Shaped by the Waves

 

Back Cover

Cassie George is barely staying above water as she works to get her doctorate and raise her daughter. But she stubbornly keeps swimming to prove a few bad decisions haven't ruined her forever. Plus, it's all a great excuse to stay away from the small Oregon town she fled in shame years prior. But when she receives a call that the aunt who raised her has had a major health crisis, she knows it's time to return.

Cassie is surprised to be more welcomed by the quirky seaside community than she expected, even if there's still tension between her and her former classmate Nora Milford. But she still can't help feeling unsettled and is mystified by a mysterious package that appears, full of typed pages that tell the story of an anonymous woman's life. As her curiosity sends her on a journey toward truth, Cassie will discover that who she thought she was and what she wants for her life are both about to change.

Review

Moving. Remarkable. Un-put-down-able.  The latter might not be a real word, but it aptly describes Shaped by the Waves, the newest novel by Christina Suzann Nelson. I quickly became a fan of the author upon reading More Than We Remember, and was blown away with The Way It Should Be. 

I was captivated by the story of a single mom struggling to make ends meet and finish post-secondary education, while simultaneously running away from her past. Cassie's past confronts her when she decides to look after her aunt suffering from dementia and discovers that what she knows about her family and past may not be entirely true. The mystery unraveled page over page, and made it extremely hard to put the book down!

This novel is a story that compels you to hold all your family very tightly. It shows that family love grows beyond the biological ties and be shaped differently, but the love can be there all the same. Another excellent book by Christina Suzann Nelson that I will definitely be rereading again and again. 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water

Back Cover

When novelist Kendra Brennan moves into her grandfather's old cabin on Hidden Lake, she has a problem and a plan. The problem? An inflammatory letter from A Very Disappointed Reader. The plan? To confront Tyler, her childhood best friend's brother - and the man who inspired the antagonist in her first book. If she can prove that she told the truth about what happened during those long-ago summers, perhaps she can put the letter's claims to rest and meet the swiftly approaching deadline for her next book.

But what she discovers as she delves into the murky past is not what she expected. While facing Tyler isn't easy, facing the consequences of her failed friendship with his sister, Cami, may be the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

Plumb the depths of the human heart with this emotional exploration of how a friendship dies, how we can face the unforgiveable, and how even those who have been hurt can learn to love with abandon. 

 

Review

This novel is not exactly what I was expecting. Erin Bartels is a masterful author and story-teller, and her ability to draw characters that feel real and full-dimensional is amazing. Upon reading two of her previous works, We Hope for Better Things and All that We Carried, I quickly became a fan. However, the content of this book took me by surprise.

I was not expecting the story to be about childhood rape, molestation, and abuse. There was no indication that was what the story was about through the back cover description, so needless to say, I was not prepared for such disturbing, dark subject matter. I found myself skipping over some content that was just too detailed and uncomfortable to read. As you can't "un-see" what you watch, you can't unread what you've read. I struggled to finish the book, even while acknowledging that the story was well-written as it tackles the complexities of emotions within these tragic circumstances. The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater shows the spiderweb impacts on relationships childhood rape and molestation can have and that not everything in these situations is "clear-cut". The darkness is magnified in the absence of faith and depicting none of the characters seem to have any relationship with Jesus.

I don't like to write a negative review, particularly when Erin reveals in the author's note at the end of the novel that she is drawing upon her own personal tragic experiences in writing this story. I've thought this before with other novels, and believe that perhaps books with such difficult subject matters should have a content warning so a reader can be fully aware and prepared should they begin reading the book. Similar to how movies have ratings systems and content warnings, it would be extremely helpful if books employed a content warning system as well.

That being said, I'm still a huge Erin Bartels fan, and will be keeping an eye open for her next work.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.