On the Island: A Novel

Tracey Garvis Graves

Jun 2012 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

In this runaway New York Times bestseller, a harrowing near-death experience brings together an English teacher and her student as they struggle to survive on a desert island.

Sixteen-year-old T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. With his cancer in remission, all he wants is to get back to his normal life. But his parents insist that he spend the summer catching up on the school he missed while he was sick.

Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher who has been worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere. To break up the monotony of everyday life, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring T.J.

Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahans’ summer home, but as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens: their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.

At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, and as birthdays pass, the castaways must brave violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the worst threat of all—the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. With only each other for love and support, these two lost souls must come to terms with their situation and find compaionship in one another in the moments they need it most.

Ratings and reviews

At first I was wary about reading a book about a 16 y/o kid and a 30 y/o adult that was labeled romance but I'm glad I did. I laughed, I got hot eyes (no tears fell :)), I got upset..I basically had every emotion. Faced with the same circumstances I'm not sure how I would react but love is a beautiful thing. I really enjoyed this book.

Finally I read a book that I will forever remember. It keeps you wanting more without the frustration of not enough. T.J. and Anna go thru so much togather on this island. It made me laugh and cry and was wrapped up with a nice little bow with a perfect ending. So nice to read a book with an ending instead of dissapointment. I will always remember the strength they had thru the hardest of times when they could have so easily given up when facing fear. Life changing story to me. There is always HOPE.

I picked this book by chance because I just recently started reading romance novels. I'm sooooo happy I chose this one. Not only was it an awesome read, I related to Anna in such an unexpected way. Our lives were surprisingly parallel (minus the trapped on an island part) and to see how things worked out for her in the end gave me hope. I couldn't have imagined getting that from reading this novel. I will definently read it again.

About the author

Tracey Garvis Graves is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into thirty-one languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, Cherish, Heart-Shaped Hack, White-Hot Hack, and The Girl He Used to Know.