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Into the Water
Goodreads Choice Award
Winner for Best Mystery & Thriller (2017)The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, her addictive new novel of psychological suspense.
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.
With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.
Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.
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.
With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.
Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.
386 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2017
About the author
Paula Hawkins
23 books35.5k followersPaula Hawkins is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Girl on the Train, which was made into a major motion picture. Her new novel of psychological suspense, Into The Water, is coming May 2.
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May 25, 2017
I'm going straight down the middle with a 3-star rating but, in truth, my thoughts are all over with this book. I think the only way I can make sense of it is to break it down into points.
1) This book is very different from The Girl on the Train.
That ad that keeps flashing up saying "If you liked The Girl on the Train, you'll love Into the Water" is bullshit. Into the Water doesn't focus in-depth on any character, but rather moves between the perspectives of many members of a British town. While both books contain themes of memory and the limitations on its reliability, the mysteries feel very different.
2) The cast of characters is big. Arguably, too big.
I'm torn as to whether I think this is a negative or not. I know many readers will be turned off by the many, many points of view circulating in this book. There is Lena, daughter of the deceased Nel, and Nel's sister Jules; there's both of the detectives - Sean Townsend and Erin Morgan - as well as Sean's wife, Helen, and his father, Patrick. There's the teacher from Lena's school - Mark Henderson - and the local "psychic", Nickie Sage. There's Louise Whittaker, whose daughter died, and also her son, Josh. I may have even forgotten some.
On the one hand, this allows for a distant style of narration that never makes it easy to warm to any of the characters. Seeing as - on top of this - most of the characters were pretty despicable, I didn't spend much of my reading time liking anyone. However, in a weird way I didn't hate it. The moving between so many characters, each with their own stories and secrets, reminded me of the TV show Broadchurch, which I actually really enjoyed. I like all the interlocking stories and histories going on within this town and how every character has some reason to seem guilty.
3) It's not as suspenseful as The Girl on the Train.
Or, at least, it wasn't for me. It's more on the domestic side of "domestic thriller". I felt less tension and excitement pulling me through. It was more of an examination of various ties between people in a small town, and how everyone was in some way linked to the woman found dead.
4) Let me emphasize once more-- everyone is unlikable.
Some people commented on my review of The Girl on the Train saying how they just hated everyone in the book. If you felt that way, I highly recommend skipping this one because the characters are even worse. I personally quite like to read about shitty people, and I found Rachel from TGotT to be an interesting and sympathetic character despite everything, so it was not a huge issue for me. But, seriously, there are some truly fucked up, awful people in this book.
5) The ending was a little anticlimactic.
I think this whole book was quieter, on the whole, than it's predecessor. The people sucked, it's true, and yet the stories were less dramatic; the climax less punchy. I never felt like I was hit with a reveal; there was no "oh my god" moment, or even much of an emotional change. The book drew gently to a close.
All this being said, I can't deny that I enjoyed it. I wouldn't rush to call this a "pageturner" and yet my interest in this town's many overlapping secrets kept me turning the pages anyway. I know that Hawkins's future books will be on my list.
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1) This book is very different from The Girl on the Train.
That ad that keeps flashing up saying "If you liked The Girl on the Train, you'll love Into the Water" is bullshit. Into the Water doesn't focus in-depth on any character, but rather moves between the perspectives of many members of a British town. While both books contain themes of memory and the limitations on its reliability, the mysteries feel very different.
2) The cast of characters is big. Arguably, too big.
I'm torn as to whether I think this is a negative or not. I know many readers will be turned off by the many, many points of view circulating in this book. There is Lena, daughter of the deceased Nel, and Nel's sister Jules; there's both of the detectives - Sean Townsend and Erin Morgan - as well as Sean's wife, Helen, and his father, Patrick. There's the teacher from Lena's school - Mark Henderson - and the local "psychic", Nickie Sage. There's Louise Whittaker, whose daughter died, and also her son, Josh. I may have even forgotten some.
On the one hand, this allows for a distant style of narration that never makes it easy to warm to any of the characters. Seeing as - on top of this - most of the characters were pretty despicable, I didn't spend much of my reading time liking anyone. However, in a weird way I didn't hate it. The moving between so many characters, each with their own stories and secrets, reminded me of the TV show Broadchurch, which I actually really enjoyed. I like all the interlocking stories and histories going on within this town and how every character has some reason to seem guilty.
3) It's not as suspenseful as The Girl on the Train.
Or, at least, it wasn't for me. It's more on the domestic side of "domestic thriller". I felt less tension and excitement pulling me through. It was more of an examination of various ties between people in a small town, and how everyone was in some way linked to the woman found dead.
4) Let me emphasize once more-- everyone is unlikable.
Some people commented on my review of The Girl on the Train saying how they just hated everyone in the book. If you felt that way, I highly recommend skipping this one because the characters are even worse. I personally quite like to read about shitty people, and I found Rachel from TGotT to be an interesting and sympathetic character despite everything, so it was not a huge issue for me. But, seriously, there are some truly fucked up, awful people in this book.
5) The ending was a little anticlimactic.
I think this whole book was quieter, on the whole, than it's predecessor. The people sucked, it's true, and yet the stories were less dramatic; the climax less punchy. I never felt like I was hit with a reveal; there was no "oh my god" moment, or even much of an emotional change. The book drew gently to a close.
All this being said, I can't deny that I enjoyed it. I wouldn't rush to call this a "pageturner" and yet my interest in this town's many overlapping secrets kept me turning the pages anyway. I know that Hawkins's future books will be on my list.
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August 17, 2017
When I first started reading this "much-awaited" second novel by Paula Hawkins, I was so impressed by her ability to create such an eerie, chilling description of what I had hoped was a taste of what was to come--reminiscent of old, black-and-white, British movies. I remember wondering at the time she was writing, if she might have been imagining this book becoming another movie. That's how it began to feel--too much attention was given to the details of the surroundings.
The author gives a quick introduction to each of the 10 characters. This is about five more than I can comfortably keep track of. In between these characters, chapters of a book being written by one of them is added in throughout the storyline on previous drowning victims, which also adds to the confusion.
"Into The Water" is about who drowned, when they drowned, and why they drowned. After bouncing me around from one character to the next through the first half of the book, my interest quickly started to wane.
At no time did I feel any suspense building nor could I form a connection with any of the unlikable characters. The ending was lackluster, leaving me with several unanswered questions.
2.5 stars.
The author gives a quick introduction to each of the 10 characters. This is about five more than I can comfortably keep track of. In between these characters, chapters of a book being written by one of them is added in throughout the storyline on previous drowning victims, which also adds to the confusion.
"Into The Water" is about who drowned, when they drowned, and why they drowned. After bouncing me around from one character to the next through the first half of the book, my interest quickly started to wane.
At no time did I feel any suspense building nor could I form a connection with any of the unlikable characters. The ending was lackluster, leaving me with several unanswered questions.
2.5 stars.
December 5, 2017
congratulations, 2017 goodreads choice winner in best mystery & thriller!!
oooh, goodreads choice awards semifinalist for best mystery! what will happen?
review posted at los angeles review of books!! here:
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a...
reviewing this for L.A. review of books - and they sent me a finished book instead of an ARC! these britches! i have become too big for them!
review posted at los angeles review of books!! here:
https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/a...
reviewing this for L.A. review of books - and they sent me a finished book instead of an ARC! these britches! i have become too big for them!
May 15, 2017
*3.5 stars* (rounded down after more consideration)
It’s almost inevitable that this book will be compared to The Girl on the Train, which is a pretty flattering testament to the magnitude of a book’s success.
Into the Water, however, stands on its own and easily separates itself from its notable predecessor. This story is unique and its large cast of characters are bold and distinguishable. The only commonalities I found are ones I went into this book anticipating: phenomenal writing and a wide spread of mystery.
The tone was a chilling blend of eery, dark, and haunting—held steadily to the end, creating a world that was easy to get lost in.
However, even with these treasured factors at play, I didn't end up loving this one as much as I’d imagined. As compelling as the foundation was, after a while, the plot began feeling like it consisted only of build-up and explanations without much else unfolding.
The story is told through the alternating perspectives of over ten different characters. It was certainly a lot to take in and keep track of, but it also upped the intrigue and gave the structure a quick, choppy sort of flow.
In keeping up with the “girls gone missing/crazy/dead” theme that seems to be all-the-rage-and-staying-that-way-dammit, this plot surrounds the mystery of a series of girls (past and present) whose lifeless bodies have turned up in the infamous “Drowning Pool”.
Every character is questionable, which is typical and fun, but there are instances when *blame* can seem to spread too evenly between suspects, as was the case here for me. It makes the focus on each character too equal and sort of dulls the opportunity for surprise.
I wasn't shocked by the turn out, or maybe I wasn't all that impressed. Despite being granted the less-pronounced, swift conclusion I prefer, I didn't feel that gut-punch of a twist-well-done. It felt more matter-of-fact and slid past me without sparking much of a rise in my emotions. (Although it did raise a couple questions, one in particular I’m still trying to figure out...)
All of that said, I had a hard time putting this one down and soared through it in roughly a day or so. It was a decent, worthwhile read, and I can’t say I wouldn't recommend, as long as you're not expecting another TGoTT!
It’s almost inevitable that this book will be compared to The Girl on the Train, which is a pretty flattering testament to the magnitude of a book’s success.
Into the Water, however, stands on its own and easily separates itself from its notable predecessor. This story is unique and its large cast of characters are bold and distinguishable. The only commonalities I found are ones I went into this book anticipating: phenomenal writing and a wide spread of mystery.
The tone was a chilling blend of eery, dark, and haunting—held steadily to the end, creating a world that was easy to get lost in.
However, even with these treasured factors at play, I didn't end up loving this one as much as I’d imagined. As compelling as the foundation was, after a while, the plot began feeling like it consisted only of build-up and explanations without much else unfolding.
The story is told through the alternating perspectives of over ten different characters. It was certainly a lot to take in and keep track of, but it also upped the intrigue and gave the structure a quick, choppy sort of flow.
In keeping up with the “girls gone missing/crazy/dead” theme that seems to be all-the-rage-and-staying-that-way-dammit, this plot surrounds the mystery of a series of girls (past and present) whose lifeless bodies have turned up in the infamous “Drowning Pool”.
Every character is questionable, which is typical and fun, but there are instances when *blame* can seem to spread too evenly between suspects, as was the case here for me. It makes the focus on each character too equal and sort of dulls the opportunity for surprise.
I wasn't shocked by the turn out, or maybe I wasn't all that impressed. Despite being granted the less-pronounced, swift conclusion I prefer, I didn't feel that gut-punch of a twist-well-done. It felt more matter-of-fact and slid past me without sparking much of a rise in my emotions. (Although it did raise a couple questions, one in particular I’m still trying to figure out...)
All of that said, I had a hard time putting this one down and soared through it in roughly a day or so. It was a decent, worthwhile read, and I can’t say I wouldn't recommend, as long as you're not expecting another TGoTT!
May 21, 2017
This is not an easy book to get into. Lots of diverse characters and you are left trying to suss out who’s who and what is happening and why so many people don't seem to like Nel and are glad she's dead. But the book does grab you. You only see glimpses, back and forth, but they are fascinating, shimmering glimpses, like trying to determine what's underneath the water. Hawkins excels at keeping the reader off balance. There are twists throughout.
I liked the premise. Nel is the latest death in the drowning pool. Girls and women have either been put to death or killed themselves here for centuries. Her death appears a suicide, as did the girl’s before her; her daughter’s best friend. So the police are trying to ascertain what actually happened. They keep catching everyone in lies, so they keep investigating. Everyone blames someone else, everyone is pointing fingers. And there's plenty of blame to go around. The book really picks up steam in the second half and the ending is perfect. I did not see that coming!
Not as good as Girl on the Train, which was phenomenal, but enticing in its own right.
I liked the premise. Nel is the latest death in the drowning pool. Girls and women have either been put to death or killed themselves here for centuries. Her death appears a suicide, as did the girl’s before her; her daughter’s best friend. So the police are trying to ascertain what actually happened. They keep catching everyone in lies, so they keep investigating. Everyone blames someone else, everyone is pointing fingers. And there's plenty of blame to go around. The book really picks up steam in the second half and the ending is perfect. I did not see that coming!
Not as good as Girl on the Train, which was phenomenal, but enticing in its own right.
April 27, 2017
* Thank you to www.shotsmag.co.uk for my ARC for which I have given an honest review*
Nel Abbot was found dead in the river, just a few short months after the death of her daughter's best friend Katie in similar circumstances. Nel had lived in Mill House by the river her entire life, and most of her memories pretty much revolved around this dark and forbidding body of water, particularly 'The Drowning Pool'. It's a place of secrets, mysteries and witchcraft. Nel was completely obsessed with stories of 'troublesome' women who had lost their lives in the 'Drowning Pool' including a 14 year old girl pronounced as a witch during the Witchfinder Trials in the seventeenth century.
Nel leaves behind a daughter, (15 year old Lena) who appears to harbour secrets of her own, and she's just one of many in this small town of Beckford. It's a small town with big secrets.
The tragedy brings Nel's sister Jules back to the place she swore she'd never return to. She's Lena's only family now, but they've never met and relations between the two are somewhat strained to say the least.
The narrative is told from many viewpoints, with each chapter being devoted to a different character. I particularly enjoyed the way this worked, as it gave each character plenty of depth. The fact that they were bite sized chapters too, was an added bonus.
There was something of a slow start, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of it, as the hints at witchcraft and mysteries, and where this story was actually going, really kept me gripped. There's a sinister air throughout, with unknown voices and footsteps on creaking floorboards in the dead of night. There are lots of threads to the storyline, lots of frayed edges, but Paula Hawkins pulls them all together to create a fascinating read.
Nel Abbot was found dead in the river, just a few short months after the death of her daughter's best friend Katie in similar circumstances. Nel had lived in Mill House by the river her entire life, and most of her memories pretty much revolved around this dark and forbidding body of water, particularly 'The Drowning Pool'. It's a place of secrets, mysteries and witchcraft. Nel was completely obsessed with stories of 'troublesome' women who had lost their lives in the 'Drowning Pool' including a 14 year old girl pronounced as a witch during the Witchfinder Trials in the seventeenth century.
Nel leaves behind a daughter, (15 year old Lena) who appears to harbour secrets of her own, and she's just one of many in this small town of Beckford. It's a small town with big secrets.
The tragedy brings Nel's sister Jules back to the place she swore she'd never return to. She's Lena's only family now, but they've never met and relations between the two are somewhat strained to say the least.
The narrative is told from many viewpoints, with each chapter being devoted to a different character. I particularly enjoyed the way this worked, as it gave each character plenty of depth. The fact that they were bite sized chapters too, was an added bonus.
There was something of a slow start, but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of it, as the hints at witchcraft and mysteries, and where this story was actually going, really kept me gripped. There's a sinister air throughout, with unknown voices and footsteps on creaking floorboards in the dead of night. There are lots of threads to the storyline, lots of frayed edges, but Paula Hawkins pulls them all together to create a fascinating read.
January 16, 2018
Ummmmmm........
I wouldn't recommend listening to a book for the first time on audio with 6,695 POV's!
I may read the physical book and see if I like it. I just can't like this book at this time. It switched so many times between dates and people that I wanted to throw the book! Well, audio on the tablet across the room!
I would never have gotten the audio if the summary would have said there are 1500 people in the book! Sigh!
The group of narrators were good though.
Now that I think about it, I might not re/read it. I don't feel like reading about rapists and a bastard that drowns a cat. Seems everyone and things get drowned or something. I guess The Drowning Pool is a good name for the river, lake, water. Whatever!
My friends seem to all be half n half. There are 2 stars, 3 stars and 4 stars. So, I guess it's whatever you like it don't like 😊
Happy Reading!
Mel ❤️
I wouldn't recommend listening to a book for the first time on audio with 6,695 POV's!
I may read the physical book and see if I like it. I just can't like this book at this time. It switched so many times between dates and people that I wanted to throw the book! Well, audio on the tablet across the room!
I would never have gotten the audio if the summary would have said there are 1500 people in the book! Sigh!
The group of narrators were good though.
Now that I think about it, I might not re/read it. I don't feel like reading about rapists and a bastard that drowns a cat. Seems everyone and things get drowned or something. I guess The Drowning Pool is a good name for the river, lake, water. Whatever!
My friends seem to all be half n half. There are 2 stars, 3 stars and 4 stars. So, I guess it's whatever you like it don't like 😊
Happy Reading!
Mel ❤️
July 7, 2017
First things first, I want to point out how very rare it is for me to rate a book 1 star. In fact, in the last 5 years, I have read a total of 1,257 books, and only rated 20 of them with a 1 star. That's 0.015%. So before all of you jump on me, or the trolls come running, know that I just hated this book that much.
I will give this book 1 thing, and 1 thing only: Paula Hawkins is an amazing writer. Her words flow across the page, and it's why I continued to read this book. The writing basically deceived me into thinking this was better than it was.
I'm going to break down what didn't work for me:
-the beginning is extremely confusing, multiple POVs and no context of the character. Made it hard to keep track of things.
-This book could have been MUCH shorter, needs a heavy dose of cuts/editing.
-about 170 pages in and there still WAS NO PLOT. I mean, how can you write 170 pages of a book, and not have a coherent plot in place?
-It was about 250 pages in that I began to get irrationally angry that I was reading this book. It wasn't going anywhere, all the "twists" were obvious. It followed so many cliches.
Basically, to me other than the writing there were no redeeming qualities. I never read Girl on the Train, I only saw the movie, but I can guarantee I won't be reading anything by this author in the future. She sent me into a rage (it's rare, but it does happen).
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May 25, 2017
I lost patience with INTO THE WATER early on. By page 32, I counted seven different POVs. Confusing! A few more POVs were added after that. Basically the story was about a place called "The Drowning Pool" where several women died, beginning in the 1600s. The latest death is a woman who was writing a book about this seemingly cursed place. Sounded promising, but turned out to be dull. Needed more suspense! I was looking forward to this book, but in the end it was just meh.
July 24, 2017
Twisted, suspenseful, spooky & eerie--mysterious to the very end--( wasn't even expecting I like this book much- so nice surprise) I found the book free in "The Little Library"...box-give-a-way-exchange in front of a neighbors house.....
....gorgeous descriptions and visuals created of scenery --an enthralling textured large cast of characters, ( lots of thinking about these people), and an ending that stopped me cold.
Taunting exquisite prose. I might have liked this more than "The Girl On The Train"....
It was more multi-layered.
4.5 rating!
....gorgeous descriptions and visuals created of scenery --an enthralling textured large cast of characters, ( lots of thinking about these people), and an ending that stopped me cold.
Taunting exquisite prose. I might have liked this more than "The Girl On The Train"....
It was more multi-layered.
4.5 rating!
March 20, 2018
لصوت جريان مياة النهر سحر
مريح..أو مثير للقلق
قد يجذبك لأعماقه للراحة من ماض قاس، أو يدفعك أحدهم للتخلص من اضطرابه الخاص
ومؤلفة 'فتاة القطار' تعود بقصة اكثر نضجا، بعشر شخصيات مختلفة
في قصة عن النهر، الماضي، الذكريات..واضطهاد المرأة
A Small Town by the River, 10 Characters' Perspectives; of One recent 'Into The Water' Death; that rippled a River of other Past tragic Memories.
** The Story ** القصة **
"النهر يمكنه أن يرجع للماضي ويجلبه كله ويبصقه علي حوافه ليراه الجميع..ولكن البشر لا يمكنهم"It's simple, they found her in the water... she jumped...
"The River can go back over the past and bring it all up and and spit it out on the banks in full view of everyone, but people can't."
But a hell of past history of persecution against women comes upon this small town... as if the river decided to bring this past and spit it with Nel's body..
From Witch ordeal trials, to blame girls & women of men's infidelity.
With a depressing tangled story about Women, Sisters and friends, Mothers and Daughters, Love and affairs, Memories and Tales..
And .. Forgiveness.
القصة هذه المرة قد تظهر بسيطة ، جثة أمرأة وجدت علي جانب النهر ، الأمر واضح، أنها قفزت..أنتحرت
لقد كانت مهووسة بتاريخ الغارقات في "بركة الغرق" تلك ، سواء كجريمة أضطهاد ضد المرأة كما هو الحال منذ قديم الازل ، منذ محاكمة الساحرات، او أنتحارا كما يحدث لليائسات في كل زمان
ولكن النهر كما لفظ جثة نيل ، لفظ ايضا الماضي...المثير للمشاكل ...الذي دفن باعماق النهر كالغارقات فيه
وجولز، أخت نيل ، وجدت نفسها تعود لتلك البلدة الصغيرة بيكفورد لتعتني بأبنة أختها المراهقة "لينا" برغم من الماضي المعقد بين الاختين...بل بين جولز نفسها والنهر
لتكتشف سر عداء اغلب اهل البلدة لاختها...لانها كانت تنبش في نهر الذكريات، تبحث عن قصص الغارقات فيه اليائسات
ومن خلال وجهة نظر 10 شخصيات مختلفة ، رجال ونساء، نكتشف أسرار حوادث الغرق المؤخرة ، وماضي البلدة واهلها
في قصة عن المرأة والاضطهاد ... في قصة عن الماضي والذكريات
قصة عن الاخت وعن الام وعن الابنة
قصة عن الماضي وخيانة الذاكرة
والاهم
قصة عن التسامح
لتقدم المؤلفة هذه المرة قصة اكثر نضجا وتشابك من فتاة القطار بكثير ، تعدد الشخصيات بها وتعدد القصص منحها اثارة أكثر وقلل من مساحة الرتابة او الملل الذي شعرت به في بعض اجزاء رواياتها الاولي
Paula Hawkins did a great work this time, much better I guess from The Girl on the Train.. here's there's more going on, tangled characters' history.. many possible suspects , even if I predict it by the second half, It kept surprising me with twists, till the very end..
The writing style was still -as I loved in TGOTT- sad and depressing, and the story has heart breaking scenes and strong characters confrontations..
Speaking of characters;
** The Characters Craze ** الشخصيات **
The 10 Characters perspectives -add to that chapters by the dead character's own written book- was a crazy idea , I was like; that's 3 more characters than A Game of Thrones, in even half the pages count..
But it turned out perfect... more than perfect, they may seems all different, even some of them unnecessary at the beginning.. but deeper you get 'Into The Water', the more you realise they're not-that-different characters.. and everyone have an important role in the whole mystery.
Yet, I loved Jules character so much since the beginning, her hard complicated past with her sister, the river..and men.
- I cast her as Bree from Desperate Housewives, I don't know why she reminded me strongly with her... -
Just as Rachel in TGOTT, I felt sad and care much for this character despite her sad depressing feelings and even her faults..
Jules chapters also written very uniquely and smart...all the time her perspective is she's telling what's happening as if she's talking to her dead sister..
That was really heartbreaking...with all the twists happening.
And why I said it's not-so-different-characters? , cause every perspective has its own haunting dead loved/or hated one..
Lena, the teenage daughter's who lost her very best friend and mother in the same month.. her scene with Louise -her best friend's Mother- was a great well written one.
Sean Townsend, the police and his father Patrick,and wife Helen, and their complicated past, since Sean lost his mother when he was so young...and his 'affair' recently.
And Erin, his partner in the case of Nel's death, she also suffer a troubled past.
-thoughI feel she's a bit the weakest character here-
Nikie, the old town's hag, she also speaks to the deads... but not metaphorically, she's a witch descendent, her grand grandmother the first to be drowned in the river in Witches Ordeal Trials..
I really loved the mystery, this puzzle game where every character seems to hide something... and chapter by chapter the picture get clearer...some mysteries reveals. ...as if the river really brings everything from the past.. from deep into te water..to spit it by the end..
أجمل ما في الشخصيات انه برغم كثرتهم ، 10 شخصيات، ألا ان هناك خيوط تربطهم كلهم معا ، هناك بعض التشابهة بينهم
كلهم لهم من فقدوه في النهر، لهم حادث ما يجمعهم
حرصت المؤلفة ان تزيد من جرعة الغموض في بدايات كل منهم لدرجة انك في البداية ستشعر انه لا لزوم لكثرة الفصول من وجهات النظر المختلفة
لكن بعد الربع الاول وعندما تبدا المواجهات ستجد ان كل شخصية لها دور مهم
كل غموض مرتبط بالاخر ومرتبط ايضا بالصورة الكبري
شخصية جولز ، اخت نيل، هي المحببة الي قلبي، مرة اخري تنجح المؤلفة في كتابة شخصية البطلة بشكل يجعلك تتعاطف معها وتتوحد معها رغم عيوبها وضعف شخصيتها ... بالظبط كما فعلت مع ريتشل في القطار
كما ان المواجهات بين الشخصيات مكتوبة بشكل ممتاز ، لينا -ابنه نيل- سواء مع ام اعز صديقاتها -التي غرقت ايضا- او مع المدرس الذي كان يحبها ، وبالطبع مع جولز ، خالتها التي مجبرة الان ان تعيش معها...كل هذا جاء ممتازا
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
التشابك بين الشخصيات وجو البلدة الصغيرة علي النهر، بل وتيمة المسئولية ولو كانت هنا موجودة بشمل بسيط ذكرتني كثيرا برواية جي كي رولينج المنصب الشاغر مع فارق الحكاية طبعا
All this tangled characters, also with the small town by the river 'Beckford's setting ,reminded me heavily with J.K. Rowling's 'Pagford'.. in The Casual Vacancy
Small Town, One Death, Many tangled Characters, River, Responsibilities... but of course much different kind of story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
** The Verdict ** النهاية **
عندما شككنا ان فتاة القطار ضربة حظ من المؤلفة ، حاولت اثبات نفسها بكتابة قصة اكثر تعقيدا وتشابكا واثارة
قد تتنبا مرة اخري بالنهاية بمنتصف الاحداث لكنك ستظل تفاجا حتي النهاية
اذا اعجبتك فتاة القطار او شعرت بشئ من التعاطف تجاه شخصيتها فبالتأكيد ستعجبك جولز هنا وبعض الشخصيات
واعتقد انك ستحظي بنهاية مرضية هنا ايضا
Since we thought The Girl on the Train is just a fluke, a one time big hit... Here is a certain deal that the author really can make a good story. And she got it in making characters you can feel them and care for them.
Adding a very little bit of magic into the mystery was good, just to serve the theme of the persecution against women... The Troublemakers...
So, It's a hot, and hot summer needs a cool reads.. so get; Into The Water. ,It's really worth it.
Mohammed Arabey
"During the Mystery & Thriller week here @Goodreads"
From 1st May 2017
To 7 May 2017
May 2, 2017
Find my full review here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/4...
This book was, unfortunately, a disappointment to me. Convoluted plotting, WAY too many characters to keep track of, and an overall lack of suspense made for a less than engaging read. I'm sure many readers will enjoy this one, but if you're looking for a psychological thriller with the addictive pacing & shocking plot twists of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, I wouldn't recommend this one.
This book was, unfortunately, a disappointment to me. Convoluted plotting, WAY too many characters to keep track of, and an overall lack of suspense made for a less than engaging read. I'm sure many readers will enjoy this one, but if you're looking for a psychological thriller with the addictive pacing & shocking plot twists of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, I wouldn't recommend this one.
June 3, 2017
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins is a 2017 Riverhead Books publication.
‘No one wanted to think about the fact that the water in that river was infected with the blood and bile of persecuted women, unhappy women; they drank in every day.’
The river has a history of claiming women, but no one would have thought they'd fish Nel Abbott out of its depths. When Nel's body is recovered, her estranged sister, Jules, returns home to identify her sister's remains, and to take care of her niece, Lena.
As Jules struggles with her emotions, and tries to reach out to a very angry and troubled, Lena, she searches for clues about her sister’s death. Was it an accident, a suicide or murder?
Irrevocably connected to Nel’s death, is the death of Lena’s best friend, a suicide victim, also claimed by the river, which has left the community on edge.
Are the two deaths connected? If so, how?
I was warned, repeatedly, this book was not, I repeat, NOT at all like TGOTT. Okay. That is very, very good to know, and if you are planning on reading this book, you will be glad you were forewarned.
I was prepared before I read the first paragraph, but, despite all those dire predictions, I really did want to keep an open mind.
If anyone was capable of maintaining a reasonable perspective, I figured it might be me, because while the world went gaga over ‘The Girl on the Train’, I was cooling my heels waiting for a copy of the book at the library. When I finally got my hands on a copy, I was perplexed.
The book was good, really good. But, I’ve read many books that were at the very least on par with ‘TGOTT’. I couldn’t figure out what it was about THAT book that had bowled everyone over. The best part of its success, for me, was that it seemed to spawn a renewed interest in the psychological thriller category, and gave the genre a fresh perspective and long overdue makeover. This past year, alone, there were a slew of wildly entertaining debut thrillers, but I had to be careful not to overindulge for fear of burning myself out. Too much of good thing and all that.
But, I regress. My point is, TGOTT was above average, and was a catalyst for many other wonderful books brought to press, but it was not THAT great, in my opinion, so my expectations were not unreasonably high to start off with, but I was still curious to see how the author responded to all that hype with the publication of her second novel.
At first, it did seem as though all those dire predictions were coming true. The first part of the book was pretty messy, and almost mind numbingly boring. There are entirely too many characters, all with their own first person perspective, which was a very bad idea.
The setting, with old legends, and superstitions, passed down about the river, did help to create a gloomy and edgy atmosphere, but it wasn't enough to promote any sense of urgency or impending doom. If fact, most seasoned mystery/thriller readers will probably have no trouble piecing together the string of events without even breaking a sweat.
By the time I finally nailed down all the characters and what role they played, the book did begin to gel and the plot finally started to thicken and I finally started to sink my teeth into it a little.
The second half of the book finally begins to bring everything together and the story does have some merits. It’s not a pretty delivery by any means, but it is worth sticking around for, just to see how it all comes together, or to see if justice is served at long last, or if the river will win out in the end.
Sometimes when a book achieves a pinnacle of success, it’s almost impossible for an author to replicate it. The insurmountable pressure to match that success must be unnerving, to say the least. Also, we all know publishers can add pressure too, by pushing for more too quickly, in hopes of cashing in on that momentum. Sometimes the desire to milk the cash cow, takes precedence over the artistic license of the author, who is pressured to turn something over before they are comfortable with it. I can’t say that is what happened here, but the book did feel like it had been rushed into publication without the full spit and polish. Whoever allowed it to be published with all those POV's should be ashamed.
I really do not enjoy, or like. to judge too hashly, but, as much as I had hoped the naysayers were wrong, I must agree this book has some serious flaws. But, I do wonder if we would have been so unforgiving if this were an unknown author, who had not just risen to superstar status practically overnight?
2.5 stars
‘No one wanted to think about the fact that the water in that river was infected with the blood and bile of persecuted women, unhappy women; they drank in every day.’
The river has a history of claiming women, but no one would have thought they'd fish Nel Abbott out of its depths. When Nel's body is recovered, her estranged sister, Jules, returns home to identify her sister's remains, and to take care of her niece, Lena.
As Jules struggles with her emotions, and tries to reach out to a very angry and troubled, Lena, she searches for clues about her sister’s death. Was it an accident, a suicide or murder?
Irrevocably connected to Nel’s death, is the death of Lena’s best friend, a suicide victim, also claimed by the river, which has left the community on edge.
Are the two deaths connected? If so, how?
I was warned, repeatedly, this book was not, I repeat, NOT at all like TGOTT. Okay. That is very, very good to know, and if you are planning on reading this book, you will be glad you were forewarned.
I was prepared before I read the first paragraph, but, despite all those dire predictions, I really did want to keep an open mind.
If anyone was capable of maintaining a reasonable perspective, I figured it might be me, because while the world went gaga over ‘The Girl on the Train’, I was cooling my heels waiting for a copy of the book at the library. When I finally got my hands on a copy, I was perplexed.
The book was good, really good. But, I’ve read many books that were at the very least on par with ‘TGOTT’. I couldn’t figure out what it was about THAT book that had bowled everyone over. The best part of its success, for me, was that it seemed to spawn a renewed interest in the psychological thriller category, and gave the genre a fresh perspective and long overdue makeover. This past year, alone, there were a slew of wildly entertaining debut thrillers, but I had to be careful not to overindulge for fear of burning myself out. Too much of good thing and all that.
But, I regress. My point is, TGOTT was above average, and was a catalyst for many other wonderful books brought to press, but it was not THAT great, in my opinion, so my expectations were not unreasonably high to start off with, but I was still curious to see how the author responded to all that hype with the publication of her second novel.
At first, it did seem as though all those dire predictions were coming true. The first part of the book was pretty messy, and almost mind numbingly boring. There are entirely too many characters, all with their own first person perspective, which was a very bad idea.
The setting, with old legends, and superstitions, passed down about the river, did help to create a gloomy and edgy atmosphere, but it wasn't enough to promote any sense of urgency or impending doom. If fact, most seasoned mystery/thriller readers will probably have no trouble piecing together the string of events without even breaking a sweat.
By the time I finally nailed down all the characters and what role they played, the book did begin to gel and the plot finally started to thicken and I finally started to sink my teeth into it a little.
The second half of the book finally begins to bring everything together and the story does have some merits. It’s not a pretty delivery by any means, but it is worth sticking around for, just to see how it all comes together, or to see if justice is served at long last, or if the river will win out in the end.
Sometimes when a book achieves a pinnacle of success, it’s almost impossible for an author to replicate it. The insurmountable pressure to match that success must be unnerving, to say the least. Also, we all know publishers can add pressure too, by pushing for more too quickly, in hopes of cashing in on that momentum. Sometimes the desire to milk the cash cow, takes precedence over the artistic license of the author, who is pressured to turn something over before they are comfortable with it. I can’t say that is what happened here, but the book did feel like it had been rushed into publication without the full spit and polish. Whoever allowed it to be published with all those POV's should be ashamed.
I really do not enjoy, or like. to judge too hashly, but, as much as I had hoped the naysayers were wrong, I must agree this book has some serious flaws. But, I do wonder if we would have been so unforgiving if this were an unknown author, who had not just risen to superstar status practically overnight?
2.5 stars
April 23, 2017
3.5 stars
The good news: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN was not a fluke.
The not-so-great news: this book's plot and characters are less compelling, and its flaws much more obvious.
Review to come of the audio edition.
The good news: THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN was not a fluke.
The not-so-great news: this book's plot and characters are less compelling, and its flaws much more obvious.
Review to come of the audio edition.
January 13, 2019
one of my goals for 2019 is to try to make a dent in my physical TBR. ive had this sitting on my bookshelf for ages, but never really had the motivation or desire to pick it up, mainly because i am one of the few who did not enjoy
'the girl on the train.'
but ive also been trying to not swear off authors completely just because of one disliked book. and so after finishing this, i can say with good conscience, that paula hawkins is not an author for me.
personally, i find this book to be on the lower side of average. the concept is okay and i can understand the appeal, but the execution is very blah. firstly, there are wayyyy too many POVs. i understand how multiple perspectives can enhance a thriller/mystery story, but sometimes less is more. i feel bad for those who listened to the audio version of this - having to keep all of the POVs straight would be a nightmare!
additionally, i just felt checked out most of the story. i actually almost DNF’d it about a third of the way through because i realised i didnt care what happened. and you would think that, with having so many characters, the chances would be i could connect with at least one of them, but i didnt. they just werent compelling enough for me.
overall, i found this thriller to be less than thrilling. thats not to say its a bad book - its a decent follow up to an incredibly successful debut and i know many people who enjoy this - but it just didnt work for me.
↠ 2.5 stars
but ive also been trying to not swear off authors completely just because of one disliked book. and so after finishing this, i can say with good conscience, that paula hawkins is not an author for me.
personally, i find this book to be on the lower side of average. the concept is okay and i can understand the appeal, but the execution is very blah. firstly, there are wayyyy too many POVs. i understand how multiple perspectives can enhance a thriller/mystery story, but sometimes less is more. i feel bad for those who listened to the audio version of this - having to keep all of the POVs straight would be a nightmare!
additionally, i just felt checked out most of the story. i actually almost DNF’d it about a third of the way through because i realised i didnt care what happened. and you would think that, with having so many characters, the chances would be i could connect with at least one of them, but i didnt. they just werent compelling enough for me.
overall, i found this thriller to be less than thrilling. thats not to say its a bad book - its a decent follow up to an incredibly successful debut and i know many people who enjoy this - but it just didnt work for me.
↠ 2.5 stars
February 28, 2018
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins was the book selected by my blog followers as my Book Bucket read for January 2018. Each month, I hold a poll where you can pick from 12 books I want to read, rotating a new one in and out each month. I was excited to read this one, but hadn’t read Girl on the Train before, so Hawkins is a new author for me. I enjoyed the book a great deal, despite a few areas that didn’t quite work for me, but I’d still recommend it to others as a strong thriller and suspense novel.
The novel focuses on a small town in England, following a core set of about 10 characters. Chapters alternate to provide the history and perspective of multiple deaths by drowning in a local river. It all begins with the death of a suspected witch from several hundred years earlier, culminating with a few deaths in modern times that could be suicide, accidental or murder. As each character shares parts of the story, readers learn what truly happened to each victim.
Ignoring the historical murders, the current day plot is intricate. Several teenagers fight to be popular or earn respect while in high school. Sisters struggle to accept their differences with one another. Parents and children argue about parenting styles. Families are broken by affairs. Police detectives walk a fine line of doing the right versus the wrong thing. Each of the stories are weaved together in a way you can’t help but want to know all the connections. And there is, of course a ‘surprise’ twist in the end… which for many readers, probably won’t be a surprise.
I’m primarily a plot reader, followed closely by character. The plot is definitely strong; however, at least 50% of the characters have some flaws or issues in how they were written. Keeping characters in the grey zone is important within a suspense novel; readers need to know that they might be missing part of the picture, but in the end, it should be clearer than it was in this book. For 3 characters, I felt like the actions didn’t quite match what we’d come to expect from the personalities we’d gotten to know – and it wasn’t due to the grey area. It felt like a totally new character had replaced the ones we’d spent attaching ourselves to. If there are connections we just failed to see because of how good the writing is, then I am OK with it. But if it feels disconnected, then I think the book fails a bit. That’s what I felt happened here… what started out as a 4.5 rating began going south as parts of the plot unraveled. It was clear the entire way that something wasn’t right with a certain character, yet the twist in the end doesn’t do any justice to ‘why’ certain things happened.
All that said… as I kept turning the page, my interest was held and I liked many aspects of the book. I lowered my rating by 1 star because of how it seemed to fall apart in the end… ending somewhere between a 3.5 and a 3.75, rounded up to a 4 in the rating. I’ll keep reading Hawkins’ novels, but if another has a similar downturn, I might not stick with it.
The novel focuses on a small town in England, following a core set of about 10 characters. Chapters alternate to provide the history and perspective of multiple deaths by drowning in a local river. It all begins with the death of a suspected witch from several hundred years earlier, culminating with a few deaths in modern times that could be suicide, accidental or murder. As each character shares parts of the story, readers learn what truly happened to each victim.
Ignoring the historical murders, the current day plot is intricate. Several teenagers fight to be popular or earn respect while in high school. Sisters struggle to accept their differences with one another. Parents and children argue about parenting styles. Families are broken by affairs. Police detectives walk a fine line of doing the right versus the wrong thing. Each of the stories are weaved together in a way you can’t help but want to know all the connections. And there is, of course a ‘surprise’ twist in the end… which for many readers, probably won’t be a surprise.
I’m primarily a plot reader, followed closely by character. The plot is definitely strong; however, at least 50% of the characters have some flaws or issues in how they were written. Keeping characters in the grey zone is important within a suspense novel; readers need to know that they might be missing part of the picture, but in the end, it should be clearer than it was in this book. For 3 characters, I felt like the actions didn’t quite match what we’d come to expect from the personalities we’d gotten to know – and it wasn’t due to the grey area. It felt like a totally new character had replaced the ones we’d spent attaching ourselves to. If there are connections we just failed to see because of how good the writing is, then I am OK with it. But if it feels disconnected, then I think the book fails a bit. That’s what I felt happened here… what started out as a 4.5 rating began going south as parts of the plot unraveled. It was clear the entire way that something wasn’t right with a certain character, yet the twist in the end doesn’t do any justice to ‘why’ certain things happened.
All that said… as I kept turning the page, my interest was held and I liked many aspects of the book. I lowered my rating by 1 star because of how it seemed to fall apart in the end… ending somewhere between a 3.5 and a 3.75, rounded up to a 4 in the rating. I’ll keep reading Hawkins’ novels, but if another has a similar downturn, I might not stick with it.
May 5, 2017
I really liked Girl on the Train, so maybe I was expecting too much.
SO MANY characters (and way too many POVs) and kind of a tangled plot. By the end I didn't care much about who had done what.
SO MANY characters (and way too many POVs) and kind of a tangled plot. By the end I didn't care much about who had done what.
November 13, 2020
A few twists and turns is one thing . . .
But, when you twist and turn and twist and turn and twist and turn etc. etc. etc. . . your story ends up looking like this:
I will start by saying my opinion of this book may have been tainted going in. I did not care at all for The Girl on the Train and originally planned to never read this one. However, my book club chose this one and I am a team player, so I figured it was worth a shot to see if it was an improvement over The Girl on the Train.
If it was – it was very slight.
Back to the twists and turns. This story twisted and turned so much it became convoluted, silly, and hard to follow. On top of that, while twisting and turning it also time jumped. Part way through I started to feel like I would need a scopolamine patch or some Dramamine to avoid getting motion sickness. What was even more frustrating is several times I thought I was getting into it and then it would twist and turn again and lose me.
By the end, I did not really care a whole lot about the resolution anymore, I was just excited to be done with the characters and the story. This is not the way you want to feel at the end of a book! Sorry, but it appears like this is another author to add to the list of “I swear I tried . . . more than once, even . . . but this author is just not for me”.
But, when you twist and turn and twist and turn and twist and turn etc. etc. etc. . . your story ends up looking like this:
I will start by saying my opinion of this book may have been tainted going in. I did not care at all for The Girl on the Train and originally planned to never read this one. However, my book club chose this one and I am a team player, so I figured it was worth a shot to see if it was an improvement over The Girl on the Train.
If it was – it was very slight.
Back to the twists and turns. This story twisted and turned so much it became convoluted, silly, and hard to follow. On top of that, while twisting and turning it also time jumped. Part way through I started to feel like I would need a scopolamine patch or some Dramamine to avoid getting motion sickness. What was even more frustrating is several times I thought I was getting into it and then it would twist and turn again and lose me.
By the end, I did not really care a whole lot about the resolution anymore, I was just excited to be done with the characters and the story. This is not the way you want to feel at the end of a book! Sorry, but it appears like this is another author to add to the list of “I swear I tried . . . more than once, even . . . but this author is just not for me”.
May 27, 2017
Clickety clack.....
The conductor is taking tickets on an already crowded train with an over-abundance of character passenger cars. This train is headed into a very dark tunnel.
The Drowning Pool is known to its surrounding inhabitants as a draw for women who seem to end their lives quite badly. It has a tainted history that reaches far back into the 17th century with the drowning deaths of young females accused of being witches. Even as of late, there have been three questionable deaths involving women living in this area. Not quite the real estate draw. Don't think you should get off at this stop.
Nel Abbott takes to writing a history of these events. When she, herself, ends up dead, her teenage daughter, Lena, searches for answers. Jules, Nel's sister, returns to this town for the very first time in years for the funeral. She and Lena are on opposite sides of the spectrum here. They interact with each other like oil and water. Lena has not only lost her mother but her best friend, Katie, as well.
Was this suicide or something more?
Well now. It's never about the writing when it comes to Paula Hawkins. She certainly has a way with words: "Louise's grief was like a river: constant and ever-changing. It rippled, flooded, ebbed and flowed, some days cold and dark and deep, some days swift and blinding. Her guilt was liquid, too; it seeped through cracks when she tried to dam it out. She had good days and bad."
But there should have been a whistle stop along the way. Hawkins goes for breadth instead of depth in this one. The number of essential characters is mind-boggling to say the least with such heavy backstories on each one. Each character submits a point of view as well. The reader wades through quite a bit of zigzag in order to reach the final destination. Too much of a good thing.
No one can even admit to knowing what it must be like to write a follow-up book after the blockbuster, The Girl On A Train. But Hawkins stuck with her three main characters in that one who kept her storyline riveted to the tracks and delivering at the final station. Into the Water proves that more is often times just more.
I would encourage you to read Into the Water for your own take on whether it delivers or not. The talent oozes out of Paula Hawkins like delicious ice cream on a hot day. I'm stickin' with her and will look forward to future offerings. She proves that she has many a tale to tell.
The conductor is taking tickets on an already crowded train with an over-abundance of character passenger cars. This train is headed into a very dark tunnel.
The Drowning Pool is known to its surrounding inhabitants as a draw for women who seem to end their lives quite badly. It has a tainted history that reaches far back into the 17th century with the drowning deaths of young females accused of being witches. Even as of late, there have been three questionable deaths involving women living in this area. Not quite the real estate draw. Don't think you should get off at this stop.
Nel Abbott takes to writing a history of these events. When she, herself, ends up dead, her teenage daughter, Lena, searches for answers. Jules, Nel's sister, returns to this town for the very first time in years for the funeral. She and Lena are on opposite sides of the spectrum here. They interact with each other like oil and water. Lena has not only lost her mother but her best friend, Katie, as well.
Was this suicide or something more?
Well now. It's never about the writing when it comes to Paula Hawkins. She certainly has a way with words: "Louise's grief was like a river: constant and ever-changing. It rippled, flooded, ebbed and flowed, some days cold and dark and deep, some days swift and blinding. Her guilt was liquid, too; it seeped through cracks when she tried to dam it out. She had good days and bad."
But there should have been a whistle stop along the way. Hawkins goes for breadth instead of depth in this one. The number of essential characters is mind-boggling to say the least with such heavy backstories on each one. Each character submits a point of view as well. The reader wades through quite a bit of zigzag in order to reach the final destination. Too much of a good thing.
No one can even admit to knowing what it must be like to write a follow-up book after the blockbuster, The Girl On A Train. But Hawkins stuck with her three main characters in that one who kept her storyline riveted to the tracks and delivering at the final station. Into the Water proves that more is often times just more.
I would encourage you to read Into the Water for your own take on whether it delivers or not. The talent oozes out of Paula Hawkins like delicious ice cream on a hot day. I'm stickin' with her and will look forward to future offerings. She proves that she has many a tale to tell.
July 14, 2019
I approached this book with great anticipation, having loved "The Girl On The Train" by the same author, but sadly this was nowhere in that novel's league. For a start is has far too many narrators for each chapter. I often had to stop and think as to who the latest one was and where they fit in. Plus I didn't like any of the characters. By halfway through I was hoping they'd all drown! I did persevere and finish it, but I wasn't riveted at any stage. 2.5 Stars
June 26, 2017
I really just wasn't into this book. I was lost most of the time and not able to keep up! There were too many characters in the book to keep track of. Just not a book for me :(
April 25, 2022
So the mega bestselling 'secrets and lies' unreliable narrator's mystery, how did I find it? I found this a pretty compelling reading, and once started I couldn't put down; but filled with plot holes which can't really be excused by the unreliable narrator's view… or can they? 6 out of 12
2018 read
2018 read
May 27, 2017
I enjoyed this one more than The Girl on the Train, but I still think it had its faults. The writing was definitely above that in TGotT, and I appreciated the variety of characters and voices in this one. Even 80% of the way through the novel I wasn't totally sure where it was going—part of me liked that and part of me didn't. I didn't mind not having clear answers up until the end, but I also didn't feel like there was much drive or mystery to propel the story along. It's definitely not as thrilling or intense as her first novel. It focuses more on the characters, their motivations and relationships, and how that all unfolds throughout the story. I thought it was more of a developed story and had complexities that TGotT lacked; but it almost sacrificed that excitement I expected from Hawkins for a bit of a dragging plot to focus on the characters. If it had balanced these two elements—plot and character development—just a bit more, I think it could've been a 4 star book for me. 3.5 stars
May 11, 2017
Paula Hawkins, a freelance journalist from London, firmly proved herself as a versatile writer by publishing romantic comedies under her pen name Amy Silver, as well as huge successful thrillers under her own name. Girl On The Train was a phenomenal bestseller, which she followed up with this second thriller Into The Water.
This book reminds me a lot about The Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling(a magnificent read in itself). Both books have the community of a small town in common, who address the impact and involvement of all the inhabitants in solving a mysterious death, with various narrators relating the events to authorities and readers.
From the book's epigraph:
After her own death, she leaves the unfinished manuscript, as well as a fifteen-year-old daughter behind, who has no father listed on her birth certificate.
Nickie: "Some of them went into the river willingly and some didn't, and if you asked Nickie - not that anyone would, because no one ever did - Nel Abbott went in fighting. But no one was going to ask her and no one was going to listen to her, so there really wasn't any point in her saying anything. Especially not to the police..."
From Nel's manuscript:
Although the numerous narrators created constant confusion, the storyline was never broken, and the suspense kept flowing strongly along the river of words pulling this gripping saga together.
This is an excellent crime thriller. One of those sleep-snatchers.
Another book in the same genre, worth reading is
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg.
RECOMMENDED!!!
This book reminds me a lot about The Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling(a magnificent read in itself). Both books have the community of a small town in common, who address the impact and involvement of all the inhabitants in solving a mysterious death, with various narrators relating the events to authorities and readers.
From the book's epigraph:
"We now know that memories are not fixed or frozen, like Proust’s jars of preserves in a larder, but are transformed, disassembled, reassembled, and recategorized with every act of recollection. Hallucinations ~ Oliver Sacks"Breckford, a small town in the British Isles must come to terms with the death of a single mother. A multi-character tale is told in which the truth and the memories populating it, become a conundrum of regrets, secrets, lost opportunities and redemption. Everyone feels guilty, nobody is willing to take the blame.
Erin: "It's a fucking weird place, Beckford. It's beautiful, quite breathtaking in parts, but it's strange. It feels like a place apart, disconnected from everything that surrounds it. Of course, it is miles from anywhere - you have to drive hours to get anywhere civilized. That's if you consider Newcastle civilized, which I'm not sure I do.Those who stayed behind after the latest death of Nel Abbott had to deal with the mysterious attraction to the Drowning Pool in the river for women committing suicide. It was the legends surrounding these mysterious deaths that attracted Danielle(Nel) Abbott to the pool for the book she was writing about these women and their demises.
Beckford is a strange place, full of odd people, with a downright bizarre history. And all through the middle of it there's this river, and that's the weirdest thing of all - it seems like whichever way you turn, in whatever direction you go, somehow you always end up back at the river.
After her own death, she leaves the unfinished manuscript, as well as a fifteen-year-old daughter behind, who has no father listed on her birth certificate.
Nickie: "Some of them went into the river willingly and some didn't, and if you asked Nickie - not that anyone would, because no one ever did - Nel Abbott went in fighting. But no one was going to ask her and no one was going to listen to her, so there really wasn't any point in her saying anything. Especially not to the police..."
From Nel's manuscript:
The Drowning Pool', Danielle Abbott (unpublished):As atmospheric as you can wish for; picturesque as you can get, and intriguing as you cannot imagine.
I decided, while in the process of trying to understand myself and my family and the stories we tell each other, that I would try to make sense of all the Beckford stories, that I would write down all the last moments, as I imagined them, in the lives of the women who went to the Beckford Drowning Pool.
Its name carries weight; and yet, what is it? A bend in the river, that’s all. A meander. You’ll find it if you follow the river in all its twists and turns, swelling and flooding, giving life and taking it, too. The river is by turns cold and clean, stagnant and polluted; it snakes through forest and cuts like steel through the soft Cheviot Hills, and then, just north of Beckford, it slows. It rests, just for a while, at the Drowning Pool."
Although the numerous narrators created constant confusion, the storyline was never broken, and the suspense kept flowing strongly along the river of words pulling this gripping saga together.
This is an excellent crime thriller. One of those sleep-snatchers.
Another book in the same genre, worth reading is
Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg.
RECOMMENDED!!!
May 16, 2017
This novel was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2017. I had it preordered since January on my kindle (hence how ecstatic I was).
Going into this I knew I loved her first best selling debut and tried my absolute hardest not to compare to her first. But, we tend to all do that a little bit unfortunately.
This one was a little difficult for me to get into and I was pretty confused at the start of the novel. So many characters and my head was spinning trying to connect with the storyline. It finally started to pick up around 50 percent for me. Hawkins has a beautiful writing style and is quite symbolic and metaphoric. What I really really enjoyed was the supernatural aspect of this one! Very very cool!
I do have to say towards the end I was a little confused again with trying to connect the dots. I found my attention span swaying in and out of the story due to confusion.
If I could give some advice, I would go in blindly to this story and an open mind. It definitely helps not to read reviews before you begin! :).
I am definitely interested in others thoughts on this one! So come back and share when you have read it!! 😊
Overall, 3 stars.
Going into this I knew I loved her first best selling debut and tried my absolute hardest not to compare to her first. But, we tend to all do that a little bit unfortunately.
This one was a little difficult for me to get into and I was pretty confused at the start of the novel. So many characters and my head was spinning trying to connect with the storyline. It finally started to pick up around 50 percent for me. Hawkins has a beautiful writing style and is quite symbolic and metaphoric. What I really really enjoyed was the supernatural aspect of this one! Very very cool!
I do have to say towards the end I was a little confused again with trying to connect the dots. I found my attention span swaying in and out of the story due to confusion.
If I could give some advice, I would go in blindly to this story and an open mind. It definitely helps not to read reviews before you begin! :).
I am definitely interested in others thoughts on this one! So come back and share when you have read it!! 😊
Overall, 3 stars.
March 11, 2017
I was one of the fans of Girl on a Train but this is something else. Beautiful writing, totally immersive narrative, multiple viewpoints and clever little twists, its like Paula Hawkins had a bit of a practice with that girl on that train and then went YEP I can do this better so gives us Into The Water.
Full review nearer publication.
Full review nearer publication.
May 11, 2018
"Into The Water" is the second book written by global bestselling author Paula Hawkins. Considering I didn't connect with "The Girl On a Train" at all, I therefore didn't know what to expect from "Into The Water". However, I was very pleasantly surprised at just how much I truly enjoyed this entertaining book - its completely different in every aspect and although slow burning it still races along and keeps you constantly entertained.
Blurb - 'In the last days before her death, Nel Abbott called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. And Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind. But Jules is afraid. So afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped. And most of all she’s afraid of the water, and the place they call The Drowning Pool.....'
There are quite a few characters to get your head around initially but there's a very helpful cast at the front of the book that really helped and it all soon fell into place and I was immersed in them all. Once I understood how they related to each other, I enjoyed uncovering their story and point of view and unraveling the dark and twisty mystery. Written in quite a unique format, the story is told through the multiple viewpoint of all the main characters whose narrative is rather unreliable, showing just how easily memories can be washed away and truths hidden. I was mostly ambivalent about the characters but I did like Nickie Sage and loved how she brought some light hearted fun to the story.
Most of the characters were grieving in some capacity and this did make for quite a sombre ambiance at times but with a underlying theme of strong women and their power over others and a background history of witches being persecuted in a drowning pool, I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely story. It was deeply satisfying and even now, days later I'm still thinking about it. I loved the description of the fictional riverside town of Beckford and enjoyed that the locale was set in a neighbouring area of mine and liked that I could relate to the areas mentioned.
I do think this will be another 'love it or hate it' book but I loved it and look forward to more by Paula Hawkins in the future, I do recommend it and would happily read again.
5 stars
Blurb - 'In the last days before her death, Nel Abbott called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. And Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind. But Jules is afraid. So afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped. And most of all she’s afraid of the water, and the place they call The Drowning Pool.....'
There are quite a few characters to get your head around initially but there's a very helpful cast at the front of the book that really helped and it all soon fell into place and I was immersed in them all. Once I understood how they related to each other, I enjoyed uncovering their story and point of view and unraveling the dark and twisty mystery. Written in quite a unique format, the story is told through the multiple viewpoint of all the main characters whose narrative is rather unreliable, showing just how easily memories can be washed away and truths hidden. I was mostly ambivalent about the characters but I did like Nickie Sage and loved how she brought some light hearted fun to the story.
Most of the characters were grieving in some capacity and this did make for quite a sombre ambiance at times but with a underlying theme of strong women and their power over others and a background history of witches being persecuted in a drowning pool, I thoroughly enjoyed the lovely story. It was deeply satisfying and even now, days later I'm still thinking about it. I loved the description of the fictional riverside town of Beckford and enjoyed that the locale was set in a neighbouring area of mine and liked that I could relate to the areas mentioned.
I do think this will be another 'love it or hate it' book but I loved it and look forward to more by Paula Hawkins in the future, I do recommend it and would happily read again.
5 stars
July 4, 2017
DNF.
I won't say much, but I have a few thoughts. Paula Hawkins isn't a bad writer. Look at this part:
I lay on my bed in silence. I can't even listen to music because I feel everything has this other meaning that I didn't see before and it hurts too fucking much to face it now. I don't want to cry all the time, it makes my chest hurt and my throat hurt, and the worst thing is that no one comes to help me. There's no one left to help me.
She flares towards the wildly dramatic, I mean that her writing style is overwrought and sometimes laughably full of drama.
However, for some unknown reason she puts a dozen or so perspectives in here. She tells this story from so many people's points of view. Why? Who knows. More isn't always better, Hawkins. It's hard to remember who is speaking and how they are related to everyone else. Moreover, who cares?!
I also have a real problem with
Your tastes may vary.
...
UPDATE: I have removed this from my DNF shelf as I have finished the book. Mainly to stop whiners from showing up on my review and whining, *Carmen adopts a high-pitched whine* "Oh, you have no right to rate this! You didn't even finish it!"
I finished it and it is pretty disgusting on many levels.
I won't say much, but I have a few thoughts. Paula Hawkins isn't a bad writer. Look at this part:
I lay on my bed in silence. I can't even listen to music because I feel everything has this other meaning that I didn't see before and it hurts too fucking much to face it now. I don't want to cry all the time, it makes my chest hurt and my throat hurt, and the worst thing is that no one comes to help me. There's no one left to help me.
She flares towards the wildly dramatic, I mean that her writing style is overwrought and sometimes laughably full of drama.
However, for some unknown reason she puts a dozen or so perspectives in here. She tells this story from so many people's points of view. Why? Who knows. More isn't always better, Hawkins. It's hard to remember who is speaking and how they are related to everyone else. Moreover, who cares?!
I also have a real problem with
Your tastes may vary.
...
UPDATE: I have removed this from my DNF shelf as I have finished the book. Mainly to stop whiners from showing up on my review and whining, *Carmen adopts a high-pitched whine* "Oh, you have no right to rate this! You didn't even finish it!"
I finished it and it is pretty disgusting on many levels.
February 5, 2020
This one did NOT keep me up reading late into the night.
OUTLIER OPINION- I did NOT enjoy this AT ALL.
Too many characters to keep up with..Jules, Jules talking to her sister Nel, Lena, Louise, Josh, Katie, Helen, Patrick, Sean, Erin, Nickie, Jeanie, Mark...
And, why kill off a pregnant cat? Not even a credible "red herring"-just distasteful! Ugh!
I guess the third book will determine if this author is for me or not.
One Hit and One Big Miss, for now.
OUTLIER OPINION- I did NOT enjoy this AT ALL.
Too many characters to keep up with..Jules, Jules talking to her sister Nel, Lena, Louise, Josh, Katie, Helen, Patrick, Sean, Erin, Nickie, Jeanie, Mark...
And, why kill off a pregnant cat? Not even a credible "red herring"-just distasteful! Ugh!
I guess the third book will determine if this author is for me or not.
One Hit and One Big Miss, for now.
May 16, 2017
3 stars. This novel was averagely enjoyable for me – not especially good, but not bad either.
I should start by saying that I was one of the readers who liked “The Girl On The Train” but didn’t think it was overly impressive. Perhaps I am simply not the target audience for Paula Hawkins writing.
The first half of this novel had me intrigued but then my interest slowly fizzled out. I stopped caring for any of the characters or where the storyline was headed. The suspense that Hawkins was building seemed to be lacking something – the holding back of information which is supposed to keep the reader hungry for more began to get irritating for me. Hawkins developed a secretive side for almost every character which seemed a bit overkill and highly unlikely. Yes, there were a lot of narrators which was confusing at times, but I was able to piece them all together so that wasn’t a big issue for me. With that being said, I think that some of the narrators could have easily been omitted and it wouldn’t have taken anything away from the story.
I liked the short chapters that kept the story fresh. I enjoyed the excerpts from “The Drowning Pool” manuscript - it was interesting to read each woman’s history and it was a good change of pace for the flow of the book.
Overall, the story was entertaining but not addictive. The ending was satisfying but not all that surprising for me. I’m very curious to see how this books’ success will compare to TGOTT.
I should start by saying that I was one of the readers who liked “The Girl On The Train” but didn’t think it was overly impressive. Perhaps I am simply not the target audience for Paula Hawkins writing.
The first half of this novel had me intrigued but then my interest slowly fizzled out. I stopped caring for any of the characters or where the storyline was headed. The suspense that Hawkins was building seemed to be lacking something – the holding back of information which is supposed to keep the reader hungry for more began to get irritating for me. Hawkins developed a secretive side for almost every character which seemed a bit overkill and highly unlikely. Yes, there were a lot of narrators which was confusing at times, but I was able to piece them all together so that wasn’t a big issue for me. With that being said, I think that some of the narrators could have easily been omitted and it wouldn’t have taken anything away from the story.
I liked the short chapters that kept the story fresh. I enjoyed the excerpts from “The Drowning Pool” manuscript - it was interesting to read each woman’s history and it was a good change of pace for the flow of the book.
Overall, the story was entertaining but not addictive. The ending was satisfying but not all that surprising for me. I’m very curious to see how this books’ success will compare to TGOTT.
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