I have to say, I really loved this book. It drew me in from the first page and didn’t let me go until the heart-warming ending.
The first thing that struck me about Underwater was the author’s style of writing. It’s kind of sparse with short sentences, not flowery or purple-prosey at all and the vocabulary is uncomplicated. And yet the author manages to use exactly the right word in every situation so that the reader gets a fantastic sense of place and really feels what Morgan is going through.
Considering Morgan spends the majority of the book shut away in her apartment, there are a surprising number of strands to this story. On the one hand we have the way she attempts to deal with her current situation and her fears for the future, but the story also delves into the past - both into the events of last year in her high school, and also into her childhood and her relationship with her father.
And the characters. All of them were well-written and well-rounded with plenty of dimensions and flaws and merits. I loved the relationships between them all and how they all suffered with their guilt
There is some romance in this, but it’s not overpowering. When Evan was initially introduced I offered up a silent prayer to the goddess of YA novels that the author hadn’t included him to ‘fix’ Morgan. To facilitate her recovery in a way that she wouldn’t have been able to manage by herself. He doesn’t. Instead he offers her his support and affection and allows her to grow and recover on her own terms.
Plus, he’s super hot.
I mean, obviously his hotness is irrelevant, it’s all about the personality, blah blah blah. But still. It doesn’t hurt when you’re reading a book and silently perving all over the leading guy. Adds to a book’s unputdownable factor.
5 stars
I received a copy of Underwater in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books and Netgalley.