A review by lovelymisanthrope
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I was very intrigued to pick up this book, and I have had it on my radar for years. This is my first book I have read from Paula Hawkins, and I was, unfortunately, quite underwhelmed. This story did not do anything wrong; I just do not think the story was for me.
"Into the Water" follows a teenage girl grappling with the death of her mother. Her mother was found drowned in the river that cuts through the town, the same river that another young girl was found drowned in earlier that same summer. Now an investigation is uncovering the plethora of deaths by drowning that have occurred in the river's sinister history. Can they uncover what is really happening and seek justice for all the lives lost? 
I really enjoyed following the many timelines in this story, and I loved seeing how all the drownings come together. My problem with this story was that I just did not connect with the writing, and I could not connect with the characters. With such an ominous body of water, I was expecting a story that was very atmospheric, but I did not feel sucked into this story. 
I will try to pick up another Paula Hawkins in the future, and hopefully I can connect better with that one!
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