Novella Review: Uncharted by Tracey Garvis Graves

Uncharted (On The Island 1.5) by Tracey Garvis Graves

Published: July 2, 2013

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 160

Received: purchased

Buy Now: Amazon

Tracey Garvis Graves - and Anna and T.J. - return in this companion novella to the New York Times bestseller On the Island

When twenty-three-year-old dot-com millionaire Owen Sparks walked away from his charmed life, he had one goal in mind: get as far away as possible from the people who resented his success, or had their hand out for a piece of it. A remote uncharted island halfway around the world seemed like a perfectly logical place to get away from it all.

Calia Reed wasn't part of Owen's plans. The beautiful British girl - on holiday in the Maldives with her brother, James - made Owen wonder if getting away from it all might be a lot more enjoyable with a carefree girl who didn't know anything about the life he left behind.

But Owen had no idea how much his carefully detailed plans would go awry. Nor did he realize that a decision he made would have such a catastrophic effect on two passengers who boarded a plane in Chicago.

And when Owen shows up at Anna and T.J.'s door with an incredible story to tell, everyone involved will learn just how much their lives are intertwined. 

 

I was so excited to see a novella that involved Anna and T.J (even just a little). I couldn't wait to learn more about them and the life they now led. It was nice to see that the story was about Owen showing up on their doorstep and wanting to tell them his story from when he was on the island. 

The old saying of beauty is in the eye of the beholder rings true in this story - Owen's time on the island was quite different than Anna and T.J.'s time there. One was like a beautiful sanctuary and the other a horrific nightmare. 

During Owen's narration we learn that he left everything behind to find peace on the island, to find himself, to get away from the pressures of the world and to figure out his path in life. Most of his time was wonderful and beautiful, but part of his time was sad and ended on a sour note. The story is heart wrenching and heartwarming at the same time.

We also learn about "Bones" and where he came from. The story is sad and is exactly the reason that Owen came to see Anna and T.J. He wants T.J.'s help with something that might give them all closure.

And the last thing I will mention is the homage to Mick, the sea plane pilot that they all have ties to.

This novella should be read after reading On The Island, so that you understand everything that happened to Anna and T.J. and you understand the island itself.

“When you have nothing, everything feels like something.” 

About the author:

Tracey Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky sense of humor to write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads