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Still Waters
Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He's leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they'll never forget.
But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn't seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin's dark side, and her own safety.
Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.
212 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2011
11 people are currently reading
3735 people want to read
About the author
Emma Carlson Berne
346 books145 followersEmma Carlson Berne is the author of the YA thrillers STILL WATERS and NEVER LET YOU GO (coming Fall 2012 from Simon & Schuster). She has also written the thrillers FIGMENT and CHOKER under the pen name Elizabeth Woods. She lives and writes in Cincinnati. Learn more about Emma and contact her directly at her website, www.emmacarlsonberne.com. Or check out Emma Carlson Berne Books on http://www.facebook.com/EmmaCarlsonBe... or follow her on Twitter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
November 29, 2018
Uninteresting female protagonist, Hannah, has trouble saying "I love you" to equally boring boyfriend, Colin.
Hannah finds old map with accompanying picture of dilapidated lake house. Colin voices severe uneasiness about lake house leading reader to believe there is probably tragic incident and PTSD surrounding aforementioned lake house. Hannah oblivious.
Reader learns Colin's brother is dead and family doesn't talk about it leading reader to understand tragic incident at lake house most likely involves dead brother. Hannah oblivious.
Hannah obtains map from Colin's house and takes him on poorly planned road trip (thinking it will help her say "I love you" if they are alone in a cabin together). They show up at lake house without food or a key (but okay because door conveniently - if not alarmingly - unlocked). Is dusk before couple realises there is no electricity.
Author proceeds to hit reader over head with idea that house is isolated, sinister, and most likely haunted in case reader was unaware where this story was going. Colin has immediate personality crisis. No subtlety anywhere.
Monotony ensues, Colin keeps trying to force Hannah into saying I love you (sounds like a healthy teen relationship). Colin and Hannah go for bike ride through forest. Many virginal, cringe-worthy kissing scenes. Hannah bakes a pie. Still struggles with saying "I love you" (Hannah, for God's sake, it's only your first boyfriend, get a grip!)
Colin starts falling into trances, makes references to things that haven't happened/aren't real, becomes dangerous. Hannah thinks she's at fault. Runs away in terror. Flags down truck. Gets in truck. Colin behind wheel due to Hannah's completely non-existent observation skills - it's the same truck they've been driving around in all weekend, not to mention it was coming from the very same direction she was running from.
Back at lake house, Colin forces Hannah into boat, attempts to drown her, almost drowns himself. Back on land Colin awakes from trance. Next chapter suddenly takes place in hospital. Doctor says "oh you just had a psychotic break dear, no big deal." Colin remembers everything about his family, brother, and tragic past. Hannah says "I love you."
Colin says "I can't believe it took you this long."
Hannah laughs.
...
Hannah finds old map with accompanying picture of dilapidated lake house. Colin voices severe uneasiness about lake house leading reader to believe there is probably tragic incident and PTSD surrounding aforementioned lake house. Hannah oblivious.
Reader learns Colin's brother is dead and family doesn't talk about it leading reader to understand tragic incident at lake house most likely involves dead brother. Hannah oblivious.
Hannah obtains map from Colin's house and takes him on poorly planned road trip (thinking it will help her say "I love you" if they are alone in a cabin together). They show up at lake house without food or a key (but okay because door conveniently - if not alarmingly - unlocked). Is dusk before couple realises there is no electricity.
Author proceeds to hit reader over head with idea that house is isolated, sinister, and most likely haunted in case reader was unaware where this story was going. Colin has immediate personality crisis. No subtlety anywhere.
Monotony ensues, Colin keeps trying to force Hannah into saying I love you (sounds like a healthy teen relationship). Colin and Hannah go for bike ride through forest. Many virginal, cringe-worthy kissing scenes. Hannah bakes a pie. Still struggles with saying "I love you" (Hannah, for God's sake, it's only your first boyfriend, get a grip!)
Colin starts falling into trances, makes references to things that haven't happened/aren't real, becomes dangerous. Hannah thinks she's at fault. Runs away in terror. Flags down truck. Gets in truck. Colin behind wheel due to Hannah's completely non-existent observation skills - it's the same truck they've been driving around in all weekend, not to mention it was coming from the very same direction she was running from.
Back at lake house, Colin forces Hannah into boat, attempts to drown her, almost drowns himself. Back on land Colin awakes from trance. Next chapter suddenly takes place in hospital. Doctor says "oh you just had a psychotic break dear, no big deal." Colin remembers everything about his family, brother, and tragic past. Hannah says "I love you."
Colin says "I can't believe it took you this long."
Hannah laughs.
...
November 23, 2011
Let's see if I can sum up this book in two short paragraphs:
The concept behind Still Waters reminded me a lot of The Shining*, in that it's about a not-very-bright girl named Hannah who goes to an isolated lake house for a romantic getaway, and once they're there, her boyfriend Colin starts acting really weird. Except that, unlike that other masterpiece of horror, there isn't any snow. Or tension. Or creepiness.
Unfortunately, while I liked the basic idea behind the book, this very short novel could have used much more intricate plotting and better character development than simply the drama of Hannah bringing herself to tell her boyfriend she loves him. Smoothing out some of the rather lackluster writing and awkward dialogue would have helped, too. It's pretty disappointing when the most I can say for a psycyhological "thriller" is that it isn't actually a terrible book...just a terribly uninspired one.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
*Or perhaps I should say
The concept behind Still Waters reminded me a lot of The Shining*, in that it's about a not-very-bright girl named Hannah who goes to an isolated lake house for a romantic getaway, and once they're there, her boyfriend Colin starts acting really weird. Except that, unlike that other masterpiece of horror, there isn't any snow. Or tension. Or creepiness.
Unfortunately, while I liked the basic idea behind the book, this very short novel could have used much more intricate plotting and better character development than simply the drama of Hannah bringing herself to tell her boyfriend she loves him. Smoothing out some of the rather lackluster writing and awkward dialogue would have helped, too. It's pretty disappointing when the most I can say for a psycyhological "thriller" is that it isn't actually a terrible book...just a terribly uninspired one.
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for this review.
*Or perhaps I should say
December 23, 2011
I've noticed a few people compare this to The Shining. But (and yes you'll think I've been living under a rock… but… it's a very pretty rock!) I've never read or watched The Shining so to me this was all new and extremely creepy. I went into Still Waters expecting a really ominous plot with a not always bright protagonist - like your average horror flick, and that's what I got. Still Waters is fun, freaky and got my adrenalin pumping.
Hannah decides to go on a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, Colin, to his old summer home in the middle of nowhere (don't ask me!?). When they get there things take a very strange turn when Colin starts acting like he's gone mad. This is the type of story I just eat up. I love the mystery, the suspense and simply scaring myself by imagining being in their shoes. I have mixed feelings about Hannah, though. She is a fun protagonist that I was able to connect with, but I also wanted to scream at her for some of her decisions and how she can be really oblivious. I did enjoy her relationship with Colin which is awfully cute. They've already been together for a year so there's none of the drama and angst of a new love, though, there is still romance and plenty of admiration.
From the reviews I have read, it seems like we all agree on one thing - the ending could have been so much more. I had many fun, complex theories that I hoped would be close to how it ended. But the actual ending is very bland and disappointing. Some might even find it has no 'ending' at all; that the book is simply over.
So, after all this, why do I give it a high rating? Well, you know how expectations affect satisfaction? Since I had seen reviews beforehand, I knew what to expect. Even though I agree the ending is a downer, it doesn't turn it into a bad book, it's merely not as exceptional as it had the potential to be had it had a shocking twist. Personally, with the actions scenes so incredibly realistic, I couldn't help but find this book exhilarating. In fact, I was so into it that every noise I heard at home freaked me out. I had to quit reading until daytime. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat, reading like a maniac to find out what would happen next. Being a real thriller nut, it would take more than the lack of a monumental ending to make me say that this is not an extremely fun, creepy book.
Hannah decides to go on a romantic getaway with her boyfriend, Colin, to his old summer home in the middle of nowhere (don't ask me!?). When they get there things take a very strange turn when Colin starts acting like he's gone mad. This is the type of story I just eat up. I love the mystery, the suspense and simply scaring myself by imagining being in their shoes. I have mixed feelings about Hannah, though. She is a fun protagonist that I was able to connect with, but I also wanted to scream at her for some of her decisions and how she can be really oblivious. I did enjoy her relationship with Colin which is awfully cute. They've already been together for a year so there's none of the drama and angst of a new love, though, there is still romance and plenty of admiration.
From the reviews I have read, it seems like we all agree on one thing - the ending could have been so much more. I had many fun, complex theories that I hoped would be close to how it ended. But the actual ending is very bland and disappointing. Some might even find it has no 'ending' at all; that the book is simply over.
So, after all this, why do I give it a high rating? Well, you know how expectations affect satisfaction? Since I had seen reviews beforehand, I knew what to expect. Even though I agree the ending is a downer, it doesn't turn it into a bad book, it's merely not as exceptional as it had the potential to be had it had a shocking twist. Personally, with the actions scenes so incredibly realistic, I couldn't help but find this book exhilarating. In fact, I was so into it that every noise I heard at home freaked me out. I had to quit reading until daytime. The suspense had me on the edge of my seat, reading like a maniac to find out what would happen next. Being a real thriller nut, it would take more than the lack of a monumental ending to make me say that this is not an extremely fun, creepy book.
August 20, 2015
This book seemed right up my alley and I did enjoy most of the book, until the end.
At first I was wondering how they were going to wrap it up within only a few chapters then I realized...they weren't going to resolve much.
Colin still has problems to deal with such as the possible psychotic episodes he could experience in college.
He didn't get in any trouble for attempted murder.
The parents never come to terms with Colin remembering what happened.
The parents don't get in any trouble for being accessories to attempted murder.
We don't get to know if the brother is still alive or where he is if he is alive.
We don't get to find out what the weird scratching noise in the locked room in Colin's attic is.
How does Hannah explain to her mom why she never got paid for this weekend that she was supposedly working during.
This book just left too many unanswered questions. Like congratulations to Hannah who finally said she loves Colin, it only took a psychotic break and a near death experience for her to decide she loves the boy who isn't safe to be around.
At first I was wondering how they were going to wrap it up within only a few chapters then I realized...they weren't going to resolve much.
Colin still has problems to deal with such as the possible psychotic episodes he could experience in college.
He didn't get in any trouble for attempted murder.
The parents never come to terms with Colin remembering what happened.
The parents don't get in any trouble for being accessories to attempted murder.
We don't get to know if the brother is still alive or where he is if he is alive.
We don't get to find out what the weird scratching noise in the locked room in Colin's attic is.
How does Hannah explain to her mom why she never got paid for this weekend that she was supposedly working during.
This book just left too many unanswered questions. Like congratulations to Hannah who finally said she loves Colin, it only took a psychotic break and a near death experience for her to decide she loves the boy who isn't safe to be around.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 29, 2012
Have you ever looked at the synopsis of a book and been really excited to read it? Then, you read it and by the last page you are saying "huh??" because you didn't understand any of it? Well....sadly, that is how I felt about this book.
Hannah and Colin are dating. Colin is a super cute guy while Hannah is slightly nerdy and she cannot believe that Colin actually wants to be with her. On Colin's graduation night, he tells Hannah he loves her but she cannot say the words back. Colin is upset and waits for Hannah to say the words but weeks (maybe months?) later, she still can't find it in herself to utter those three little words.
While up in Colin's attic one night, Hannah finds an old picture and an old hand drawn map of a lake house. When she asks Colin about it, he gets all weird and tells her that it is the family vacation home but it is dilapidated and they never go there anymore. In fact, he tells Hannah he hates it there.
Hannah then decides that it would be a great idea to "run away" with Colin to the lake house for a weekend so she can tell him she loves him. She lies to her mom, packs a bag of clothes and then packs a bag of clothes for Colin. She doesn't tell him where they are going only that they are going away. Halfway there Hannah finally spills the beans. Colin is not happy at all and gets that weird attitude he had in the attic. However, they continue on. Once at the lake house, things get strange and Colin is not himself. It is up to Hannah to figure out why.
Okay, so here are my issues with this book:
First, Hannah is ridiculous! She is so needy and dependent on Colin and can't believe he wants to be with her yet she can't tell him she loves him? She can run away for a weekend with him, stay in the same bed with him (and let's be honest here...even though there was nothing said in the book about it, when 2 teenagers are sleeping in the same bed in a house with no adults, you are going to tell me nothing happens? Yeah right!) but she can't say she loves him. Hmmm....maybe if it takes her that long to say the words or if she really has to muster up the courage to say them...maybe, just maybe SHE DOESN'T LOVE HIM! I was so annoyed!
**SPOILER ALERT**
Then, at one point when Hannah has escaped from Colin and has run to the road (which we have been told over and over again NEVER has any cars on it) and she hears a car coming she jumps out and flags the car down and then jumps in without paying attention to the car or who might be driving it. Then she is shocked to discover that Colin is driving it and she has just trapped herself. Really?! She didn't think he might come after her?? Give me a break!
**SPOILER ALERT OVER**
Colin is annoying too. He says he loves Hannah yet all he really loves is his photography. Hannah obviously comes second to him but he's upset that she won't say she loves him. Then, he is such a brat to his parents. He says that since his older brother died a few years back that his parents don't want him anymore yet there is no evidence to support that. In fact, his mom seems to want to be around him.
Other things I had problems with was Hannah's lie she told her mom. She tells her mom that she is working for her best friend's dad and that she will be making triple pay. How is she going to explain NOT getting triple pay when her check comes? Her mom depends on that money (I am guessing she is a single mom) and so I am wondering what she is going to say when her daughter worked all weekend away from home and got no extra pay...in fact, she didn't get paid for those three days at all! It was such a weak lie.
Then, Hannah packs clothes for herself and Colin but she doesn't think to pack any food, flashlights, sleeping bags, candles, matches, etc. etc. When they get to the house they find no electricity, no food and no grocery store. Now I know teens might not think of all the necessities but as a teen, I went camping or on weekend getaways and we always packed tons of food and stuff. No food?? Did she think the house that Colin's family hasn't been back to in years was going to magically stock the pantry itself?
So, the last thing, and in my opinion, the most important thing, was the explanation as to why Colin was acting the way he was. I thought this was going to be a creepy ghost story. Well, it certainly wasn't creepy and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a ghost story but the explanation did not make a whole lot of sense. I still don't know what happened and where Jack is (Colin's brother). I don't know if Jack is dead or alive even. There was so much information that was just missing.
Sadly for me, this was not a good read. Some people may love it so if it sounds good to you, by all means read it! I never want to discourage reading but I certainly would get it from the library first so you know if you think it is worth buying.
Hannah and Colin are dating. Colin is a super cute guy while Hannah is slightly nerdy and she cannot believe that Colin actually wants to be with her. On Colin's graduation night, he tells Hannah he loves her but she cannot say the words back. Colin is upset and waits for Hannah to say the words but weeks (maybe months?) later, she still can't find it in herself to utter those three little words.
While up in Colin's attic one night, Hannah finds an old picture and an old hand drawn map of a lake house. When she asks Colin about it, he gets all weird and tells her that it is the family vacation home but it is dilapidated and they never go there anymore. In fact, he tells Hannah he hates it there.
Hannah then decides that it would be a great idea to "run away" with Colin to the lake house for a weekend so she can tell him she loves him. She lies to her mom, packs a bag of clothes and then packs a bag of clothes for Colin. She doesn't tell him where they are going only that they are going away. Halfway there Hannah finally spills the beans. Colin is not happy at all and gets that weird attitude he had in the attic. However, they continue on. Once at the lake house, things get strange and Colin is not himself. It is up to Hannah to figure out why.
Okay, so here are my issues with this book:
First, Hannah is ridiculous! She is so needy and dependent on Colin and can't believe he wants to be with her yet she can't tell him she loves him? She can run away for a weekend with him, stay in the same bed with him (and let's be honest here...even though there was nothing said in the book about it, when 2 teenagers are sleeping in the same bed in a house with no adults, you are going to tell me nothing happens? Yeah right!) but she can't say she loves him. Hmmm....maybe if it takes her that long to say the words or if she really has to muster up the courage to say them...maybe, just maybe SHE DOESN'T LOVE HIM! I was so annoyed!
**SPOILER ALERT**
Then, at one point when Hannah has escaped from Colin and has run to the road (which we have been told over and over again NEVER has any cars on it) and she hears a car coming she jumps out and flags the car down and then jumps in without paying attention to the car or who might be driving it. Then she is shocked to discover that Colin is driving it and she has just trapped herself. Really?! She didn't think he might come after her?? Give me a break!
**SPOILER ALERT OVER**
Colin is annoying too. He says he loves Hannah yet all he really loves is his photography. Hannah obviously comes second to him but he's upset that she won't say she loves him. Then, he is such a brat to his parents. He says that since his older brother died a few years back that his parents don't want him anymore yet there is no evidence to support that. In fact, his mom seems to want to be around him.
Other things I had problems with was Hannah's lie she told her mom. She tells her mom that she is working for her best friend's dad and that she will be making triple pay. How is she going to explain NOT getting triple pay when her check comes? Her mom depends on that money (I am guessing she is a single mom) and so I am wondering what she is going to say when her daughter worked all weekend away from home and got no extra pay...in fact, she didn't get paid for those three days at all! It was such a weak lie.
Then, Hannah packs clothes for herself and Colin but she doesn't think to pack any food, flashlights, sleeping bags, candles, matches, etc. etc. When they get to the house they find no electricity, no food and no grocery store. Now I know teens might not think of all the necessities but as a teen, I went camping or on weekend getaways and we always packed tons of food and stuff. No food?? Did she think the house that Colin's family hasn't been back to in years was going to magically stock the pantry itself?
So, the last thing, and in my opinion, the most important thing, was the explanation as to why Colin was acting the way he was. I thought this was going to be a creepy ghost story. Well, it certainly wasn't creepy and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a ghost story but the explanation did not make a whole lot of sense. I still don't know what happened and where Jack is (Colin's brother). I don't know if Jack is dead or alive even. There was so much information that was just missing.
Sadly for me, this was not a good read. Some people may love it so if it sounds good to you, by all means read it! I never want to discourage reading but I certainly would get it from the library first so you know if you think it is worth buying.
February 11, 2021
2,5/5. Not as bad as the overall rating might let you think. I like the way the author introduce the atmosphere of weirdest, the strange vibe, that we aren't sure what is going on but that something isn't right. Unfortunately, the author didn't develop strong protagonist to back it up and made the reader fully care about was is going to happen to them and the ending isn't quite satisfying. Could have been worst, but also could have been better, might consider checking the author other book eventually, but not quite sold...
April 28, 2015
The main character is annoying, there is very little tension and/or creepiness, and the book ends (at least the main plot) abruptly.
The writing wasn't terrible, however I never really cared one way or the other about any of the characters. Well, none if them other than the MC, Hannah, whom I considered supremely selfish. Seriously, they could've been picked up by the Death Star & I wouldn't have cared...except to wonder why Vader found them so fascinating.
I kind of loathed Hannah, which is strange...usually I just find characters annoying. Perhaps it was her clear disrespect toward other peoples homes and belongings. Or perhaps it was her lackadaisical attitude toward work. Or it could have been her selfishness in the light of her boyfriends obvious apprehension. Whatever it was I actually disliked her enough to hope she would be picked up the Death Star or Jabba the Hutt. *sigh* i cant believe i actually said that and meant it...
I don't recommend this. It was a good premise and the author has talent, but it could have been so much better.
The writing wasn't terrible, however I never really cared one way or the other about any of the characters. Well, none if them other than the MC, Hannah, whom I considered supremely selfish. Seriously, they could've been picked up by the Death Star & I wouldn't have cared...except to wonder why Vader found them so fascinating.
I kind of loathed Hannah, which is strange...usually I just find characters annoying. Perhaps it was her clear disrespect toward other peoples homes and belongings. Or perhaps it was her lackadaisical attitude toward work. Or it could have been her selfishness in the light of her boyfriends obvious apprehension. Whatever it was I actually disliked her enough to hope she would be picked up the Death Star or Jabba the Hutt. *sigh* i cant believe i actually said that and meant it...
I don't recommend this. It was a good premise and the author has talent, but it could have been so much better.
December 18, 2011
Well....that ended rather abruptly. It was getting good and intense and scary and then suddenly....it was done, everything was explained simply and that was it. I did enjoy it up until the ending, the characters were interesting, the setting eerie, and the pace(once again only until the end) was excellent. I also loved the cover, which is what first drew me to the book.
Edit: I almost forgot: "He ate manfully." Really? ...
Edit 2: After talking with my sister about my feelings on the book I am changing my rating to a two. Because unfortunately the cover isn't worth one star...
I disliked the beginning. It was obviously a ploy to get them to the house alone. Not very well done. I enjoyed the middle. I disliked the end because of previous stated reasons. Hopefully this will be my last edit.
I suppose that is all except.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQGMNa... (disappointed I could not find the real video to go with it... :/)
Edit: I almost forgot: "He ate manfully." Really? ...
Edit 2: After talking with my sister about my feelings on the book I am changing my rating to a two. Because unfortunately the cover isn't worth one star...
I disliked the beginning. It was obviously a ploy to get them to the house alone. Not very well done. I enjoyed the middle. I disliked the end because of previous stated reasons. Hopefully this will be my last edit.
I suppose that is all except.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQGMNa... (disappointed I could not find the real video to go with it... :/)
December 27, 2017
I thought this book was okay. I didn't love it and I thought the characters were dry. I got bored through half of it and the book is predictable. I just am tired of the book and I don't think I'll read it again.
December 14, 2011
Book covers do wonders to a book....and what do you know its a thriller as well. Well read on to find my review of
Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne.
Here is the summary of the book:
Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget. But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.
A creepy house, a teenage girl who can't seem to say those words (imagine it all), and a boyfriend who has a dark side...sounds promising don't you think? Well read on...read on....
Both Colin and Hannah have been together for a year and so now Colin expects Hannah to say those three words, but somehow she can't pronounce them and is still waiting for the perfect moment. Collin will be leaving for college soon, so Hannah plans a trip to the lake house Colin went to as a child without telling him. Colin would rather not ever go back to that lake house, although he isn't sure what it is that he doesn't like about it. Some things were a little off once this trip started. The roads to this lake house weren't even on a map. The house appears as if someone has been living there, but nobody has been there since Colin was last there. So something is off about the whole situation. As Collin grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Something is definitely wrong here.
As far as the characters are considered they all seems pretty bland as well as the pacing of the story. Hannah is a sweet girl, who is a goody two shoes and seems very responsible. She doesn’t lie, she doesn’t steal, and does everything she can to take care of her little brother and help to support her family. But her boyfriend's leaving town so she breaks all the rules, she steals, lies and leaves her homes for a romantic getaway with her boyfriend in the middle of no where. But she still can't say the "L" word and much of the book is based on this.
Colin is a another one who isn't very well fleshed out. The book indicated that his family is rich and they definitely did not have fond memories of that "Pine House" but even that background is on looked into as well.
The plot also left disconnected, the climax happens towards the end and even that is not don't great. The pacing was very slow, the buildup for the climax is also pretty late. And the first half of the chapters are pretty slow and mundane. Regarding the concept of the story...well that was the only thing I liked about it all and the cover....which i'd say is GORGEOUS. But yes this short book could have used a bit more work regarding the plot, and the characterization to make it work.
Here is the summary of the book:
Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget. But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someone's been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn’t seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.
A creepy house, a teenage girl who can't seem to say those words (imagine it all), and a boyfriend who has a dark side...sounds promising don't you think? Well read on...read on....
Both Colin and Hannah have been together for a year and so now Colin expects Hannah to say those three words, but somehow she can't pronounce them and is still waiting for the perfect moment. Collin will be leaving for college soon, so Hannah plans a trip to the lake house Colin went to as a child without telling him. Colin would rather not ever go back to that lake house, although he isn't sure what it is that he doesn't like about it. Some things were a little off once this trip started. The roads to this lake house weren't even on a map. The house appears as if someone has been living there, but nobody has been there since Colin was last there. So something is off about the whole situation. As Collin grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Something is definitely wrong here.
As far as the characters are considered they all seems pretty bland as well as the pacing of the story. Hannah is a sweet girl, who is a goody two shoes and seems very responsible. She doesn’t lie, she doesn’t steal, and does everything she can to take care of her little brother and help to support her family. But her boyfriend's leaving town so she breaks all the rules, she steals, lies and leaves her homes for a romantic getaway with her boyfriend in the middle of no where. But she still can't say the "L" word and much of the book is based on this.
Colin is a another one who isn't very well fleshed out. The book indicated that his family is rich and they definitely did not have fond memories of that "Pine House" but even that background is on looked into as well.
The plot also left disconnected, the climax happens towards the end and even that is not don't great. The pacing was very slow, the buildup for the climax is also pretty late. And the first half of the chapters are pretty slow and mundane. Regarding the concept of the story...well that was the only thing I liked about it all and the cover....which i'd say is GORGEOUS. But yes this short book could have used a bit more work regarding the plot, and the characterization to make it work.
"A creepy house in the middle of nowhere...definitely not a romantic getaway"
May 26, 2012
I was really looking forward to this book. It had an interesting premise. I've always had a fondness for mysteries, and there's just not enough of them in the young adult genre. I was hoping it might live up to what I had build up in my mind.
I initially like the characters. Hannah and Colin seemed to be your typical teenagers, especially when it comes to their relationship. They're high school sweethearts that are beginning to feel the stress of what might happen after Colin lives for college. Especially since Hannah seems to have trouble repeatingg that 4 letter word that Colin has already said. I'm not sure why she thought a weekend away would help cure this problem.
I disliked how Hannah behaved to get the weekend planned. Stealing and lying seemed completely out of character. It made me wonder why she was trying so hard. It's like that last ditch effort to save something you are afraid of losing. I did like to setup of the lake house. It was down right creepy how the house seemed lived in, even though nobody had been there for quite awhile. And the nearest town was weird. I kept expecting this idea that they had traveled into some alternate universe. Might have worked better that way (a sort of Stephen King type thing).
But, the truth of the story seriously left me wanting. I felt like I wasn't getting the whole story. What I felt like happened didn't quite fit with what I was being told, especially since there's an alternating story buried in there as well. In the end, I wasn't sure who to believe. I wondered if the way the story was ended was leaving it open for a sequel. Not sure, if I really want to go there.
Overall, it was ok. If you expect a lot from your mysteries, I probably wouldn't read this one. If your just looking for something to creep you out a little bit, I think this would do it.
I initially like the characters. Hannah and Colin seemed to be your typical teenagers, especially when it comes to their relationship. They're high school sweethearts that are beginning to feel the stress of what might happen after Colin lives for college. Especially since Hannah seems to have trouble repeatingg that 4 letter word that Colin has already said. I'm not sure why she thought a weekend away would help cure this problem.
I disliked how Hannah behaved to get the weekend planned. Stealing and lying seemed completely out of character. It made me wonder why she was trying so hard. It's like that last ditch effort to save something you are afraid of losing. I did like to setup of the lake house. It was down right creepy how the house seemed lived in, even though nobody had been there for quite awhile. And the nearest town was weird. I kept expecting this idea that they had traveled into some alternate universe. Might have worked better that way (a sort of Stephen King type thing).
But, the truth of the story seriously left me wanting. I felt like I wasn't getting the whole story. What I felt like happened didn't quite fit with what I was being told, especially since there's an alternating story buried in there as well. In the end, I wasn't sure who to believe. I wondered if the way the story was ended was leaving it open for a sequel. Not sure, if I really want to go there.
Overall, it was ok. If you expect a lot from your mysteries, I probably wouldn't read this one. If your just looking for something to creep you out a little bit, I think this would do it.
February 24, 2021
The book started out so lovely, though with some problems. Our couple likes each other very much. So much the boyfriend has said he loved his girlfriend, she however.. hasn't done so yet, and feels guilty about it.
Though there is no need to feel guilty, I can somehow imagine why, her boyfriend is waiting patiently, but he would like to hear it too once.
Since her boyfriend graduated, and she really wants to tell him she loves him, she decides to plan something. When she finds a photograph and a map in the attic of her boyfriends house, she decides to go there.
She tricks him by saying she needs to get her wallet, then stuffs his backpack with stuff and says they are leaving. He is at first very happy, but this soon changes when he finds out where they are going. After they get into the house, he starts to relax and they have a fun day. But the next days strange things happen. Colin starts acting strangely, eyes getting glazed over, him not remembering things and he calling her names and also he becomes violent.
In the end he even tried to
Overall it was a great book, I really loved how it went from sweet to evil and scary.
I would recommend it to everyone. :)
Though there is no need to feel guilty, I can somehow imagine why, her boyfriend is waiting patiently, but he would like to hear it too once.
Since her boyfriend graduated, and she really wants to tell him she loves him, she decides to plan something. When she finds a photograph and a map in the attic of her boyfriends house, she decides to go there.
She tricks him by saying she needs to get her wallet, then stuffs his backpack with stuff and says they are leaving. He is at first very happy, but this soon changes when he finds out where they are going. After they get into the house, he starts to relax and they have a fun day. But the next days strange things happen. Colin starts acting strangely, eyes getting glazed over, him not remembering things and he calling her names and also he becomes violent.
In the end he even tried to
Overall it was a great book, I really loved how it went from sweet to evil and scary.
I would recommend it to everyone. :)
July 6, 2016
I was actually quite disappointed with this book. It just seemed too set up. Hannah forces her boyfriend to go somewhere he really didn't want to go and there are problems. Well if she cared for her boyfriend at all she would have picked a different place to take a weekend break. Also, she's been dating a guy for a year but she couldn't say "I love you." If you can't say that after a year, its time to move on. I was just aggravated by the whole relationship between Hannah and her boyfriend. Will not reread.
August 20, 2022
Hannah Taylor is your average seventeen-year-old girl, who has a "boy-god" blond boyfriend with broad shoulders (literally the only two descriptors of Colin given throughout the entire book) that she absolutely can't believe is dating her, yet she also absolutely cannot say she loves him. Because he's leaving for Pratt on Monday, Hannah decides that what they need is to just be alone. (Because alone in a car, or alone in a room, or alone literally anywhere that any other human could possibly be seen from a distance just doesn't count.)
After spending some time together in the attic of Colin's house, Hannah finds a picture of an old house on a lake and gets the bright idea that this would be the perfect setting for her big I-L-U. Naturally, she sneaks back into the attic to steal the picture and the accompanying ancient hand-drawn map, she lies to her mom that she has to leave immediately for a huge work thing making triple-pay, dumps her little brother at the neighbor's house, begs her best friend to cover for her, and then packs Colin a weekend bag while he waits dumbly in his truck. When she tells him she's "running away" with him for the weekend, he starts driving without any questions. Not until a few hours into their drive (time is a very loose concept in this book, I should add) does Hannah finally admit where they're going - and Colin is less than thrilled. ("Why?" you may ask. Well, because he told her in the attic earlier that he hates this stupid cabin in the woods and has absolutely no desire to ever see it again. *facepalm*)
This book spends a whole lot of time trying to convince you to be creeped out. Everything is old, everything is moldy, everything is gross, everything is stained, everything is falling apart, everything is deserted - you get the idea. Somehow, though, Hannah thinks this is going to be a major romantic getaway. She envisions swinging leisurely in a hammock with Colin, lounging on the water, benignly napping together. Yet, everything that gives her the heeby-jeebies when they arrive at Pine House is... well, everything you'd expect of a super old house nobody has been to in a decade. They pack no blankets, no food, no water, no keys, no flashlights - did I mention no food???? These idiots show up at an abandoned lake house with no food. Oh yeah, and apparently there's no electricity. But don't worry - there's a can of baked beans and some saltines in the cabinet! (And the bikes in the locked shed somehow still have air in the tires.)
I just can't wrap my head around the number of stupid decisions made by Hannah throughout the story. She completely obsesses over not being able to tell Colin she loves him. She's also just a terrible person - her single mom works double shifts every day and only asks Hannah to take care of her little brother. Hannah gets a "summer job" (again, no sense of time in this book - Colin is leaving for college at the beginning of the summer? Why?) that she hates on the first day and immediately complains about to her best friend, whose dad gave her the job in the first place. She immediately bails on work and begs her friend to lie for her, even though said friend was really counting on help with the, you know, actual work. At the lake, she does the dumbest crap - leaving without Colin (and no cell service) to retrace her steps to an abandoned church in the middle of the woods during a thunderstorm, for one. Then there's also the fact that once Colin does start acting dangerously and she tries to run away, she stumbles through the woods for an hour just to hop out on the main road and flag down the first vehicle she sees - which, of course, Colin is driving because we've been told repeatedly that absolutely nobody else is out here. I just can't find sympathy for someone so completely stupid.
The ending was also totally benign. Colin drags Hannah out to the middle of the lake in a rowboat, attempts to drown her, bumps his head on the boat, and then "wakes up" and starts crying. The next scene opens in a friggin hospital room! I thought, "Maybe there's another twist coming?" No. No twist. The nice doctor comes in to tell Colin he's just had a slight psychotic break and it all makes perfect sense, nothing to worry about. Colin tells Hannah he's suddenly remembered that he watched his older brother, Jack, kill his girlfriend and then try to kill Colin when he was eleven and his parents have been lying to him about it ever since. Colin's parents admit to no such thing. Everyone goes home. Hannah doesn't tell her mom anything that actually happened. (I'm sure it'll come out when that sweet, sweet triple pay never makes an appearance.)
But you know what? It's all good, guys, because on the second-to-last page, Hannah realizes - If she can still care about Colin even though he tried to kill her, it must be real love! She tells him she loves him. *roll credits*
Lastly, I'm the type of reader who cares very much about the way a story is told, more than I care about the story itself. This book was just poorly written. It was lazily edited, with sentences like "Hannah's her heart thumped" or descriptions of Colin's hands as being "like hams, like useless pieces of meat." Eggs were described with "lemon-colored yolks," and I had to Google was a Nalgene was when Hannah "grabbed her Nalgene and went outside." (Hint: It's a water bottle. Why can't you just say she grabbed her water bottle?) As I mentioned earlier, the only descriptors of Colin given were either about how blond is hair is or how muscular his shoulders are. There's no continuity whatsoever - Hannah says they left on Friday, and Colin is leaving for Pratt on Monday. Yet they spend no less than three nights at Pine House, another night where they wake up at the hospital, and then it's the Monday that Colin is supposed to leave. Hannah and Colin will drive for awhile, and Hannah will conveniently notice (from the passenger seat) how many miles they've gone by checking the odometer. They will ride for thirty minutes on their bikes, then walk another ninety minutes to make a round trip from the house to the church and back again, but Hannah will venture out alone, thinking it will only take an hour (round trip, on foot) for her to get back again. The inconsistency drove me nuts.
This book is headed swiftly to the "donate" pile in the corner of my office. Hopefully someone out there will enjoy it a heck of a lot more than I did.
After spending some time together in the attic of Colin's house, Hannah finds a picture of an old house on a lake and gets the bright idea that this would be the perfect setting for her big I-L-U. Naturally, she sneaks back into the attic to steal the picture and the accompanying ancient hand-drawn map, she lies to her mom that she has to leave immediately for a huge work thing making triple-pay, dumps her little brother at the neighbor's house, begs her best friend to cover for her, and then packs Colin a weekend bag while he waits dumbly in his truck. When she tells him she's "running away" with him for the weekend, he starts driving without any questions. Not until a few hours into their drive (time is a very loose concept in this book, I should add) does Hannah finally admit where they're going - and Colin is less than thrilled. ("Why?" you may ask. Well, because he told her in the attic earlier that he hates this stupid cabin in the woods and has absolutely no desire to ever see it again. *facepalm*)
This book spends a whole lot of time trying to convince you to be creeped out. Everything is old, everything is moldy, everything is gross, everything is stained, everything is falling apart, everything is deserted - you get the idea. Somehow, though, Hannah thinks this is going to be a major romantic getaway. She envisions swinging leisurely in a hammock with Colin, lounging on the water, benignly napping together. Yet, everything that gives her the heeby-jeebies when they arrive at Pine House is... well, everything you'd expect of a super old house nobody has been to in a decade. They pack no blankets, no food, no water, no keys, no flashlights - did I mention no food???? These idiots show up at an abandoned lake house with no food. Oh yeah, and apparently there's no electricity. But don't worry - there's a can of baked beans and some saltines in the cabinet! (And the bikes in the locked shed somehow still have air in the tires.)
I just can't wrap my head around the number of stupid decisions made by Hannah throughout the story. She completely obsesses over not being able to tell Colin she loves him. She's also just a terrible person - her single mom works double shifts every day and only asks Hannah to take care of her little brother. Hannah gets a "summer job" (again, no sense of time in this book - Colin is leaving for college at the beginning of the summer? Why?) that she hates on the first day and immediately complains about to her best friend, whose dad gave her the job in the first place. She immediately bails on work and begs her friend to lie for her, even though said friend was really counting on help with the, you know, actual work. At the lake, she does the dumbest crap - leaving without Colin (and no cell service) to retrace her steps to an abandoned church in the middle of the woods during a thunderstorm, for one. Then there's also the fact that once Colin does start acting dangerously and she tries to run away, she stumbles through the woods for an hour just to hop out on the main road and flag down the first vehicle she sees - which, of course, Colin is driving because we've been told repeatedly that absolutely nobody else is out here. I just can't find sympathy for someone so completely stupid.
The ending was also totally benign. Colin drags Hannah out to the middle of the lake in a rowboat, attempts to drown her, bumps his head on the boat, and then "wakes up" and starts crying. The next scene opens in a friggin hospital room! I thought, "Maybe there's another twist coming?" No. No twist. The nice doctor comes in to tell Colin he's just had a slight psychotic break and it all makes perfect sense, nothing to worry about. Colin tells Hannah he's suddenly remembered that he watched his older brother, Jack, kill his girlfriend and then try to kill Colin when he was eleven and his parents have been lying to him about it ever since. Colin's parents admit to no such thing. Everyone goes home. Hannah doesn't tell her mom anything that actually happened. (I'm sure it'll come out when that sweet, sweet triple pay never makes an appearance.)
But you know what? It's all good, guys, because on the second-to-last page, Hannah realizes - If she can still care about Colin even though he tried to kill her, it must be real love! She tells him she loves him. *roll credits*
Lastly, I'm the type of reader who cares very much about the way a story is told, more than I care about the story itself. This book was just poorly written. It was lazily edited, with sentences like "Hannah's her heart thumped" or descriptions of Colin's hands as being "like hams, like useless pieces of meat." Eggs were described with "lemon-colored yolks," and I had to Google was a Nalgene was when Hannah "grabbed her Nalgene and went outside." (Hint: It's a water bottle. Why can't you just say she grabbed her water bottle?) As I mentioned earlier, the only descriptors of Colin given were either about how blond is hair is or how muscular his shoulders are. There's no continuity whatsoever - Hannah says they left on Friday, and Colin is leaving for Pratt on Monday. Yet they spend no less than three nights at Pine House, another night where they wake up at the hospital, and then it's the Monday that Colin is supposed to leave. Hannah and Colin will drive for awhile, and Hannah will conveniently notice (from the passenger seat) how many miles they've gone by checking the odometer. They will ride for thirty minutes on their bikes, then walk another ninety minutes to make a round trip from the house to the church and back again, but Hannah will venture out alone, thinking it will only take an hour (round trip, on foot) for her to get back again. The inconsistency drove me nuts.
This book is headed swiftly to the "donate" pile in the corner of my office. Hopefully someone out there will enjoy it a heck of a lot more than I did.
September 11, 2022
This was probably one of the weirdest books of ever read. I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style and a bunch of weird stuff started to happen out of the blue and there a quite a few inaccuracies or just stupid choices made. I overall found it confusing. Even with this opinion, I oddly still felt the need to finish it and ...
March 26, 2024
I read the reviews, but still wanted to try it. The reviews were correct. I skimmed through the second half just to finish it.
May 13, 2020
It’s a good book - definitely a thriller. It ended very weirdly though because everything went back to normal after Colin’s psychotic break, which I just didn’t understand
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2012
I had high hopes for Still Waters. I hadn't read a mystery in a while, and I was excited for that thrill you always get from reading a good mystery. And while I thought the creepiness was well-done and it did provide a nice change from the books I normally read, I was really disappointed by Still Waters.
From the first page on, the writing annoyed me. The sentences are choppy and the writing style is amateurish and cliched. It gets better towards the end of the book, but I still didn't like the writing.
The characters are what I disliked most about Still Waters. I know this isn't the emotional contemporary kind of book I normally read, so I shouldn't expect as much character growth and all of that, but Hannah and Colin don't even have real personalities. The narrator tells us a few things about how Hannah supposedly is, but her actions and thoughts don't fit to those descriptions at all. I never felt like I really got to know her, and I wanted to smack her for some of the stupid decisions she makes. The same goes for Colin - I think we should have seen some more of how he normally is in order to be able to really understand how different everything is at the lake house. Their relationship is pretty bland, nothing special or memorable about them. I also disliked the lack of fully-developed secondary characters or storylines other than the main one. There's Laurie, Hannah's best friend, and there's Hannah's family, but none of them have real personalities, either. Hannah's family's situation is described at the beginning, but we never hear anything about their problems again - I would have liked to see, at least in the end, whether anything changed for them.
I'm split on what to say about the plot. I liked how mysterious and creepy it is, and that's what kept me turning the pages. The resolution, though, I didn't like at all. It's hard to talk about this without spoiling it for anyone, but I think a lot of the clues don't make sense with that ending, and the ending is just very weird and unrealistic.
I don't know enough about psychology to judge whether something like that is possible, but the reasons for Colin acting strangely are really, really weird. I think the explanations are a little too simple, and I didn't like how the characters handle the secret they find out about it. I would have liked to see some kind of confrontation, to read about some lasting effect that this trip and revelation had on Colin's family and Hannah.
If you're looking for a creepy atmospere and thrilling story, you should give Still Waters a try. If you're looking for more than that, though - good writing and characters, a solution to the mystery that actually works with the clues the author gives readers, and a deeper look at what the secrets the characters find out about really mean, I don't particularly recommend Still Waters. Asides from the creepy atmosphere, I couldn't really enjoy this book.
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
From the first page on, the writing annoyed me. The sentences are choppy and the writing style is amateurish and cliched. It gets better towards the end of the book, but I still didn't like the writing.
The characters are what I disliked most about Still Waters. I know this isn't the emotional contemporary kind of book I normally read, so I shouldn't expect as much character growth and all of that, but Hannah and Colin don't even have real personalities. The narrator tells us a few things about how Hannah supposedly is, but her actions and thoughts don't fit to those descriptions at all. I never felt like I really got to know her, and I wanted to smack her for some of the stupid decisions she makes. The same goes for Colin - I think we should have seen some more of how he normally is in order to be able to really understand how different everything is at the lake house. Their relationship is pretty bland, nothing special or memorable about them. I also disliked the lack of fully-developed secondary characters or storylines other than the main one. There's Laurie, Hannah's best friend, and there's Hannah's family, but none of them have real personalities, either. Hannah's family's situation is described at the beginning, but we never hear anything about their problems again - I would have liked to see, at least in the end, whether anything changed for them.
I'm split on what to say about the plot. I liked how mysterious and creepy it is, and that's what kept me turning the pages. The resolution, though, I didn't like at all. It's hard to talk about this without spoiling it for anyone, but I think a lot of the clues don't make sense with that ending, and the ending is just very weird and unrealistic.
I don't know enough about psychology to judge whether something like that is possible, but the reasons for Colin acting strangely are really, really weird. I think the explanations are a little too simple, and I didn't like how the characters handle the secret they find out about it. I would have liked to see some kind of confrontation, to read about some lasting effect that this trip and revelation had on Colin's family and Hannah.
If you're looking for a creepy atmospere and thrilling story, you should give Still Waters a try. If you're looking for more than that, though - good writing and characters, a solution to the mystery that actually works with the clues the author gives readers, and a deeper look at what the secrets the characters find out about really mean, I don't particularly recommend Still Waters. Asides from the creepy atmosphere, I couldn't really enjoy this book.
Reviewed at http://www.paperbacktreasures.blogspo...
January 15, 2012
Charming. Just charming.
I have never read a book and wasn't able to finish it. Thats saying something.
The things that bugged me.
*The heroin is not a heroin. Her decitions are completly irrational and if that was the authors intention, I am sorry to say that they have failed. I could not distingwish the difference beetween the crappy heroin and one with issues. It didnt just cut it for me.
*Hannah was emotionless...and very selfish. Not caring that she upset so many people--her mom, Daniel (her brother), her best friend, Colin (her boyfriend)--she continued to lie shamelessly and was relieved that it was easier the more she did it. Not to mention that she was dissapointed when she got to Pine House.
*Third, the authors writing didn't paint a clear picture in my mind. I read three pages and had to go back and reread them cause I was like, "Wha....?". I rely on the words and phrases to give me immages to know whats happening. It was also very rushed on the good parts such as her brother. It was very, VERY long on the parts that wanted to make me quit.
*Another point, Hannahs obsesion with the road trip. She was attatched. She saw a picture of the house and was like, "Oh, Colin, we have to go there. It's a very pretty house! This could be our last chance to spend time together before you leave to New York! Isn't it a great idea!?" And Colin was like, "Oh Hannah, let's not get ahead of ourselves, baby. I didn't like that place and I barely remember it." and dissmissed the idea. But nooooo, Hannah goes behind everyones back, (she doesnt even tell Colin where they are going untill they get there. She even packed his bag!!!! I know I wouldn't like my bf/gf going through my stuff without permission, behind my back. Automatic dump.) lied to her mother that was counting oh her to help with her brother, AND drags her friend in. "Can you say that I'm at work and its a very long work far away from the city so that I can go on a romantic gateway with the love of my life to whom I can't even say 'Ilove you?'to? Oh, and tell your dad (her boss) that I am on vacation and can't come to work?" That, in itself, is self-explanitory.
*Whoever tells me that in the last year (the time they are going out) Colin hasn't been the least bit abusive, I'd say, "You havent read the book and analyzed Hannahs fear of when he's mad." It's fear, people. Although, in this book (or to the part that I have read) he doesnt do anything violent or threatnening towards Hannah, even apologizes for being mad, she is still irrationally afraid of him when he is mad. Alarms, anyone?
*I am not even going to go into "stealing from ones boyfriends house" or "dumping the responcibility that is her brother on someone else".
What I am going to do, is let this book Rest In Peace (RIP). Forever grateful for your death (too bad that statement applies only to me. D:*).
I have never read a book and wasn't able to finish it. Thats saying something.
The things that bugged me.
*The heroin is not a heroin. Her decitions are completly irrational and if that was the authors intention, I am sorry to say that they have failed. I could not distingwish the difference beetween the crappy heroin and one with issues. It didnt just cut it for me.
*Hannah was emotionless...and very selfish. Not caring that she upset so many people--her mom, Daniel (her brother), her best friend, Colin (her boyfriend)--she continued to lie shamelessly and was relieved that it was easier the more she did it. Not to mention that she was dissapointed when she got to Pine House.
*Third, the authors writing didn't paint a clear picture in my mind. I read three pages and had to go back and reread them cause I was like, "Wha....?". I rely on the words and phrases to give me immages to know whats happening. It was also very rushed on the good parts such as her brother. It was very, VERY long on the parts that wanted to make me quit.
*Another point, Hannahs obsesion with the road trip. She was attatched. She saw a picture of the house and was like, "Oh, Colin, we have to go there. It's a very pretty house! This could be our last chance to spend time together before you leave to New York! Isn't it a great idea!?" And Colin was like, "Oh Hannah, let's not get ahead of ourselves, baby. I didn't like that place and I barely remember it." and dissmissed the idea. But nooooo, Hannah goes behind everyones back, (she doesnt even tell Colin where they are going untill they get there. She even packed his bag!!!! I know I wouldn't like my bf/gf going through my stuff without permission, behind my back. Automatic dump.) lied to her mother that was counting oh her to help with her brother, AND drags her friend in. "Can you say that I'm at work and its a very long work far away from the city so that I can go on a romantic gateway with the love of my life to whom I can't even say 'Ilove you?'to? Oh, and tell your dad (her boss) that I am on vacation and can't come to work?" That, in itself, is self-explanitory.
*Whoever tells me that in the last year (the time they are going out) Colin hasn't been the least bit abusive, I'd say, "You havent read the book and analyzed Hannahs fear of when he's mad." It's fear, people. Although, in this book (or to the part that I have read) he doesnt do anything violent or threatnening towards Hannah, even apologizes for being mad, she is still irrationally afraid of him when he is mad. Alarms, anyone?
*I am not even going to go into "stealing from ones boyfriends house" or "dumping the responcibility that is her brother on someone else".
What I am going to do, is let this book Rest In Peace (RIP). Forever grateful for your death (too bad that statement applies only to me. D:*).
December 12, 2011
After a year of being together, Colin expects Hannah to be ready to say the "L" word. Love. He's said it to her time and time again, hoping that she would soon return the feeling. It's not often that you read about a female character that's not willing to let these three little words rush out her her mouth the first chance she gets. Instead, Hannah plans a surprise vacation to the cabin that Colin's family owned. Colin doesn't seem too eager, especially when she spills where they're going while they're more than half way to the Pine House. Something doesn't seem quite right when they can't even locate the cabin on Google Maps.
Deep inside the woods, the cabin sits aside a large lake and to their surprise, the door is unlocked when they reach to open it. Though you can tell the no one's been here for years, it does look as though Colin's family had left in a hurry. Colin's mood transformed into something actually enjoyable once they set foot in the musty old place.
I have to say that I enjoyed the relationship between the two. Though he was leaving for college at the end of the summer, they seemed like the type of couple that would last. Soon, the trip that Hannah wanted to make their last hurrah turned into a disaster. The closest town was about 25 miles away and everything was eerily deserted other than an old diner where the locals stared at Colin as if they knew something Hannah didn't. Perhaps the cabin had something to do with the death of Colin's older brother after all...
The weird thing is that Colin isn't quite acting right. He'd have episodes, as if he were sleepwalking during the day. Hannah knew something was off, but she's known him for a year. He's just going through something. Not sleeping well, perhaps. After the huge storm is when everything changes completely. Colin turns into her worst nightmare and she's trapped at the cabin without a phone and a way to get out.
Seriously, I shouldn't have read the last half of this book at 5:30 in the morning in the darkness. Emma Carlson Berne really knows how to get your imagination working with the descriptions she uses to explain what's going on with Colin. I don't think I've ever been so creeped out reading a book, but I loved those creepy parts the most. The book was enjoyable because no matter how much I tried to guess what was going to happen at the end, I was never able to. This is definitely a book you want to dig into.
Deep inside the woods, the cabin sits aside a large lake and to their surprise, the door is unlocked when they reach to open it. Though you can tell the no one's been here for years, it does look as though Colin's family had left in a hurry. Colin's mood transformed into something actually enjoyable once they set foot in the musty old place.
I have to say that I enjoyed the relationship between the two. Though he was leaving for college at the end of the summer, they seemed like the type of couple that would last. Soon, the trip that Hannah wanted to make their last hurrah turned into a disaster. The closest town was about 25 miles away and everything was eerily deserted other than an old diner where the locals stared at Colin as if they knew something Hannah didn't. Perhaps the cabin had something to do with the death of Colin's older brother after all...
The weird thing is that Colin isn't quite acting right. He'd have episodes, as if he were sleepwalking during the day. Hannah knew something was off, but she's known him for a year. He's just going through something. Not sleeping well, perhaps. After the huge storm is when everything changes completely. Colin turns into her worst nightmare and she's trapped at the cabin without a phone and a way to get out.
Seriously, I shouldn't have read the last half of this book at 5:30 in the morning in the darkness. Emma Carlson Berne really knows how to get your imagination working with the descriptions she uses to explain what's going on with Colin. I don't think I've ever been so creeped out reading a book, but I loved those creepy parts the most. The book was enjoyable because no matter how much I tried to guess what was going to happen at the end, I was never able to. This is definitely a book you want to dig into.
January 15, 2012
I was very disappointed after reading this book. Some have said it reminds them of the "Shinning" which in some elements holds true, but actually all they share in common is an isolated house and something happens to the lead male character. What this book suffered from the most was believability. Let me explain, for those of you who don't want spoilers I'll still try to respect that but just in case...
SPOILERS
What I didn't believe about this book:
1.That Hannah really liked photography. This didn't seem like an important element to the story; it should have been with all the time spent on it, but it wasn't.
2.That Hannah actually thought she was going to get away with her lie. She obviously wasn't going to bring home tons of cash like she promised. She supposed to be a loving, caring daughter. I understand that she wanted to get away from it all with her boyfriend, but that lie was horrible and there was no way that she wasn't going to have to tell the truth later.
3.That after Colin found out where they were going and he really didn't want to that he still went and after seeing his discomfort supposed loving girlfriend Hannah still pushed him to go there and not somewhere else.
4.There was still running water in the house.
5.That they would eat expired food and not get sick. Why didn't they bring their own food?
6.All that stuff about Jack.
7.That Jack was real (now that would have made for a cool plot twist).
8.That Hannah didn't try running away (but wait you say, she did. Yeah and didn't realize whose vehicle she was getting into? Really? Is Hannah supposed to be dumb?)
9.The Ending. The whole abrupt thing, didn't believe, didn't buy it, didn't like it.
Now you might think some of the things I didn't believe about the book were stupid. Obviously it's a fiction book, but if you start to question on thing,then it all snowballs from there.
What also bothered me was the timeline. They left on Friday and were going to be back on Sunday right? Unless I misread something, they were gone for too many days or maybe based on the fact that the main characters spent so much time sleeping, I got confused. The whole last part of the book was rushed; I'm not sure if more pages would have helped this book, but by the time Colin goes into "Johnny mode" the book was over. And then that ending, ugh the ending!! When I was done I seriously couldn't figure out why I wasted my time reading it.
This book wasn't creepy, just disappointing.
SPOILERS
What I didn't believe about this book:
1.That Hannah really liked photography. This didn't seem like an important element to the story; it should have been with all the time spent on it, but it wasn't.
2.That Hannah actually thought she was going to get away with her lie. She obviously wasn't going to bring home tons of cash like she promised. She supposed to be a loving, caring daughter. I understand that she wanted to get away from it all with her boyfriend, but that lie was horrible and there was no way that she wasn't going to have to tell the truth later.
3.That after Colin found out where they were going and he really didn't want to that he still went and after seeing his discomfort supposed loving girlfriend Hannah still pushed him to go there and not somewhere else.
4.There was still running water in the house.
5.That they would eat expired food and not get sick. Why didn't they bring their own food?
6.All that stuff about Jack.
7.That Jack was real (now that would have made for a cool plot twist).
8.That Hannah didn't try running away (but wait you say, she did. Yeah and didn't realize whose vehicle she was getting into? Really? Is Hannah supposed to be dumb?)
9.The Ending. The whole abrupt thing, didn't believe, didn't buy it, didn't like it.
Now you might think some of the things I didn't believe about the book were stupid. Obviously it's a fiction book, but if you start to question on thing,then it all snowballs from there.
What also bothered me was the timeline. They left on Friday and were going to be back on Sunday right? Unless I misread something, they were gone for too many days or maybe based on the fact that the main characters spent so much time sleeping, I got confused. The whole last part of the book was rushed; I'm not sure if more pages would have helped this book, but by the time Colin goes into "Johnny mode" the book was over. And then that ending, ugh the ending!! When I was done I seriously couldn't figure out why I wasted my time reading it.
This book wasn't creepy, just disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
December 16, 2011I knew when I first read the description of Still Waters that I wanted to read it. Those few paragraphs on the back of the book let me know that Still Waters would be one creepy book, and wow was I right.
Still Waters takes a while to actually get scary, and for the majority of the book is a descriptive story of two teenagers on a getaway to a cryptic old cabin. But eventually, the pace of Still Waters crescendos and is from there on out un-put-down-able. I haven’t read many thrillers or horror books in the young adult realm, but after reading Still Waters I would definitely like to see more.
Emma Carlson Berne’s writing style doesn’t particularly stand out to me, though I did quite enjoy it. It’s descriptive without being overly so, and really makes me feel like I’m living in the story. Berne’s writing definitely made Still Waters that much more enjoyable, even if it didn’t stand out much to me.
The characters featured in Still Waters were definitely my least favorite part of the book. I didn’t agree with most of their choices, and really had a hard time connecting to them. Hannah is a little too innocent, and isn’t strong when I wish she would be. Oh, let me just say the way she reacted at the very end of the book was just… let’s just say, I don’t see how anyone could make that choice. Colin I just flat-out disliked. Even when we first meet him, I didn’t find anything likable about him, and of course from there on out he just gets worse. Of course, Hannah and Colin being the way that they are made Still Waters what it is, and it definitely would not be the same book with a stronger heroine and a more charming love interest.
Still Waters was a thrilling, creepy book that was enjoyable and might even be giving me nightmares. Even though I didn’t like all aspects of it, I am glad I read it, especially since it was something very different than the books I usually read.
Still Waters takes a while to actually get scary, and for the majority of the book is a descriptive story of two teenagers on a getaway to a cryptic old cabin. But eventually, the pace of Still Waters crescendos and is from there on out un-put-down-able. I haven’t read many thrillers or horror books in the young adult realm, but after reading Still Waters I would definitely like to see more.
Emma Carlson Berne’s writing style doesn’t particularly stand out to me, though I did quite enjoy it. It’s descriptive without being overly so, and really makes me feel like I’m living in the story. Berne’s writing definitely made Still Waters that much more enjoyable, even if it didn’t stand out much to me.
The characters featured in Still Waters were definitely my least favorite part of the book. I didn’t agree with most of their choices, and really had a hard time connecting to them. Hannah is a little too innocent, and isn’t strong when I wish she would be. Oh, let me just say the way she reacted at the very end of the book was just… let’s just say, I don’t see how anyone could make that choice. Colin I just flat-out disliked. Even when we first meet him, I didn’t find anything likable about him, and of course from there on out he just gets worse. Of course, Hannah and Colin being the way that they are made Still Waters what it is, and it definitely would not be the same book with a stronger heroine and a more charming love interest.
Still Waters was a thrilling, creepy book that was enjoyable and might even be giving me nightmares. Even though I didn’t like all aspects of it, I am glad I read it, especially since it was something very different than the books I usually read.
April 25, 2012
So…Still Waters. I had some issues with this one, beginning with Hannah herself. I didn’t understand her propensity for lying, and I didn’t understand her kind of infantalized treatment by her mother. For someone who had graduated from high school it struck me as kind of odd that she’d have to beg and plead to be allowed to go out of town FOR WORK (which, granted, was a lie…but still). Maybe my parents were just more easygoing than I thought? While it was nice to see some actual parenting in a YA book, this one just seemed to go crazy far in the opposite direction. While so many YA book parents are disinterested at best and neglectful at worst, Hannah’s mom seemed to be almost insanely hovering. And Hanna herself was kind of fussy. So meh, I already was struggling before the book really picked up.
In terms of the action in the book, I did find it to be tense. Not scary, but tense at times. I found the situation with Colin to be kind of convoluted and I would have liked more answers about what, exactly, happened – both in the present and in the past. It was explained, but not to a degree that I would have liked. And at only 212 pages, I felt like the book could have easily been a bit longer and cleared up a few things.
Still Waters isn’t a bad book, it just didn’t work for me. It suffered from the dreaded “I can’t get over not liking the main character” thing and since I didn’t really like Colin all that much either, that was hard for me to get past. I never found a connection to any of the characters and that kind of kept me at arms length, too detached to really care about the characters.
2.75/5 Stars
In terms of the action in the book, I did find it to be tense. Not scary, but tense at times. I found the situation with Colin to be kind of convoluted and I would have liked more answers about what, exactly, happened – both in the present and in the past. It was explained, but not to a degree that I would have liked. And at only 212 pages, I felt like the book could have easily been a bit longer and cleared up a few things.
Still Waters isn’t a bad book, it just didn’t work for me. It suffered from the dreaded “I can’t get over not liking the main character” thing and since I didn’t really like Colin all that much either, that was hard for me to get past. I never found a connection to any of the characters and that kind of kept me at arms length, too detached to really care about the characters.
2.75/5 Stars
December 28, 2011
I have wanted to read this book for a while so I was super pleased to get a copy from my friend at Christmas. This book was only small so I knew it would not take me to long to read so I started the book as soon as I got it.
The story starts with you really getting to know Hannah. Hannah is normally a good and honest girl that spends her time helping her mum look after her little brother and being with her boyfriend Colin. Colin is a smart guy that you could see picking any girl he wants but he sees something in Hannah that makes them a brilliant match. I did find I had points that I struggled for starters there was times I felt that parts of the story are dead there is no real interested. I spent a lot of time wondering when the good stuff would happen....It was over half way through when thing really picked up and a series of strange events lead to the books climax and while I really enjoyed this really well thought out last bit of the book there was just too many points over the book that I felt like giving up. I am glad that I read the book and Hannah was a great character that surprises you at the end but for me I felt more was needed in the book.
This book was really not my kind of read but my review is based on me just because I did not like it does not mean you well be the same.
2 stars
The story starts with you really getting to know Hannah. Hannah is normally a good and honest girl that spends her time helping her mum look after her little brother and being with her boyfriend Colin. Colin is a smart guy that you could see picking any girl he wants but he sees something in Hannah that makes them a brilliant match. I did find I had points that I struggled for starters there was times I felt that parts of the story are dead there is no real interested. I spent a lot of time wondering when the good stuff would happen....It was over half way through when thing really picked up and a series of strange events lead to the books climax and while I really enjoyed this really well thought out last bit of the book there was just too many points over the book that I felt like giving up. I am glad that I read the book and Hannah was a great character that surprises you at the end but for me I felt more was needed in the book.
This book was really not my kind of read but my review is based on me just because I did not like it does not mean you well be the same.
2 stars
December 24, 2011
I love YA thrillers specifically because you know there is always some romance mixed in there. This was no exception to the rule. Hannah and her boyfriend are both pretty starry eyed and they can both ooze with romance at different times. Then comes the thriller part, Hannah acts “unlike” herself by planning the trip to the lake house – which is completely out of character for her, but she’s not the one we are worried about. It’s when Colin acts nothing like himself that it starts to get weird. However, Hannah, blinded as she might be, seems not to take notice of this for far too long and goes on to say that everything started on the weird track much later than it actually did. The thing I didn’t like about this story was the way Hannah easily justified Colin’s actions over and over. All the while I sat there and told her she should run…just run…get away…but once she thought about listening to little old me it was of course too late. So more thrills ensue. The ending was along the lines of what I expected but with more depth and reasoning behind it than I had imagined. Berne does have a knack for the thriller and I hope to read more by her soon!
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
March 30, 2012
Let me start off by saying that this book to me seem like a poor rip-off of the The Shining. Being that I am a Maine Native we love our Stephen King and this book just didn’t make the grade. Still Waters too me was a pretty cover but once you opened it and began reading it wasn’t so pretty anymore.
Still Waters is about Hannah who is planning a romantic weekend getaway with her boyfriend Colin in an old family cabin. Once they get there things start to not feel right and Colin begins to become more and more unstable the longer they are there. Hannah soon discovers things are not as perfect as they seem.
All in all this book just wasn’t that great. The ideas behind it have been done before and have been done much better. Everything was a bit cliché for me. The book is a relatively short quick read which was a plus. I really didn’t connect with any of the characters or the story. This story had the potential to be a good book and maybe if it was a bit longer and things were explored a little bit more it could have been a great read. I will probably try this author again because I did see potential but I just couldn’t find much to like about this book.
Still Waters is about Hannah who is planning a romantic weekend getaway with her boyfriend Colin in an old family cabin. Once they get there things start to not feel right and Colin begins to become more and more unstable the longer they are there. Hannah soon discovers things are not as perfect as they seem.
All in all this book just wasn’t that great. The ideas behind it have been done before and have been done much better. Everything was a bit cliché for me. The book is a relatively short quick read which was a plus. I really didn’t connect with any of the characters or the story. This story had the potential to be a good book and maybe if it was a bit longer and things were explored a little bit more it could have been a great read. I will probably try this author again because I did see potential but I just couldn’t find much to like about this book.
March 31, 2012
**Spoiler Free**
I have a Vlog coming up on my channel for this book and I think I explain it better
in the video. This book was very similar to "The Shining" (1980) starring Jack Nicholson with the story line of going away to an isolated area and the male character going crazy. Hannah, our protagonist, didn't have a backbone. If someone tried to kill her, she'd probably be dead within a minute. Hannah is pretty much "Wendy Torrance" from The Shining but at least Wendy had balls in parts of the film. The ending was anticlimactic and made me go "Wow. So I went through this entire book to be given this?" and the reason I gave the book 3 stars was because it definitely had potential, but it plummeted. If you think you'll enjoy it, then please go check it out. But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
If you would like something similar to this book, read "The Best Friend" by R.L. Stine
or watch "Fear" starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon.
-R.D.
I have a Vlog coming up on my channel for this book and I think I explain it better
in the video. This book was very similar to "The Shining" (1980) starring Jack Nicholson with the story line of going away to an isolated area and the male character going crazy. Hannah, our protagonist, didn't have a backbone. If someone tried to kill her, she'd probably be dead within a minute. Hannah is pretty much "Wendy Torrance" from The Shining but at least Wendy had balls in parts of the film. The ending was anticlimactic and made me go "Wow. So I went through this entire book to be given this?" and the reason I gave the book 3 stars was because it definitely had potential, but it plummeted. If you think you'll enjoy it, then please go check it out. But I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
If you would like something similar to this book, read "The Best Friend" by R.L. Stine
or watch "Fear" starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon.
-R.D.
January 6, 2012
The review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews
Everyone is comparing this book to The Shining, but since I've never watched or read The Shining, I don't see that.
I disliked Hannah instantly. The idea of having a romantic getaway with your boyfriend before he leaves for college is good, but the idea of taking him to a cabin in the middle of no where that he has expressed his hatred for? Dumb idea. But I kept reading anyway because it was interesting enough and I wanted to see where it went. It was creepy and eerie and just plain weird at some points. I see a lot of people complaining about the ending, but I didn't find any fault in that. My issue is this should have been longer. It's a scant 200 pages and that just doesn't feel like enough for good character developement and definitely not enough for that specific plot.
Everyone is comparing this book to The Shining, but since I've never watched or read The Shining, I don't see that.
I disliked Hannah instantly. The idea of having a romantic getaway with your boyfriend before he leaves for college is good, but the idea of taking him to a cabin in the middle of no where that he has expressed his hatred for? Dumb idea. But I kept reading anyway because it was interesting enough and I wanted to see where it went. It was creepy and eerie and just plain weird at some points. I see a lot of people complaining about the ending, but I didn't find any fault in that. My issue is this should have been longer. It's a scant 200 pages and that just doesn't feel like enough for good character developement and definitely not enough for that specific plot.
March 19, 2013
This was the type of book that I like to call, a cool-glass-of-lemonade book. It's short, fast, that easy read that you finish within a day. It's a spooky, mystery with a little romance mixed in.
As you can probably tell, I'm more of a 600+ page paranormal romance kinda girl, but this was a nice change of pace. The suspense was pretty good, and it built up towards the end. And I was actually pretty impressed with the character development. Hannah was an instantly likeable girl, she was torn between who she was, and her loyalty to her boyfriend.
I just wish it was longer. The ending was pretty abrupt, and I was actually looking forward to seeing what came next. (I hate stand alone novels, I hate that feeling you get when your never going to hear from certain characters again.) But I liked this book, this was me coming out of my comfort zone, well, kind of. It still had romance in it :D
Carry on,
Bria
As you can probably tell, I'm more of a 600+ page paranormal romance kinda girl, but this was a nice change of pace. The suspense was pretty good, and it built up towards the end. And I was actually pretty impressed with the character development. Hannah was an instantly likeable girl, she was torn between who she was, and her loyalty to her boyfriend.
I just wish it was longer. The ending was pretty abrupt, and I was actually looking forward to seeing what came next. (I hate stand alone novels, I hate that feeling you get when your never going to hear from certain characters again.) But I liked this book, this was me coming out of my comfort zone, well, kind of. It still had romance in it :D
Carry on,
Bria
February 6, 2012
Hannah and her boyfriend, Colin, have been dating for a year. Super sweet hunk, Colin, has no trouble telling Hannah that he loves her. But Hannah is just not sure. Perhaps a getaway alone with him will help her say those three words: I love you. While at Colin's house, she finds a map of an old vacation home. Perfect. She plans a surprise trip, and soon she and Colin are at the Pine House. What happens there is super creepy, and not at all what Hannah had envisioned.
Still Waters is a scary read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Author, Emma Carson Berne, paints vivid descriptions that utilize all of the senses. Readers can really feel the intensity of the scary parts.
There are a few loose ends in the book, but that can keep readers wondering if there's more to come. If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers, this is a book to read
Still Waters is a scary read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Author, Emma Carson Berne, paints vivid descriptions that utilize all of the senses. Readers can really feel the intensity of the scary parts.
There are a few loose ends in the book, but that can keep readers wondering if there's more to come. If you enjoy reading psychological thrillers, this is a book to read
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