Beach Cute

Gr 9 Up–Luna, Rory, and Jodie meet when they are at the same resort for a week-long, device-free vacation. The resort looks idyllic in its advertisement but the three did not realize the device-free requirement. Luna is still reeling from her recent breakup with Liam. Even though she broke up with him, she is beginning to think she was too hasty. She begins to believe she sees Liam and the girl he may be seeing everywhere around the resort. Rory is struggling to find a way to tell her family that she doesn’t want to be a lawyer but an artist. She has hidden her social media life from her family. Jodie just feels lost in all aspects of her life and is sort of drifting. The three girls strike up a friendship, commiserating over the lack of their phones and devices. Mishaps ensue and their dream resort becomes a nightmare. Complications and emotions run high which cause friendship issues. Eventually, each member of the trio begins to find her own strength, drawing on one another. The main characters are engaging and relatable. The writing flows well, and the novel is fast paced. There is a lot of humor in this book, as well as romance and regret. Most importantly, there is friendship.