Marissa can't wait to leave behind her mom and the traumatic life they shared. With Drake, she has it all figures out- until she discovers his betrayal. She flees to a desolate beach on the wild Oregon coast hoping to escape her pain where, overcome with exhaustion, she dozes off beside a log. When the first icy wave strikes her, it is too late: a rogue wave drags her out to sea.
Somehow, she survives. Perhaps that gorgeous merman she dreams of each night rescued her? Determined to discover the truth, her obsession deepens until she again risks her life in the unyielding sea. Will the creature Marissa seeks save her? Will she be lost forever in the eddies of her mind, or will Jim, her new boyfriend, keep her from falling into the abyss?
Review
Genre: YA Contemporary/Drama
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
First and foremost, people will start reading this book expecting a paranormal twist, but don't be fooled, this is not paranormal in any way. Undertow is an emotional story about a girl trying to find a reason to fight to live. A gripping novel that will send the readers on an emotional roller coaster that dips so low before the rise. A brilliant, realistic story about the power of obsession and the courage to live through it.
Marissa is no doubt, a damaged seventeen year old, becoming more realistic with each struggle that weighs her down. You feel through her, which is never an easy feat for an author. Marissa has experienced countless disappointments and heartaches, some that most people will never have to face, some enevitable. Like the ocean, Marissa is deep, dark and untempered until she finds her anchor.
The ocean motif(analogies that Marissa uses to describe things or people around her) leads you to believe that there will be a paranormal aspect(mermaids, most likely), but once you dig a little deeper, you see the importance of the ocean and the power that it holds over Marissa. Undertow will make you think, it will make you take a deeper look into the story to assess the subtle clues that are strewed without. Realistic situations, realistic characters and powerful emotions are all wrapped up in the story.
Undertow is set in the scenic, coastal Oregon. Callie Kingston ferries you to each location with vivid imagery, adding a breathtaking element to her already omnipotent novel.
Exceptional writing that transports you into the story, to experience each new development as if it were your own. I cannot convey enough how emotional Undertow is. It starts out subtle then hits you full on like a rogue wave. A story that will burrow into your mind, escape impossible until you know the ending, no scratch that, way beyond the ending. This is a story that will stay with you. Recommended for ALL readers.
Undertow is available at Amazon
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