A couple of weeks back, I was asked to review “Summerland” by Elin Hilderbrand.  The book takes place on the island of Nantucket, an island best known as a vacation town for wealthy Americans.  No one locks their doors, there is very little crime, and just about everyone knows everyone.  The community is tight knit and it takes a long time for outsiders to be recognized as an islander. 

The book depicts a rather unknown side of Nantucket, the story of the local community.  It begins with an evening graduation bonfire celebration and ends in tragedy.   One of the island’s star citizens, Penny, is killed in a car accident.  Her twin brother, the all-star athlete, is in a coma.  The remaining passengers, Penny’s boyfriend Jake and her friend Demeter, are not physically harmed but they are experiencing emotional turmoil.  The book describes the aftermath of the accident.  The book revolves around everyone wanting to know what happened before Penny got behind the wheel to drive.    I found it interesting to see how Jake’s home life is developed and the addictions Demeter must overcome to fit back in to island life.  Also, Penny’s twin brother has a “small” challenge to deal with on his own …

As a 35+ year old woman, I found the book quite entertaining and a great beach read.  I thought it would be more of a YA read but it really wasn’t.  The lives of the parents are brought into the story line and life on Nantucket is revealed.  It was interesting to see how these characters overcome different adversities in their lives.   There were so many plot twists and turns and I found the characters quite well developed.  Just when you think you know how it will end the plot twists.  I will definitely be passing this along to various friends throughout the summer.