Review: Left Drowning by Jessica Park

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?
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.

This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

This has probably been one of the hardest reviews I've had to write. Every so often, you come across books that just need to be experienced. None of the things I'd say would ever do the characters, the plot, or the subject matter justice.

I might say, the book opens with a bang, and in the beginning you're not sure if you'll even like Blythe.

"It used to be fun to feel."

I'd tell you the first time you meet Sabin, you'll love him. His boldness, his quirkiness, his humor.

"...I'd think my whereabouts would be an extremely pressing issue here. Was Sabin at an all-night karaoke amusement park? Was he abducted by alien cowboy goats?"

And that your heart will break just a little when you realize he's not for Blythe.

Until you meet Chris.

Another chance meeting that pulls Blythe further into the "real" world. Whose banter is fun and flirty, and who's oh so careful to never completely cross the line. Whose presence is familiar, yet not.

"This near stranger is inexplicably giving me more safety and security than anyone else ever has"

I would mention Estelle and Eric and James and Zach. And coincidences that aren't. And heartbreak and rage and hatred and loss. And love. And that you feel those with them.

I'd tell you about how broken all the characters are, and how in their brokenness they manage to fit together like pieces of a beautiful puzzle.

I would say it's a stunning narrative of being lost and finding one's way out of the dark, of the bigger picture being greater than ourselves and more inter-connected than we could imagine. Left Drowning, is a breathtaking story of learning to forgive--others, as well as yourself--and the overwhelming power love has to set us free.

I could tell you all those things, but it would be better if you'd just read it.

About the author:
Jessica is the author of New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE, RELATIVELY FAMOUS, and the upcoming NA novel, LEFT DROWNING (July 16, 2013). She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24