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A review by aplace_inthesun
The Bay by Allie Reynolds
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kenna makes the journey from Cornwall to Australia to surprise her friend Mikki, before Mikki’s upcoming wedding to a man she’s just met. When Kenna meets Jack, something seems a little off and not long after she arrives she is whisked off on a surfing trip with Mikki and Jack. They introduce her to a small band of other surfers drawn to a secret spot where outsiders aren’t welcome, and the price of belonging is high.
The Bay is marketed as a cross between the Beach and Point Break, which is pretty apt but there’s a Lord of the Flies, and The Island air about it as well. The setting is foreboding and eerie, the lure of the surf ever present, with danger just lurking. It’s the backdrop for the edgey band of characters Allie Reynolds assembles that form the tight knit crew. They all have secrets and recent experiences that draw them together and when Kenna is thrown into the mix, her very presence serves to upset their community utopia. She continues to ask questions that reinforce her outsider status while her lust for thrill draws her closer.
The book has parallels with Shiver, Reynolds blockbuster first novel. Shiver was snowboarding, The Bay is surfing. It’s high adrenaline, a ‘locked room’ mystery, and characters with ulterior motivations and varying allegiances. There’s strong themes of confronting fear, belonging, and grief. The Bay is primarily from Kenna’s POV with a sprinkling of chapters from other voices, throughout. It’s a page turner that had me up way past my bedtime though there’s a bit of a lull mid-way reflective of Kenya’s jockeying with the other players which sees the book a bit uncertain in its direction. It finds its way back within a few chapters.
Thanks to the publisher who sent me a copy of the book to read and review. All thoughts are my own.
The Bay is marketed as a cross between the Beach and Point Break, which is pretty apt but there’s a Lord of the Flies, and The Island air about it as well. The setting is foreboding and eerie, the lure of the surf ever present, with danger just lurking. It’s the backdrop for the edgey band of characters Allie Reynolds assembles that form the tight knit crew. They all have secrets and recent experiences that draw them together and when Kenna is thrown into the mix, her very presence serves to upset their community utopia. She continues to ask questions that reinforce her outsider status while her lust for thrill draws her closer.
The book has parallels with Shiver, Reynolds blockbuster first novel. Shiver was snowboarding, The Bay is surfing. It’s high adrenaline, a ‘locked room’ mystery, and characters with ulterior motivations and varying allegiances. There’s strong themes of confronting fear, belonging, and grief. The Bay is primarily from Kenna’s POV with a sprinkling of chapters from other voices, throughout. It’s a page turner that had me up way past my bedtime though there’s a bit of a lull mid-way reflective of Kenya’s jockeying with the other players which sees the book a bit uncertain in its direction. It finds its way back within a few chapters.
Thanks to the publisher who sent me a copy of the book to read and review. All thoughts are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide