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Ocean City/Making Waves #2
Love Shack
While Grace pines away for her housemate Justin, Justin sets his sights on Kate, and Kate wonders if Justin will ever forget how much she once hurt him.
- GenresYoung AdultRomanceTeen
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 1993
13 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Applegate
271 books6,282 followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 29, 2015
Kate and Justin are solid in this book, and I love how he gives her space to work out her feelings over her sister's suicide (and the realization that there really isn't a definitive answer to the why of it).
Grace spirals down in this book, and it's shocking and horrifying to see such a strong person lose their identity and dignity to addiction. I'm also surprised by how unflinching Applegate was in writing the scenes where Grace bottoms out. While it's never spelled out in graphic detail, there is enough told to draw the logical conclusions on just how far Grace went for alcohol.
Conner and Chelsea have some really cute moments, but do have to face the reality that not everyone is going to be okay with them as a couple. Even though this was written in the 90s, there's still plenty of people who have problems with racially mixed couples.
Alec, kind of the weak link in the series, starts getting serious about Marta and has to contend with his own prejudices of dating someone in a wheelchair. Marta is her usual boss self, though, and Alec begins to get over himself a bit. There's a reason, though, that Marta and not Alec, is featured in the follow up books.
I had a rough month. I was sick twice, my new puppy almost died of pneumonia, a car we owned did die and we had to buy a new one, I traveled and worked a lot. I needed a comfort read, and I'm so glad I got to reread this!
Grace spirals down in this book, and it's shocking and horrifying to see such a strong person lose their identity and dignity to addiction. I'm also surprised by how unflinching Applegate was in writing the scenes where Grace bottoms out. While it's never spelled out in graphic detail, there is enough told to draw the logical conclusions on just how far Grace went for alcohol.
Conner and Chelsea have some really cute moments, but do have to face the reality that not everyone is going to be okay with them as a couple. Even though this was written in the 90s, there's still plenty of people who have problems with racially mixed couples.
Alec, kind of the weak link in the series, starts getting serious about Marta and has to contend with his own prejudices of dating someone in a wheelchair. Marta is her usual boss self, though, and Alec begins to get over himself a bit. There's a reason, though, that Marta and not Alec, is featured in the follow up books.
I had a rough month. I was sick twice, my new puppy almost died of pneumonia, a car we owned did die and we had to buy a new one, I traveled and worked a lot. I needed a comfort read, and I'm so glad I got to reread this!
October 12, 2019
Since I reread Ocean City (Ocean City, #1) by Katherine Applegate, I decided to continue rereading the series and continued on to Love Shack (Ocean City, #2). I honestly do not remember most of what happened in the series even though I read it at least twice, so it's kind of like reading it for the first time. The major theme in the second installment was alcoholism. Underlying themes include illegal immigrants, racism, premarital sex, sexual advances, and suicide.
Katherine Applegate did a phenomenal job in portraying the struggles of what an alcoholic might go through to have just one more drink and that no matter how many people try to help them, people with an addiction have to want to change. I'm not sure how I feel about an eighteen year old already being an alcoholic as I feel like someone that age would be more likely to have a drug addiction, but regardless, I felt like it was a great teaching moment for teens. I thought it would have been beneficial if the publishers and/or editors had supplied information at the end of the book for Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon for teens that might be in a similar situation as the character Grace.
The underlying theme of illegal immigration was glossed over a little in this book, but I think that it does a good enough job of making teens think what it might be like to be an illegal immigrant and how they constantly have to be looking over their shoulder. I know as a teen I never really gave it much thought since I've never been in that position, but I imagine it must be a scary situation, especially when it's a kid that had no choice in the situation.
I felt like the other underlying themes of racism, premarital sex, sexual advances, and suicide were a little glossed over as well, some more than others. I don't know how I would've reacted if I had been in Chelsea & Connor's situation, but I do know I would have been extremely upset that someone could be so hateful.
Applegate did do a great job of promoting safe sex for those who do have premarital sex, so I hope any teens and young adults who read Love Shack (Ocean City, #2) paid attention to that particular lesson. What did crack me up about Kate's parents showing up at her rental house at the wrong moment prompted a big discussion about her boyfriend Justin, and her father called the house a "sleazy love shack". That made me think of the song "Love Shack" by the B-52's. Kate's discussion with her parents did segway into why her older sister committed suicide. I felt like the publisher and editors missed another opportunity to provide information at the back of the book for suicide prevention.
All in all, Katherine Applegate did a great job with Love Shack (Ocean City, #2) as it kept me engaged the entire time, even as an adult. Unfortunately, the themes in the books are still current themes for today's youth. With that being said, I feel like tweens and teens would relate very well with the book. I gave it five out five stars.
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June 3, 2023
What does this author have about alcoholics? In the making out series Jake and Lara are alcoholics at 18, and now Grace is an alcoholic at 18?
January 8, 2010
Katherine Applegate, Tease (17th Street Press, 2001)
The second book in Making Waves, one of Applegate's teen-romance-crack series, pretty much carries on the storylines from the first book. No one changes all that much, though they get deeper into their particular neuroses (in the most predictable of ways; the budding alcoholic must hit bottom, the illegal alien must have a brush with the cops, etc.). It's nothing you haven't seen before, but Applegate is very good at taking all these stock situations and making them readable. While “breezy” isn't the word I'd use to describe a book that features a boat explosion, a rape, a hurricane, and a love interest in a wheelchair (with, yes, all the inherent normal-kid-romances-wheelchair-kid drama intact), it's the only word that fits. If you know Applegate, and I find it hard to believe anyone who was a teen in the nineties doesn't know her, you know what to expect from this. Applegate delivers. Doesn't give you an ounce more than you expect, but delivers nonetheless. ** ½
The second book in Making Waves, one of Applegate's teen-romance-crack series, pretty much carries on the storylines from the first book. No one changes all that much, though they get deeper into their particular neuroses (in the most predictable of ways; the budding alcoholic must hit bottom, the illegal alien must have a brush with the cops, etc.). It's nothing you haven't seen before, but Applegate is very good at taking all these stock situations and making them readable. While “breezy” isn't the word I'd use to describe a book that features a boat explosion, a rape, a hurricane, and a love interest in a wheelchair (with, yes, all the inherent normal-kid-romances-wheelchair-kid drama intact), it's the only word that fits. If you know Applegate, and I find it hard to believe anyone who was a teen in the nineties doesn't know her, you know what to expect from this. Applegate delivers. Doesn't give you an ounce more than you expect, but delivers nonetheless. ** ½
January 16, 2024
Love Shack
Kate and Chelsea are still adjusting to living with Grace, Connor, Justin, and Alec and Kate especially has a nightmare time when her parents discover she's planning on sleeping with Justin.
Just a warning the n-bomb is dropped here. It's something that's portrayed as disgusting and dealt with seriously but I can understand that may be unpleasant to read in an almost 30 year old book
Kate and Chelsea are still adjusting to living with Grace, Connor, Justin, and Alec and Kate especially has a nightmare time when her parents discover she's planning on sleeping with Justin.
Just a warning the n-bomb is dropped here. It's something that's portrayed as disgusting and dealt with seriously but I can understand that may be unpleasant to read in an almost 30 year old book
January 20, 2021
Good Read!
Adds a lot to the story for Ocean City! Each Character faces something and it sheds new light for some! Ready for book 3!
Adds a lot to the story for Ocean City! Each Character faces something and it sheds new light for some! Ready for book 3!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews