A Map for Wrecked Girls

by Jessica Taylor

We sat at the edge of the ocean—my sister Henri and I—inches apart but not touching at all. We'd been so sure someone would find us by now.

Emma had always orbited Henri, her fierce, magnetic queen bee of an older sister, and the two had always been best friends. Until something happened that wrecked them.

I'd trusted Henri more than I'd trusted myself. Wherever she told me to go, I'd follow.

Then the unthinkable occurs—a watery nightmare off the dazzling coast. The girls wash up on shore, stranded. Their only companion is Alex, a troubled boy agonizing over his own secrets. Trapped in this gorgeous hell, Emma and Alex fall together as Emma and Henri fall catastrophically apart.

For the first time, I was afraid we'd die on this shore.

To find their way home, the sisters must find their way back to each other. But there’s no map for this—or anything. Can they survive the unearthing of the past and the upheaval of the present?

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Survival, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult Contemporary

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2017

About the author

Jessica Taylor adores atmospheric settings, dangerous girls, and characters who sneak out late at night. She lives in Northern California, not far from San Francisco, with a law degree she isn’t using, one dog, and many teetering towers of books.

A MAP FOR WRECKED GIRLS, her first young adult contemporary thriller and a Junior Library Guild Selection, will be published August 15, 2017 by Dial Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House.

Represented by Melissa Sarver White at Folio Literary Management.

Follow Jessica on Twitter at @JessicaTaylorYA, on Instagram at @jessicataylorwrites, and check out her website at www.jessicataylorwrites.com

Reviews

[Dahlia]

Read this book from cover to cover while in labor. It's kinda hard to think of a better endorsement than that.

[Jess]

02/03/2017

A gorgeous cover, but.... why does there have to be a boy? Why can't sisters discover and explore their relationship without the catalyst of a boy???

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of survival and complex sibling relationships.

Emma and Henri are teenage sisters in a strained relationship. While vacationing in Puerto Rico they decide to go on a boat ride with a couple of young boys they met on the island. An accident happens and they end up stranded on an uninhabited island with one of the guys. 

The story is narrated from the point of view of Emma and alternates between the present and the past. This is a novel about sisterhood, first love and survival under extreme circumstances.

Overall I enjoyed it and recommend it to readers of YA, new-adult, and contemporary fiction.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dang I read this book so fast I didn't even mark it as 'Currently reading' on here xD

****
After thinking about it for a few days, I've decided to lower my rating by a star. I thought this book was quick, entertaining, and had some good themes. However, I doubt I'll remember the characters in a week and I did have some major problems with it.

It was one of those "high school party" books where every few pages 15 year olds were getting so drunk they couldn't walk and I just cannot relate to that in the least. It really turns me off from a book when it has the insane party thing. It feels totally unrealistic to me. A few I could see but being 15 and drunk every weekend seems a tad unlikely but maybe that's just me.

I did like the sisterhood between Henri and Emma. This was probably my favorite part of the book and even that felt a little artificial at times.

Alex was fun but eh idk it's not like he's one of my favorite guys now...

Overall, this whole story just screamed TEEN, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I don't know it just wasn't the best in my opinion. Oh well! It was really quick I finished it in about 48 hours so that's something...

[Jessica Taylor]

Thank you for checking out A MAP FOR WRECKED GIRLS! Writing this story was such an escape for me – I hope it will be that for you, too!

If you pre-order between now and August 14, 2017, send me your receipt and mailing info - I'd love to send you a limited-edition lapel pin. Details at www.jessicataylorwrites.com/preorder-...

xo,
Jessica

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys.

I thought I knew what this story was about, but as I kept turning the page I realized it wasn't about these girls being stranding on an island. It is SO much more than that.

So many questions! I couldn't stop turning the page. The first chapter sucks you in with beautiful storytelling. Jessica Taylor writes in such a present way, that you feel attached to intimate moments of the mundane. Every breath Emma takes, you take.

Told from two story lines, I honestly couldn't tell if I wanted to be in San Fransisco or on the Island. Both were so vivid and visceral. Some authors write like a song, others write like a painting. Jessica writes like a sunset. Even the bad is tinted with the golden light of Emma's memories which makes it feel sad and beautiful and perfect.

I still can't stop thinking about the beach house Emma imagined for her and Henri. With pitted floors from their heels. I want to live there!

And lines like THIS ONE- "...dreams that had been part of me as far back as I could remember, so long they'd grown roots and wings..."
WHO WRITES LIKE THAT?????

Answer: Jessica Taylor, hero.

[Sofii♡ (A Book. A Thought.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 I love survival books, especially desert island ones, but I was mostly bored throughout this read. The survival aspect takes a backseat to sister drama and working through past hurts, which I found to be pretty petty. The ending felt abrupt/rushed. I think others may enjoy this as a YA beach read, but it just didn't work for me.

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating story of survival, family, love, & betrayal. This story had so much emotion in the story that it would be difficult for people to turn away. It really shows the strength of the bonds that tie sisters together, and humans' will to survive against nature.

[Julie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterfully written tale of survival, sisters, and love. Jessica Taylor is an up-and-coming name you won't soon forget. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

[S. M. Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I INHALED THIS BOOK. A Map for Wrecked Girls is a powerful, compelling novel that stole my breath. Taylor writes survival like a master. And there's A LOT of survival. When Emma, Henri and Alex are stranded on a remote island, they are forced to endure hardships that are gut-wrenching and relentless and SO REAL! I literally couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know…well, *everything*. Without giving spoilers, this book is so much more than a survival story; it is a story of personal growth, acknowledging one’s demons and flaws, and loving despite one’s demons and flaws. Gah! Taylor’s descriptions of the island are so vivid I could practically feel the sea spray on my face and feel the sand on my skin. The swoon of the romance was soooooo swoony, but so realistic too. I won't say more than that because spoilers. But, so good. The sister relationship between Emma and Henri was difficult to read at times but only because it was portrayed with so much raw honesty. I could *feel* their intense love for one another and the way it got twisted into something darker. I read the book in one sitting because Taylor ripped at my emotions. I scoured alternating chapters looking for the sisters’ backstory and then read opposite chapters, breathless, as the three teens fought for survival. If you love thrillers, contemp romances, survival stories or just kickass, well-crafted stories DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

[maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Disclaimer: An ARC of A Map For Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor was provided to me through NetGalley First reads via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

--

Initial post reading thoughts:

First of all, can we talk about this cover? Beautiful. I didn't really know exactly what I was getting myself into with this story when I entered the Goodreads giveaway, but when I found out that I had won, I went back and looked at what the synopsis for the story was and I was instantly intrigued all over again. A Map For Wrecked Girls is a story about two sisters and their relationship. We go back and forth between the present where Henri & Emma are stranded on an island while on vacation after a mishap with their boat...and a few months into the past that explore a situation that has put a rift in the sisters' relationship. I ended up really enjoying this story and I'm really glad I decided to enter this giveaway!

--

What I Liked

Sisterly relationship. A Map For Wrecked Girls is centred on the relationship between two sisters, Henri & Emma. We know that something has happened to cause a riff in their relationship, but we aren’t sure what exactly that something is. We know that they are stranded on a deserted island together, along with another boy, after a boat they were on malfunctions and basically explodes. There’s not much they can do but try to get along in order to survive. Through flashback, which I’ll talk about later, we catch a glimpse of what their relationship was like before everything started to go downhill. It was really cool to see the contrast between what their relationship once was and how it is now. I have a younger sister and while we’ve had our fair share of arguments, I’m sure we would come together if it meant life or death.

The flashbacks. As mentioned above, A Map For Wrecked Girls contains flashbacks within every other chapter in the story. Through these flashbacks, the mystery of why these two sisters are so angry with each other slowly starts to unravel. I found that this really worked well to slowly reveal what tore these two sisters apart.

Unraveling the mystery. The flashbacks were a great way to unravel the mystery, but the writing was also really well done and greatly paced. A Map For Wrecked Girls is a unique mix of contemporary and mystery and I think both the flashbacks and writing style really helped to unravel the story.

--

What I Didn’t Like

Weird sisterly relationship? There were moments, especially in the flashbacks, that kind of weirded me out? Henri & Emma were weirdly too close at times. I don’t know if it’s just me, but personally, my sister and I are NOT even remotely that affectionate towards one another. My sister is definitely one of my best friends, but saying things like “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to love anyone like I love you” just kind of really weirded me out if I’m being completely honest.

Alex. It’s not that I didn’t like him, he was an interesting enough character I suppose, but he also kind of felt a little irrelevant? I would have much rather enjoyed this story if it was just about Emma & Henri without a third character mixed in there with them.

--

Overall, A Map For Wrecked Girls took on a unique look at a sisterly bond and how no matter what, two sisters will always have each other’s backs, especially when it’s a matter of life and death.

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sent an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to love this book, I really did, but there was a few things that I just couldn't overlook.
The first thing I didn't like was how dependent Emma was on her sister, Henri. It was so unhealthy and concerning. It was also extremely annoying. Emma was obsessed with her sister and couldn't think for herself. All she ever thought about was her sister.
The second thing I didn't like was Alex. I personally don't think he should have been included in the story. He was so unnecessary and was only there for the sake of romance. I think having the story being about just Emma and Henri would have been much better.
The third and final thing that I didn't like was how Alex was not written diverse. The opportunity was there and he was written as a white character. He was from Puerto Rico and wasn't Latino and I think that was very poor on the author. Alex could have been a diverse character so easily and he would have given representation to people who don't have much representation in media as it is.

I did like the concept of the plot and the writing style a lot though.

Overall, I think this book could have been a lot more enjoyable if better choices had been made about the white washing of Alex and the unhealthy relationship between the sisters. As much as I liked the concept, I couldn't overlook the things that just weren't okay.

[Cori Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars!

I went into this book completely blind, and at the beginning I was so excited! Sisters and a cute boy stranded on an uninhabited island! I love great sibling relationships AND cute boys.

Sadly, this book was very okay. The sister relationship was entirely toxic, even when it's good, it's bad. Henri was honestly awful. Like, the worst. No thank you.

I think a lot of people would enjoy this, but I felt fairly annoyed and underwhelmed.

[Alexandra Sirowy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect read to get me in the mood for summertime. I finished A Map for Wrecked Girls in just two sittings. Part contemporary novel, part survival thriller, part romance, trying to figure out what cataclysmic event drove a wedge between these once-close sisters pulled me all the way through. Suspenseful, emotional, tender, unique, and super entertaining! Take this one to the beach, on vacation, or on a lounger in your backyard. Can't wait for Jessica's next book!

[Bri Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Urgh, I have no idea how to rate this. Indecision, my best friend.

I loved the premise of the story, two sisters with a strained relationship stranded on an island where they have to rely on one another and work to rectify their relationship. A great idea, but the execution and the characters left a lot to be desired.

Dear Henri:
I didn't like you. In fact, I hated you. Like, A LOT. You did a lot of really shitty things to your sister and Alex, you acted self-entitled and unsympathetic throughout the story, and you're a terribly shallow person who needs a lot of professional help.


I understood her motives and reasoning, and I understand that she is a morally-skewed character who had a few bumps in the road called life. But, when she

1. tries to burn down the tent where her sister and Alex are sleeping,
2. injures Alex and causes him to lose two fingers
3. hid the lighter that prevented the group from having clean water and cooked fish, which resulted in Alex getting deathly ill, AND
4. found coconuts she kept for herself while her sister and Alex are malnourished and on the brink of severe dehydration.
NOPE.

Similar to Cersei from GoT, I understand your motives, but I don't agree with them and find you to be a horrible person. It's hard to root for someone to survive when you don't really like them.

Dear Emma:
[sigh] Where do I start with you? You were my favorite of all the characters, but seeing how I hated Henri and didn't care for Alex (I'll get to that in a sec), that's not saying much. You had some character development over the course of the story, and you definitely were emotionally stronger towards the end, but your process of self-discovery was tied up in a boy. You lost a lot of points there. But you had pretty good survival skills, so there's that. But overall, meh. I think you're dumb for being with a person like Alex, so you're not going to be forgiven for falling for a terrible boy.

Dear Alex:
[larger, drawn out sigh] Oh, Alex, you horrible love interest, you. I don't understand what Emma finds interesting about you. You expressed regret about your past as a drug dealer, but your decisions while on the island still have me questioning your intentions and moral compass. You don't communicate anything to the girl you profess to love, yet you're butt-hurt when she starts losing trust in you. [groan] You're not my kind of love interest, that's for sure, and I hate that all of Emma's character development was wrapped up in you and her feelings for you. Way to bring a girl down, dude.

So yeah, sketch characters I couldn't get behind. Usually, dynamic characters who live in the gray are very interesting, but Henri and Alex just didn't mesh with me. Also, the major plot twist at the end was okay, and while not terribly impressive, I guess it worked. But otherwise, just a pile full of mediocre entertainment that you can read in an evening.

[Elizabeth La Lettrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story of survival, sisterhood, and love. The story starts with a ship(boat)wreck and it's survivors - Emma & Henri Jones and a boy named Alex they had just met while on vacation in Puerto Rico. Alternating with the story of their attempts to survive on a deserted island is the story of how Emma & Henri's close relationship as sisters fell apart just months and weeks earlier.

I loved Taylor's ability to write the complexities of the sister relationship, from codependency to blind hate bordering on life-threatening... that probably sounds extreme but once you get a chance to read it, you'll understand what I mean.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/17/17
More like a map for a wrecked TBR. How am I supposed to go on after finishing this? Wow, this was good. So good. Totally was so not prepared for this level of goodness. And wreckedness. And apparently ability to form complete sentences.

7/26/17
To tell the truth, when I won this book from the wonderful ladies, Krysti and Sarah from YA and Wine & The Clever Reader respectively, from their epic meme, #ARCstravaganza. I had two choices, and this had such a pretty cover that I totally grabbed it up. And I have to say that I’m shocked at just how well my judging went.

The first time that I saw the summary for this book, I kind of just glazed past it and thought, eh, doesn’t sound like my kind of book. It really wasn’t until I won it that I looked at the summary and I really don’t understand how I could have gone by it that first time and passed it up. While I thought this would just be a cutesy coming of age story where two sisters came back together again and found some love, I was surprised with the story I actually got and how much I loved it.

This book is twisty – twisty good, full of darkness and light but a lot of darkness. These sisters are complex, complicated girls – for what happened to them, for what they did to each other, what they did to others. It’s what makes this story as engrossing as it is.

The story alters chapters, going between the now (the sisters and fellow crash survivor, Alex) and before (detailing how they got to the sour, dark place that they are now). Each part is equal in its engrossing factor. I couldn’t tell if I wanted to go back to the past or present, because I just wanted to know what was going to happen in each part.

The characters were interesting. This is a very character driven story, and with the things that these characters do, they might not be for everyone. But they are brilliantly done and are given these complex, deep characterization that is brimming with psychological overtones and twisty goodness. Emma was definitely my favorite, but I really did enjoy Alex as well. Henri was…well, she was Henri. By the end, you can definitely see where she is coming from.

The ship was adorable. I thought it was realistic, and it certainly wasn’t instalove – which was great, because so many times when characters get smashed together, it turns very much into instalove. But I thought it was realistic and well done and I was so into the swoons.

The setting, too, was sooooooooooo cool. I basically imagined Moana’s island the entire time, so, of course, it made it extra good.

Overall, this was a brilliantly done. There were some times where I did feel a major disconnect from the characters and I thought the pacing really could have been sped up a bit. Other than that, I thought this story was great. I couldn’t stop reading it (I kept telling it to stop being so good and it wouldn’t listen), and the characters, setting, and plot were fantastic. Four high crowns and an Ariel rating, of course, for the water and a visit from Moana!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a steamy, sexy story of sisters wrecked on a desert island with a mysterious boy. Only, turns out, the island has nothing on how hard it is to understand and reconcile our deepest fears and regrets. The 16 year old girl in me just ate this up.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

Overall, this book had very powerful moments, but also I don't think it's one that's going to stick with me for a long time.

I also went into it expecting it to be more of a thriller, and while the survivalist aspects were often thrilling, the "mystery" itself was not what I expected it to be.

With that being said, I still really did enjoy my time reading this book, especially with the development of the characters. It definitely wasn't the book's fault that I expected it to be something different.

The writing was also very cinematic and I could see this being a really good movie.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a hard-hitting contemporary with survivalist aspects. NOT for someone looking to read a fast-paced thriller.

Side note: A+ for the creativity of the cover!! I didn't even notice the shoreline on the bottom until like halfway through the book and it makes it 1000% better. :)

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma and Henri are sisters. They have always been very close, best friends. During a business trip with their mother, the girls go for a boat ride with two boys. Disaster strikes, and they are ship wrecked. The boat is destroyed. But that is not all that is wrecked. Just prior to the trip, their close relationship is also wrecked. It takes a deserted island for them to face the truth.

I did not expect to like this book so much! Chapters alternate between the sisters being stranded on the deserted island, and flashbacks to the time, months before, when their relationship was wrecked. Little by little, the author leads us to discover what happened to ruin their close relationship, making this novel impossible to put down. The characters are realistic and the settings lushly described. This is a wonderful young adult book that is great for people of all ages.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Sarah Glenn Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who likes their summer island getaways with a healthy dose of adrenaline!

This harrowing story of survival and sisterhood kept me turning pages late into the night, and when it was over, left me with a whole mess of feels. HIGHLY recommend.

[Katie Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica's writing is beautiful. The story has everything I love: adventure, complicated relationships, and an underlying love for the people close to us. Add this book to your TBR!

[Lisa Wood]

I loved the dynamics of the sister relationship in this book! If you like contemporary with adventure, strong female characters, sisterhood, and a bit of romance, I highly recommend you pick up this gem. "'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' on a desert island" is definitely an accurate description :)

[Joanna Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Taylor's A Map For Wrecked Girls is breath taking and beautiful. You'll want to get stranded on an island with this book. Every word will make you want to turn the page. What I love most about A Map For Wrecked Girls is that it captures the love, loss, betrayal, and survival of sisters in the ultimate test while still giving a love story I wanted to get lost in.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A destructive relationship between two sisters, a beautiful boy, a deserted island.... it’s the perfect set-up for something big. I really liked that book, even if the last page left me wanting more... too cheesy for the story itself.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just in time for summer - this is a must have read for the beach! It is a thriller, romance, suspense, has sibling angst - you name it this book has it! It's a true test of love and the ultimate test of survival. Loved this book! Can't wait to read what Jessica writes next! 5 stars!!

[Adrienne Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited for this!!!

[Leah Bayer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am an absolute sucker for survival stories, especially if they involve a deserted island (think Robinson Crusoe and The Swiss Family Robinson, books I read over and over again as a kid). Even when I know they aren't going to be the best in terms of quality I snap them up one after another. And A Map for Wrecked Girls had another element I am drawn to: a toxic female friendship (or, in this case, sisterhood).

I kind of knew this wasn't going to be fantastic going into it, but I expected a fun and thrilling romp. I think for a certain reader this book would be great, but it is VERY young adult. Like, painfully, obsessively focused on the boring details of teenage life. If you're stranded on an island you'd think you would have more to worry about than boys, but for sisters Emma and Henri (short for Henrietta, because all YA novels must have a female character with a cool gender-neutral name) boys are literally life.

The core relationship dynamic between Emma and Henri is pretty interesting. Henri is the beautiful, dynamic, troubled sister and Emma is the smart, quiet follower. But they are incredibly, frighteningly codependent: they plan to live together until they are old and grey in a house by the sea. Well, they get their wish, but it's not the house or sea that they want: they're shipwrecked on a desert island together. I really, really wish the whole book had just been them on an island, because their dynamic was great (if not entirely original) and the actual survival elements are great.

Sadly, this is only about 20% of the book. A boy (of course) is on the island with them, and he has ~secrets~ and ~romance~ oh my. Nothing about Alex's story arc is shocking or interesting: it's just trite young adult stuff. And he is SUCH a moron (as are the girls): for some reason, Taylor decided to make these kids sexually liberal little drunks who are somehow morally against taking pain meds when they have broken bones on a desert island. Because THAT makes sense.

Then about 40% of the book is flashbacks to Emma & Henri a few months before the accident. Apparently, Emma did something unforgivable to Henri and there is a now a gulf where there was once sisterly intimacy. It's mostly them going to parties and sleeping with their teachers and stuff like that. I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoy stories with teenage protagonists... if they have themes that resonate beyond highschool drama. Sadly, the past-plotline and 50% of the present-plotline fall into the "when you grow up this is all going to seem really stupid" category.

And the writing! How much room do you have for poetic license and pretty description when your setting is a deserted jungle island? Taylor does an amazing job explaining the tole the elements take on our characters, but there is almost no description of the lush location which I found really disappointing.

[- ̗̀ jess ̖́- · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!