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5th out of 42 books
—
46 voters
Sink or Swim
by
Stacy Juba (Goodreads Author)
When reality TV turns to murder, it's sink, swim or die. Ambitious personal trainer Cassidy Novak has gained national fame for starring on Sink or Swim, nicknamed SOS, a hit reality game show set aboard a Tall Ship. She hopes the prize money will help to launch her dream of owning a chain of fitness centers. Not only does she lose the competition and have to walk the plank...more
Paperback, 248 pages
Published
January 1st 2011
by Mainly Murder Press
(first published December 15th 2010)
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Good thing that summer is just around the corner because you’ll want to add Stacy Juba’s mystery Sink or Swim to your vacation list. It’s a fun, relaxing read. The reluctant sleuth, Cassidy, is the runner-up on a reality show called Sink or Swim, where the contestants are crew members on a tall ship. When a contestant is voted off, he or she has to walk the plank. It’s a clever set up that pulls you in right from the start.
When Cassidy returns home, her life is not the same as what she’d left. S...more
When Cassidy returns home, her life is not the same as what she’d left. S...more
Cassidy Novak loses on a reality television show to return home to find out that she has won the attention of a stalker who begins to send her letters and gifts. She has dreams of opening up a nationwide chain of exercise studios and hopes that the exposure she received as the runner up on the Sink or Swim show will help to achieve those dreams, but the stalker puts a halt to her rise.
With different people entering her life at different times she had difficulty figuring out who her stalker is an...more
With different people entering her life at different times she had difficulty figuring out who her stalker is an...more
I don't watch alot of reality television, just some sporadic shows. However, I realize how they work and sometimes question what all the contestants have to go through to win. I cannot imagine how it would feel to go through all that they require to up the ratings, and then lose. Cassidy went into the contest hoping to win so she could realize her dream of owning fitness centers. She loses by five points... five measly points. Ouch! But with head held high, she walks the plank.
Cassidy is a char...more
Cassidy is a char...more
Sudden riches and newfound fame are both a notorious way to attract people trying to befriend you for all the wrong reasons. Cassidy Novak returns home to her old job after narrowly missing the big prize on a reality show. She hopes to find a way to leverage her 15 minutes of fame into enough money to start her own business. Then she discovers the downside, with people making claims on her time she doesn’t want to give, and a stalker, who could be one of many different people.
With the rise of re...more
With the rise of re...more
I received a copy of this book from the author Stacy Juba. The funny thing is when I read the first page I was reluctant to go to the second because she fakes me out. See I do not read historical fiction very often and that it what I though it was. Well considering that I really like Stacy I decided to move ahead and boy was I surprised.
Sink or Swim is a great book. Cassidy returns from being on a reality show and of course her life transforms. She is now a celebrity. Some changes are fantastic...more
Sink or Swim is a great book. Cassidy returns from being on a reality show and of course her life transforms. She is now a celebrity. Some changes are fantastic...more
You always hear how great reality TV is, turning ordinary people into celebrities practically overnight. I’m sure we have all watched one reality TV show or another. But what happens when those ‘stars’ return back to their normal lives? In Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba, Cassidy Novak fought her way to the finals on the reality TV show Sink or Swim. She is disappointed when she realizes that she has lost the show, including the million dollar prize money that would help pay off her debt and open a c...more
Sink or Swim
Author Stacy Juba
Reality shows can be hazardous to your health and welfare. Some require that you perform dangerous tasks that can cause bodily harm. Others require that you make a fool of yourself in front of millions of people. Many people are willing to risk life, limb and dignity just to win huge monetary prizes at the end. But, what would happen if you were told that losing meant walking the plank, getting soaking wet and being embarrassed in front of the viewer that are watchin...more
Author Stacy Juba
Reality shows can be hazardous to your health and welfare. Some require that you perform dangerous tasks that can cause bodily harm. Others require that you make a fool of yourself in front of millions of people. Many people are willing to risk life, limb and dignity just to win huge monetary prizes at the end. But, what would happen if you were told that losing meant walking the plank, getting soaking wet and being embarrassed in front of the viewer that are watchin...more
Sink or Swim, I was honored enough to get an advanced copy of this book and have been dying to write this review.
I started reading it and thought, wow an inside view of the life of a reality "star". I enjoy reality TV, let's see how "tough" their life really is after appearing on TV.
Cassidy has the misfortune of being the "runner-up" and must walk the plank in the season finale. Not only is she disappointed but her #1 fan is very unhappy about these results and decides it's not fair.
Cassidy is...more
I started reading it and thought, wow an inside view of the life of a reality "star". I enjoy reality TV, let's see how "tough" their life really is after appearing on TV.
Cassidy has the misfortune of being the "runner-up" and must walk the plank in the season finale. Not only is she disappointed but her #1 fan is very unhappy about these results and decides it's not fair.
Cassidy is...more
This is the 2nd book I've read by this author and I've enjoyed both of them. Cassidy has been away from home for 3 months participating in a reality show called Sink or Swim. She hopes to win the million dollar prize so she can open her own chain of fitness centers. She comes in second place by only 5 points so she returns home and goes back to work at her old job. The only problem is she now has a stalker who is sending her gifts and letters, breaking into her mom's home and also kidnaps her br...more
I admit to enjoying a few reality television series like "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Amazing Race." After the ending and the winner has been announced, my husband and I get a cup of coffee and sit down to have a lively speculation of 'what happens next?' History has shown us that even some of the winners of these shows end up unhappily, such as Richard on "Survivor #1", some go on to become 'professional' game contestants. Some, as in this thrilling and chilling novel, find themselves vict...more
I had the opportunity to read Ms. Juba's first book (Twenty Five Years Later) back in March and I was incredibly impressed with her writing so I was truly looking forward to her next book. When I was offered the opportunity to read her new book I jumped at the offer. To be honest I actually stopped what I was reading to read her new book Sink or Swim. I was not disappointed! It is about Cassidy, a fitness trainer, who goes on a reality show and finishes second. On returning to the real world she...more
Sink or Swim is a very interesting book. It seems like a pretty simple premise. Cassidy, the main character, returns from being on a reality show and of course her life changes. Some changes are for the better but it seems she has picked up a stalker along the way. But the book is not just the mystery of who the stalker is and what will happen. It's also about Cassidy and watching her grow and change during the course of the book.
I really enjoyed the character development from Cassidy. She's no...more
I really enjoyed the character development from Cassidy. She's no...more
Being a fan of "Survivor," I was really interested in reading this book so that I could get a sense of what life is really like when a reality star returns home. The main character is Cassidy Novak who came in 2nd place on the reality tv show, "Sink or Swim." Cassidy doesn't have much peace and quiet when she gets home because she is now recognized when she goes out in public.
Cassidy soon finds out that she has a stalker. That is where the story takes us.... on the trail of the stalker and findi...more
Cassidy soon finds out that she has a stalker. That is where the story takes us.... on the trail of the stalker and findi...more
Cassidy Novak has a dream—to open a private health club that will become the first in a nationwide franchise. To accomplish this, she needs money, so she becomes a contestant on a new reality show, Sink or Swim. But instead of winning the million dollar prize, she winds up back in her old life with her old job as a personal trainer. She has acquired something from her TV fame, though—a stalker. Not at all what she wants.
As other contestants from Sink or Swim die, Cassidy finds herself in incre...more
As other contestants from Sink or Swim die, Cassidy finds herself in incre...more
Sink or Swim took longest to read because it's one of those books that are really good and you want to know what happens but it just didn't have the power to keep me hooked. The plot of the story is good and it keeps you guessing. The mystery was there, but not enough to my liking, there is romance but again not enough to my liking. It is also very predicable. Overall I recommend this book because it's a good story.
Cassidy is on a hit TV series called Sink or Swim, which is a tournament to win...more
Cassidy is on a hit TV series called Sink or Swim, which is a tournament to win...more
Cassidy has come in second on the reality t.v. show Sink or Swim. Now she is stuck going back to her old job and her dreams of owning her own gym are out of her reach. Once back home, she has become somewhat like a celebrity and the local paper wants to have a reporter and a cute photographer, Zach, follow her around. Cassidy thinks it is a good idea until she starts receiving love notes from "Miles". She definitely does not want anyone to know about this and blow it out of proportion. After two...more
What motivates a stalker? And what do you do once you have one? Cassidy Novak finds out when she goes on a reality TV show. Cassidy hopes to win the million dollar prize so that she can start her own chain of businesses. After the show, she is shocked to find that she has gained a few obsessed fans, as well as a stalker.
With Sink or Swim, Stacy Juba takes a look at our reality TV craze. Whether you enjoy reality shows or not, it's hard to miss the famous and the infamous that these shows create...more
With Sink or Swim, Stacy Juba takes a look at our reality TV craze. Whether you enjoy reality shows or not, it's hard to miss the famous and the infamous that these shows create...more
You don't have to be a fan of reality TV to thoroughly enjoy Sink or Swim. If you like novels that combine the tension of thrillers with the problem-solving challenges of a good mystery, you'll love this book.
Cassidy Novak is a well drawn protagonist who is in the process of working through childhood issues while pursuing her dreams. But an unintended consequence of her participation on a reality TV show causes her to amend plans and deal with issues when a dangerous stalker forces his way into...more
Cassidy Novak is a well drawn protagonist who is in the process of working through childhood issues while pursuing her dreams. But an unintended consequence of her participation on a reality TV show causes her to amend plans and deal with issues when a dangerous stalker forces his way into...more
What an enjoyable story! I won't summarize the plot because the author and other reviewers have done a great job of that. What I will say is...outside of the cooking network, I'm not much of a reality TV fan. (I know *cringe* not a popular confession) BUT, I am very curious about reality TV and what draws the participants/watchers.
Stacy Juba's SINK OR SWIM gave me a wonderful, honest glimpse behind the curtain of reality TV--the participants and the viewers. The author obviously knows her subjec...more
Stacy Juba's SINK OR SWIM gave me a wonderful, honest glimpse behind the curtain of reality TV--the participants and the viewers. The author obviously knows her subjec...more
SINK OR SWIM does just what I want: takes me where I've never been. I don't watch those elimination live-in reality shows (although just about everybody knows what "voted off the island" means), and I had no concept of what happens behind the scenes or after the season is over.
Ms. Juba took me there. Her heroine has to deal with everyday life and the extraordinary pressures put on that life by celebrity. That would have been enough of a story, but there's more. Juba keeps raising the physical a...more
Ms. Juba took me there. Her heroine has to deal with everyday life and the extraordinary pressures put on that life by celebrity. That would have been enough of a story, but there's more. Juba keeps raising the physical a...more
Taking a page out of the popular reality series, Sink or Swim is a fun and sometime unnerving novel about the stalking of celebrities, and even pseudo celebrities including reality stars. Often, just being in the public eye for a moment can cause a tailspin. That is the case of Cassidy Novak, the contestant and second place winner of the game show Sink or Swim.
Mortified and unaware of the amount of people she has affected, she leaves the show in the most undignified of ways, by walking the plank...more
Mortified and unaware of the amount of people she has affected, she leaves the show in the most undignified of ways, by walking the plank...more
When Cassidy appears on reality TV show Sink or Swim, she attracts more than fame...she now has a love-sick stalker!
Stacy does a fab job of letting the reader get inside Cassidy's head and feel her increasing worry about someone following her every move. Pretty soon she's struggling to know who to trust, and as it starts to affect her life she takes matters in to her own hands to flush our the stalker. Sink or Swim was an intriguing suspenseful mystery with a smidgen of romance thrown into the...more
Stacy does a fab job of letting the reader get inside Cassidy's head and feel her increasing worry about someone following her every move. Pretty soon she's struggling to know who to trust, and as it starts to affect her life she takes matters in to her own hands to flush our the stalker. Sink or Swim was an intriguing suspenseful mystery with a smidgen of romance thrown into the...more
This book had two of my favorite things: reality TV shows and stalkers. I swear this book might have been made for me. The only thing that would have made me like it even more would be if the story took place during the filming of the show and not the aftermath. The plot deals with the heroine Cassidy Novak coming in second place on a reality show named SOS. She is faced with all this temporary fame and in the process of sorting through her new life, she starts getting notes and gifts from some...more
Stacy Juba is skilled at the art of writing a scene and making the reader feel the tension and suspense. When I began reading the book about a young girl, Cassidy Novak, who was a star of a reality show and then becomes concerned about a stalker, I was slightly concerned that 'Sink or Swim' would be just another forgettable run-of-the-mill story. But Juba is a professional. She has the reader right where she wants them, one minute Cassidy is concerned about her stalker, the next we are caught up...more
Tifferz Take:
I have the honor of receiving an arc copy of Sink or Swim. This is the second book I have read of hers and it will not be the last. I can't tell you how happy I am to find new authors! This was a fun mystery that kept me captivated from the first few chapters. The plot was great and the story moved right along. I found myself rooting for Cassidy she seemed so real to me.The characters in Sink or Swim were well developed with a great mix personalities. Whether you like reality TV or...more
I have the honor of receiving an arc copy of Sink or Swim. This is the second book I have read of hers and it will not be the last. I can't tell you how happy I am to find new authors! This was a fun mystery that kept me captivated from the first few chapters. The plot was great and the story moved right along. I found myself rooting for Cassidy she seemed so real to me.The characters in Sink or Swim were well developed with a great mix personalities. Whether you like reality TV or...more
With all the reality shows on television and producers' attempts to ramp up viewer (morbid?) interest, Stacy Juba has written a timely story in Sink or Swim.
Protagonist Cassidy Novak discovers that more than one area of her life is being exploited after she participates in one of those reality shows, Sink or Swim. Though everyone, including the police, take her situation seriously, Cassidy is forced to protect herself while she works to identify a murderer.
There are some lessons to be learned fr...more
Protagonist Cassidy Novak discovers that more than one area of her life is being exploited after she participates in one of those reality shows, Sink or Swim. Though everyone, including the police, take her situation seriously, Cassidy is forced to protect herself while she works to identify a murderer.
There are some lessons to be learned fr...more
The other reviews will give you the story line so I will dispense with that.
Unlike the other reviewers, I found this novel to be an average read. I did not find the characters to be interesting or intriguing. I simply did not care about any of them.
I am not a fan of reality shows so perhaps I am not the best reviewer on that topic. If you are addicted to reality shows, then you may enjoy this novel.
Unlike the other reviewers, I found this novel to be an average read. I did not find the characters to be interesting or intriguing. I simply did not care about any of them.
I am not a fan of reality shows so perhaps I am not the best reviewer on that topic. If you are addicted to reality shows, then you may enjoy this novel.
This was an enjoyable book by Juba. She took an unusual experience that most of us would not have and made a fine story out of it. The characters were ones that you would be happy to meet again in another book by her. Liked the plot because it was a little unusual and catchy. Keep on writing Juba.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
This book was pretty lame. I think the stalker came out of no where. And I really did not like the main character, so much so that I can't think of her name right now. Is it Cassidy? Well, she was stupid with so many things that she did that I kept rolling my eyes over and over again. This was a freebie on my Kindle, so no harm no foul.
Great novel having to do with the aftermath of being on a reality show. The mystery "stalker" in this book is rather predictable and the book dragged along during the middle of it. I think it would have been better if they had made the ending more conclusive in regards to the love interest and also made the mystery storyline less predictable.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book Giveaways: Ebook Giveaway: Sink or Swim by Stacy Juba | 1 | 4 | Nov 10, 2011 02:45pm | |
| love it | 4 | 5 | Jan 29, 2011 04:53am | |
| Win $50 Gift Card and Books at Sink or Swim Launch Party! | 1 | 3 | Jan 28, 2011 06:30pm |
Award-winning writer Stacy Juba is the author of books for all ages. All titles are available in e-book and audiobook formats, and some are in print also. Her adult mystery titles with a touch of romance are TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY AND SINK OR SWIM.
She is also the author of the young adult paranormal thriller DARK BEFORE DAWN, the young adult family hockey novel FACE-OFF, the patriotic childr...more
More about Stacy Juba...
She is also the author of the young adult paranormal thriller DARK BEFORE DAWN, the young adult family hockey novel FACE-OFF, the patriotic childr...more
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Feb 11, 2011 08:05pm