Monday, March 30, 2015

ARC Review: Girl Underwater♥ by Claire Kells

Monday, March 30, 2015

Girl Underwater
Claire Kells
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  • Publisher: Dutton (March 31, 2015)
  • ISBN-13: 978-0525954934
  • Genre: YA, Adventure
  • Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles
  • Source: Review copy was sent via Dutton Books. Thank you Danielle.
  • Synopsis:An adventurous debut novel that cross cuts between a competitive college swimmer’s harrowing days in the Rocky Mountains after a major airline disaster and her recovery supported by the two men who love her—only one of whom knows what really happened in the wilderness. Nineteen-year-old Avery Delacorte loves the water. Growing up in Brookline, Massachusetts, she took swim lessons at her community pool and captained the local team; in high school, she raced across bays and sprawling North American lakes. Now a sophomore on her university’s nationally ranked team, she struggles under the weight of new expectations but life is otherwise pretty good. Perfect, really. That all changes when Avery’s red-eye home for Thanksgiving makes a ditch landing in a mountain lake in the Colorado Rockies. She is one of only five survivors, which includes three little boys and Colin Shea, who happens to be her teammate. Colin is also the only person in Avery’s college life who challenged her to swim her own events, to be her own person—something she refused to do. Instead she’s avoided him since the first day of freshman year. But now, faced with sub-zero temperatures, minimal supplies, and the dangers of a forbidding nowhere, Avery and Colin must rely on each other in ways they never could’ve imagined. In the wilderness, the concept of survival is clear-cut. Simple. In the real world, it’s anything but.

  • Avery Delacorte is a swimmer, and the irony in this novel of she's stuck in water.. Well, not literally - her airline had crashed due to a disaster, and now she must survive on an island with four other survivors: three children and Colin Shea. Avery has avoided Colin Shea her whole life, I wouldn't classify them as enemies because they never speak to each other - they just pretend the other one doesn't even exist. Now, Avery must speak with Colin, she needs to take care of herself and the children. She's in for the adventure of her life.
  •  Girl Underwater is a debut novel about survival and adventure, so of course I had to read it. Books about adventures are probably my most favorite, If they have romance - that's great, but if they don't I still like them regardless. By adventure, I don't mean road trips, I mean actual survival - like on an island, dessert, wilderness etc. I really enjoyed reading this novel - Avery Delacorte does survive, I don't believe that's a spoiler because the very first chapter is of her in the hospital, and usually you can find the sample of the first few chapters on Amazon. I'm not mentioning what happens to the rest of the characters though - It's a novel with flashbacks. It's between past and present, what happens afterwards, and what happens in between. The writing is something refreshing and unique - I've read books about survival that start with the present and end in the present only.
  • I loved all of the characters.. I liked Avery because she's a vulnerable but at the same a time a kick ass heroine. Avery is a flawed character, but that is exactly what makes her authentic and genuine. People can relate to her more, they can understand her better. She had automatically took charge once they landed on the island, usually people would be numb because they might not survive - however, it's opposite in the case here. She becomes numb only when she is rescued.. The aftermaths of the disaster get to her then, I thought that was very different than other survival novels. 
  • The character growth of Avery was very interesting as well.. Colin Shea was amazing as well, he's very quiet and brooding. Finally, another male lead I have liked in months! The little children were everything to me in this novel even more than the survival and romance aspects. Their innocence and bravery really got to me. Well.. hello amazingly, cute romance between Colin and Avery. This isn't a fluffy romance, it's more on the heavier side. The means to survive bond these two characters together, and they need each other now. I did like the slow burn and the love/hate relationship between the two characters. Although, I do have to wonder, if they weren't stuck on this island, would they have still been together? This novel would make a great movie though.
  • The survival aspect of Girl Underwater was pretty fantastic, I loved reading how they tried to survive day by day - I think I learned a couple of things from this book, I shall use it IF I ever am lost in the middle of nowhere .. I did like the swimming aspect of the book, Colin and Avery are both swimmers which helps them in surviving. This is a survival story, but more than just physical survival - it does have an internal battle with Avery as well which is more of the focus. I liked reading her thoughts, and how she was coping with the stress. The flashbacks were a bit too much at times - the ending was too wholesome as well, it was rushed - I would have liked a more developed ending. Overall, I would rate this novel four butterflies. It is a beautiful debut novel and the writing is brilliant.

Recommended for fans of On The Island, Withering Hope, and Red Hill.

  • Shukran for reading this! Leave your blog links in the comments & I'll be sure to check them out & follow :) Stay in tuned pretty creatures.. 

    “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness.” —George R.R. Martin 
    femmmefatalee@gmail.com

44 comments:

  1. This sounds amazing and I am so into adventure and survival shows right now. I will definitely have to check it out!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

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    1. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have :)

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  2. Yay! I am so glad you liked it too, and I agree- it would make an AMAZING movie. Seriously, someone needs to get on that. Can you imagine how great all the survival scenes would be on screen? Who do I call to make this happen? As for whether Colin and Avery would have been together without the crash? I mean, likely not, because it really was the catalyst to make Avery start to change her life, you know? She probably would have kept on being fake-happy with Lee and swimming the stupid 200 Free (which sucks, as an event, just saying.)
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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    1. Yes, I would be first to buy tickets for this book! It would make a wonderful movie & yes, I suppose that's how it would have been. I'm glad you enjoyed it as well :)

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  3. That does sound amazing!!! I think I only read one book about survival and it was On The Island, I hardly call it survival tho because it seemed more of a romance between a 30 year old and an 18 yr old HAHA How about Red Hill by McGuire, it sounds like a survival too. Have you heard of it? Btw thanks for sharing this lovely review, It sounds adventurous!!! I'm going to be reading this soon. ;)

    www.lite-rate-ture.com

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    1. Thank you Chyna! <3 I actually loved On The Island, but I do agree that is more romance driven than the actual survival. I haven't heard of Red Hill, but I just added it to my TBR so I shall check it out soon :) Hope you enjoy this read as much as I have!

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  4. This sounds like a great read! I love it when the relationship begins with that love/hate vibe!! Fab review!

    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

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  5. I love survival stories. I love stories with flashbacks. I love unique writing. Rushed endings are pretty disappointing but this book just sounds so good to pass. I'm adding it to my tbr list. Great review! :)

    czai @ the Blacksheep Project

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    1. I hope you enjoy this one Czai :) Thank you for dropping by ♥

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  6. It sounds like a good book. I tend to typically enjoy books with flashbacks. I like seeing glimpses of the characters lives before the events of the story take place.

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    1. Yes, this is one of the few books where I have actually liked the flashbacks ♥

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  7. I like reading books that you can apply to real life (loosely or largely). Life is about surviving each day. Swimmers do know about keeping your head above water, after all.

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    1. This was a wonderful novel, it's an example of realism ♥

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  8. Oh looks like your redesigning your blog, it changed again since last time I was here, it looks great! I never heard of this book before and I like the sounds of the survival element. Although I don't always like flashbacks, it really depends on how it is written, but it sounds like it's done well in this book. I lvoe a slow burn romance, so that part sounds good to me. Great review!

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    1. Yes, I added a header in, thank you Lola ♥ I really liked this one, the flashbacks were executed well for the most part.

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  9. This sounds absolutely amazing Benish, I'm a big fan of survival books too, probably why I enjoy apocalyptic so much. I love that it was more than the physical struggle to survive as well, but sounds as though the ending let the storyline down a little. Lovely review Benish, going to check this one out and add it to my TBR <3

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    1. YAY<3 I'm glad you like the sound of this one, the plot and overall concept was pretty fantastic though. I hope you enjoy this one :)

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  10. I have never heard of this book before, but it sounds amazing, Benish! I love the sound of the characters. Flawed characters are always so realistic. I also love the sound of the romance. I need to check this out.
    Lovely review!

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have Nick :) Thank you ♥

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  11. Sometimes the whole flashbacks thing gets old real fast. But Happy this was a good one for you.

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  12. This sounds like a great book and I think I might try it myself. I also like survival novels and sometimes get really disappointed when the survival element is too little included. But it doesn't seem like it will be like that when it comes to this one! And I think the novel has an amazing cover as well. Love it <3

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    1. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have Olivia ! :)

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  13. This sounds so good! I love that there's a survival aspect to it and that you found Avery to be a bad ass main character! I'm not a huge fan of lots of flash backs either, but this sounds so good! Thanks for the great review Benish! :)

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  14. I love real flawed characters, it's what makes them real, and obviously with this type of one, it's going to have to be. The romance sounds great, but shame about that ending, I hate it when they're rushed. :(

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    1. Yes, rushed endings really bother me sometimes, although it's not too bad in this novel.

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  15. Great post overall - I love your writing style.

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  16. I haven't read a survival novel in a very long time, but this one sounds SO interesting, I'd like to get it and read it ASAP, in spite of what you've said about the rushed ending. I love that both main characters are swimmers. I've never actually read a survival story in which this was true.

    In short, this novel has definitely intrigued me, thanks to your detailed review!! I'm shelving it on Goodreads right away!! Thanks for your thoughts!! :)

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    1. Thank you Maria! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have, I loved On The Island as well - you should so check it out! <3

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  17. Oh wow, this book sounds so overwhelming, but sounds so cool too. Thanks for putting this under my radar. Adding to my TBR! Wonderful review, Benish!

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    1. Thank you Blessie for the love on my posts x this was a wonderful book & it's defo. worth experiencing :)

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  18. You had me at amazingly cute romance. I think I need to add this one to my TBR pile! :D

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  19. You had me at amazingly cute romance. I think I need to add this one to my TBR pile! :D

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  20. Such a gorgeous cover, and I love the sound of this! I'm all for adventure with a cute romance as a bonus! So many of the books I've read lately seem to have had rushed endings -- that's one drawback, but you've given me plenty to love about this one so on the TBR it goes. Awesome review <3

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    1. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I have, thank you for stopping by :)

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  21. It is good to see the main characters had a common interest in swimming. Nice review!!

    Naomi @ Nomi’s Paranormal Palace

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  22. Great review. Being a swimmer myself (once upon a time) I really loved this book- especially with the added bit of romance. Survival books are always some of my favourites too! Thank-you :)

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    1. I'm glad you could enjoy it as well :)

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