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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
What a page turner! I finished this book in one day as I was so intrigued with the premise and the characters. The two timelines kept the writing fresh and alternated between 2008 and 2014.
I don’t usually enjoy romance, but I don’t think I’d categorize this book in that genre, even if that’s how it starts. I’d prefer to have seen the book be more of a coming-of-age book. There was suspense, but I don’t think this is a thriller.
I empathized with Cara from the start. A young, insecure art student graduating without any career prospects, Cara has also recently lost her mom and gained a stepmom. The chance meeting of her first love on the beach seems dreamy and unrealistic but I went with it! (I actually wanted to be on that beach!) Without spoiling anything, the reader needs to be able to suspend belief for quite a lot of this book. I liked not knowing where the author was taking me – on a supernatural journey or a road to mental illness. Cara is naïve and so through her eyes we’re not sure either. This was intriguing for me as my eyes were glued to the screen.
As Cara matures, however, she does lose some of the naiveté but there is still a “what if” attached to her in 2014 that we recognize from the earlier girl. I didn’t count the pages, but it seems like the book was unbalanced in that we heard more from 2008 than 2014. Maybe that’s just because I liked the early story better.
It’s a great debut and wonderful writing, but I felt like we jumped from early Cara and Brenden to the end and maybe missed a few chapters? And then Cara, as an aggrieved mom, seems to move onto Graham way too fast in my opinion. He seems to be a bit too saintly to be real and I didn’t buy that relationship at all. The ending was a bit too tidy for me also.
Maybe there’s a sequel in the works? I’d like to know more about what happens with Brenden. He seems to have been just dropped…
Thanks to Net Galley and Gallery Books for this advance copy. I expect great things from this author and will definitely read her next novel.
I don’t usually enjoy romance, but I don’t think I’d categorize this book in that genre, even if that’s how it starts. I’d prefer to have seen the book be more of a coming-of-age book. There was suspense, but I don’t think this is a thriller.
I empathized with Cara from the start. A young, insecure art student graduating without any career prospects, Cara has also recently lost her mom and gained a stepmom. The chance meeting of her first love on the beach seems dreamy and unrealistic but I went with it! (I actually wanted to be on that beach!) Without spoiling anything, the reader needs to be able to suspend belief for quite a lot of this book. I liked not knowing where the author was taking me – on a supernatural journey or a road to mental illness. Cara is naïve and so through her eyes we’re not sure either. This was intriguing for me as my eyes were glued to the screen.
As Cara matures, however, she does lose some of the naiveté but there is still a “what if” attached to her in 2014 that we recognize from the earlier girl. I didn’t count the pages, but it seems like the book was unbalanced in that we heard more from 2008 than 2014. Maybe that’s just because I liked the early story better.
It’s a great debut and wonderful writing, but I felt like we jumped from early Cara and Brenden to the end and maybe missed a few chapters? And then Cara, as an aggrieved mom, seems to move onto Graham way too fast in my opinion. He seems to be a bit too saintly to be real and I didn’t buy that relationship at all. The ending was a bit too tidy for me also.
Maybe there’s a sequel in the works? I’d like to know more about what happens with Brenden. He seems to have been just dropped…
Thanks to Net Galley and Gallery Books for this advance copy. I expect great things from this author and will definitely read her next novel.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is one of the most bizarre books I’ve ever read. And not in a good way
What an odd read this was... I think I was going into this thinking of it as a romance/thriller? and it was. And, if I'm really honest, I only picked up this book because the first sentence read something like
She kept her books in her car
Which is something I do. So Maybe I was hoping to see myself in the main character? But Tara was one of the most annoying main characters I can remember reading about in a while! She's so desperate for everyone's approval, she never says what she's really thinking. She reminded me of a quite, meek little mouse who never stuck up for herself, but she wasn't acting like that because that is who she really was, she was acting like that because she thought it was what people wanted from her, which is worse.
There were so many times I wanted to put this book down and I think the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I paid money for it. This is why I mainly only buy books I have read, loved, and know I would want to read again. And, also, maybe I should stop judging books solely by their first sentence.
She kept her books in her car
Which is something I do. So Maybe I was hoping to see myself in the main character? But Tara was one of the most annoying main characters I can remember reading about in a while! She's so desperate for everyone's approval, she never says what she's really thinking. She reminded me of a quite, meek little mouse who never stuck up for herself, but she wasn't acting like that because that is who she really was, she was acting like that because she thought it was what people wanted from her, which is worse.
Spoiler
Also, when Fedor started bringing up the possibility of Brendan having a mental illness I was confused. I feel like the book would have been better if he really did just have an operation done on him by the government to let him breathe in water. I guess that would have led to Cara never seeing her son again, which I was also really surprised when she actually gets him back.There were so many times I wanted to put this book down and I think the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I paid money for it. This is why I mainly only buy books I have read, loved, and know I would want to read again. And, also, maybe I should stop judging books solely by their first sentence.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
An absolutely incredible book of a grieving mother, a young woman in love, and a struggling daughter — all the same person. The book bounces between the past and the present, introducing Cara's whirlwind summer romance that turns out to be the real deal. Brendan isn't perfect, and neither is she (both, in fact, drove me mad at points, either with selfish or rude thoughts or arrogant assumptions), but that's what made their characters real and full.
I would hand to those who liked the emotional depth and scientific questions of Our Wives Under the Sea or those who fell in love with the familial connections and lush prose of Damnation Spring.
The author also did an amazing job handling the complexity of mental illness, how it is misunderstood, and how it can be used negatively as a throwaway issue by those with malicious intent and who don't know better.
The ending: I absolutely loved, though know it will be controversial. To leave that many questions open is so frustrating but so true to life. Those kinds of endings are always my favorite.
I would hand to those who liked the emotional depth and scientific questions of Our Wives Under the Sea or those who fell in love with the familial connections and lush prose of Damnation Spring.
The author also did an amazing job handling the complexity of mental illness, how it is misunderstood, and how it can be used negatively as a throwaway issue by those with malicious intent and who don't know better.
Content Warnings
CWs: references to and thoughts of suicidal ideation; pregnancy and discussion of abortion; PTSD and outbursts of fear and paranoia; familial history and in-depth discussion of mental illness and schizophrenia, along with a violent yelling scene (no physical harm); mention of a character murdering a woman and serving time in prison; endangerment and death of child; toxic relationships; death of mother (before book starts) and extensive discussion of grieving the loss of mother as character hits life's milestones; gaslighting; use of "R" word by drunken side character
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fun low key thriller. It’s a bit odd but good while doing errands and need something to dive into.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes