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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Blythe starts out in her own world of grief still dealing with the death of her parents. She has alienated herself from her brother and is drowning herself in alcohol. When Sabin sits down with her in the student union one morning acting like he's known her forever, he's the first person who makes her feel something since. That same morning she walks down to the lake and runs into Chris. She inexplicably feels drawn to these two boys, comfortable with them, like she hasn't felt in years. I liked Blythe, I liked Chris, but I loved the Shepherd siblings, Sabin, Estelle, and Eric. They accept Blythe without question and treat her like she's been a sibling their whole lives.
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This book completely shredded me to pieces. the story, characters, dialogue are beautiful and painful at times. Jessica Park has emotionally destroyed me again. Uggghh, I have such a book hangover that I don't know where to start... this review is to be continued. ..
Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads.
Left Drowning was absolutely brilliant. I was hooked from the very first page. I read it in one sitting. The story was beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful. The characters were the real stand-0ut here, though. They were complex, charming, real and flawed. Despite the flaws, I would love to be part of a family like the Shepherds. Their love for each other – and eventually Blythe – was so strong. The horrible things they went through in the past might have damaged them individually, but it strengthened them as a group.
Blythe wasn’t your typical college student. Weighted down by the death of her parents, she was barely hanging on to life herself. She wasn’t involved in campus activities, she had a single room… she was just… there. Then she meets an outgoing, dramatic guy named Sabine at the cafe. He begins to draw her out of her shell. Soon after, she comes across a sexy guy, Chris, down by the lake on the Matthews College campus. She feels an undeniable pull to him – and him to her. They begin a friendship then and there, but their chemistry is such that you can’t help but root for them to have more. Both damaged by their pasts, they are very cautious.
The boys Blythe meet are the Shepherd brothers. It’s fitting that each of them are responsible for drawing her out of her shell – though in completely different ways. She meets the other siblings, Estelle and Eric, as well as Eric’s partner, Zachary, and the group becomes fast friends. Suddenly, the girl who was barely hanging on is surrounded by friends and truly living.
Blythe and Chris’ friendship grows into something more pretty quickly. It’s hard to fight that type of pull for someone. It’s apparent they were meant to be together, despite how they may fight it. Or how one of them fights it, anyhow. They were electric when they were together. (OMG the sexy scenes. I thought my iPad might melt.) I knew it wouldn’t be easy for the two of them, but W.O.W. Their story took me on a physically and emotionally draining ride. I felt like I had been punched, kicked and slapped. Then hugged. And punched again. I alternated between wanting to throw my iPad across the room and desperately hugging it out of sheer joy. The story absolutely gutted me and I cried buckets during this book. There’s something to be said about a book, and an author, who can bring out such strong emotions, even in an emotional person like me. It’s safe to say this book took me through every single possible emotion.
But, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was beautiful. The connections between characters were absolute perfection. While I had figured out the ending before it happened, I was able to be surprised by the way it all came together. I loved these characters and this story. Days after I finished the book, I still can’t get these characters out of my head. I can’t possibly say all that I want to about this incredible book without ruining some portion of the story for future readers. It was wonderful and I loved every minute of it and I could gush forever.
If you want a book that will make you feel all the feels, this is the one. Boy, is it ever.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
“We don’t have to know everything. If you believe in fate and some kind of meaning and sense in this fucked-up world, then believe with abandon, love. Enjoy it.”
Left Drowning was absolutely brilliant. I was hooked from the very first page. I read it in one sitting. The story was beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful. The characters were the real stand-0ut here, though. They were complex, charming, real and flawed. Despite the flaws, I would love to be part of a family like the Shepherds. Their love for each other – and eventually Blythe – was so strong. The horrible things they went through in the past might have damaged them individually, but it strengthened them as a group.
“It’s natural to want to connect with other people, I guess. Except I don’t want to. Not really. Which must be why I don’t have any real friends.”
Blythe wasn’t your typical college student. Weighted down by the death of her parents, she was barely hanging on to life herself. She wasn’t involved in campus activities, she had a single room… she was just… there. Then she meets an outgoing, dramatic guy named Sabine at the cafe. He begins to draw her out of her shell. Soon after, she comes across a sexy guy, Chris, down by the lake on the Matthews College campus. She feels an undeniable pull to him – and him to her. They begin a friendship then and there, but their chemistry is such that you can’t help but root for them to have more. Both damaged by their pasts, they are very cautious.
“I am hit with the enormity of the impact that this family is having in my life. They, and mostly Chris, are saving me. Or teaching me to save myself.”
The boys Blythe meet are the Shepherd brothers. It’s fitting that each of them are responsible for drawing her out of her shell – though in completely different ways. She meets the other siblings, Estelle and Eric, as well as Eric’s partner, Zachary, and the group becomes fast friends. Suddenly, the girl who was barely hanging on is surrounded by friends and truly living.
“He leans into me and kisses me again. Harder this time. He tastes like eternity, and healing, and completion.
No one else could ever kiss me like this, of that I am positive.
I could breathe in him forever.
I could fall in love forever.”
“And at least this one thing is certain: Chris and I are inextricably connected. Do I have factual reasons to know this? Proof? Assurances? No. None. Some people believe in God; I believe in Chris.”
Blythe and Chris’ friendship grows into something more pretty quickly. It’s hard to fight that type of pull for someone. It’s apparent they were meant to be together, despite how they may fight it. Or how one of them fights it, anyhow. They were electric when they were together. (OMG the sexy scenes. I thought my iPad might melt.) I knew it wouldn’t be easy for the two of them, but W.O.W. Their story took me on a physically and emotionally draining ride. I felt like I had been punched, kicked and slapped. Then hugged. And punched again. I alternated between wanting to throw my iPad across the room and desperately hugging it out of sheer joy. The story absolutely gutted me and I cried buckets during this book. There’s something to be said about a book, and an author, who can bring out such strong emotions, even in an emotional person like me. It’s safe to say this book took me through every single possible emotion.
“Being with you let me feel, feel everything, and I needed that. I remembered better with you, I healed better with you, and you made … you made everything real.”
But, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was beautiful. The connections between characters were absolute perfection. While I had figured out the ending before it happened, I was able to be surprised by the way it all came together. I loved these characters and this story. Days after I finished the book, I still can’t get these characters out of my head. I can’t possibly say all that I want to about this incredible book without ruining some portion of the story for future readers. It was wonderful and I loved every minute of it and I could gush forever.
If you want a book that will make you feel all the feels, this is the one. Boy, is it ever.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All quotes come from the review copy and may differ from the final version.
3.5 stars, but I'll round to 4 ;)
I don't know if NA is the right genre for me. Sometimes I feel like it's just a little too melodramatic and over the top.
Overall I liked the story, although parts were a little cheesy of course (and maybe I'm just jaded or not sensitive enough, but am not a huge fan of all of the 'meant to be' and insta-love kind of stuff). I liked a lot of the dialogue, but sometimes feel like she goes a little too far trying to make it all witty. People don't talk like that ALL of the time, do they? But mostly I enjoyed the relationships and characters.
I did enjoy reading it - her writing style is very....readable. I don't know how else to describe it. Since it was kind of predictable, I found myself wanting to skim a bit towards the end to where they would just all figure it out.
I don't know if NA is the right genre for me. Sometimes I feel like it's just a little too melodramatic and over the top.
Overall I liked the story, although parts were a little cheesy of course (and maybe I'm just jaded or not sensitive enough, but am not a huge fan of all of the 'meant to be' and insta-love kind of stuff). I liked a lot of the dialogue, but sometimes feel like she goes a little too far trying to make it all witty. People don't talk like that ALL of the time, do they? But mostly I enjoyed the relationships and characters.
I did enjoy reading it - her writing style is very....readable. I don't know how else to describe it. Since it was kind of predictable, I found myself wanting to skim a bit towards the end to where they would just all figure it out.
Spoiler
I did think that there didn't necessarily need to be so much sex to tell the story, but I guess that's part of the genre. It just seemed like some of it could have been shortened and still gotten the point across quite clearly ;)
Slightly predictable, but the writing was solid and the characters were memorable. Good enough for me to pick up another novel by the author.
1 Star
Really good sex ≠ a cure for mental illness
This book follows Blythe, who is still reeling from the loss of her parents. She spends her nights getting drunk and numbly moving through existence. In the first chapter she says:
She spends her days not wanting to get out of bed to so much as wash her hair, spending hours after hours mourning, and continuing to drink almost every night.
Really good sex ≠ a cure for mental illness
This book follows Blythe, who is still reeling from the loss of her parents. She spends her nights getting drunk and numbly moving through existence. In the first chapter she says:
“So continues my endless search for physical feeling, sensation. Anything.
She spends her days not wanting to get out of bed to so much as wash her hair, spending hours after hours mourning, and continuing to drink almost every night.
“Not that I would classify myself as depressed. Sure, I have numerous depressive symptoms, but I think that I have a good reason… I think back to my psych textbook and grimace as I think how clearly my symptoms match up to the clinical definition. Fine, fine. I’m depressed. There, I said it.
Depression is a real illness that impacts thousands of people each day. I’m not discounting these experiences or emotions. What I am discounting is the way the book chooses to address this. Blythe's only response is to go for a walk.
But of course on this walk she meets not one… but two interesting and mysterious men who are immediately entranced by her.
The first man bumps into her after grabbing coffee:“Aren’t you going to ask me why I haven’t gone to bed yet? Given our close relationship, I’d think that my whereabouts would be an extremely pressing issue here. Your curiously should be driving you insane. Was Sabin at an all-night karaoke amusement park? Was he abducted by alien cowboy ghosts?
Nobody talks like this to people THEY JUST MET.
The second man is a chiseled Adonis who is skipping rocks down by the lack and she happens to swing by so of course he offers to show her how to skip rocks. And OF COURSE she’s suddenly really good at it. And turns to him:For no discernible reason, it feels unfathomable not to tell him. “My parents are dead.”
Nobody talks like this to people THEY JUST MET.
Unloading your trauma on a stranger you find attractive is not an interesting meet-cute. Instead of recognizing that Blythe is really struggling and maybe helping her find some help, hot guy (Chris) is like “ya know what, I’m pretty angsty I can roll with this, lets get lunch.”
And during this lunch we learn both strangers are brothers! And naturally there’s a whole big family who loves Blythe and it’s insta friendship for everyone and they hang out all the time and braid each other’s hair.
And all this interaction includes Chris being insufferable and Blythe somehow thinking it’s sooooo charming.“So, I guess that it’s fucking cream of turnip soup, cabbage, and soda bread for you two.”
“Seriously, Estelle, enough with the swearing. I can cuss up a storm, but you’re my little sister and I can’t take it.”
(Oh fuck the fuck off, Chris. Your sister is a fucking adult and can say whatever the fuck she wants.)
Chris and Blythe continue to bond over trauma and being edgy and say things like:“There is no God. Not for us.
Blythe’s reaction to all of Chris’ angst and their burgeoning friendship is to make Chris her central deity and also masturbate a lot.“…are punishment for masturbating. For masturbating a lot. I think that I may have an addiction. A sex maniac beast has awoke and I am a horny mess nearly all the time.”“Every time that he laughs at a line from the play or mutters to himself—or for Christ’s sake, sniffs—I practically shudder with lust.”“Chris and I are inextricably connected Do I have factual reasons to know this? Proof? Assurances? No. None."Some people believe in God; I believe in Chris.
THIS IS NOT HEALTHY
A whole bunch of drama starts happening. Like they have sex and then Chris gets engaged to someone else and it was all very angsty for the sake of being angsty. But the worst part was Blythe acting like Chris and his amazing sex gave her a reason to live.
There’s a whole predictable twist about how their lives are interwoven and it’s fate and yadda yadda. But Blythe never works on herself or deals with anything. She just has a lot of sex and pining for Chris and decides that’s what living is.
Again, the day Blythe realizes she is clinically depressed is the day she meets Chris. She never undergoes any treatment nor does anyone reach out to help. The only thing that changes is she meets Christ. But from that day on she was magically ‘better’ (or as she puts it “happy again.")
In Conclusion:
Ew.
I wanted to love Left Drowning. No, I wanted to adore it and I had such high hopes but sadly and I hate to admit it, I was disappointed but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it. It pains me to write it, say it, think it…when I don’t love a book, especially when I am a fan of the author. I fell in love with her previous book, Flat Out Love; I wanted to feel that same reaction to this book.
Jessica’s writing is still stellar, the characters she has created are brilliantly flawed and there was a good dose of mystery. All of those elements are present and amazing however, the story itself was missing something. And I think it had something to do with the consistency of the overall fluidity. There were hiccups along the way that distracted me from falling in love with the story and it kept me from feeling emotionally invested in the main characters. At times the dialogue felt somewhat forced between Blythe and Chris, perhaps it had to do with their more intimate moments because it didn’t always feel genuine.
With all of that aside, Jessica Park has created a group of unforgettable characters and they each have their own story to tell (I could totally see this being a series and Sabin needs his own book). The relationship between Chris and all his siblings gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling, I could see it being over-the-top but I rather enjoyed that dysfunctional group of people! And can I just say how much I loved the wit throughout this story?? It’s classic Jessica and I enjoyed it immensely.
“I am hit with the enormity of the impact that this family is having in my life. They, and mostly Chris, are saving me. Or teaching me to save myself.”
While Chris and Blythe fall in love rather quickly, it’s not an easy relationship and the drama is intense and it turns into something much more painful. The story isn’t predictable, it’s slow building and the flashback sequences are crucial to understanding the mystery that surrounds Chris and Blythe.
“I guess I liked the idea that... well, that there might be some kind of larger meaning to life or whatever. My mother was into that. She had a nonreligious spiritual side to her, if that makes any sense. She believed in the idea of fate and destiny. An interconnectedness and purpose in life.”
Even though I had issues with Left Drowning, I still enjoyed it. Ultimately the good outweighs the not so great and who knows, this could be your next favorite book!
Jessica’s writing is still stellar, the characters she has created are brilliantly flawed and there was a good dose of mystery. All of those elements are present and amazing however, the story itself was missing something. And I think it had something to do with the consistency of the overall fluidity. There were hiccups along the way that distracted me from falling in love with the story and it kept me from feeling emotionally invested in the main characters. At times the dialogue felt somewhat forced between Blythe and Chris, perhaps it had to do with their more intimate moments because it didn’t always feel genuine.
With all of that aside, Jessica Park has created a group of unforgettable characters and they each have their own story to tell (I could totally see this being a series and Sabin needs his own book). The relationship between Chris and all his siblings gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling, I could see it being over-the-top but I rather enjoyed that dysfunctional group of people! And can I just say how much I loved the wit throughout this story?? It’s classic Jessica and I enjoyed it immensely.
“I am hit with the enormity of the impact that this family is having in my life. They, and mostly Chris, are saving me. Or teaching me to save myself.”
While Chris and Blythe fall in love rather quickly, it’s not an easy relationship and the drama is intense and it turns into something much more painful. The story isn’t predictable, it’s slow building and the flashback sequences are crucial to understanding the mystery that surrounds Chris and Blythe.
“I guess I liked the idea that... well, that there might be some kind of larger meaning to life or whatever. My mother was into that. She had a nonreligious spiritual side to her, if that makes any sense. She believed in the idea of fate and destiny. An interconnectedness and purpose in life.”
Even though I had issues with Left Drowning, I still enjoyed it. Ultimately the good outweighs the not so great and who knows, this could be your next favorite book!
I thought this was a great book. The love story between B and Chris was intense and drew me in. I also enjoyed the friendships between all of the characters. The pieces that came together at the end surprised me but wrapped up the book nicely.
4.5 angst filled stars
No straight on spoilers here - but there are definitely some hints.
Anytime a reading experience costs me hours of sleep, it's gonna be a 4+ starred book. I simply could not put my Kindle away and I just telling myself I would read one more chapter and then close it up. That didn't happen. I started this late afternoon and, with interruptions, I finally closed my Kindle at around 2am. Hats off to the author for sucking me in so thoroughly.
And about the author and her writing style: it is somehow complex and yet very simple. She has a style (and/or some great editing tricks) that added depth to how the story rolled out and it really made a difference in this being a standard "troubled past" girl meets "troubled past" boy love story. The simplicity is in her method of writing character driven reflective moments. It is done so purely as "thoughtful questions", and often placed at the end of a chapter - I felt everything Blythe felt and all her thoughts were real. It was easy to feel what she felt as we have all had those kind of self defeating/self realization thoughts. The dialogue is well done making the characters all the more likable/relatable. I captured the key ones in highlights and felt compelled to post as status updates. I thought about doing this while I was actually reading the book, but I couldn't waste any time away from the story :-)
So, review summary: The Plot/Story Development gets a solid 4+ stars. There was nothing too improbable and the plot flowed along well. The back story and present tense story line was captivating and filled with plenty of drama and angst – oh so much angst. This was one emotion driven book. I laughed and cried - and sometimes at the same time.
As for the characters: Blythe – throughout the entire book, she experiences the full range of emotions; despair, confusion, reluctance, love, hope, hurt – her life is angst personified. But, she is a strong character who evolves greatly through the entire story line – and she is almost always moving forward with rare relapses. On the other hand, well...there was Christopher. I’m just going to outline his character through stars – Starts as a 5, he moves to a 4, then a 3, then a 5 again, then a 2.He was so easy to love, even though was so guarded - but then when he broke Blythe's (my) heart, he was not so easy to like, never mind love and his stock dropped dramatically. He was less than a 1. But alas, there is no giving up on true love . He redeemed himself and by the time I hit the final chapters, he was a 4+ again >> love that Blythe was fighting, really fighting for him and he's lucky she didn't give up<< Maybe he was a a full on 5 again, but I couldn't see through the tears.
Supporting cast – the rest of the Mathews clan – wonderful in all aspects! I LOVED Sabine from the start and I think he really drove a lot of Blythe's "recovery"; he was the impetus.
I look forward to reading more by Jessica Park - Flat Out Love is already purchased and on my TBR shelf.
No straight on spoilers here - but there are definitely some hints.
Anytime a reading experience costs me hours of sleep, it's gonna be a 4+ starred book. I simply could not put my Kindle away and I just telling myself I would read one more chapter and then close it up. That didn't happen. I started this late afternoon and, with interruptions, I finally closed my Kindle at around 2am. Hats off to the author for sucking me in so thoroughly.
And about the author and her writing style: it is somehow complex and yet very simple. She has a style (and/or some great editing tricks) that added depth to how the story rolled out and it really made a difference in this being a standard "troubled past" girl meets "troubled past" boy love story. The simplicity is in her method of writing character driven reflective moments. It is done so purely as "thoughtful questions", and often placed at the end of a chapter - I felt everything Blythe felt and all her thoughts were real. It was easy to feel what she felt as we have all had those kind of self defeating/self realization thoughts. The dialogue is well done making the characters all the more likable/relatable. I captured the key ones in highlights and felt compelled to post as status updates. I thought about doing this while I was actually reading the book, but I couldn't waste any time away from the story :-)
So, review summary: The Plot/Story Development gets a solid 4+ stars. There was nothing too improbable and the plot flowed along well. The back story and present tense story line was captivating and filled with plenty of drama and angst – oh so much angst. This was one emotion driven book. I laughed and cried - and sometimes at the same time.
As for the characters: Blythe – throughout the entire book, she experiences the full range of emotions; despair, confusion, reluctance, love, hope, hurt – her life is angst personified. But, she is a strong character who evolves greatly through the entire story line – and she is almost always moving forward with rare relapses. On the other hand, well...there was Christopher. I’m just going to outline his character through stars – Starts as a 5, he moves to a 4, then a 3, then a 5 again, then a 2.He was so easy to love, even though was so guarded - but then when he broke Blythe's (my) heart, he was not so easy to like, never mind love and his stock dropped dramatically. He was less than a 1. But alas, there is no giving up on true love . He redeemed himself and by the time I hit the final chapters, he was a 4+ again >> love that Blythe was fighting, really fighting for him and he's lucky she didn't give up<< Maybe he was a a full on 5 again, but I couldn't see through the tears.
Supporting cast – the rest of the Mathews clan – wonderful in all aspects! I LOVED Sabine from the start and I think he really drove a lot of Blythe's "recovery"; he was the impetus.
I look forward to reading more by Jessica Park - Flat Out Love is already purchased and on my TBR shelf.