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A review by thefox22
Drowned by Cyn Balog, Nichola Reilly
4.0
*I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Full review can be found at Part of that World.
I've been wanting to read this one ever since I heard of it! Like, no joke, it's been one of my highly anticipated summer releases. So, I was really excited when Harlequin Teen approved my request! And I had to start it as soon as it appeared on my kindle. :)
Rating: 4 Stars!
I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this novel, went into this completely blind and only knowing that it was fantasy. I was pretty much sucked in from the beginning, and the momentum never stopped. It slowed down a bit, dragged along at some parts, but ultimately, it was a pretty fast-paced novel. There was just A LOT of waiting out the Tides and learning the about the tribe in the first half of the book, which weighed the story down. But I never truly got bored.
I loved Coe's voice and how she told the story. This girl has spent her whole life like a pariah on the island, and ever since her dad died, she's had no one to help her. No one who cares enough about her. And in this tribe, everyone looks out for number one: themselves. Coe has been pushed around, given the worst job, and still manages to hold onto her ideals and morals. Her innocence was refreshing, and even when she was down on her luck and even when she talked about how they'd never escape the Tides, she never truly gave up. She still held that hope inside of her, that things could change and that they'd survive, even if it only seemed like a fantasy from one of the stories she's read. She was strong yet vulnerable, steadfast in the looming threat of danger and death, intelligent without appearing condescending and always craving love. Her development felt so genuine, from a girl who just wanted a friend to a strong heroine who managed to never give up and who fought for what she believed in.
There were a lot of secondary characters; ones I hated and wished they'd died, and others that I felt could have been more developed. Like I said, Coe doesn't have friends. No one cares about her. To them, she's just the girl with one arm, black hair, and pink eyes. A "creature" that deserves to be Scribble Bait. But there are a few who don't treat Coe any differently, who see past her features to the girl underneath. A girl who is scared and susceptible to the people who would love to see her gone. But Tiam takes care of her, becomes her protector. He's a funny guy who only wants to help his people. And then there is Fern, the youngest in the tribe; a girl who still has her innocence and hope, who still believes in the good of people and the stories that Coe tells her. These two were my favorites, aside from the main character. Star was an okay character, but I don't really like her. But I'm hoping she grows into a person who puts aside her wants to help others. Aside from that, everyone else can just go die.
The romance was very underdeveloped, but that was okay! No declarations of insta-love. This tribe doesn't believe in love anymore, or romance, or caring for others. After all, they all die at some point. And people have been known to kill for the best spots on the platform that is the only way they survive during the Tides. But Coe still holds onto love, to the fantasies she reads that keep her comfort, the damsels in distress and the princes who rescue them. It's a very one-sided love, but I think we'll see more development of hers and Tiam's relationship in the sequel. At least, I hope so!
The plot was intriguing! The author sprinkled the information and background of the tribe throughout the book, like a trail of bread crumbs, leaving me following the story-line as I tried to figure out what was happening. This is like a post-apocalyptic fantasy, where floods destroyed the world and the water is rising everyday as the survivors struggle to live. It's why the tribe is only 496 people strong. No one can seem to stop the Tides from coming; all they can do is ride out the storm and hope they make it to the next rising. I liked where the story headed, but I'm no so sure about the revelations surrounding Coe. We'll just have to see what happens. ;) AND UGH. THAT CLIFFHANGER. SERIOUSLY, THE WORST. I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS!
Drowned was a very intriguing fantasy with a strong, likable heroine and a generally fast-paced plot that centered around survival in a world where its every man for himself.
*Full review can be found at Part of that World.
I've been wanting to read this one ever since I heard of it! Like, no joke, it's been one of my highly anticipated summer releases. So, I was really excited when Harlequin Teen approved my request! And I had to start it as soon as it appeared on my kindle. :)
Rating: 4 Stars!
I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this novel, went into this completely blind and only knowing that it was fantasy. I was pretty much sucked in from the beginning, and the momentum never stopped. It slowed down a bit, dragged along at some parts, but ultimately, it was a pretty fast-paced novel. There was just A LOT of waiting out the Tides and learning the about the tribe in the first half of the book, which weighed the story down. But I never truly got bored.
I loved Coe's voice and how she told the story. This girl has spent her whole life like a pariah on the island, and ever since her dad died, she's had no one to help her. No one who cares enough about her. And in this tribe, everyone looks out for number one: themselves. Coe has been pushed around, given the worst job, and still manages to hold onto her ideals and morals. Her innocence was refreshing, and even when she was down on her luck and even when she talked about how they'd never escape the Tides, she never truly gave up. She still held that hope inside of her, that things could change and that they'd survive, even if it only seemed like a fantasy from one of the stories she's read. She was strong yet vulnerable, steadfast in the looming threat of danger and death, intelligent without appearing condescending and always craving love. Her development felt so genuine, from a girl who just wanted a friend to a strong heroine who managed to never give up and who fought for what she believed in.
There were a lot of secondary characters; ones I hated and wished they'd died, and others that I felt could have been more developed. Like I said, Coe doesn't have friends. No one cares about her. To them, she's just the girl with one arm, black hair, and pink eyes. A "creature" that deserves to be Scribble Bait. But there are a few who don't treat Coe any differently, who see past her features to the girl underneath. A girl who is scared and susceptible to the people who would love to see her gone. But Tiam takes care of her, becomes her protector. He's a funny guy who only wants to help his people. And then there is Fern, the youngest in the tribe; a girl who still has her innocence and hope, who still believes in the good of people and the stories that Coe tells her. These two were my favorites, aside from the main character. Star was an okay character, but I don't really like her. But I'm hoping she grows into a person who puts aside her wants to help others. Aside from that, everyone else can just go die.
The romance was very underdeveloped, but that was okay! No declarations of insta-love. This tribe doesn't believe in love anymore, or romance, or caring for others. After all, they all die at some point. And people have been known to kill for the best spots on the platform that is the only way they survive during the Tides. But Coe still holds onto love, to the fantasies she reads that keep her comfort, the damsels in distress and the princes who rescue them. It's a very one-sided love, but I think we'll see more development of hers and Tiam's relationship in the sequel. At least, I hope so!
The plot was intriguing! The author sprinkled the information and background of the tribe throughout the book, like a trail of bread crumbs, leaving me following the story-line as I tried to figure out what was happening. This is like a post-apocalyptic fantasy, where floods destroyed the world and the water is rising everyday as the survivors struggle to live. It's why the tribe is only 496 people strong. No one can seem to stop the Tides from coming; all they can do is ride out the storm and hope they make it to the next rising. I liked where the story headed, but I'm no so sure about the revelations surrounding Coe. We'll just have to see what happens. ;) AND UGH. THAT CLIFFHANGER. SERIOUSLY, THE WORST. I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS!
Drowned was a very intriguing fantasy with a strong, likable heroine and a generally fast-paced plot that centered around survival in a world where its every man for himself.