Reckless Girls: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, substance use, and cursing.

The group can see the island a full day before they reach it. Lux is entranced by the sight and suddenly understands why Brittany and Amma wanted to visit such a remote place. When they pull into the island’s small, natural harbor, it’s even more beautiful. Lux is struck by how wild and remote it seems and how much it resembles a postcard of a desert island. Her reverie is interrupted by the sight of another vessel in the harbor—an expensive catamaran named the Azure Sky. Nico, Brittany, and Amma all react negatively at the sight of it. As they pull closer, its captain calls out, “Ahoy!” To Lux, he appears wealthy (she’s gotten used to assessing people’s class background while doing restaurant and hotel work), and he has a weather-beaten appeal. He introduces himself as Jake Kelly. He’s traveling with his girlfriend, Eliza. He invites the foursome to a beach party that night. Lux finds Amma crying below deck. She cryptically says that now that they’ve arrived, their vacation is on its way to being over.