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Left Drowning
By: Jessica Park
Genre: New Adult
Release Date July 16, 2013
4 stars 
What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?
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Goodreads Blurb
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.
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*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.
Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+
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Book Review
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The beginning of the book was little slow building. It was odd that Chris’s family was thrown in the storyline so quickly, it made me skeptical about how the book was going to end. Not give away the plotline, the author really gets her readers acquainted with the main characters by the second chapter. I really enjoyed getting to know all of the sibling characters and their little quirks.
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“Am I supposed to know who you are?”-Blythe.
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“If you’re not a big fan of the theater scene here, then probably not. When I ‘m not wooing the lady folk, I’m in the theater department. So you didn’t see me in “The Glass Menagerie? My performance was none too shabby, if I do say so myself. And I directed “A Doll’s House” last winter.” He waits expectantly. “No? Nothing?” -Sabin
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Jessica Park is really good at writing distinctive personalities when it comes to her characters. Just like Flat out Love, you know something is not right and that there are more secrets to be revealed. You are biting at the bit to find out what is going to happen. Just know that this story is nothing like Flat out Love.
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Blythe, the lead character, goes through a lot of emotions. Towards the middle of the book, a “breakthrough” happens and she starts show her true self. I enjoyed seeing that it was not just about how a man swept her off of her feet and made her feel better. Instead, the plot centers around Blythe starting to listen to how other people see her and what she is projecting to world. It causes her think and change how her actions. She learns that you have choices: how you behave, think about yourself, think about others, and making decisions is never easy, but you must make them to survive.
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I enjoyed seeing how Chris’s family dynamic unfolded. Chris thought he had protected his siblings from come crashing down on him. He later realizes that you cannot control what life deal you. it is about how you overcome your demons.
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Quotes I like about this book:
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“Shitting rainbows”-Sabin.
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“She is his rock and the reason that he is able to keep moving until he finally hears the bell ring from the house.”-Chris
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..“She has become part of him, this girl, and he lowers his hands to rest over his heart. He will keep her there always”.-Chris
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I would like to tell you that book ended with a ‘happily ever after,’ but I can’t really can’t say that. It ended the way it was supposed to end.
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“Just feel me, Chris, then nothing else matters. Belief in anything is hard, I know. But I am asking you to believe in me and to believe in us the way I do. Can you do that? Please, Chris, please believe in us” -Blythe
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Overall, I felt at the beginning Left Drowning reads kind of slow. But hang in there, it gets better as you get to know the characters and the tension starts to build. Then, when you least expect it, you go through some leaps and turns, but you will enjoy them.
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“This is an inspirational story about survival, living life, and love. It is heartwarming and enduring. You will feel the emotional ups and downs while cheering for Chris and Blythe’s families in the process.” Andrea’s Book Blog (www.itsandrea.net)
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Jessica Park’s other New Adult books
About the Author
Jessica Park is the author of the young adult novel RELATIVELY FAMOUS and FLAT-OUT LOVE, and the FOL companion novella, FLAT-OUT MATT.
.Jessica grew up in the Boston area and attended Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. After spending four years in the frigid north, including suffering through one memorable Halloween blizzard, Jessica hightailed it back to the east coast. She now lives in (relatively balmy) New Hampshire with her husband, son, bananas dogs named Fritzy and Finn, and a selfish cat. When not writing, Jessica indulges her healthy obsessions with Facebook and complicated coffee beverages.
