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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
I’ve read novels in the past about school shootings, but this book was unlike anything I’ve picked up before. Underwater offers the unique perspective of a school-shooting survivor suffering from severe PTSD. The narrative was beautifully done with a level of authenticity I rarely see in the genre.
The heart of the novel lies with Morgan and her journey of getting back all that she has lost since surviving a school shooting that left many of her classmates dead. She gets to the point that she’s unable to leave the house from fear of the outside. The book starts months after the shooting when Morgan meets her new neighbor Evan.
Evan and Morgan’s romance is light and sweet and I liked how he was the catalyst to get her to heal from the tragedy. Their relationship felt very realistic and I enjoyed how Evan was able to call her on her B.S. My only complaint is that I would have liked less romance and more about Morgan’s life before the shooting.
There was so much emotion in between the pages of Underwater. Not many authors can keep my interest with so little action going on, but Reichardt managed to make me feel so much that I didn’t find myself bored or skimming pages to get to the meat of the story. I loved how the author made Morgan’s journey to finding herself again meaningful and believable.
If you’re looking for a YA contemporary with a lot of heart, then you must read Underwater.
Rating; 4/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!
The heart of the novel lies with Morgan and her journey of getting back all that she has lost since surviving a school shooting that left many of her classmates dead. She gets to the point that she’s unable to leave the house from fear of the outside. The book starts months after the shooting when Morgan meets her new neighbor Evan.
Evan and Morgan’s romance is light and sweet and I liked how he was the catalyst to get her to heal from the tragedy. Their relationship felt very realistic and I enjoyed how Evan was able to call her on her B.S. My only complaint is that I would have liked less romance and more about Morgan’s life before the shooting.
There was so much emotion in between the pages of Underwater. Not many authors can keep my interest with so little action going on, but Reichardt managed to make me feel so much that I didn’t find myself bored or skimming pages to get to the meat of the story. I loved how the author made Morgan’s journey to finding herself again meaningful and believable.
If you’re looking for a YA contemporary with a lot of heart, then you must read Underwater.
Rating; 4/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book for review!
Underwater is a brilliant book. The plot is not only great but written in a way that keeps the book moving. You get invested in both Morgan’s character as well to what has happened to her. It felt like a short book but I think it was more that I read it so fast.
My husband is not necessarily a YA fan and when I explained the plot to him he was like wow that is a great premise. We start off with a girl named Morgan who is suffering from PTSD and can not leave her house. We don’t know from the beginning what caused this, instead we are left a breadcrumb trail that we follow while reading. All the information comes to light naturally. I wanted to know what had happened but I also didn’t feel like I was being tortured with keeping the information just out of reach. It made the plot progress at a great pace and kept me in the story from beginning to finish of the book.
I like Morgan as a character. We see such a strong family bond between her brother and her mom. I liked how involved her mom is in her recovery, not just some mome that flits away. Every step Morgan takes her mom is right there cheering her on. We also see of some her mom’s own struggles. We also have Brenda, Morgan’s therapist, who helps her take the steps she needs to find her way to recovery. We get more backstory from all the characters which is also something I really loved about the book.
When Evan enters Morgan’s life, he gives her the kind of hope I think only an outsider can give. I loved that their story was sweet but didn’t take over the story. It’s not just about Evan and Morgan finding each other it’s Morgan finding herself because of it.
PTSD is death with in multiple ways. We know Morgan is suffering from it because of the event that happened at her school. Which she has a very specific survivor's guilt about. Her dad is in the military and has been deployed multiple times. Too many times and now suffers from PTSD as well. So on top of Morgan’s own issues her family also has her dad to deal with. It really shows the difference between someone who wants help and someone who isn’t ready for help yet.
Underwater is a great debut from Marisa Reichardt. It was definitely that book I was not expecting and I completely loved. This is one that should be picked up and not missed.
My husband is not necessarily a YA fan and when I explained the plot to him he was like wow that is a great premise. We start off with a girl named Morgan who is suffering from PTSD and can not leave her house. We don’t know from the beginning what caused this, instead we are left a breadcrumb trail that we follow while reading. All the information comes to light naturally. I wanted to know what had happened but I also didn’t feel like I was being tortured with keeping the information just out of reach. It made the plot progress at a great pace and kept me in the story from beginning to finish of the book.
I like Morgan as a character. We see such a strong family bond between her brother and her mom. I liked how involved her mom is in her recovery, not just some mome that flits away. Every step Morgan takes her mom is right there cheering her on. We also see of some her mom’s own struggles. We also have Brenda, Morgan’s therapist, who helps her take the steps she needs to find her way to recovery. We get more backstory from all the characters which is also something I really loved about the book.
When Evan enters Morgan’s life, he gives her the kind of hope I think only an outsider can give. I loved that their story was sweet but didn’t take over the story. It’s not just about Evan and Morgan finding each other it’s Morgan finding herself because of it.
PTSD is death with in multiple ways. We know Morgan is suffering from it because of the event that happened at her school. Which she has a very specific survivor's guilt about. Her dad is in the military and has been deployed multiple times. Too many times and now suffers from PTSD as well. So on top of Morgan’s own issues her family also has her dad to deal with. It really shows the difference between someone who wants help and someone who isn’t ready for help yet.
Underwater is a great debut from Marisa Reichardt. It was definitely that book I was not expecting and I completely loved. This is one that should be picked up and not missed.
“Don't punish yourself for being kind”
Morgan went through a traumatizing experience and came out of it with a guilt heavy and a forever afraid heart. The only way she can protect herself is to hide inside her apartment, and she hasn't come out for 5 months. One day, Evan moves in next door, and as he befriends her, Morgan really starts to wonder if her love of the real world and life is enough to overcome her fear.
Well, first off, I think that the storyline and just the book, in general, was very original. The author took a topic and instead of showing how a random person was affected by an event, took someone who was directly connected to the event and wrote from their perspective. This can totally change the way the story goes, and make it pretty interesting.
Another thing that I loved was that the author crafted each character to the T. Every character had unique personalities, and that made each and every one of them stand out, even if they weren't main characters. Such as Evan's mother, as she was described to always be tired and hardworking and you could really see that in her descriptions.
Speaking of description, I think the author did that very well. Whenever Morgan was having a panic attack, she used all 5 senses to give the reader a look into what Morgan is experiencing. And, to add onto that she gives the other people in the scene descriptions as well, so that you can read about a panic attack from multiple perspectives.
One thing that I didn't really like was Morgan's transition from always being frightened, into finding the courage to step outside of her comfort zone. It was wonderful that you could see the character growth, and it definitely was a bold scene, but at the same time, it wasn't. There wasn't anything super defining or big about it. It was just a chapter, and then it moved on. I didn't really feel any "yay" or like excitement, and when the author later wrote about people reacting to what she did, they seemed to be happy only to a degree of "I aced this test" or whatever.
So, in conclusion, the author had great character development and description, but I really wish she would have emphasized bigger moments as much as she emphasized the little ones.
13+/4.5 stars
Morgan went through a traumatizing experience and came out of it with a guilt heavy and a forever afraid heart. The only way she can protect herself is to hide inside her apartment, and she hasn't come out for 5 months. One day, Evan moves in next door, and as he befriends her, Morgan really starts to wonder if her love of the real world and life is enough to overcome her fear.
Well, first off, I think that the storyline and just the book, in general, was very original. The author took a topic and instead of showing how a random person was affected by an event, took someone who was directly connected to the event and wrote from their perspective. This can totally change the way the story goes, and make it pretty interesting.
Another thing that I loved was that the author crafted each character to the T. Every character had unique personalities, and that made each and every one of them stand out, even if they weren't main characters. Such as Evan's mother, as she was described to always be tired and hardworking and you could really see that in her descriptions.
Speaking of description, I think the author did that very well. Whenever Morgan was having a panic attack, she used all 5 senses to give the reader a look into what Morgan is experiencing. And, to add onto that she gives the other people in the scene descriptions as well, so that you can read about a panic attack from multiple perspectives.
One thing that I didn't really like was Morgan's transition from always being frightened, into finding the courage to step outside of her comfort zone. It was wonderful that you could see the character growth, and it definitely was a bold scene, but at the same time, it wasn't. There wasn't anything super defining or big about it. It was just a chapter, and then it moved on. I didn't really feel any "yay" or like excitement, and when the author later wrote about people reacting to what she did, they seemed to be happy only to a degree of "I aced this test" or whatever.
So, in conclusion, the author had great character development and description, but I really wish she would have emphasized bigger moments as much as she emphasized the little ones.
13+/4.5 stars
emotional
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read an arc for this after This is Where it Ends for my book club and while that book deals with the action, Underwater deals with the aftermath of a shooting. I liked it a lot!
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was nothing like I expected but at the same time everything I had hoped for. I'd added it to my TBR list at the beginning of the year and then promptly forgot about it and was ready to remove it off of my TBR list even though a copy was available at my local library. Then I read a fantastic review for the book which led me to reconsider and I am glad I did.
This book is not a book which is about a boy saving a girl from her problems but instead, it is a girl who knows she wants help for her mental health issues and is getting that help but then meets a boy which reminds her of the life she is missing. He is the trigger for her progress but it's what he represents not him causing it if that makes sense? That distinction is what makes this book beautiful.
I would recommend this book to everyone because it really is a fantastic read and it's such a summery book so perfect for the end of the holidays.
This book is not a book which is about a boy saving a girl from her problems but instead, it is a girl who knows she wants help for her mental health issues and is getting that help but then meets a boy which reminds her of the life she is missing. He is the trigger for her progress but it's what he represents not him causing it if that makes sense? That distinction is what makes this book beautiful.
I would recommend this book to everyone because it really is a fantastic read and it's such a summery book so perfect for the end of the holidays.
I liked this book, I didn't love it. I was rooting for the main character, but the story got a bit tedious at times.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram | "I do online school now. Going to my other school got to be too hard. I can't control things out in the real world. Cars turn corners too fast. Doors slam. People appear out of nowhere. It's unpredictable."
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Marisa Reichardt’s debut YA novel, Underwater, is breathtaking and heartfelt. More importantly, it is one of the most needed and beautiful releases slated for 2016. Underwater is the sort of book one must read to fully understand (or disagree) with any hype. On the subject of hype, I’m going to be sorely disappointed if there isn’t a ton surrounding this novel.
It’s that good.
In many ways, Underwater echoes the story that Jennifer Brown told in her novel “Hate List”; one survivor left behind with guilt after a school shooting, only ultimately the two stories are simply just similar in its structure. If you loved Hate List, you will likely love Underwater.
Both stories are incredibly emotional and raw experiences when reading. I feel haunted by Underwater even now after only so many pages. And honestly, Underwater feels far more important of a story to tell. It's not something that is all that common in YA books, too have this much heart and honesty. Reichardt tackles so much in so few pages that something about it rings so true and touches your heart in ways other novels fail.
Continued: BOOKEDJ.
As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Marisa Reichardt’s debut YA novel, Underwater, is breathtaking and heartfelt. More importantly, it is one of the most needed and beautiful releases slated for 2016. Underwater is the sort of book one must read to fully understand (or disagree) with any hype. On the subject of hype, I’m going to be sorely disappointed if there isn’t a ton surrounding this novel.
It’s that good.
In many ways, Underwater echoes the story that Jennifer Brown told in her novel “Hate List”; one survivor left behind with guilt after a school shooting, only ultimately the two stories are simply just similar in its structure. If you loved Hate List, you will likely love Underwater.
Both stories are incredibly emotional and raw experiences when reading. I feel haunted by Underwater even now after only so many pages. And honestly, Underwater feels far more important of a story to tell. It's not something that is all that common in YA books, too have this much heart and honesty. Reichardt tackles so much in so few pages that something about it rings so true and touches your heart in ways other novels fail.
Continued: BOOKEDJ.