Review: Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Left Drowning

By: Jessica Park

Pub. Date: July 16, 2013

Publisher: Amazon Children's Publishing

Source: Netgalley

I received this galley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

Wow. Just wow. This is one of those reviews where it is so hard to get my thoughts and feelings down on paper. From page 1 I was intrigued about everything. The writing was so good, the characters were all just so amazing and the plot was just, wow.

When her parents died, Blythe stopped living. She goes through the motions every day but she doesn't really experience anything. Everything changes when the Shepard siblings (Chris, Sabine, Estelle and Eric) walk into her life. I loved the Shepard family! They were so beautifully broken. They had a horrid childhood, Chris experiencing the worst of it, but they loved each other so much. I loved their connection and I loved how they "adopted" Blythe into their crazy bunch. She needed someone to help her, and while Chris and her had a romantic connection, Sabine and Blythe's connection stole the show for me. Sabine is fun and crazy, but he is also thoughtful and sad. Every time he appeared on the page, he just jumped out at me.

Chris and Blythe had a very interesting connection and it ran a lot deeper then either of them could have imagined. Chris did some things that I definitely did not agree with it, but when you see what his past was like, it's amazing he isn't more messed up. Chris experienced unimaginable things, and everything he went through was to make sure his sister and brothers were protected. It was hard not to fall in love with Chris!

Blythe had a very sad relationship with her own brother, one that made my heart hurt. They were so close before their parents died and after there is nothing but awkward, short talks. I loved watching their relationship finally start to change for the better.

I really loved everything about Left Drowning. I think I am the only person left in the world who hasn't read Flat-Out Love or Flat-Out Matt, but I hope to change that very, very soon!