I typically do not read books about ghosts. Or as Goodreads puts it, a “dark psychodrama about love and brothers, crimes and consequences, redemption and revenge.” I’m much more interested in the contemporary romance genre. Don’t judge, okay? Now that you may or may not have judged me, let’s return to the point. The Drowning surprisingly did not disappoint me. Although I so don’t do mysteries, this mysterious book did not fail to interest me at all.
The Drowning starts with Carl. He doesn’t know who he is or what’s happened to him since… forever. As he slowly regains his memories, Carl starts to question even more? Who is the girl he keeps thinking about, the beautiful girl who was there at the drowning? Why is there a ghost, if it is a ghost, that is following him around? And how can he fix all these mistakes, all these errors, that have happened?
I think the plot is pretty commendable. While I definitely didn’t expect the twists, in retrospect, they made a lot of sense. So if you’re hoping for magical ponies or a reality TV show, you’re out of luck. But if you just wanted to read a very scary, very intense book, you’re in luck. The Drowning’s plot is fast-paced, although sometimes a little confusing. However, it reads pretty well regardless of the little gaps throughout. I really don’t want to spoil any of the plot, so I won’t really go into detail. I will say this though: after reading this book, I realized that no one is who they seem. Not even Carl.
The characters are pretty well developed. Carl, for one, is quite a character. In the beginning, I thought he was a zombie. You know, not really feeling anything, just kind of there. However, as the story developed, I realized his reasons for acting like a zombie. Also, Carl began to exhibit softer, more vulnerable parts of himself. I definitely enjoyed his softer side!
As for the flashbacks of his brother, let’s just say if he hadn’t drowned, I probably would’ve punched him. Carl’s brother doesn’t seem like a nice dude. Rachel Ward did a great job of creating his character. He wasn’t just a simple-minded brother- he became so much more.
I really love how the relationships between characters develops. Whether it’s between a parent and a kid, or between a guy and a girl, the author truly mastered the realness of it all. She didn’t make it easy. Rachel Ward accurately portrayed the pain and the beauty of every relationship. She’s done it so well that you’ll be drowning in tears of happiness because of her epic writing skills. Okay, that was a terrible pun. I apologize.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Publisher: Chicken House (April 29, 2014)
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ISBN #: 9780545627719
Source: Netgalley
Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal
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