A review by laurapatriciarose
Surrounded by Water by Stephanie Butland
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.