On the Island- Tracey Garvis Graves

'On the Island' was a charity shop find.  I often mooch the local shops (which are pretty much all charity shops), and I happened upon a beautiful cover, blue sky, turquoise sea, biscuit-toned sand...exactly what the UK is missing. 

The cover suggests a holiday theme, with a glamorous girl centre stage, tousled hair billowing in the sea-breeze.  The reality is quite different.

'On the Island' follows the story of Anna Emerson, a thirty-year-old teacher who accepts a summer position tutoring T.J., a teenager in remission after battling cancer.  Luckily for Anna, the post is in the Maldives.  However, as T.J and Anna are en route to the Maldives to meet with T.J.'s family their seaplane crashes.  Stranded on an uninhabited island, T.J. and Anna face a battle for survival.  With echoes of the film 'Castaway', 'On the Island' explores survival instincts, human nature and relationships.

Whilst I did enjoy the book, especially how it was written from both Anna and T.J.'s perspectives, I did feel that some aspects of the plot were too far fetched, even for my escapist mind. 

Would I recommend it?  Possibly.  Tracey Garvis Graves has written an accessible, readable novel especially suitable for summer (or those dreaming of it!). 

7/10