Girl Out of Water - by Laura Silverman (Paperback)

About the Book

When her aunt gets into a car accident, Anise is forced to leave her friends and surfing behind to spend the summer in Nebraska to help care for her cousins, and by doing so, forms familial bonds and new friendships that challenge her feelings of abandonment by her mother.

Book Synopsis

Fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han will feel right at home in this heartfelt coming-of-age story about a homesick girl who gives up her summer plans to help her distant family--only to find everything she was looking for, including love.

Ocean breeze in her hair and sand between her toes, Anise can't wait to spend the summer before her senior year surfing and hanging out on the beach with friends. Santa Cruz is more than her home--it's her heart. But when her aunt, a single mother, is in a serious car accident, Anise must say goodbye to California to help care for her three young cousins.

Landlocked Nebraska is the last place Anise wants to be. Sure, she loves her family, but living in her mother's childhood home--the same mother who disappeared out of her life when she was born--brings up memories and feelings she would rather forget. And with every photo and text, her friends back home feel further away.

Then she meets Lincoln, a charismatic, one-armed skater who dares her to swap her surfboard for a skateboard. Anise isn't one to shy away from a challenge. Her days with Lincoln are the most fun she's had all summer and skating together makes her feel more alive and free than she ever has.

Because sometimes the only way to find your footing is to let go.

Perfect for readers who like:

• Teen romance books
• Teen realistic fiction books
• Heartfelt summer reads
• Tell Me Three Things and Five Feet Apart

Praise for Girl out of Water:

A Junior Library Guild Selection!

"Hand to fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han."--Booklist

"A novel that reads like a warm summer afternoon."--Paste Magazine

"[A]n entertaining and well-done coming-of-age story."--RT Book Reviews

"[W]orthy of a spot in any teen's beach bag."--School Library Journal

Also by Laura Silverman:

You Asked for Perfect

Review Quotes

"A novel that reads like a warm summer afternoon, Laura Silverman's debut is a charming novel full of diverse characters. It's the sort of story that feels so very real, with teens wrestling with complicated families and distance from loved ones." -- Paste Magazine

"Anise's reluctance to leave, rooted in worries of forgetting home and being forgotten, will resonate with readers who've ever been homesick...A quick summer read to reassure teens who worry about college or blooming where they're planted." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Debut novelist Silverman realistically captures Anise's love for her surfing life and the terrible sacrifice she makes when leaving it behind for a whole summer, and her relationships with her family are bittersweet and loving, giving her depth of character. Meanwhile, Lincoln is a charmer, and thanks for Silverman's excellent portrayal of a boy who is not defined by his disability, like Anise, reader will easily forget that he is missing an arm. Hand to fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han" -- Booklist

"Readers will empathize with Anise as she explores this different side of her life. The book features a cast of diverse characters and a fresh take on sports (surfing and skateboarding)... worthy of a spot in any teen's beach bag." -- School Library Journal

"Silverman's debut has wide appeal and will be an easy one to recommend this summer to fans of contemporary YA" -- Teen Librarian Toolbox

"Silverman's debut is an entertaining and well-done coming-of-age story featuring a likable protagonist who learns that home is less about place and more about being surrounded by loved ones and friends. Silverman does a commendable job showcasing a diverse cast of characters, and the interracial romance is sweet and clean. The situations feel genuine and realistic...Those who enjoy Huntley Fitzpatrick and Jenny Han should give this one a try. There's lots to like here, and Silverman proves she is a rising author to watch out for." -- RT Book Reviews