Into the Water: Sink or Swim?
One of our final summer reads is devoted to Paula Hawkins’ Into the Water. Many of you may be more familiar with Hawkins’ novel The Girl on the Train, which was made into a major motion picture just last fall. That novel not only broke into the film industry, but more importantly became a New York Times Bestseller. This being said, her more recent novel is not without its charms. Into the Water was released in May 2017, and a reading guide is available on her website to offer some insightful questions and interactive texts. This latest novel was chosen frankly because it’s a crowd pleaser. Whether it be bookstores or social media, everywhere we went, we saw this book. So, continue reading for our mixed opinions of Into the Water.
Sink: Addie
Let me start by saying that while reading this book, I was totally within my element. I could watch and read the horror/murder mystery genre all day. It’s “my thing”, so to say I was disappointed by this book is completely disheartening.
Firstly, I would argue there were too many different points of view being juggled, if I had to guess there were about 10-15. It was nearing Next Stop, Ronkonkoma’s number of perspectives. (Anyone who gets this reference, just email us now because we’re basically going to be best friends.)
With that said, this is not The Girl on the Train and should not be confused as such. The writing was still fantastic, but I didn't love this book as much as I expected I would. I enjoyed the journey, but not the destination. I read, page by page, loving the criminal investigation and the mystery, but by the end I was looking for something more. I was hoping for everything to be wrapped into a bow, which it was for the most part. I suppose by the end I was wanting more of a sudden unimaginable plot twist, but instead was given more of a 'eh ok' ending. I wanted to be knocked off my feet, to question everything I once knew, but instead I was left with a predictable suspect. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, I loved 360 out of 380 pages of this book. I would just change the ending if I could.
Sometimes when you finish a book you’re left with this empty sort of feeling, like what do I do next? How can I move on after this book? It makes you stop and think. It leaves you frozen with only one word managing to escape your lips- “Wow.” After watching The Girl on the Train, I expected that sort of ending. And maybe it was that very expectation that built this book up too much. Instead of a “wow”, I was left with a “That’s it?”
Swim: Geneva
I should point out that this is not my ideal genre. I’ve never been into the whole murder mystery scene. Having said that, there are books that are great and lovely, then there are books that are impressive. This book did both amazingly. The craft of the novel astounds me. Not only did she weave together multiple character seamlessly, she also laced in the unpublished manuscript of one of the characters to give another perspective. Additionally, the chapter sizes made the novel quite addicting and hard to put down.
For a reader PSA (Public Service Announcement), I would personally recommend writing down people and places so you can keep track of them. I did that in the inside cover of my book, so I could always look back on it while reading. This is a good tip, especially because many of the negative reviews were due to people being confused with the jumble of characters.
In regards to setting, it was in England, which was a pleasant surprise (American, so my default is American setting… sorry for my close-mindedness). I appreciated the cultural aspect it gave. From calling a flashlight a torch, to the easy accessibility of moving the plot to another country, England added a great touch.
Overall, I thought I was going to be disappointed, but then she wrapped it up effortlessly. The way Hawkins could capture the full scale of human emotions made the story all the more realistic. By the end, it’s not the fact that the person who is at fault for the suicides/murders is unexpected, it is that she keeps you guessing that it maybe the fault of the expected person, but also there is a revolving door of other options that goes round and round until the book is over. It’s a true wild card.
We have researched some other people’s reviews to see the overall opinion. Unfortunately, they are leaning slightly negative. Most reviews focus how it’s so different from The Girl on the Train. I mean come on fellow readers, comparing books never works out that well. If you go in with expectations, then you aren’t giving the author creative vision. A prime example would be To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set the Watchman by Harper Lee. Many disliked the latter that was published against her wishes after her death. Readers left and right were upset that it wasn’t exactly a continuance of her original classic. All in all, try not to compare author’s novels, it will most likely end in disappointment.
Better Read than Dead,
Geneva and Addie
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