The thing about writing an amazing debut novel is that is causes high expectations for your next novel, right? I’m not a writer but I think that’s what happened to Paula Hawkins with “Into The Water”. The plot itself is not bad, the whole Drowning Pool concept is quite intriguing. Over the course of centuries, several women have been found dead in the river, presumably because of suicide. But the town is small and the rumors are various, did these women really kill themselves?
By the way, Hawkins works with multiple point of views for this novel just like she did for “Girl On The Train”, except that here there are a total of 10 point of views. Which is why it’s a bit confusing in the beginning, not to mention some are told in first, second or third person. “Into The Water” starts with Jules’ point of view, who is forced to return to Beckford because her sister Nel, with whom she hasn’t spoken in a while, has been found dead in the water. Although their relationship has been rocky, deep down Jules knows that Nel wouldn’t just jump and end her life — leaving behind her fifteen year old daughter. Nel also leaves behind her work incomplete, she’s been digging into the town’s past to write a book and tell the real story of those women who died so long (and not so long) ago.
To be honest, it’s a bit hard for me to summarize it briefly– I felt as if there were many small parallel stories happening all at once. Which is why some questions are left unanswered or some details are overlooked. Of course the readers can draw their own conclusions, but it’s not explicit in the novel. I didn’t like the way the story ended either, there could’ve been more information on Sean and his whereabouts and how he truly felt after everything.
Regardless, it’s still an entertaining thriller, but as I mentioned in the beginning, it wasn’t as breathtaking as her debut novel (at least not in my opinion).
Overall rating: 3 / 5
Olivine Books 