If you love reading as much as I do comment, subscribe and follow my blog to exchange book recommendations with me. Below are my thoughts on a few books I’ve read in the last couple months.
Into the Water
by Paula Hawkins
Synopsis
“A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return (GoodReads).”
Review
I enjoyed this book simply because I like Hawkin’s dramatic writing style. Hawkins wrote this book similarly to Girl on The Train in that each chapter is in the voice of a different character but the chapters don’t jump between the past and present. This story also has all the same drama, plot twists and suspense. I chose to read Into The Water because once I enjoy a book or two from an author, I’ll continue reading most of their books. I was automatically looking forward to the release of another Hawkins book right after I zipped through Girl on The Train. If you enjoyed reading Girl on the Train I think it’s hard to just assume you’d like this book too. The recurring troubled, helpless female protagonist theme is annoying at times, so if you’re not looking to read another story with that theme you wouldn’t like Into the Water. Now, if you enjoyed Girl on the Train because you like the writing style then you will love this book — easy to follow, quick to read, and the anticipation keeps you guessing how each character ends up the way they do.
The Nest
by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
Synopsis
“Every family has its problems. But even among the most troubled, the Plumb family stands out as spectacularly dysfunctional. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point on an unseasonably cold afternoon in New York City as Melody, Beatrice, and Jack Plumb gather to confront their charismatic and reckless older brother, Leo, freshly released from rehab. Months earlier, an inebriated Leo got behind the wheel of a car with a nineteen-year-old waitress as his passenger. The ensuing accident has endangered the Plumbs joint trust fund, “The Nest,” which they are months away from finally receiving. Meant by their deceased father to be a modest mid-life supplement, the Plumb siblings have watched The Nest’s value soar along with the stock market and have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems (GoodReads).”
Review
My teammate read this book earlier in the summer and recommended that I read it too. When I read the synopsis it actually didn’t sound like I’d be interested but I’m really glad I gave it a try because it was great! The Plumb family dynamic is all over the place, and while I love my family more than any people I know, who doesn’t like reading about other people’s familial issues to remind them that they aren’t the only ones that go through crazy things? (Raising both of my hands!) It sometimes seems that more money could solve so many of our problems, but this story shows how money can create more problems than it fixes. Sweeney’s writing about such an affluent family is refreshingly blunt and down-to-earth. It made me feel like I could relate to a family that I actually have nothing in common with. I definitely recommend this book to anyone wants to read about taking control of your own fate instead of blaming family or your circumstances.
He Said, She Said
by Erin Kelly
Synopsis
“In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack. She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, it is not only the victim’s life that is changed forever. Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear, and while Laura knows she was right to speak out, the events that follow have taught her that you can never see the whole picture: something, and someone, is always in the dark (GoodReads).”
Review
I started reading this book before I had any idea that there will be a total solar eclipse this year, or this month, on August 21st (cool!) While the total eclipse is a significant detail for the setting and lifestyle of the characters in this book it’s not at all a book about science or astronomy. It started really slow to me but I’m glad I stuck with it because about a quarter into the book it really picked up and got interesting. It’s written in the voice of the two main characters, Laura and Kit, and it bounces between past and present. I guess you can say I’m a fan of that particular writing style, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with but I think it makes the anticipation greater. I enjoyed this book for the simple fact that it has a crazy plot twist that I absolutely was not expecting at all. I like to think I’m pretty accurate when guessing “whodunnit” in a book or movie but this one got me good. If you read this book hang in there I promise it’ll be worth it to read until the end!
XO,
Jas
