Monday, August 06, 2018

Book Review: A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor



Title: A Map for Wrecked Girls
Author: Jessica Taylor
Publisher: Dial Books
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Adventure
Format: e-book
Publication Date: August 15th, 2017
Pages: 368

Synopsis (Goodreads): We sat at the edge of the ocean—my sister Henri and I—inches apart but not touching at all. We'd been so sure someone would find us by now.

Emma had always orbited Henri, her fierce, magnetic queen bee of an older sister, and the two had always been best friends. Until something happened that wrecked them.

I'd trusted Henri more than I'd trusted myself. Wherever she told me to go, I'd follow.

Then the unthinkable occurs—a watery nightmare off the dazzling coast. The girls wash up on shore, stranded. Their only companion is Alex, a troubled boy agonizing over his own secrets. Trapped in this gorgeous hell, Emma and Alex fall together as Emma and Henri fall catastrophically apart.

For the first time, I was afraid we'd die on this shore.

To find their way home, the sisters must find their way back to each other. But there’s no map for this—or anything. Can they survive the unearthing of the past and the upheaval of the present?

;

My rating: 4 / 5 ★

I have always loved reading stories with sisters bond in it. I love exploring how other sisters are with each other; a close-knitted relationship, or even a toxic one. I myself have the closest relationship with my own sisters, so I have soft spots for characters with good sisters relationship. Sadly, A Map for Wrecked Girls definitely is not about that. 

A Map for Wrecked Girls tells about two sisters, Emma and Henri, who end up being stranded on an isolated island with another boy, Alex. Each of them with their own set of secrets, it was not the greatest way to bond. I have never read anything like this before; I'm used to characters figuring out they have hidden powers, or characters simply in search of what's true for them. But I've never read about survival. Actual survival. The kind where it makes you ponder, if you are ever in the character's shoes, would you survive, or die? I love that their survival sounds realistic, I can almost feel the heat and pain that the characters were going true. That is what makes this story most interesting.

I liked Emma very easily, even though she's the typical Plain Jane clouded by her sister's presence, I think she had her own charms. I like her soft character that always gives in to her sister's demands, but at some point, I wished she would just think about herself. And at one point, she did. Her character development is good to follow. As for Henri, she was quite... difficult. She infuriates me with her selfishness, but it was obvious that she had her own problems to face. Fear made her bitter. It seemed pointless when Emma kept trying to mend their relationship when Henri refused to, but in the end, sisters will always stay sisters. It was a long way to go, and Emma is very brave not to ever stop fighting for it.

I quite like Alex as easily as I liked Emma. From the first chapter, he did not try to fake being strong and cried when they got stranded on the island. A boy not afraid to cry? Sign me up! Just like the sisters, Alex has his own secrets to keep. Despite assuming the worst of him, I always end up liking Alex again. I read some reviews questioning why Alex is needed, because the story might have been better if it was just about the sisters. I beg to disagree, because Alex's presence created a lot difference in the sisters' relationship. Without Alex, Emma and Henri could have drifted way apart. 

Overall, I loved this story a lot! The island really had a lot of surprises, and I even screamed at one part where Emma was bitten by an animal. I like that the chapters alternated between present and past; it may be a bit harder to keep up but it makes the story more interesting because you would have to figure out what happened in the past that makes the present. If you love reading about adventure, and mending a broken family bond, then this book is the right one for you.

;

Nobody could hold the same place in your heart as your sister. Love or hate her, she was the only person who grew up exactly like you, who knew the secrets of your household—the laughter that only the walls of your house contained or the screaming at a level low enough the neighbors couldn’t hear, the passive aggressive compliments or the little put-downs. Only your sister could know how it felt to grow up in the house that made you you.

Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'



Resources:

PSD Colouring (base) - PSD 18 by Moon2k2

Fonts -

Post a Comment