family and I loved how close and genuine the family bonds were. I adored how open and honest her relationship with her father was, he was everything to her from a dad to a bestfriend and that's amazing to read about. Her aunt -her mom's sister- was as close to a real mother figure as she could ever have, she loves her like her own children and that love is reciprocated. Her little cousins are the definition of adorable, the twins so sweet and endearing but what I liked more is how she behaved with her cousin, Emery. She was like a big sister to her and did everything to make her comfortable and get her to trust her and see her as a friend.

Her group of friends back home, although only physically in the book in the beginning and the very end of the book played a big part in it, through Anise's descriptions and thought process, I felt like I knew them as much as if they were there. Their little group is so tight-knitted that it felt really realistic. I loved Tessa -her bestfriend-'s strong personality and how she called her out on her shitty behavior during her time away.
Last but not least, LINCOLN. That beautiful boy is one giant dimple (I'm not obsessed, what are you talking about?). He's so charismatic and precious, he also does everything to make Anise comfortable while pulling her away from her comfort zone. I loved him, he has a very laidback, go with the flow type of personality and he's also very teasy. Through their romance, the author was able to picture the bitter-sweetness of a summer fling perfectly, they were so good for each other and their chemistry was effortless.

Although the ending felt a bit rushed and like it didn't have all the attention I thought it deserved, I really loved the open ending tying some loose ends while leaving room for questions, like what's next for Lincoln and Anise? What is she going to decide for college? etc.... That also makes me secretly hope for a companion novella or book. Shhh. Let a girl dream.

If you're looking for a new release that fits that perfect summery contemporary feeling, look no further - GIRL OUT OF WATER is the book you want. This book is as summery as an ice-cold glass of lemonade on a hot day. (Unless you don't like lemonade, in which case it's as summery as an ice-cold drink of your choice.) I read this at the start of my spring break, when I was just starting to wish for summer, and this was exactly what I wanted.

I really liked the focus on sports in this book. Whether it was surfing in California or skateboarding in Nebraska, Anise's love of being active was written so beautifully that I could feel the motion. It made me want to go out and do something - not that I did, because it also made me want to keep reading.

I also loved the focus on family. There are so many great family dynamics in this book - we get to see Anise's relationship with her dad, with her aunt, with her cousins, and indirectly with her mom - and they were all really important to her and to the book. I love seeing families in YA, and this was a really interesting one to read about.

And, of course, as in most contemporaries, we have romance - I thought the romance was pretty adorable and I was absolutely rooting for Anise and Lincoln, but it wasn't my favorite part of the book, or the most important thing. It's significant, but it doesn't overwhelm the rest of the plot. I've definitely read books where the balance isn't done so well, so I always appreciate that.

I'll admit I wasn't really a fan of the subplot with the guy she liked from back home. We never really got a chance to get attached to him, he didn't seem to serve any real purpose that her friends didn't, and he just made a couple of scenes kind of awkward. Really, though, that was my only big negative, and it wasn't a big enough part of the book to affect my reading experience too much.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I can definitely see myself rereading it at some point. If this sounds at all like your cup of tea (or glass of lemonade), I'd highly recommend picking it up!

My thoughts:

Thank you netgalley for providing me with a copy to read. I read the summary and thought I would give it a read. This book did not disappoint and I loved it so much! The diversity in this was amazing and I wish more young adult novels had it like this book. Anise is an interesting main character who I really liked. This is a book I would highly recommend.

Plot:

The plot is her story as she spends the summer in Nebraska instead of Cali with her friends. It tells how she adjusts to not being with her friends and watching her cousins. She is in Nebraska because of her aunt and what happened to her, At first Anise hates it but she meets Lincoln at a skate park and the summer becomes more bearable. The book tells the events of the whole summer.

Characters:
Anise is a well written character who I can sympathize with. The author wrote her realistically and easy to relate to. I loved her group of friends they were all interesting and fun to read about. I loved her family as well. Lincoln was a fun character who helped Anise be okay while staying in Nebraska and their relationship develops into something more.

~Disclaimer~
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.
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Girl Out of Water is the story of Anise Sawyer, a 17 year old girl from California. Summer has just started and Anise is looking forward to spending her days surfing and hanging out with her friends. Her plans change when her aunt is in a serious car accident. She has to leave California for Nebraska. where there is no ocean in sight, to help watch her cousins. Anise has never left her hometown before. She love it there so much that she has no pull to go anywhere else. Her mother has never stayed in one place long enough to put down roots. She has been in and out of Anises' life without warning or explanation. Because of this Anise overcompensates by never leaving her home or friends.
Leaving California is very hard on Anise at first. Seeing her friends update their social media just reminds her of everything she is missing out on. These feelings make her start to ignore texts and video chats. Alienating herself from her friends and life back home. She feels as though she has nothing to add to the conversation.
On a Trip to the park with her cousins Anise meets a boy named Lincoln. He is a skateboarder. She has never respected skateboarding as being a difficult sport. Lincoln bets Anise that she can't leave how to skateboard in one week. She takes the bait and begins to practice. She quickly learns that skateboarding isn't as easy as she thought that it was. As she practices Anise begins to enjoy her time in Nebraska. She even starts to have fun and like spending time with her cousins.

This book made me wish that it was summer and that I was on vacation. I could picture myself in the sand on a beach somewhere. This is a good book to read on vacation, the quintessential summer read. I'm not into sports so this book missed the mark with me. It was heavy into sports. There was a lot of talk about surfing and skateboarding. I wasn't drawn in to the story because I couldn't connect with it. This book had sports, summer, teen romance and family angst. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light easy read with a tiny bit of depth.

3/5 ⭐

Girl Out of Water is about California girl Anise Sawyer who spends most of her days surfing and hanging out with friends. But when her aunt, a single mother of three, gets into a car accident, it forces Anise and her dad to spend the entire summer in Nebraska to help out. And what initially starts off as a difficult and lonely situation becomes an eye-opening experience for her. Anise meets Lincoln, a gorgeous skater who goads Anise into skateboarding but more importantly, shows her that there's more to out there than just staying in her hometown forever. It also makes her realize friendship take work and actively keeping in touch, which gives her a much-needed glimpse into what college will be like when they all go there separate ways. On the surface, this sounds very much like a book I would love. It highlights important friendship growing pains, involves growing up, close family bonds and of course, romance and yet.. I couldn't quite connect to it. Often times Anise seems to be going through the motions and we're just shown what she's doing but there was no insight or connection into her character.

Do I recommend?: It's in that middle area for me, where it wasn't bad but not good either. I can't say I'd personally recommend either to friends but if the plots interest you, check them out and see if you feel differently than I did.

DNF at 20%

It's just not my thing. I'm really not clicking with it at all right now and I can't connect with the MC one bit. Might give it another shot later.

“Girl out of Water” is a well-written, summery YA book about personal growth and the ways we define ourselves. Anise has always lived next to the ocean and has no desire to ever leave- part of this feeling might be due to the fact that her mother has consistently ghosted on her for her entire life, showing up for days or weeks at a time and leaving without a word. This summer, Anise is planning to surf, spend time with her friends, prep for her senior year of high school, maybe hook-up with her BFF who she has developed a crush on, and generally enjoy the beach/home. A wrench is thrown into her plans when her aunt, her mother’s sister, is in a serious car accident. Her father and she are the only family her aunt has and with three children at home, she needs their help.

Forced to travel to Nebraska, far away from the ocean, to help her cousins and aunt while her aunt recovers, Anise is forced to grow up fast. She begins the book as an immature teenager, resisting every step along the way, but grows into a more mature person who cares about her family and realizes she and her father are doing the right thing. Watching her three young cousins is not as easy as she would have thought, and going to the park, where the twins skateboard and the older preteen Emery likes to hang out with her friends, is definitely becoming the best option. Add to that the cute guy, Lincoln, who hangs out at the skatepark with his brother, and the summer may not be looking so bleak. Lincoln engages a reluctant Anise through bets and dares, and she warms up to skateboarding and him slowly.

As the novel progresses, we see a lot of growth for Anise, as she takes a careful look at her life, values, and actions. I wouldn’t say she has everything figured out by the end, but she does grow a lot as a person. Her life really seems to revolve around the fact that her mother leaves her constantly, and she needs to learn to appreciate the people she does have (like her awesome father). I found Anise really immature and a little annoying at first, but I did warm up to her over time. Lincoln was an amazing and mature character, and I really enjoyed reading about him/hearing his perspectives. Overall, it was a really enjoyable and light, summery read including learning new things, appreciating family, and young love.

Please note that I received an ARC from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Everything about this was fun, sweet, and made you feel like laying in the sun. The story was interesting, and adorable but also had its heart wrenching moments. I really enjoyed most of the characters as well. But by the end I just kept wanting to turn the page because it left the reader with so many questions. There were too many things left unanswered and unfinished.

Family + Surfing + Skateboarding + Romance + Summer = The PERFECT Recipe for a GREAT BOOK.
I was SO excited to read Girl Out Of Water because a) IT’S SUMMER AND WHO DOESN’T LOVE A GREAT SUMMER-Y READ? And also b) IT’S A SUMMER-Y READ.
In a nutshell, Girl Out Of Water is one of the best contemporary books I’ve read all year because it focuses on MORE than just a romance but all things family, surfing and life.
My thoughts:
• I LOVED ANISE. It did take me a little while to understand her, and a little while to deal with her HUGE Fear of Missing Out, but I ended up loving her. She’s competitive, headstrong, secure in who she is and determined to be the best at what she tries. It was so refreshing to see someone like her on paper (a complete contrast of me)

• THIS WAS ALL ABOUT FAMILY. I’m always upset when families don’t have a strong enough role in YA Contemporaries (HELLO. They’re LIVING with their parents – how are they never around/ given permission for everything?) but Girl Out Of Water was nothing like that. I loved EVERYONE is Anise’s family (except her mom) but especially her dad. He gave Anise her own space, was there when she needed him to be (WITH FOOD SO BONUS POINTS) but most importantly, he treated her like an adult. SO REFRESHING AND I LOVED IT.

• Another thing I LOVED about this was how this book really got into Surfing and Skateboarding. I could never do either (even though the water feels like I second home to me – I’m a swimmer) but I LOVED THE FACT THAT IT WAS THERE AND SUCH A BIG PART OF THE PLOT.

• This book wasn’t PREDICTABLE (YAY!). I thought Anise’s mom would come back – she didn’t. I thought she would get in trouble for leaving with Lincoln on a day trip but it wasn’t blown out of proportion. I was JUST SO GLAD it didn’t follow the norms books usually do.

A MUST READ book for this summer. It has all the things you need – cute boys, diversity, beaches, family, surfing and most importantly FOOD. GO READ IT!

This is Laura Silverman’s debut novel and honestly it doesn’t seem like it’s a debut novel. It was a little slow going at first but it drew me in enough to make me want to keep reading it. Once I hit the halfway point I was totally engrossed in the story and I found myself having a hard time putting the book down.

This is a coming of age story that deals with real life issues such as loss and abandonment with some diversity. I didn’t really have a connection with Anise. She was kind of annoying to me sometimes. With that being said she’s not a bad character at all. I did however have a personal connection with Lincoln. First let me just say I have never read a book that included a character with a physical disability like an amputation. So when I saw there was a character that was an amputee I was like heck yes I need to read this. I am a double amputee myself so to see this representation in a book means a lot to me. Especially when it is so well done. I loved Lincolns character and I could see some of myself in him. I wish I was as confident in my body as he seems to be in his.

In conclusion I loved it. I knocked off a half star for the slow start and for the fact I was left with some unanswered questions. I highly recommend you read this book if you haven’t already.

Spring has arrived! The sun has been out in full force, the grass is starting to turn lush and green, the temperature is rising--it's time to start picking your summer reads, folks!

I know it is that season, too, because I have DNF two heavier novels this week. I'm too restless to try and sit through them. I needed something fun--and Laura Silverman's Girl Out of Water was just the ticket to save me from my slump.

The blurb is a little cringey at first glance (Lincoln has a disability, he shouldn't be defined by it). If I didn't know anything about the context or author, I might turn away from this one. However, I've followed Laura Silverman on Twitter for a long time, and there is no way she would treat someone with a disability with anything but the utmost respect. And she absolutely does. Lincoln is one of the most delightful YA boyfriends that I have read in a long time. His relationship with Anise is adorable, but also respectful--no one is pressuring anyone here, there isn't any unnecessary sexual drama, and I love that.

There's a lot of swearing, which...if you have followed me for any amount of time, you know that bothers me not at all. Still, it's surprising for this style of YA novel. I like that Silverman didn't hold back, since obviously most people don't in real life--but I could see it being a problem for some.

"Summer reads" are always pretty fast books for me. I read this in only a few hours. Once I started, it was hard to put down--Silverman's characters are captivating, and they drive the story. It's a book full of normal, every day people dealing with normal, every day drama...plus a little extra. Totally one you should add to your beach bag this year. Just maybe leave the banh mi SPAM at home.

This book, which delves into the life of Anise during the summer between her junior and senior year of high school, was an amazingly refreshing read featuring a main character that goes through incredible character growth, all the while learning what home really means to her. Silverman writes Anise’s teen voice with a gripping tone as we navigate her life, finding out that she has to abandon her summer plans of surfing with her friends – including the ones that are leaving to college – to take care of her cousins after her aunt is injured. Totally not what she expected for the summer.

"Spend the summer in Nebraska? I’ve never left California, much less spent weeks away. Why would I, when everything I love – my friends, Dad, the ocean – are all within a half mile of my bedroom? But of course I want to help."

However, she goes without much complaint, showing her responsible mentality. Instead, she sometimes acts out in certain actions, making readers really empathize with her situation because, seriously, I totally get the feeling of having to abandon fun plans for family situations. This causes her to have sometimes prickly reactions to some characters, making her a very straightforward main character who isn’t quite satisfied with how her life is going. And yet despite not spending her summer surfing the waves of California, she finds adventure still.

I loved seeing her interactions with her family, as well as the little nuances of their characters that just add to a realistic characterization, from her grieving yet quietly intelligent teen cousin Emery to her energetic preteen cousins, Nash and Parker, that practically leap off the pages. Anise’s California friends and plans fade away as she finds new friends in Nebraska, including a super adorkable black skateboarder who, despite only having one arm, lives life to the fullest. While Anise first struggles with the change, she starts getting back to her confident self.

"This summer took away my surfboard. I’m not going to let it take away my confidence too."

One thing that distresses her, however, is the fact that she might end up like her runaway mother who can’t stay still in one place. Although Anise is super close with her dad, her mother comes to visit once in a while and ends up leaving them, as well as making their hope and expectations leave. Anise is worried that she’ll become like that, which is why it was so safe for her to stay in California all her life. But this trip is making her fears surface, especially as she finds herself distancing from her old friends. The question is – will her friends still accept her after coming back? And what happens when the summer ends, and this adventure finishes?

There’s so much to love about this book other than the realistic and bubbly characters. The setting stretches from the sunny, salty seaside of California to the suburban, gravelly streetsides of Nebraska. We get instances of absolutely delicious-sounding food, learning new sets of skills, an unplanned – but extremely fun – roadtrip, and the overall theme of home and family as we see Anise’s family coming together, and her realizing that home may not necessarily be a place, but the people we have in our hearts.

From a surfer ready to ride the waves with her friends and a possible budding romance to a family member thrust into responsibility for her younger cousins, Anise goes through tremendous growth in Girl Out Of Water. Somewhat prickly at times due to her situation, Anise has to learn to adjust to the suburban babysitting days of Nebraska, in contrast to her planned summer full of fun at the beach. Throughout it all, she finds a newfound appreciation of family, the surprising escape that skateboarding gives, and a growing attraction with Lincoln, a (super smart and swoony) black skateboarder with one arm that helps Anise adjust to the changes in her life. Anise also has to deal with the possibility that she will become like her mother, always prepared to run away for the next “adventure.” But maybe an adventure of her own will show Anise how the concept of home may not necessarily sit at one particular destination.

While I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher (via netgalley) all opinions remain my own.

Loved this story. Surfer girl forced to spend her summer in Nebraska. Will she let herself have a good summer or will she cling so much to the vision she had that she misses out. This book felt real to me, like something I could see a teenager doing, even myself at that age. Anise wants so badly to be back home. She wants to be with her friends and even "seeing" them on social media makes her think of all the things she is missing. What she finds in Nebraska even surprised me. A new sport for her to love and a new boy to make life more interesting. Lincoln was an awesome character too. He had learned such amazing life lessons that he tries to share with Anise. The relationships between all the characters felt real and lifelike. I could totally relate to them within the story.

DNF 22%
I don't find Anise likable--she's a little too focused on herself. Also not a fan of the language. It's not the most language I've read in a book, but it seems irrelevant and I, personally, would NEVER drop an f-bomb around my 9-year-old cousins.