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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the summary of this book, and my hesitation continued throughout the first couple of chapters. From there it was a slow decline. This book just did not work for me.
Cara was a really unlikable main character. Some people are naive, but are they still that naive right after graduating college? If so, they’re no one I want to hang out with. She’s also incredibly selfish…only thinking about herself the entire book. Poor Graham! He should have gotten with that other girl!
Brenden might have been likable and interesting but I felt like he got dealt a short stick with the ending. It didn’t sit right with me. He was my favorite character!
Then there’s this huge plot-line that keeps coming up (no spoilers here) that totally could have been removed and it would have been essentially the same story or even a better one.
All that aside, I did finish the book. Granted, there were some things I wanted answered that I didn’t get resolutions to but I did stick around until the end. Somehow.
Cara was a really unlikable main character. Some people are naive, but are they still that naive right after graduating college? If so, they’re no one I want to hang out with. She’s also incredibly selfish…only thinking about herself the entire book. Poor Graham! He should have gotten with that other girl!
Brenden might have been likable and interesting but I felt like he got dealt a short stick with the ending. It didn’t sit right with me. He was my favorite character!
Then there’s this huge plot-line that keeps coming up (no spoilers here) that totally could have been removed and it would have been essentially the same story or even a better one.
All that aside, I did finish the book. Granted, there were some things I wanted answered that I didn’t get resolutions to but I did stick around until the end. Somehow.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
This book takes place on Martha’s Vineyard and was absolutely riveting. Unraveling Cara herself and her inner thoughts was just as fascinating. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, War
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
When I finish a book right before bed and wake up still thinking about it, that’s the sign of a good book. This one had everything I love: interesting and complicated characters, beautiful writing, and situations that have you holding your breath as you turn the pages quickly.
Cara meets Brendan, a member of Army Special Forces and has an instant connection. But Brendan’s military career might not be all it seems as he struggles with what Cara thinks is PTSD. When Brendan disappears with their baby she searches for years, never giving up hope she’ll find them.
If you enjoy novels that switch from present to past, giving you small glimpses of the story each time and building to a crescendo then this one is for you. If you’re not a fan of character driven novels with a slow/medium pace then you might not enjoy it. But it was an easy 5 star for me, so beautifully written and such a unique story.
Cara meets Brendan, a member of Army Special Forces and has an instant connection. But Brendan’s military career might not be all it seems as he struggles with what Cara thinks is PTSD. When Brendan disappears with their baby she searches for years, never giving up hope she’ll find them.
If you enjoy novels that switch from present to past, giving you small glimpses of the story each time and building to a crescendo then this one is for you. If you’re not a fan of character driven novels with a slow/medium pace then you might not enjoy it. But it was an easy 5 star for me, so beautifully written and such a unique story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Kidnapping
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent
This book held such an intriguing premise! A man able to breath underwater due to a secret military surgical modification. I loved that throughout the book there was a supernatural sense, although I wish there had been more of a sci-fi bend to the story.
Cara is a drifting twenty-something college graduate with no job, floundering to find herself after her mother has died. She meets charismatic Brendan who sweeps her off her feet with his non-traditional take on life. I tried to give this character grace since she is still young, but her indecisiveness and lack of common sense was very frustrating. I feel like I have read several books lately with female characters that seem portrayed as dumb and overdependent and I'm feeling over it. In this story, Cara is blinded by her love of Brendan - and yet the depth of their relationship is never really explained. The way she could let so many things be forgiven without a second thought felt questionable. There were many lapses in information, especially regarding the last third of the book.
Even with that frustration though, this book was a page-turner. With alternating timelines (which made reading a tad less cohesive and a little confusing), the reader is lead through the chapters with an increasing amount of tense anticipation. It felt a little reminiscent of the movie A Beautiful Mind to me. Was this a case of delusion and mental illness or of true espionage? That was my favorite part of the book - not knowing which was correct.
This story was a solid 3 stars for me. It was enjoyable, but frustrating in parts as well, though I can see other readers really liking the story and the writer's captivating style. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 4.04.22
Cara is a drifting twenty-something college graduate with no job, floundering to find herself after her mother has died. She meets charismatic Brendan who sweeps her off her feet with his non-traditional take on life. I tried to give this character grace since she is still young, but her indecisiveness and lack of common sense was very frustrating. I feel like I have read several books lately with female characters that seem portrayed as dumb and overdependent and I'm feeling over it. In this story, Cara is blinded by her love of Brendan - and yet the depth of their relationship is never really explained. The way she could let so many things be forgiven without a second thought felt questionable. There were many lapses in information, especially regarding the last third of the book.
Even with that frustration though, this book was a page-turner. With alternating timelines (which made reading a tad less cohesive and a little confusing), the reader is lead through the chapters with an increasing amount of tense anticipation. It felt a little reminiscent of the movie A Beautiful Mind to me. Was this a case of delusion and mental illness or of true espionage? That was my favorite part of the book - not knowing which was correct.
This story was a solid 3 stars for me. It was enjoyable, but frustrating in parts as well, though I can see other readers really liking the story and the writer's captivating style. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 4.04.22
A totally unique and captivating book
Told in past and present
In the past timeline we see Cara meet Brendan who claims to be able to breathe underwater. They fall in love and have a son Micah.
In the present timeline Cara is married to Graham and is searching for her son who has been taken away by Brendan. Both of whom she hasn’t seen in years.
This is Emma Fedor’s first novel and I was impressed! Her writing style worked for me, it was a quick read, and I would recommend checking it out if you’re looking for something different
Told in past and present
In the past timeline we see Cara meet Brendan who claims to be able to breathe underwater. They fall in love and have a son Micah.
In the present timeline Cara is married to Graham and is searching for her son who has been taken away by Brendan. Both of whom she hasn’t seen in years.
This is Emma Fedor’s first novel and I was impressed! Her writing style worked for me, it was a quick read, and I would recommend checking it out if you’re looking for something different
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Wow. For a debut novel, Emma blew me away. I will be looking for future books from her for sure. This story of Cara’s feelings and experiences of loving someone with mental illness is so well portrayed. The grappling with your own emotions as you try to protect and love someone who struggles with their own brain, and not knowing what to trust… it’s such a complicated thing to do and Emma nailed it.
The only reason this isn’t 5 stars from me is because I wanted a little bit more of Cara’s life with Graham in the good years. I understand why it wasn’t included, as it doesn’t make or break the book, but I wanted to see her being happy enough to choose to marry someone. As it stands, we only see good in their relationship after Micah is back. Overall though, I will recommend this book as a great read.
The only reason this isn’t 5 stars from me is because I wanted a little bit more of Cara’s life with Graham in the good years. I understand why it wasn’t included, as it doesn’t make or break the book, but I wanted to see her being happy enough to choose to marry someone.
At Sea by Emma Fedor is an interesting premise that fell a little a little flat for me. In it we meet Cara and Brendan, who experience an instant connection and build a family together with their son, Micah. The timelines split and the story unfolds during their relationship and five years later, when Cara is married to another man after Brendan kidnapped her son and disappeared.
This plotline alone is enough for an engaging thriller as Cara searches for her son. The author layered in added complexity with Brendan’s ability to breathe underwater, attributed to being part of an experimental unit in the US Special Forces. For me, there were just a few too many elements at once to really sink into any of them.
I didn’t have enough to connect with the toll that military service and mental illness took on Brendan. I didn’t know if breathing underwater was a delusion and instead of it building tension, it mostly led to confusion. I didn’t have enough time to feel the grief of losing her son. The most emotion I felt was for the people around Cara in the present timeline, as they seemed to want her to move on and forget her partner and son existed.
I essentially spent the book feeling confused and frustrated and even though the pages turned easily, I was feeling very underwhelmed. There were perhaps too many heavy topics with the surface just scratched.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the gifted and advanced copy – I am always grateful to be given the opportunity to read a book and share my thoughts.
Content warnings: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief