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melissadelongcox's review
3.0
I’m having a hard time deciding what to say about this story and here’s why (SPOILERS AHEAD): I am fine with needing a certain level of suspended belief to enjoy a book. After all, I’m not usually looking for something intellectual, I’m usually looking for entertainment. So I’m fine with things that seem totally implausible, like three shipwrecked teenagers actually knowing how to survive. But I hated the way the book started. I wanted more of Casey/Alex/Henri/Emma before the shipwreck, some context for how they ended up on the island in the first place.
That said, I liked how past was woven with present, so you weren’t quite sure about what Emma actually did to Henri. Personally I thought that reveal was a little dumb on Henri’s part (don’t sleep with a teacher then you won’t be exposed for doing so, AMIRIGHT!), but I was also a teen girl once so I get the level of dramatics, ha!
I also would’ve enjoyed seeing more about when they got home and how that played out. Overall, I enjoyed this!
That said, I liked how past was woven with present, so you weren’t quite sure about what Emma actually did to Henri. Personally I thought that reveal was a little dumb on Henri’s part (don’t sleep with a teacher then you won’t be exposed for doing so, AMIRIGHT!), but I was also a teen girl once so I get the level of dramatics, ha!
I also would’ve enjoyed seeing more about when they got home and how that played out. Overall, I enjoyed this!
sidneyellwood's review
4.0
Tales of survival never fail to be fascinating to me, and this was no exception. A Map for Wrecked Girls explores the relationship of two sisters through a shipwreck, flashing back to their life beforehand and what led up to a split between the girls. I really loved the exploration of sisterhood and femininity. Taylor makes girlhood into this sharp, dangerous, thing, and I adored reading about it.
The two main characters, Emma and Henri, were great to read about--fully fleshed out teenage girls that had secrets and communication issues and fears that were irrational but made sense in the context of the story. While the book could have done without the romance, I found I didn’t mind it too much and Alex was an interesting character as well, and it was so fascinating to watch the dynamic between the three main characters grow and see how much they all came to rely on each other while keeping secrets as well. I liked the flashback sequences too--the book alternates--and though I didn’t find them quite as interesting as the scenes on the island they provided really good context for the relationship of the sisters back home and how they fell apart.
One thing I have to say is that it does seem a tad unrealistic that they got to surviving for so long and knew how to do so many things (especially as Henri and Emma in their flashbacks were fully immersed in a completely metropolitan life - heck, a brief mention of watching reality TV would have sufficed), but I can suspend my disbelief, since the main focus was on the characters and the two sisters. This was a character exploration as much as it was a survival story, and I think it succeeded fairly well in both aspects.
This review and more can be found on my blog!
The two main characters, Emma and Henri, were great to read about--fully fleshed out teenage girls that had secrets and communication issues and fears that were irrational but made sense in the context of the story. While the book could have done without the romance, I found I didn’t mind it too much and Alex was an interesting character as well, and it was so fascinating to watch the dynamic between the three main characters grow and see how much they all came to rely on each other while keeping secrets as well. I liked the flashback sequences too--the book alternates--and though I didn’t find them quite as interesting as the scenes on the island they provided really good context for the relationship of the sisters back home and how they fell apart.
One thing I have to say is that it does seem a tad unrealistic that they got to surviving for so long and knew how to do so many things (especially as Henri and Emma in their flashbacks were fully immersed in a completely metropolitan life - heck, a brief mention of watching reality TV would have sufficed), but I can suspend my disbelief, since the main focus was on the characters and the two sisters. This was a character exploration as much as it was a survival story, and I think it succeeded fairly well in both aspects.
This review and more can be found on my blog!
bookloversofi's review
3.0
I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing me with this copy in exchange for an honest review
I have some issues that I want to talk about , but at the same time I have so many mixed feelings about it that I don't know how I'm going to do it in an appropriate way, I need time guys lol. I had some problems with the characters and their actions, but I think the final message is great , I really liked that and I ended up getting up my rating because of that. I enjoyed it, but I also struggled a little at times.
3/5 Stars
You can find this one and more of my reviews on my blog A Book. A Thought.
There was and still is, a lot of hype around this book and I get it, the promise is great and Have you seen that cover?, it's simply beautiful. I have been very lucky to have received this copy via NetGalley since I really wanted to read it, I always appreciate a good story about survival and thought that if I found myself with a strong sisterhood bond on it, even better.
The book follows Emma, she had a bond of great union with her sister Henri, but things that have happened have separated them and now, in the present, they have had an accident in the ocean and are stranded on a desert island, along with Alex, a mysterious boy who they recently have met on their trip to Puerto Rico. They'll find theirselves struggling to survive, and the book follows all the problems that this brings them, physically as well as mentally. All this will lead them to face each of their personal demons and Emma will be forced to face her past and perhaps recover the bond that she and her sister had or lose her forever.
It wasn't what I expected, it's a good book, with a very good structure that goes from the present to the past and I always enjoy that way of telling the plot, since I think it creates a mystery atmosphere, where situations of the past are revealed little by little and you're discovering secrets, that aspect of the book is fantastic.
I enjoyed much more the present chapters than the past's, even so the past chapters are necessary since we're discovering what has led the girls to be so distant from each other and why Emma feels so guilty about it , we can also learn more about them, and know their personalities.
But I've had some problems with the characters and I can't let it go. I literally hate Henri almost 99% of the book. I understand that the idea is to create these characters who are problem teenage girls, with dark pasts and all that, I also understand that Henri's character is created to be like an unliked character at first, of which after we know more her story, we'll managed to understand her and we'll ended up loving her, well, I couldn't do it. .Henri is a bitch lol, she treats her sister like trash most of the time, tells her super hurtful things and then comes back and talks to her like nothing had happened, hoping for Emma not to remember what happened about 2 seconds agoHenri is really silly and not only makes her life a complete disaster, but she drags her sister with her and then Emma has to solve everything, I really can't feel sorry for her, nor understand the why of her actions.
The girls are going through the separation of their parents which is obviously hard but doesn't justify all the mean, rude, and arrogant Henri's behavior, and all her excuses are really stupid and pointless. Also, one last thing,the guys end up lost on this island where they must fight to survive and Henri literally doesn't help at all, she does nothing useful, she spends all day lying in the sand, building necklaces. And I was so angry guys, I can't stand this character, I don't care her at all, I can't. That would be a summary of what I feel.
We have Emma, she's our main character, I don't love her to be honest, but she ended up growing as much as a person, I feel she has evolved a lot from beginning to end and that makes me very happy, she deserves something better in her life than she has had and I really want what's best for her.
Even so, there were times when I didn't understand her and I didn't agree with her actions. Every time Henri did something she tried to convince herself that she deserved it or justified her sister for her actions, and that makes me feel super sad me because her personality was very submissive and easy to master in the past, I feel she never really said "It's enough!" and she end up feeling miserable for each of her acts. I also had that feeling that in the past she lived through her sister, which was also sad to read.
I feel that although it's obvious that they love each other despite all the things that have been done to each other, I personally couldn't feel connected to this relationship, I don't like how they're handled it or the way in which they treat one another and I didn't see at all that beautiful sisiterhood bond that the book promised me, even so it may be different for you, or at least I hope so
Although there was no character that I loved, doesn't mean that I haven't enjoyed other aspects of the book, I think the most solid part is near the end and the end, I really found myself hooked on the last pages and that made me raise up my rating a bit, I think Jessica Taylor knows how to write and her structure to create a good flow in plot is great, also it's very easy to read, I would love to read something else by her, but with another type of characters, I think that would work better for me.
As the plot ends it's really very good, I was surprised because it was different than I expected, so I consider myself a fan of the end.
Although my problem with the characters is obvious, this book has many really good things from the writing style to the survival aspects that were really real and hard. I recommend this book if you're interested in any of these aspects, I can't tell you for characters because I wouldn't mean it, but you'll find a super complex plot that unravels in a brilliant way, so go for it
toesinthesand's review
4.0
really enjoyed this... all the island parts felt so real and while I think sometimes Henri was too much of a villain, it's easy to understand her motivation
thebooknook180's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Death
haley_j_casey's review
3.0
I can't decide whether to give this 3 or 4 stars.
On the one hand, I enjoyed so much of it so much. I loved the descriptions of the island, of their survival. I loved that it felt huge and awful and interesting and realistic. I liked the addition of Alex, and I adored watching Emma start to understand herself through her time with him, and Henri, and nature. I liked the agonized wait for what had driven Henri and Emma apart before Puerto Rico, and I so liked all the gray areas this story dwelled in.
But then? The reveal. I was beyond annoyed that I had waited all that time just to find out that Emma's big awful crime against her sister
And then, finally, everything is out in the open, and Henri, who has been cruel and manipulative and tried repeatedly to sabotage the literal survival of her own sister, is sad, and then she's forgiven. But she's been made so irredeemable by then that the last thing I wanted was to forgive Henri.
I care about Emma, a bit about Alex, and about no one else.
(But seriously, Emma's growth was so important.)
An outstanding first 3/4 of the book. A marginal last 1/4.
On the one hand, I enjoyed so much of it so much. I loved the descriptions of the island, of their survival. I loved that it felt huge and awful and interesting and realistic. I liked the addition of Alex, and I adored watching Emma start to understand herself through her time with him, and Henri, and nature. I liked the agonized wait for what had driven Henri and Emma apart before Puerto Rico, and I so liked all the gray areas this story dwelled in.
But then? The reveal. I was beyond annoyed that I had waited all that time just to find out that Emma's big awful crime against her sister
Spoiler
was that she snapped after Henri said one cruel thing too many, and told her mom that Henri had been sleeping with one of her high school teachers. Which is absolutely had been, and that man had absolutely accepted nude photos from his underage student, and absolutely committed statutory rape. And why was Henri so unable to forgive Emma for this? Because the poor teacher was going to get registered as a sex offender, for being a sex offender, and that her new boyfriend broke up with her it.And then, finally, everything is out in the open, and Henri, who has been cruel and manipulative and tried repeatedly to sabotage the literal survival of her own sister, is sad, and then she's forgiven. But she's been made so irredeemable by then that the last thing I wanted was to forgive Henri.
I care about Emma, a bit about Alex, and about no one else.
(But seriously, Emma's growth was so important.)
An outstanding first 3/4 of the book. A marginal last 1/4.
tbr_withmaya's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rabhya07's review
2.0
*2.5* A disappointing read with cringey scenes. The only thing I liked was the addictive writing.
molly_dettmann's review
Two sisters, one wild, one mild, and now they're stranded on an island. This story was a fast-paced, and interesting ride. Emma and Henri had a falling out shortly before their Puerto Rico vacation nightmare. One chapters takes you back to before, and the next is all about their survival. I picked it up a few hours ago and somehow found myself done, as I was unable to put it down until I found out what happened to them before and if they would survive being stranded!
Fans of survival stories, and sisterly bonds will enjoy this. There's surprisingly still plenty of romance, drama, and intrigue that'll make other fans of YA racing to finish this one.
Fans of survival stories, and sisterly bonds will enjoy this. There's surprisingly still plenty of romance, drama, and intrigue that'll make other fans of YA racing to finish this one.
gabydeppe's review
1.0
No. Nope. Honestly, there was only one moment in this book that got me teary-eyed and that definitely was towards the end. The rest I found a bit boring. Aparently they survived for about 2.5 months on an island and barely had food and drinks? Is that even possible? SPOILER! The moment that got me a bit was when the sisters were saved and in the hospital, then her mother and father arrived, reunited with their daughters. Everything else was bland.