Tuesday, May 21, 2013

5 STAR REVIEW: "Left Drowning" - Jessica Park

*Welcome*
to my
REVIEW
on

Left Drowning
Format: Paperback
Expected publication: July 16th 2013 
Published by: Amazon Childrens Publishing




Book Description
via Goodreads:

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+





My Review:

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“SHITTING RAINBOWS!” Haha, I had to say that. I loved it! Even if it wasn’t said in the best of circumstances, I still thought the phrase was beyond awesome. And yes, you may think I am completely random right now for saying that, but when you read “Left Drowning” you’ll see exactly why I did!

There are some books that you read in life that are in a category all it’s own. Yes, “Left Drowning” is a New Adult Contemporary Romance, but it’s also a book that is so amazing it deserves more than 5 STARS. For the sake of leaving a rating, I will give this book 5 stars. If I could though, I would give it more. Maybe Ten Stars? Yes, I think so!

I do not even know where to begin with this review. I finished this book a couple days ago, and it was just sooo good that I had to take time to collect my thoughts. It was one of those books that threw me into an emotional frenzy. Even so, anything I say in this review will not be able to give this book justice. It was that good. Author Jessica Park is such a fantabulous writer, overflowing with creativity, and wit. Everything she writes is awesome, such as Flat-Out Love (and Flat-Out Matt...both must reads!) If I could be half the writer that Ms. Park is, I think it will be a success.

“Left Drowning” is a story of unimaginable heartbreak, love, and belief. There was such tremendous heartbreak from such disastrous events, that I was near tears at certain parts. The emotions in this novel are very real, and unfortunately some people really can relate to. On top of all the negative emotions, there is also so much hope and belief in “Left Drowning.” Many parts of this story were very inspiring, and I think the readers will definitely enjoy that. I know that I did.

Now let’s talk sex. There were definitely adult themes in this story, and that was more than okay since the characters were adults. I think the sex completed Blythe’s story, and without it the book would not be the same. Besides the obvious reason people have sex, it was also something that factored into Blythe’s emotional and mental growth.

Every single character in this novel is well written. They were not just names on paper. No, these characters were people that I developed a relationship with. I loved everyone, but Blythe, Chris, and Sabin were phenomenal individuals and my favorite. Sabin held a soft spot in my heart from the first words out of his mouth. I was jealous of the relationship he had with Blythe. I want a friend like that!

I thought it was amazing that Jessica Park wrote this story based around Blythe and the Shepard Family. This is something that you do not see often in books, and I think the author absolutely nailed it. I didn’t get lost with the multiple strong leads, because the point of view remained with Blythe. I fell in love with the relationship the Shepard’s had. I fell in love with their love. My heart broke to pieces for them as well.

In the middle of falling for Blythe and Chris, and the Shepard family as a whole, there was a deeper meaning to this whole novel. From the beginning, the reader is met with devastation and heartbreak. The entire story is a journey with many bumps but also smoothness in the road. While routing for a love that you just want to happen, your mind is also trying to figure everything out. This story is a puzzle that I was finding the pieces to as I went. I was guessing to myself what the bigger picture was, and was repeatedly met with surprises. I had my suspicions, and while some were right...I was way off on others.

I could go on and on about this book, but I think that you need to read it for yourself. As I said, I could never do this book justice through a review. I won’t give any spoilers, and all I can do is tell you how much I loved it. I would definitely recommend “Left Drowning” by Jessica Park to New Adult Contemporary Romance fans, as well as readers who enjoy a story jam packed with very real emotions. So go out and get it as soon as you can! You will not regret it!


Happy Reading!





Author Bio
via Amazon:

Jessica is the author of New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE, RELATIVELY FAMOUS, and the upcoming NA novel, LEFT DROWNING (July 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/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24





4 comments:

  1. Loved FOL & FOM by Jessica and cannot wait for this new read..sounds really good. Thanks for reviewing and giving us a glimpse of Left Drowning! =)

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    Replies
    1. I loved FOL and FOM too!! Those books were so crazy. I still remember my reaction after reading FOL! And it was my honor to review LD and I was excited to share it with you guys. If you like jessica Park, you should definitely check out this book when it releases. There is a lot more sex in it that her other novels, but it doesn't consume the story, its just a part of it. I loved it!

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  2. Great review. I am new to your blog and I am glad I found you. Lots of fun posts to read, and new authors to discover! =D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I am so excited that you found my blog too! It means a lot to me that you enjoy what you see. While you're here, take a look around. There are a whole bunch of giveaways going on and maybe you will win something!! In the right sidebar of my blog you see a 'cloud' of words with the title "check it out" ... click on 'giveaway' and a bunch will pop up. Some are old but you'll find all the new ones too! Enjoy and I hope you stick around!! If you follow my blog via email you'll find out about my giveaways, reviews, etc. first!

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