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3.16 AVERAGE
3.16 AVERAGE
A spooky, thrilling ghost story that kept me riveted! Read my full review:
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2016/11/teenya-review-drowning.html
http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2016/11/teenya-review-drowning.html
Okay, so I don't really get this book. First I thought this is some kind of crime story with a "What happened that night? Is/Are he/she/they killed him?" plot then I started to read and I recognized that this is actually a YA thriller... and our main character is 15 years old. Okaaay. It still can be good, right? Well, my hopes started to crash very quickly with the foreplay. The writing was very fragmented and lumpy, it felt like I was reading in robot style. I wondered if I could even finish the book. I did, so maybe the writing improved throughout the book or I just got used to it. I don't know. Also the plot wasn't what I thought it would be like I said before. We knew in the very beginning what happened but after the first 50 pages we know exactly what happened so there is no mystery. The only mystery for me was to figuring out what this book is about. I mean it's about grief, obviously, and dealing with PTSD but I have no idea why it was exemplified with the ghost of his dead brother who can do things and whom can be seen by other people too. Just like in a ghost story. In a paranormal novel. I'm very familiar with the 'theory' that grieving people can feel like their lost loved ones are still there and they're watching them but in that case they CAN'T manipulate water and they CAN'T be seen by a random truck driver. So is this a paranormal novel, a novel about grief and dealing with trauma or is this the story of Carl going crazy? Or all in one? I'm confused.
I've already talked about the sloppy writing, the contradictory storyline, so let's talk about the characters. The only thing which could save this book but it didn't. The characters aren't lovable and I couldn't sympathize with them. I couldn't understand Carl's grief because Rob was a total jerk, a giant asshole and I couldn't even feel the love between them. There was any?
Finally, one more thing to mention: Carl's amnesia. He couldn't remember anything, he didn't know what to feel about his allegedly dead brother, he felt nothing which is very normal if you can't remember the person you should grieve. Then, out of nowhere, he suddenly feels the loss and pain and he loves his brother. Without any good memory about him. I don't understand. I just don't.
P.S.: Why the hell is this book has a sequel??? Which sounds more paranormal than this one. (But considering the ending... or more like the lack of ending I'm not that surprised. If this book about grieving and dealing with trauma then the point shouldn't be actually dealing with that trauma and get over it? Carl did everything but getting over it. Uh, I don't get this freakin' book. Thank God, it was short.)
I've already talked about the sloppy writing, the contradictory storyline, so let's talk about the characters. The only thing which could save this book but it didn't. The characters aren't lovable and I couldn't sympathize with them. I couldn't understand Carl's grief because Rob was a total jerk, a giant asshole and I couldn't even feel the love between them. There was any?
Finally, one more thing to mention: Carl's amnesia. He couldn't remember anything, he didn't know what to feel about his allegedly dead brother, he felt nothing which is very normal if you can't remember the person you should grieve. Then, out of nowhere, he suddenly feels the loss and pain and he loves his brother. Without any good memory about him. I don't understand. I just don't.
P.S.: Why the hell is this book has a sequel??? Which sounds more paranormal than this one. (But considering the ending... or more like the lack of ending I'm not that surprised. If this book about grieving and dealing with trauma then the point shouldn't be actually dealing with that trauma and get over it? Carl did everything but getting over it. Uh, I don't get this freakin' book. Thank God, it was short.)
Carl is alive and his brother is dead. Unfortunately, Carl’s memory of what happened is spotty and what he does remember leads him to believe that he killed his brother. This feeling becomes more intense when he sees his brother every time he is wet. He learns that his brother’s girlfriend was also there, but she doesn’t want to talk about what happened. Carl must convince her to trust him before his brother’s spirit takes revenge.
The Drowning is a book that is hard to place in a neat little box. Ninety-five percent of the story is realistic with the issues that everyone experiences with the loss of a loved one, but the other five percent is horror/fantasy due to the haunting spirit. Readers will have to decide for themselves if what Carl is seeing is real or a coping mechanism of his brain. Either way, Ward has created a gripping tale that will captivate the reader and keep their attention till the end.
The Drowning is a book that is hard to place in a neat little box. Ninety-five percent of the story is realistic with the issues that everyone experiences with the loss of a loved one, but the other five percent is horror/fantasy due to the haunting spirit. Readers will have to decide for themselves if what Carl is seeing is real or a coping mechanism of his brain. Either way, Ward has created a gripping tale that will captivate the reader and keep their attention till the end.
I liked Numbers by the same author a great deal, and she similarly does a good job of evoking the poverty and deadendness of a working class English family. The horror element of the story is very atmospheric, but in the end the plot didn't quite tie up. One other note - Neisha is quite clearly Anglo-Indian, so I'm not sure why the cover shows a girl who is more Caucasian looking.
It was a little tough to read at the beginning-the story felt really confused at first, like the author wasn't sure about where she was going. After that it got better and it was a decent read. I think it would make a great horror flick.
Hmm, the beginning sounded intriguing, but it didn't really live up to the synopsis for me. I didn't like Carl, I wasn't a huge fan of Neisha and the story was just very slow until at some point it was really rushed. I've read some reviews for the sequel and they're saying that one's better, so I might still check it out... But I'm not rushing to buy it.
I read this at a time when there was a lot of flooding in the UK, so it really put it into perspective for me. The fact that I had never read a book purely about drowning, intrigued me right from the start. It was difficult to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen, but I didn't really connect with the characters that much. It just felt like there was something missing. Overall, 3 stars.
3,5 ou 4/5
C'était bien mais je ne suis pas complètement convaincue !
C'était bien mais je ne suis pas complètement convaincue !
Als Carl zijn ogen opent ziet hij nog net dat de jongen die naast hem ligt in een zak ligt en dat de zak dicht wordt geritst.
Wanneer hij in de ambulance ligt komt er nog iemand naast hem. Een meisje. Ze gilt als ze hem ziet.
Wie hij is, of wat er is gebeurd, dat weet hij niet meer. Hij weet alleen de feiten. De vrouw die bij hem is, is zijn moeder. Zijn broer Rob is dood.
De eerste nacht terug uit het ziekenhuis hoort hij vlak voor hij in slaap valt de stem van zijn broer. De stem van zijn broer keert steeds vaker terug. Langzaamaan krijgt de stem van zijn broer vorm en komen de herinneringen aan alle gebeurtenissen ook terug.
Het heeft te maken met een meisje, Neisha. Zij heeft het ongeluk in het meer, net als Carl, overleefd.
Rob wil dat ze alsnog dood gaan.
http://yana81.blogspot.nl/2014/04/verdronken-rachel-ward.html
Wanneer hij in de ambulance ligt komt er nog iemand naast hem. Een meisje. Ze gilt als ze hem ziet.
Wie hij is, of wat er is gebeurd, dat weet hij niet meer. Hij weet alleen de feiten. De vrouw die bij hem is, is zijn moeder. Zijn broer Rob is dood.
De eerste nacht terug uit het ziekenhuis hoort hij vlak voor hij in slaap valt de stem van zijn broer. De stem van zijn broer keert steeds vaker terug. Langzaamaan krijgt de stem van zijn broer vorm en komen de herinneringen aan alle gebeurtenissen ook terug.
Het heeft te maken met een meisje, Neisha. Zij heeft het ongeluk in het meer, net als Carl, overleefd.
Rob wil dat ze alsnog dood gaan.
http://yana81.blogspot.nl/2014/04/verdronken-rachel-ward.html
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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