eseidner31's review against another edition
3.0
This book real reeled me in, but god was it depressing! Although it was a depressing novel I really felt Maggie's anguish and confusion, and went along on her journey with her. Probably my main reason that I can't give SURFACING more stars is because I felt that we only really got to know Maggie and every other character was just back-round noise to her pain. I also did not like the flashbacks when Maggie's sister, Leah gave her input on Maggie's life in present day. Not only did I think this took away from the story, but I didn't not like Leah's voice.
michalice's review against another edition
1.0
Just as Maggie is able to draw out other peoples deepest truths, Surfacing had a way of drawing you out of your world and into the world of the book. The beginning of Surfacing was compelling and captivating and I found myself quickly wanting to know more about Maggie and why she has this effect on others.
However as I read further my opinions changed, I felt that Surfacing was a bit disjointed, changing what time frame it was in with no apparent clue or hint to the change, going from present, to past, then back to present. The chapters were numbered, and occasionally we get a chapter from her sister, but frequently throughout the chapters we are suddenly thrown in a memory of Maggie's about the events that lead up to the death of her sister.
After finishing Surfacing I'm not too sure what to think. I think the story had a good plot to it, but the constant backwards and forwards between time lines confused things, and the story itself didn't seem to flow correctly. I would have enjoyed it more if the story was either told in a more linear way or clearly labelled so you knew what time frame you were in, failing that, then I would have liked more focus to have been on Maggie's ability to draw out others truths, expanding on this and finding out why this happens and how.
However as I read further my opinions changed, I felt that Surfacing was a bit disjointed, changing what time frame it was in with no apparent clue or hint to the change, going from present, to past, then back to present. The chapters were numbered, and occasionally we get a chapter from her sister, but frequently throughout the chapters we are suddenly thrown in a memory of Maggie's about the events that lead up to the death of her sister.
After finishing Surfacing I'm not too sure what to think. I think the story had a good plot to it, but the constant backwards and forwards between time lines confused things, and the story itself didn't seem to flow correctly. I would have enjoyed it more if the story was either told in a more linear way or clearly labelled so you knew what time frame you were in, failing that, then I would have liked more focus to have been on Maggie's ability to draw out others truths, expanding on this and finding out why this happens and how.
demirae's review
1.0
This book was okay..
It was sad through and through all drama with no happy moments to make me feel better about the sadness.
Nothing good actually happened in fact things were worse by the end of the book.
And her power was barely used and was really casual. Barely a power.
It was sad through and through all drama with no happy moments to make me feel better about the sadness.
Nothing good actually happened in fact things were worse by the end of the book.
And her power was barely used and was really casual. Barely a power.
ceruleanjen's review
2.0
Many thanks to Candlewick Press for giving me the chance to read and review this from the Goodreads First Reads program.
Surfacing caught my eye because of the swimming aspect. See, I am deathly afraid of deep water and drowning. I just taught myself how to swim a year ago, and I'm still not 100% comfortable in the water. Yet the water still fascinates me. People who can swim without fear especially interest me.
This book had a lot of potential, but it fell short for me because of the main character. I didn't hate her, but I also didn't like her. I didn't even feel like I knew her too well after the book was over. Even though Maggie has an interesting past, it felt like the author was somehow keeping me at a distance. She felt one-dimensional, which is sad because I could see the potential for this character.
I didn't understand her motives, especially when it came to boys. I also felt a little lost about her "gift" at times and why exactly it would result in her losing friends. I did enjoy hearing about her life as a swimmer--it's a POV I've always wanted to read from.
Maggie's older sister, Leah, also makes a few appearances with her own POV chapters even though she drowned several years ago. I didn't particularly care for these chapters, especially because they were written in first person while Maggie's were in third. I'm still unsure of what reading from Leah's perspective was supposed to add to the story.
I liked Maggie's best friend and her sweet love interest, but they also didn't feel as developed as I would have liked them to be. I was able to relate to the relationships between Maggie and her family, however. That felt very real.
The writing itself was beautiful and easy to read, but there were times where I had to re-read certain passages because I didn't always understand what was going on.
It had potential. If the characters had been a bit more developed, I would have liked this much better.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher (Candlewick Press) for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.
Surfacing caught my eye because of the swimming aspect. See, I am deathly afraid of deep water and drowning. I just taught myself how to swim a year ago, and I'm still not 100% comfortable in the water. Yet the water still fascinates me. People who can swim without fear especially interest me.
This book had a lot of potential, but it fell short for me because of the main character. I didn't hate her, but I also didn't like her. I didn't even feel like I knew her too well after the book was over. Even though Maggie has an interesting past, it felt like the author was somehow keeping me at a distance. She felt one-dimensional, which is sad because I could see the potential for this character.
I didn't understand her motives, especially when it came to boys. I also felt a little lost about her "gift" at times and why exactly it would result in her losing friends. I did enjoy hearing about her life as a swimmer--it's a POV I've always wanted to read from.
Maggie's older sister, Leah, also makes a few appearances with her own POV chapters even though she drowned several years ago. I didn't particularly care for these chapters, especially because they were written in first person while Maggie's were in third. I'm still unsure of what reading from Leah's perspective was supposed to add to the story.
I liked Maggie's best friend and her sweet love interest, but they also didn't feel as developed as I would have liked them to be. I was able to relate to the relationships between Maggie and her family, however. That felt very real.
The writing itself was beautiful and easy to read, but there were times where I had to re-read certain passages because I didn't always understand what was going on.
It had potential. If the characters had been a bit more developed, I would have liked this much better.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher (Candlewick Press) for this review. These opinions are my own; I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated for this review.
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