holinwanderlustbooks's review
3.0
As posted on: http://www.hollieinwanderlust.co.uk/2015/07/book-review-secrets-we-keep-by.html
I want to start off by saying that my rating of this book does not, by any means, mean that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the books I’ve read over the past few weeks. I’ve thought long and hard about how I was going to go about reviewing this book, because I both loved and was disappointed by it for different reasons.
The story has an incredibly interesting premise and I was immediately drawn to the description when I came across it on Netgalley. I knew enough about the novel from glancing at other reviews to know that it wasn’t going to be a happy-go-lucky kind of novel, but that’s absolutely fine with me- the more tragic the better, I’d say. We are introduced to Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel, whose husband, Michael, has drowned whilst trying to save a young girl, Kate. The story focuses on Elizabeth and Michael’s relationship before and after the tragic events have unfolded, but it is a lot more than that as well. It focuses on family and the strong ties that lie within family bases. It focuses on secrets and betrayal and how, more often than not, there is more to someone than meets the eye. The story addresses loss, longing and the realisation that sometimes you have to just give up and move on with your life.
I enjoyed the prose, I enjoyed the writing style and I loved the characters. I loved to hate certain characters, while others I adored from the start. All of the characters were believable. I found it gut-wrenching and heartbreaking in some places, and ironic and cruel in others. Elizabeth’s grief is explored in such a way I have never read before and it was tormentingly beautiful to read. I enjoyed how her grief turned, through letters, from heartbreaking to bitter to doubtful and then to pure resentment and anger, before returning back to the beautiful heartbreaking full of grief letter that had dominated the first two-thirds of the book.
Often the word “unputdownable” is used to describe books and there is not a word more suited to this book than that one. I have recently gotten out of my habit of staying up late to finish books, but I broke that trying to finish this one. It had me guessing to the very end, and unfortunately that’s where the disappointment kicks in a little bit. This is where I have difficulties in describing my thoughts, because I genuinely enjoyed the book. I even enjoyed the ending, to some extent. I just expected something massive to happen and that “something massive”, that twist that would have changed everything, just didn’t come, at least not in the way I hoped it would. In spite of this, I would recommend the book to friends and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
3.5/5
I want to start off by saying that my rating of this book does not, by any means, mean that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the books I’ve read over the past few weeks. I’ve thought long and hard about how I was going to go about reviewing this book, because I both loved and was disappointed by it for different reasons.
The story has an incredibly interesting premise and I was immediately drawn to the description when I came across it on Netgalley. I knew enough about the novel from glancing at other reviews to know that it wasn’t going to be a happy-go-lucky kind of novel, but that’s absolutely fine with me- the more tragic the better, I’d say. We are introduced to Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel, whose husband, Michael, has drowned whilst trying to save a young girl, Kate. The story focuses on Elizabeth and Michael’s relationship before and after the tragic events have unfolded, but it is a lot more than that as well. It focuses on family and the strong ties that lie within family bases. It focuses on secrets and betrayal and how, more often than not, there is more to someone than meets the eye. The story addresses loss, longing and the realisation that sometimes you have to just give up and move on with your life.
I enjoyed the prose, I enjoyed the writing style and I loved the characters. I loved to hate certain characters, while others I adored from the start. All of the characters were believable. I found it gut-wrenching and heartbreaking in some places, and ironic and cruel in others. Elizabeth’s grief is explored in such a way I have never read before and it was tormentingly beautiful to read. I enjoyed how her grief turned, through letters, from heartbreaking to bitter to doubtful and then to pure resentment and anger, before returning back to the beautiful heartbreaking full of grief letter that had dominated the first two-thirds of the book.
Often the word “unputdownable” is used to describe books and there is not a word more suited to this book than that one. I have recently gotten out of my habit of staying up late to finish books, but I broke that trying to finish this one. It had me guessing to the very end, and unfortunately that’s where the disappointment kicks in a little bit. This is where I have difficulties in describing my thoughts, because I genuinely enjoyed the book. I even enjoyed the ending, to some extent. I just expected something massive to happen and that “something massive”, that twist that would have changed everything, just didn’t come, at least not in the way I hoped it would. In spite of this, I would recommend the book to friends and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
3.5/5
thebooktrail88's review
3.0
Written by an author from the North East of England, I will be reviewing this book on April 10th as part of the book tour. Hope you stop by for a cuppa and a cake with the author too!
steph1rothwell's review
4.0
I found Surrounded By Water to be a beautifully written account of grief and betrayal. Elizabeth's husband dies tragically rescuing a young girl but after his death she realises everything is not as she thought. There are only a handful of characters in it, but every one of them was believable and had their own place in the novel. I loved Mel, detested Rufus and my heart just ached for Elizabeth.
I have to say that the first quarter of this book I read just a few pages at a time. The rest of it I read in a day and found it a lot easier to read. It's not an easy subject matter and I found it an intense but captivating read.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the copy via NetGalley
I have to say that the first quarter of this book I read just a few pages at a time. The rest of it I read in a day and found it a lot easier to read. It's not an easy subject matter and I found it an intense but captivating read.
Thanks to the publisher and the author for the copy via NetGalley
holinwanderlust's review
3.0
As posted on: http://www.hollieinwanderlust.co.uk/2015/07/book-review-secrets-we-keep-by.html
I want to start off by saying that my rating of this book does not, by any means, mean that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the books I’ve read over the past few weeks. I’ve thought long and hard about how I was going to go about reviewing this book, because I both loved and was disappointed by it for different reasons.
The story has an incredibly interesting premise and I was immediately drawn to the description when I came across it on Netgalley. I knew enough about the novel from glancing at other reviews to know that it wasn’t going to be a happy-go-lucky kind of novel, but that’s absolutely fine with me- the more tragic the better, I’d say. We are introduced to Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel, whose husband, Michael, has drowned whilst trying to save a young girl, Kate. The story focuses on Elizabeth and Michael’s relationship before and after the tragic events have unfolded, but it is a lot more than that as well. It focuses on family and the strong ties that lie within family bases. It focuses on secrets and betrayal and how, more often than not, there is more to someone than meets the eye. The story addresses loss, longing and the realisation that sometimes you have to just give up and move on with your life.
I enjoyed the prose, I enjoyed the writing style and I loved the characters. I loved to hate certain characters, while others I adored from the start. All of the characters were believable. I found it gut-wrenching and heartbreaking in some places, and ironic and cruel in others. Elizabeth’s grief is explored in such a way I have never read before and it was tormentingly beautiful to read. I enjoyed how her grief turned, through letters, from heartbreaking to bitter to doubtful and then to pure resentment and anger, before returning back to the beautiful heartbreaking full of grief letter that had dominated the first two-thirds of the book.
Often the word “unputdownable” is used to describe books and there is not a word more suited to this book than that one. I have recently gotten out of my habit of staying up late to finish books, but I broke that trying to finish this one. It had me guessing to the very end, and unfortunately that’s where the disappointment kicks in a little bit. This is where I have difficulties in describing my thoughts, because I genuinely enjoyed the book. I even enjoyed the ending, to some extent. I just expected something massive to happen and that “something massive”, that twist that would have changed everything, just didn’t come, at least not in the way I hoped it would. In spite of this, I would recommend the book to friends and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
3.5/5
I want to start off by saying that my rating of this book does not, by any means, mean that I didn’t enjoy it as much as the books I’ve read over the past few weeks. I’ve thought long and hard about how I was going to go about reviewing this book, because I both loved and was disappointed by it for different reasons.
The story has an incredibly interesting premise and I was immediately drawn to the description when I came across it on Netgalley. I knew enough about the novel from glancing at other reviews to know that it wasn’t going to be a happy-go-lucky kind of novel, but that’s absolutely fine with me- the more tragic the better, I’d say. We are introduced to Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel, whose husband, Michael, has drowned whilst trying to save a young girl, Kate. The story focuses on Elizabeth and Michael’s relationship before and after the tragic events have unfolded, but it is a lot more than that as well. It focuses on family and the strong ties that lie within family bases. It focuses on secrets and betrayal and how, more often than not, there is more to someone than meets the eye. The story addresses loss, longing and the realisation that sometimes you have to just give up and move on with your life.
I enjoyed the prose, I enjoyed the writing style and I loved the characters. I loved to hate certain characters, while others I adored from the start. All of the characters were believable. I found it gut-wrenching and heartbreaking in some places, and ironic and cruel in others. Elizabeth’s grief is explored in such a way I have never read before and it was tormentingly beautiful to read. I enjoyed how her grief turned, through letters, from heartbreaking to bitter to doubtful and then to pure resentment and anger, before returning back to the beautiful heartbreaking full of grief letter that had dominated the first two-thirds of the book.
Often the word “unputdownable” is used to describe books and there is not a word more suited to this book than that one. I have recently gotten out of my habit of staying up late to finish books, but I broke that trying to finish this one. It had me guessing to the very end, and unfortunately that’s where the disappointment kicks in a little bit. This is where I have difficulties in describing my thoughts, because I genuinely enjoyed the book. I even enjoyed the ending, to some extent. I just expected something massive to happen and that “something massive”, that twist that would have changed everything, just didn’t come, at least not in the way I hoped it would. In spite of this, I would recommend the book to friends and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
3.5/5
eileen9311's review
5.0
This debut novel by Stephanie Butland was truly extraordinary! I savored every page! It reminded me a bit of Missing Mom, by Joyce Carol Oates, in that one found raw grief as well as a prevailing mystery and touches of humor. Stephanie Butland’s writing is seamless and uncontrived. The affecting love story of Mike and Elizabeth unfolds following Mike’s seemingly heroic death by drowning. It was beautifully done – completely convincing in an understated way, and it certainly left me with a lump in my throat!
katheastman's review
5.0
Surrounded by Water* is an interesting debut but it's also one that stays with you thanks to Stephanie Butland's fine writing. She's writes beautifully, delicately about grief, and deals with it compassionately, but she's also a cracking storyteller. And here she shows us that no matter what we may believe, even those closest to us can have sides to them we never knew about, secrets they've been hiding which may only come out once they're no longer around to protect us or any others affected by them. Surrounded by Water* is an impressive debut novel and I'm looking forward to what Stephanie Butland writes next.
*Published as a paperback under the title Letters to my Husband.
*Published as a paperback under the title Letters to my Husband.
laurapatriciarose's review
4.0
Originally posted on: http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/blog-tour-stop-surrounded-by-water-by.html
It's always so refreshing to come across a novel that is written in such a unique way and Surrounded by Water was exactly this.
Elizabeth finds herself husbandless after losing him following a tragic accident where he drowned after saving a girl from drowning herself. Elizabeth is racked with grief. But then suspicions arise about what Michael was doing on that night and does Elizabeth really know the man she fell in love with.
It was so hard to read the pain and the grief that Elizabeth was going through as grief is such a powerful, hurtful thing and I really understood what Elizabeth was going through. I wanted things to turn out as best as they could for her. And when she started writing letters to Michael that very nearly broke my heart, it was so sad.
Stephanie really cleverly weaves in hints of suspicion surrounding the events that lead to Michael's death, and rather than building up and building up to it, she expresses what you as reader think might have happened through the characters suspicions and rumours going around Throckton village. The slight mystery surrounding Michael's death kept me reading on, and as Stephanie gives out ever so subtle hints, I start reading faster so that I could find out.
I think what I loved most about this was how Stephanie delicately sews descriptions of water into the book, whether is is describing a characters feelings and emotions or the events that happened.
A beautiful, but sad novel that kept me turning the pages.
It's always so refreshing to come across a novel that is written in such a unique way and Surrounded by Water was exactly this.
Elizabeth finds herself husbandless after losing him following a tragic accident where he drowned after saving a girl from drowning herself. Elizabeth is racked with grief. But then suspicions arise about what Michael was doing on that night and does Elizabeth really know the man she fell in love with.
It was so hard to read the pain and the grief that Elizabeth was going through as grief is such a powerful, hurtful thing and I really understood what Elizabeth was going through. I wanted things to turn out as best as they could for her. And when she started writing letters to Michael that very nearly broke my heart, it was so sad.
Stephanie really cleverly weaves in hints of suspicion surrounding the events that lead to Michael's death, and rather than building up and building up to it, she expresses what you as reader think might have happened through the characters suspicions and rumours going around Throckton village. The slight mystery surrounding Michael's death kept me reading on, and as Stephanie gives out ever so subtle hints, I start reading faster so that I could find out.
I think what I loved most about this was how Stephanie delicately sews descriptions of water into the book, whether is is describing a characters feelings and emotions or the events that happened.
A beautiful, but sad novel that kept me turning the pages.
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