A review by astoriareader
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

SYNOPSIS
  • Lee is currently unhoused & living out of her car. She’s waiting tables at a shady diner in Seattle, and she’s living in her car.
  • Lee decides to start sleeping in car in a secluded park with a beach area in an upper class neighborhood. One morning, she wakes up when she hears a woman drowning, and she saves the woman. The drowning woman, Hazel, and Lee become friends.
  • Hazel confides in Lee that she’s in an abusive marriage, and basically, she came out there to end her life that morning. As their new friendship begins, Hazel asks Lee if she will consider helping Hazel disappear & start her new life.

MY THOUGHTS
  • Harding is a talented writer. 
  • Short chapters.
  • Structured in different parts. We begin with Lee’s POV, then shift to Hazel’s POV.
  • I thought the first half was a much stronger than the second half, and I really loved Lee’s part. It started off very strong.
  • Some plot holes and inconsistencies that don’t make sense. Also, the story generally requires suspension of disbelief.
  • This one had a lot of potential, and I was let down in some ways. It was an awesome beginning, a blah middle, and an okay ending.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars. Really awesome beginning. Execution wasn’t really up to par for middle & ending. Still enjoyed the read.
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