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H2O: The Novel (The Eternal Elements)
H2O is a contemporary crossover women’s novel that tells the story of Kate Pepper, a successful young business woman in Seattle whose life is suddenly—and strangely—turned upside down. Unexplainable visions torment her every time she gets wet. Sinking into despair, frantic to avoid water at any cost, Kate ultimately finds romance and redemption through the advice of simple people who love her for who she is, not what she was.
Kate Pepper has it all . . . a razor-sharp intellect, perfect health, stunning beauty, a wildly successful career, and all the money she can spend. Or rather, she thinks she has it all.
Despite the perfect shell, there’s something dark inside Kate. Terrible visions send her into a deep depression and her world crumbles. All her business savvy and elite connections don’t make a difference; she has lost control.
Who will save her? Xavier, her predatory boyfriend? Or Candice, the Down syndrome waitress at her favorite coffee shop? At the bottom of her dark well, desperate to get out of the water, there’s nowhere to reach but up.
H2O —a fascinating allegorical look at success, sanity and spiritual redemption in a young woman’s relationship with water.
Kate Pepper has it all . . . a razor-sharp intellect, perfect health, stunning beauty, a wildly successful career, and all the money she can spend. Or rather, she thinks she has it all.
Despite the perfect shell, there’s something dark inside Kate. Terrible visions send her into a deep depression and her world crumbles. All her business savvy and elite connections don’t make a difference; she has lost control.
Who will save her? Xavier, her predatory boyfriend? Or Candice, the Down syndrome waitress at her favorite coffee shop? At the bottom of her dark well, desperate to get out of the water, there’s nowhere to reach but up.
H2O —a fascinating allegorical look at success, sanity and spiritual redemption in a young woman’s relationship with water.
266 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2011
2 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Austin Boyd
11 books42 followersAustin is an award-winning author who writes extensively about faith issues related to technology and business. He published award winning poetry and more than two dozen technical articles and papers during his career as a Navy pilot, NASA astronaut finalist, and spacecraft engineer. The author of six novels, he is a Christy Gold Medal finalist (The Proof, 2007) and the winner of the Mount Hermon “Pacesetter Award.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
March 7, 2012
This was a totally unexpected experience for me. I´ve never read a religious/spiritual based book before because I´m not much of a church person, but, this book has made me rethink my aproach to that spirituality, specially with Jesus. I can´t really describe what I´m feeling, but it´s wonderful.
Thanks so much Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth, for introducing me to another kind of reading.
(Read the book. It´s amazing.)
Thanks so much Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth, for introducing me to another kind of reading.
(Read the book. It´s amazing.)
January 31, 2012
I figured out what "speculative fiction" means... stinking hard to review!! So, this 5 star rating is going to come with a lot of caveats and might still end up meandering into confusion. If so, be assured if you decide to read the book, it will all make sense - probably.
First off, the book is undoubtably Christian, the message is strong even if the story seems somewhat harsh. The first few pages may make one wonder why they even picked the book up. It starts as uncomfortable reading. As the plot-line slowly takes shape, however, the genius in the choices becomes very apparent. That does not mean an understanding of the story is obvious, that comes slowly and, at times, with great frustration.
Kate Pepper is a high-powered executive, driven by her abusive boyfriend (who is also her boss.) Success is achieved at all costs and anything less than perfection, whether in her appearance or her performance, is unacceptable. Luckily, she is capable enough to accept that - until a brush with a knife and a faucet of running water change it all. Kate is suddenly thrown into a nightmare of terrible visions every time she encounters water. Not sure if she is descending into madness, Kate searches desperately for answers. As her life slowly disintegrates around her, she finds friends in very unexpected places and slowly learns to deal with her past, her fears and her future.
As the reader follows Kate through the total weirdness that these hallucinations entail and tries to figure out what the heck is going on right along with the character, one cannot overlook the quality that encompasses the writing nor the creativity behind this totally unique and ingenious take on one's journey toward God. For that alone, this book is well worth the read.
First off, the book is undoubtably Christian, the message is strong even if the story seems somewhat harsh. The first few pages may make one wonder why they even picked the book up. It starts as uncomfortable reading. As the plot-line slowly takes shape, however, the genius in the choices becomes very apparent. That does not mean an understanding of the story is obvious, that comes slowly and, at times, with great frustration.
Kate Pepper is a high-powered executive, driven by her abusive boyfriend (who is also her boss.) Success is achieved at all costs and anything less than perfection, whether in her appearance or her performance, is unacceptable. Luckily, she is capable enough to accept that - until a brush with a knife and a faucet of running water change it all. Kate is suddenly thrown into a nightmare of terrible visions every time she encounters water. Not sure if she is descending into madness, Kate searches desperately for answers. As her life slowly disintegrates around her, she finds friends in very unexpected places and slowly learns to deal with her past, her fears and her future.
As the reader follows Kate through the total weirdness that these hallucinations entail and tries to figure out what the heck is going on right along with the character, one cannot overlook the quality that encompasses the writing nor the creativity behind this totally unique and ingenious take on one's journey toward God. For that alone, this book is well worth the read.
December 29, 2011
H20 is a deeply spiritual book without being "preachy." I enjoyed the imagery and being completely immersed in the mind of the lead character. There were parts of the book that hurt my heart and others that made me laugh. Having been raised in an extremely religious environment I can understand the feelings that Kate had about her past. Often coming from such a background if you ever leave you will find it hard and maybe even impossible to go back to even an image of that life. I find that I am still very spiritual myself unlike Kate but that I too had to find my own path. The use of water was perfect however, I would have liked to have more of the story behind the others found on the internet who had the same issues and the link to God. I believe there is much more to that part of the story and maybe we will get to delve more into that area in future books as I am sure that there will be more. I believe that Austin and Brannon developed Kate's character very well even expressing feelings of insecurity that did not show on the outside for her. Many women live their life leading such an act. Thanks to the authors for giving me a story that I felt involved in.
January 19, 2012
Rating: 4 1/2 stars!
What would you do if you suddenly started having visions when you got wet? Visions so powerful you lost touch with the world for that amount of time. Would you avoid water at all costs - or learn to live with it?
That is exactly what happened to Kate Pepper. She used to love getting wet, but when she suddenly starts having visions whenever she comes in contact with water, she finds herself fearing water and trying to avoid it at all costs. But how can you live without water? Will anything good come out of all this turmoil?
H20 is the first book I've read by Austin Boyd or Brannon Hollinsworth. Even though I haven't read that many fantasy books, I really like the genre and H20 was great!
From the beginning pages of H20 I found myself liking Kate and disliking Xavier (Kate's boyfriend) - he just seemed like such an uncaring and mean person! I couldn't understand why Kate stayed with him when he treated her the way he did.
Though some might think Kate's visions were weird, I actually really liked them (especially the later ones). Most were of Biblical events; like Jesus' baptism, Peter walking on the water to Jesus, the woman at the well, etc. - I really liked that. They were told really well and even brought to mind some things I never thought about.
While H20 was interesting and enjoyable from the beginning, it was when I got halfway through and Kate started talking to WRKRJC that H20 became really good and the pages went by much faster! I understood the characters more and I started wondering who WRKRJC was and what the letters meant.
Throughout H20, whether through Kate's visions or actually spoken, there was a story of forgiveness and how Jesus can make you clean!
I think H20 is best suited for ages 16 and older because of some of the things mentioned - although none of it is bad, it might not be appropriate for younger readers.
Overall, I really enjoyed H20 and recommend it if you enjoy fantasy novels with a good message. I look forward to reading O2, the next novel in The Eternal Elements!
*Thanks to Brannon Hollingsworth for my review copies. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
What would you do if you suddenly started having visions when you got wet? Visions so powerful you lost touch with the world for that amount of time. Would you avoid water at all costs - or learn to live with it?
That is exactly what happened to Kate Pepper. She used to love getting wet, but when she suddenly starts having visions whenever she comes in contact with water, she finds herself fearing water and trying to avoid it at all costs. But how can you live without water? Will anything good come out of all this turmoil?
H20 is the first book I've read by Austin Boyd or Brannon Hollinsworth. Even though I haven't read that many fantasy books, I really like the genre and H20 was great!
From the beginning pages of H20 I found myself liking Kate and disliking Xavier (Kate's boyfriend) - he just seemed like such an uncaring and mean person! I couldn't understand why Kate stayed with him when he treated her the way he did.
Though some might think Kate's visions were weird, I actually really liked them (especially the later ones). Most were of Biblical events; like Jesus' baptism, Peter walking on the water to Jesus, the woman at the well, etc. - I really liked that. They were told really well and even brought to mind some things I never thought about.
While H20 was interesting and enjoyable from the beginning, it was when I got halfway through and Kate started talking to WRKRJC that H20 became really good and the pages went by much faster! I understood the characters more and I started wondering who WRKRJC was and what the letters meant.
Throughout H20, whether through Kate's visions or actually spoken, there was a story of forgiveness and how Jesus can make you clean!
I think H20 is best suited for ages 16 and older because of some of the things mentioned - although none of it is bad, it might not be appropriate for younger readers.
Overall, I really enjoyed H20 and recommend it if you enjoy fantasy novels with a good message. I look forward to reading O2, the next novel in The Eternal Elements!
*Thanks to Brannon Hollingsworth for my review copies. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
March 9, 2013
When I got a request to be friends with Hollingsworth, and entered his contest to receive a free book, I was not sure whether to be excited or not when I won. I had never heard of either of the authors before. His taste in books is similar to mine, and the cover looked intriguing, so I was hopeful. Finding out that Hollingsworth also designed games excited me because I was certain that a game designer would lead me on an adventure worth reading. After reading Boyd's author page, I understood that the novel would be Christian fiction. My experience with that genre is that I either positively love it, or I hate it.
I loved it.
The imagery was gorgeous, showcasing the extraordinary writing skill of these two men. Although I initially didn't connect with the Kate, I grew to understand her more as the novel continued. The Kate she was at the beginning never seemed quite right to me. Too tough, too distanced. But then, part of being transformed in the spirit is about becoming a new person. For me, the personality quirks and shifts were about her growth.
I disliked Xavier from the very first, feeling that Kate didn't care for him much, and he was supposed to be her boyfriend. She felt trapped in a relationship that she didn't know how to get out of. Knowing that cutting their tie would mean losing her job would be frightening. Again, I understood her more as I kept going.
Kate's friends that helped her: Hiram, Candace, Liam, and eventually John seemed to be much like how many Christians are. We want to help, to support, to love, and uplift. But, we can't force ourselves on anyone either. The repeated offers for help were pushed away at first, until she embraced his calling. When she finally did, she was able to find happiness.
I didn't really understand Justus' inclusion in the story, unless he represented temptation. If so, that should have been developed futher. But the overall effect was still worthy of five stars.
Thank you Hollingsworth and Boyd. It was a pleasure to read your book.
I loved it.
The imagery was gorgeous, showcasing the extraordinary writing skill of these two men. Although I initially didn't connect with the Kate, I grew to understand her more as the novel continued. The Kate she was at the beginning never seemed quite right to me. Too tough, too distanced. But then, part of being transformed in the spirit is about becoming a new person. For me, the personality quirks and shifts were about her growth.
I disliked Xavier from the very first, feeling that Kate didn't care for him much, and he was supposed to be her boyfriend. She felt trapped in a relationship that she didn't know how to get out of. Knowing that cutting their tie would mean losing her job would be frightening. Again, I understood her more as I kept going.
Kate's friends that helped her: Hiram, Candace, Liam, and eventually John seemed to be much like how many Christians are. We want to help, to support, to love, and uplift. But, we can't force ourselves on anyone either. The repeated offers for help were pushed away at first, until she embraced his calling. When she finally did, she was able to find happiness.
I didn't really understand Justus' inclusion in the story, unless he represented temptation. If so, that should have been developed futher. But the overall effect was still worthy of five stars.
Thank you Hollingsworth and Boyd. It was a pleasure to read your book.
January 16, 2012
After reading this work, the first thought I have is: Mature. Not pornographic maturity. This book has the character, depth, solidity of a classic. The linguistic poise, beautiful depiction, and haunting plot masterfully weave two author's into one tale. Having read the first run of this book, I have come to delight in its refinement. It has matured, becoming a gem worthy of any reader, from nearly any age. I highly recommend it to those looking to be thrilled, chilled, surprised, and stunned by two literary geniuses presenting a compelling thought: If water is eternal, it has a tale to tell. I would be willing to re-immerse myself into the watery depths of H2O and take the wild ride right back to the hidden source of all Kate's pain and problems, because at the end of the liquid tunnel is a truth unshakable that unhinges us to the core. Take the dare, take the plunge, and come out cleansed inside and out! H2O is a beautiful story waiting to be heard. I look forward to another book in this vein by these daring authors who chose to voice themselves as one, and as two men speaking out of (and, I feel, to) the heart of a woman.
October 9, 2014
I received a copy of H2O the Novel by Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth to read and review. I do not know where to begin, this book was incredible, I finished it a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I do not think I can do it justice in a review.
First off, all the descriptions and blurbs I find for this book call it a “contemporary crossover women’s novel” guys do not let that keep you from reading it. Yes, the main character is a women dealing with a lot of issues women deal with. But as a guy I took a lot away from it as well.
Kate at the beginning of the book had it all, a great job, a great home and a boyfriend. We see that she likes to be in control and the master of her own destiny. She turned her back on her ultra-religious background and really does not give Christ a second thought. The visions begin and her life is never the same again. I will not say anything more because you really need to read it.
On a personal note, by the end of the novel Kate finally has her cleansing. I am thankful that I had a “cleansing” moment when Christ finally got my attention.
First off, all the descriptions and blurbs I find for this book call it a “contemporary crossover women’s novel” guys do not let that keep you from reading it. Yes, the main character is a women dealing with a lot of issues women deal with. But as a guy I took a lot away from it as well.
Kate at the beginning of the book had it all, a great job, a great home and a boyfriend. We see that she likes to be in control and the master of her own destiny. She turned her back on her ultra-religious background and really does not give Christ a second thought. The visions begin and her life is never the same again. I will not say anything more because you really need to read it.
On a personal note, by the end of the novel Kate finally has her cleansing. I am thankful that I had a “cleansing” moment when Christ finally got my attention.
January 3, 2012
My first thought after finishing this book was WOW!! From the very first page right through to the end it kept me totally captivated & filled me with so many varying emotions. Anger at the way Kate is treated by Xavier, warmth at the way Andrea looks after her & happiness after she meets John. Although this book is a spiritual one it in no way tries to force religion onto you. I have no religious beliefs but i still really enjoyed it & i would highly recommend H20 to anyone with a passion for books!!
I would also like to just say a big thank you to Brannon Hollingsworth for sending this to me for review.
I would also like to just say a big thank you to Brannon Hollingsworth for sending this to me for review.
February 5, 2012
I don't really know if this contains spoilers, but I am going to hide it just in case.
I feel like I should put a disclaimer on my review, but I am not really sure what it should be. The way I read this book was VERY much colored by my own experiences and my own beliefs, which I feel I should tell you have led me down a path that is mostly separate from religion. I will also tell you, that while I am not religious I do feel I have a fairly decent grasp on Christianity. I have read, and do know the bible, which you may see in my review. I have not chosen the path that I have without being as informed as I possibly can. I am not a Kate Pepper, though I do respect the way her character transformed (for the most part). That being said, in this review I am just going to lay it all out there, everything that bothered me and everything that I thought was pleasing. Keep in mind my experience may not be your own. I feel like with a book of this nature your reading experience is probably going to differ greatly from mine, because we most likely do not have the same experiences with the core issues being tackled in the novel.
So, where do I even start? I guess I can start by saying that I did not dislike this book, despite the fact that it was a religious book. I am not a religious person, and I don’t usually read books with religious content. In fact my disconnect with religion was the one way I did feel like I related to Kate Pepper. I knew how the character would react every time someone mentioned a communication from some higher being. I have been in that situation plenty of times and my response was usually, “yeah, okay, sure.” Aside from that, I really sort of disliked Kate Pepper. She was a really weak character for me. She was written well, certainly believable, but she did not have any of the kick-buttness that I look for in my female protagonists. She allowed herself to be changed by Xavier, even though she knew that he was a supreme jerk. She was convinced that she had softness around her size two middle…because of him. Are you kidding me? I would LOVE to be a size two again. I could show her softness. Then, when she finally is freed of that guy I had to read about how she “so craved that sort of touch from a man” (117). She was always craving or needing a man in one way or another.
This was a real kicker for me, after she met John (I will come back to his character) she says “I was quickly coming to the conclusion that my past problems with men were largely my fault” (202). No sweetie, those men were really the scumbags you felt like they were. Why does her character have to blame herself, because she has suddenly found one guy who is worth a damn. It gets better. Further into the Johnhood of the book she says that he is her “caregiver,” which I suppose is a traditionally Christian vantage point; that the man is to be the caregiver to his wife. However, it is one that I sort of have a problem with. She spent so much time being a caregiver to herself. Why does she have to ‘need’ this man? And, yes she does say she needs him, “I needed John so badly” (I don’t have a page number for this one). That was not the only time. A few pages down the line, in the same chapter she says again, “I needed John” (247). Even more than that, she says he is her “future” and her “protector.” Where is her self-reliance? Why is she not her own future? Maybe I am just too modern, and not in touch with traditional gender roles. This just really rubbed me the wrong way, and believe me I tried and tried to get past it. I wanted so badly to like Kate Pepper.
Now, these last two things have less to do with Kate as a character and more to do with generalizations about women as a whole. The words “complete woman” and “wife” are in the same sentence. Why does that bother me? I guess because I don’t think the two really have anything to do with each other. I will never be married again, but I do genuinely feel that I can still be a complete woman. Kate Pepper’s character could have been too. Am I saying that the story should have gone in the direction of her finding a way to accept salvation and save herself without the help of a man? Not necessarily. I just wish it had pointed out that it would have been okay had it gone that way. Okay, so the last thing, “I wanted to cry, to be normal, to be a woman and feel emotion….” This gets me because it reinforces the stereotype that “normal” women cry and are emotional. Was Kate Pepper not normal before? I just don’t understand why women have to be type-casted as hysterically emotional messes to be real women.
I also found the predictability of certain factors of the book (such as names and images) to be a little bothersome. It was very traditionally religious. It was really interesting to me that the name John was chosen for the character that comes into Kate’s life at just the right time. I automatically thought, “oh, sort of like John the Baptist,” and this bible verse came to mind “In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of the one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ (Matthew 3:1-3) And, of course he preaches the message of the Holy Spirit to Kate. In the Bible John the Baptist says to the people, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire” (Matthew 3:11). Etc. etc. It just seemed like the role played by John in the book is a role similar to that of John in the bible. It felt too contrived for me, but I am a hard reader to please. Aside from the connection between Johns there were also the images/symbols, which were almost too obvious. I did not feel like I got to do any work as a reader.
Water is directly related to Baptism, cleansing and rebirth. There are passages that were just plucked straight from the bible. There is the part of one of her visions where she is told, “Whoever drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him will never know thirst again.” That sounds pretty familiar to me, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” That is John 4:14. Sound familiar? Pretty close, no doubt. Before she is cleansed “The Radiant One” says to her, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” In the bible Jesus says to Peter, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” (John 13:7). As she is being bathed she narrates, “Water coursed over me, drenching me, washing me free of crusty layers of filth – my sin. Correlation in the bible: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols” (Ezekial 36:25). The reference to filthiness is definitely there. I wonder if her “idols” would be the precedence she used to give to her macbook air, and her super fast, super awesome bike. This one could have had a better correlation that I just missed, but the one I provide is close enough. Moving on, then He says, ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ (correlates to John 13:12 ‘Do you know what I have done to you?’) to which she replies “Yes! I was clean at last he had washed me. As though He’d become part of me.” This one could correspond with John 13:8, “Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” There is also a passage after she is “cleansed” where she is told to go out and do the same to others, ‘Now, wash one another’ he said to her (John 13:14-15; ‘If I then your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet’). Then he says, “whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the One who has sent me,” which correlates directly with John 13:20 (‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” That about does it for the water and the cleansing.
There are also numerous mentions of rainbows, doves, and serpents/vipers. These things have some pretty obvious correlations to the bible as well, which I won’t go into. It did make me realize that Frye may have been onto something when writing about myths and archetypes, the next quote comes from The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. “In the comic vision the animal world is a community of domesticated animals, usually a flock of sheep, or a lamb, or one of the gentler birds, usually a dove. The archetype of pastoral images. In the tragic vision the animal world is seen in terms of beasts and birds of prey, wolves, vultures, serpents, dragons and the like” (1456). Anyway, I won’t go into any of that any further than saying maybe the bible itself follows the patterns he laid out, and thus a book taking largely from the bible also followed certain patterns. In conclusion I will say, for someone in a different frame of mind than I was when I read the book this would probably be a great way to re-examine the word of God. It is really all pretty clever, suck the reader in with a tempting story and insert tons and tons of scripture. It is a creative and fun way to get the word of God out there, to have people actually receive the messages of Christianity. The writing was really pretty lovely, even though I would have liked to have seen Kate Pepper more independent and I would have liked to do more of the deciphering-the-meaning work on my own. I also really had to suspend a lot of belief. It was wrapped up into such a nice and pretty little bow. It was hard for me to believe that after all she had been through during the course of the book she was able to just come out of it completely unscathed after being cleansed. It seemed too easy (and I know if anyone even made it this far in my review you are probably thinking something to the effect of ‘it is that easy,’ but I have not witnessed that in my own experiences).
As I said before, I am a difficult reader to please, and the fact that the book was religious…well…it probably already started out with a strike against it for me, but I will say that I would recommend this book to certain people. I really loved the premise, and I can admire the work that was put into it. I guess I will leave it at that…
I feel like I should put a disclaimer on my review, but I am not really sure what it should be. The way I read this book was VERY much colored by my own experiences and my own beliefs, which I feel I should tell you have led me down a path that is mostly separate from religion. I will also tell you, that while I am not religious I do feel I have a fairly decent grasp on Christianity. I have read, and do know the bible, which you may see in my review. I have not chosen the path that I have without being as informed as I possibly can. I am not a Kate Pepper, though I do respect the way her character transformed (for the most part). That being said, in this review I am just going to lay it all out there, everything that bothered me and everything that I thought was pleasing. Keep in mind my experience may not be your own. I feel like with a book of this nature your reading experience is probably going to differ greatly from mine, because we most likely do not have the same experiences with the core issues being tackled in the novel.
So, where do I even start? I guess I can start by saying that I did not dislike this book, despite the fact that it was a religious book. I am not a religious person, and I don’t usually read books with religious content. In fact my disconnect with religion was the one way I did feel like I related to Kate Pepper. I knew how the character would react every time someone mentioned a communication from some higher being. I have been in that situation plenty of times and my response was usually, “yeah, okay, sure.” Aside from that, I really sort of disliked Kate Pepper. She was a really weak character for me. She was written well, certainly believable, but she did not have any of the kick-buttness that I look for in my female protagonists. She allowed herself to be changed by Xavier, even though she knew that he was a supreme jerk. She was convinced that she had softness around her size two middle…because of him. Are you kidding me? I would LOVE to be a size two again. I could show her softness. Then, when she finally is freed of that guy I had to read about how she “so craved that sort of touch from a man” (117). She was always craving or needing a man in one way or another.
This was a real kicker for me, after she met John (I will come back to his character) she says “I was quickly coming to the conclusion that my past problems with men were largely my fault” (202). No sweetie, those men were really the scumbags you felt like they were. Why does her character have to blame herself, because she has suddenly found one guy who is worth a damn. It gets better. Further into the Johnhood of the book she says that he is her “caregiver,” which I suppose is a traditionally Christian vantage point; that the man is to be the caregiver to his wife. However, it is one that I sort of have a problem with. She spent so much time being a caregiver to herself. Why does she have to ‘need’ this man? And, yes she does say she needs him, “I needed John so badly” (I don’t have a page number for this one). That was not the only time. A few pages down the line, in the same chapter she says again, “I needed John” (247). Even more than that, she says he is her “future” and her “protector.” Where is her self-reliance? Why is she not her own future? Maybe I am just too modern, and not in touch with traditional gender roles. This just really rubbed me the wrong way, and believe me I tried and tried to get past it. I wanted so badly to like Kate Pepper.
Now, these last two things have less to do with Kate as a character and more to do with generalizations about women as a whole. The words “complete woman” and “wife” are in the same sentence. Why does that bother me? I guess because I don’t think the two really have anything to do with each other. I will never be married again, but I do genuinely feel that I can still be a complete woman. Kate Pepper’s character could have been too. Am I saying that the story should have gone in the direction of her finding a way to accept salvation and save herself without the help of a man? Not necessarily. I just wish it had pointed out that it would have been okay had it gone that way. Okay, so the last thing, “I wanted to cry, to be normal, to be a woman and feel emotion….” This gets me because it reinforces the stereotype that “normal” women cry and are emotional. Was Kate Pepper not normal before? I just don’t understand why women have to be type-casted as hysterically emotional messes to be real women.
I also found the predictability of certain factors of the book (such as names and images) to be a little bothersome. It was very traditionally religious. It was really interesting to me that the name John was chosen for the character that comes into Kate’s life at just the right time. I automatically thought, “oh, sort of like John the Baptist,” and this bible verse came to mind “In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of the one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ (Matthew 3:1-3) And, of course he preaches the message of the Holy Spirit to Kate. In the Bible John the Baptist says to the people, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and Fire” (Matthew 3:11). Etc. etc. It just seemed like the role played by John in the book is a role similar to that of John in the bible. It felt too contrived for me, but I am a hard reader to please. Aside from the connection between Johns there were also the images/symbols, which were almost too obvious. I did not feel like I got to do any work as a reader.
Water is directly related to Baptism, cleansing and rebirth. There are passages that were just plucked straight from the bible. There is the part of one of her visions where she is told, “Whoever drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water I give him will never know thirst again.” That sounds pretty familiar to me, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” That is John 4:14. Sound familiar? Pretty close, no doubt. Before she is cleansed “The Radiant One” says to her, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” In the bible Jesus says to Peter, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this” (John 13:7). As she is being bathed she narrates, “Water coursed over me, drenching me, washing me free of crusty layers of filth – my sin. Correlation in the bible: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols” (Ezekial 36:25). The reference to filthiness is definitely there. I wonder if her “idols” would be the precedence she used to give to her macbook air, and her super fast, super awesome bike. This one could have had a better correlation that I just missed, but the one I provide is close enough. Moving on, then He says, ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ (correlates to John 13:12 ‘Do you know what I have done to you?’) to which she replies “Yes! I was clean at last he had washed me. As though He’d become part of me.” This one could correspond with John 13:8, “Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” There is also a passage after she is “cleansed” where she is told to go out and do the same to others, ‘Now, wash one another’ he said to her (John 13:14-15; ‘If I then your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet’). Then he says, “whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the One who has sent me,” which correlates directly with John 13:20 (‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” That about does it for the water and the cleansing.
There are also numerous mentions of rainbows, doves, and serpents/vipers. These things have some pretty obvious correlations to the bible as well, which I won’t go into. It did make me realize that Frye may have been onto something when writing about myths and archetypes, the next quote comes from The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. “In the comic vision the animal world is a community of domesticated animals, usually a flock of sheep, or a lamb, or one of the gentler birds, usually a dove. The archetype of pastoral images. In the tragic vision the animal world is seen in terms of beasts and birds of prey, wolves, vultures, serpents, dragons and the like” (1456). Anyway, I won’t go into any of that any further than saying maybe the bible itself follows the patterns he laid out, and thus a book taking largely from the bible also followed certain patterns. In conclusion I will say, for someone in a different frame of mind than I was when I read the book this would probably be a great way to re-examine the word of God. It is really all pretty clever, suck the reader in with a tempting story and insert tons and tons of scripture. It is a creative and fun way to get the word of God out there, to have people actually receive the messages of Christianity. The writing was really pretty lovely, even though I would have liked to have seen Kate Pepper more independent and I would have liked to do more of the deciphering-the-meaning work on my own. I also really had to suspend a lot of belief. It was wrapped up into such a nice and pretty little bow. It was hard for me to believe that after all she had been through during the course of the book she was able to just come out of it completely unscathed after being cleansed. It seemed too easy (and I know if anyone even made it this far in my review you are probably thinking something to the effect of ‘it is that easy,’ but I have not witnessed that in my own experiences).
As I said before, I am a difficult reader to please, and the fact that the book was religious…well…it probably already started out with a strike against it for me, but I will say that I would recommend this book to certain people. I really loved the premise, and I can admire the work that was put into it. I guess I will leave it at that…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2012
Wow! H2O is a powerful novel. It is the first of a series called The Eternal Elements by Austin Boyd and Brandon Hollingsworth. Kate, a high powered executive, begins to have visions whenever water touches her. Her boyfriend, Xavier, who is also her boss, begins to question if she is loyal to him. It seems as though she has these visions whenever there is a big event involving work. Kate is estranged from her parents and has only one friend. There is no one she can turn to and Xavier does not care whether she is okay or not, only that she is available to help him look good at work. What is it about these visions? Why does water set off the visions?
H2O reminds me of the novel, God on a Harley by Joan Brady. Both deal with the love of Jesus in our lives. Both tell of the love Jesus has for us and the acceptance He has for us. Each novel takes a different path to show us that love. H2O shows us through Kate’s visions. Kate has to lose everything that she always placed her faith and trust in to find what is truly important in life.
H2O is not my usual type of novel but I am so glad I read it. The story is so well told that I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. There are many layers to H2O. At first it felt like a romance with Kate and Xavier and their relationship. Kate seems like a smart woman and I could not figure out why she stayed with Xavier. He was a regular SOB. There was no emotional connection between them. It has died and we are watching the burial of it. I had the feeling that Kate felt she deserved no better and that she was being punished for her past. This is when she begins to have the visions. She was at the end of her rope and needed something to help her to tie a knot at the end of that rope and hang on. She has virtually no support system. She has one friend, Andrea, from work. Andrea tries to get Xavier to notice that Kate is ill but Xavier is blind to Kate’s needs. Andrea’s boyfriend, Justus, asks Kate what women want. She begins to think about it and realizes Xavier is not giving it to her--love, support, caring. Hiram, the owner of ISIP coffee shop, supports her. He is also a computer geek and tells her to set up a spider network to learn about her “illness.” He helps her a lot.
H2O then felt like a novel of discovery. Kate begins to find support and love in her world. Xavier does not provide these things. Because of the estrangement with her parents Kate does not allow them to support her nor does she share what is happening to her. But people that Kate never knew or noticed before come into her life and leave impressions upon her. Hiram often hires special needs people to work in his coffee shop. Candice is one of them. Candice opens her heart to Kate and when Kate really looks at Candice she sees love for her there. Candice never says much but she repeats the message, “Jesus can heal you.” Kate also meets Liam, an 8-year old boy, when she goes to lay flowers at the foot of the fisherman statue in memory of her grandfather. Meeting Liam causes Kate to think more about her grandfather and the things he taught her. Liam and his family accept her into their world. When she is with Liam she forgets the high powered world she came from.
H2O was also a novel of inspiration. Kate’s visions all involve water. She is either in it or is the water. As I read I would remember the Bible story (both from New and Old Testaments) and try to send thoughts to Kate as to which story it was and what happened. She never heard me. While Kate would remember the vision she did not make any connections that the stories had come from the Bible. She focused on the Radiant One, the man in white, the voice she heard but the face she could never see. She always remembered the peace emanating from him.
H2O then becomes a novel of growth. Kate eventually loses her job and hits bottom. She sits at ISIP on the free WI-FI drinking coffee most days. She then meets someone on-line and begins a friendship. As she begins to divulge her problems the person listens and has answers but Kate pushes the answers away. The person stays with her, honoring her request not to bring religion into their relationship. In order not to have the visions Kate stops doing anything with water. She truly wallows in filth until the day her toilet backs up and she has to call a plumber. When the plumber comes she is surprised by the fact that he does not look at her condo or her person in disgust. This is when Kate knows she needs to change her life. She takes small steps and meets a man whose non-judgment and unconditional love helps her to accept her visions and the lessons in them.
There are many more things that could be shared from H2O. This is a novel that needs to be read more than once. Each time something new will be discovered within these pages.
H2O reminds me of the novel, God on a Harley by Joan Brady. Both deal with the love of Jesus in our lives. Both tell of the love Jesus has for us and the acceptance He has for us. Each novel takes a different path to show us that love. H2O shows us through Kate’s visions. Kate has to lose everything that she always placed her faith and trust in to find what is truly important in life.
H2O is not my usual type of novel but I am so glad I read it. The story is so well told that I could not put it down and read it in one sitting. There are many layers to H2O. At first it felt like a romance with Kate and Xavier and their relationship. Kate seems like a smart woman and I could not figure out why she stayed with Xavier. He was a regular SOB. There was no emotional connection between them. It has died and we are watching the burial of it. I had the feeling that Kate felt she deserved no better and that she was being punished for her past. This is when she begins to have the visions. She was at the end of her rope and needed something to help her to tie a knot at the end of that rope and hang on. She has virtually no support system. She has one friend, Andrea, from work. Andrea tries to get Xavier to notice that Kate is ill but Xavier is blind to Kate’s needs. Andrea’s boyfriend, Justus, asks Kate what women want. She begins to think about it and realizes Xavier is not giving it to her--love, support, caring. Hiram, the owner of ISIP coffee shop, supports her. He is also a computer geek and tells her to set up a spider network to learn about her “illness.” He helps her a lot.
H2O then felt like a novel of discovery. Kate begins to find support and love in her world. Xavier does not provide these things. Because of the estrangement with her parents Kate does not allow them to support her nor does she share what is happening to her. But people that Kate never knew or noticed before come into her life and leave impressions upon her. Hiram often hires special needs people to work in his coffee shop. Candice is one of them. Candice opens her heart to Kate and when Kate really looks at Candice she sees love for her there. Candice never says much but she repeats the message, “Jesus can heal you.” Kate also meets Liam, an 8-year old boy, when she goes to lay flowers at the foot of the fisherman statue in memory of her grandfather. Meeting Liam causes Kate to think more about her grandfather and the things he taught her. Liam and his family accept her into their world. When she is with Liam she forgets the high powered world she came from.
H2O was also a novel of inspiration. Kate’s visions all involve water. She is either in it or is the water. As I read I would remember the Bible story (both from New and Old Testaments) and try to send thoughts to Kate as to which story it was and what happened. She never heard me. While Kate would remember the vision she did not make any connections that the stories had come from the Bible. She focused on the Radiant One, the man in white, the voice she heard but the face she could never see. She always remembered the peace emanating from him.
H2O then becomes a novel of growth. Kate eventually loses her job and hits bottom. She sits at ISIP on the free WI-FI drinking coffee most days. She then meets someone on-line and begins a friendship. As she begins to divulge her problems the person listens and has answers but Kate pushes the answers away. The person stays with her, honoring her request not to bring religion into their relationship. In order not to have the visions Kate stops doing anything with water. She truly wallows in filth until the day her toilet backs up and she has to call a plumber. When the plumber comes she is surprised by the fact that he does not look at her condo or her person in disgust. This is when Kate knows she needs to change her life. She takes small steps and meets a man whose non-judgment and unconditional love helps her to accept her visions and the lessons in them.
There are many more things that could be shared from H2O. This is a novel that needs to be read more than once. Each time something new will be discovered within these pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2012
I was really impressed with this book. I wasn't sure what to expect since I was not familiar with it prior to the author contacting me asking if I wanted to read and review it. First off... look at that cover! SERIOUSLY!! It has to be one of the best covers I have seen in a long time. Although "packaging" doesn't change the inside product -- it definitely makes an impact -- and the cover of H20 made me WANT to read the book.
My rating is probably around 3.5-3.75 stars. There were a few things that didn't sit well with me, but overall I really enjoyed reading H20. The plot is very original and the visual imagery is amazing. I was very impressed with how well the authors made Kate's "visions" come to life. I felt like I was right there seeing and feeling everything she was... and let me tell you her visions are not run of the mill. They are intense, somewhat bizarre, and emotionally draining. It takes true writing talent to be able to make scenes/images like this believable... and these two authors have it in spades.
What I didn't care for: Kate's personality wasn't as consistent as I would have liked. I also thought it was a bit unrealistic that she was such a strong, superstar kind of business woman yet had difficulties dealing with everyday life with it's emotions. I can understand her being emotionally challenged, but it went beyond that. Her personality traits just didn't jive for me. The differences were too extreme and since she didn't suffer from mental illness this didn't make a lot of sense to me.
There was just one other thing that I didn't make a lot of sense. Kate's personal relationship with Xavier. Holy smokes... Xavier's personality bordered on sociopathic. He seemed truly evil the majority of the time. It made absolutely no sense why ANYONE would date this man. I would run as fast as I could to get away from him! I thought for a while that maybe Kate had a distorted view of him and therefore we were only seeing him through her eyes, but that wasn't the case since her co-worker made similar conclusions and remarks about him. He was just too evil... it was completely over the top and I think it was weakest part of the story and character development.
The plot gets 5+ stars! Character development gets 3 stars. Overall a fabulous book and I really enjoyed reading it. It isn't a genre I usually read and I was a little wary when I started reading, but I was quickly sucked into the storyline and couldn't put it down.
My rating is probably around 3.5-3.75 stars. There were a few things that didn't sit well with me, but overall I really enjoyed reading H20. The plot is very original and the visual imagery is amazing. I was very impressed with how well the authors made Kate's "visions" come to life. I felt like I was right there seeing and feeling everything she was... and let me tell you her visions are not run of the mill. They are intense, somewhat bizarre, and emotionally draining. It takes true writing talent to be able to make scenes/images like this believable... and these two authors have it in spades.
What I didn't care for: Kate's personality wasn't as consistent as I would have liked. I also thought it was a bit unrealistic that she was such a strong, superstar kind of business woman yet had difficulties dealing with everyday life with it's emotions. I can understand her being emotionally challenged, but it went beyond that. Her personality traits just didn't jive for me. The differences were too extreme and since she didn't suffer from mental illness this didn't make a lot of sense to me.
There was just one other thing that I didn't make a lot of sense. Kate's personal relationship with Xavier. Holy smokes... Xavier's personality bordered on sociopathic. He seemed truly evil the majority of the time. It made absolutely no sense why ANYONE would date this man. I would run as fast as I could to get away from him! I thought for a while that maybe Kate had a distorted view of him and therefore we were only seeing him through her eyes, but that wasn't the case since her co-worker made similar conclusions and remarks about him. He was just too evil... it was completely over the top and I think it was weakest part of the story and character development.
The plot gets 5+ stars! Character development gets 3 stars. Overall a fabulous book and I really enjoyed reading it. It isn't a genre I usually read and I was a little wary when I started reading, but I was quickly sucked into the storyline and couldn't put it down.
January 21, 2012
MY REVIEW
First of all I love the cover, it makes you want to know more about the book. So just as a great cover should do, this one draws you in.
I don't really know why as it doesn't suggest so in the blurb, but I had thought this book would have some sort of paranormal elements to it.......it didn't.
For anyone that has read my review policy you will know I actually state I do not review religious books, however I asked one of the authors direct if I could review this book. I have to say its not the easiest read but with a little perseverance it is well worth reading and quite enjoyable.
The central character Kate Pepper works for her boyfriend Xavier, and lets just say Xavier is the type that takes Kate totally for granted and when anything goes wrong at home or at work she is the first in the firing line of insults and nastiness. I think that Kate accepts this treatment as she doesn't believe she is worth anymore. Though even the quieter, less confident people can only be puched and trampled on for so long.
Kate has a problem, she has these visions, they start infrequently and fairly mild so much so Xavier asks her if she's pregnant! The visions and fainting etc continue, Kate finally realises that the visions come to her every time she touches water, that's drinking, washing, and even getting caught in the rain! I don't want to give away much more of the story but after hitting rock bottom, losing her job and boyfriend....(though in my opinion losing the boyfriend is not a bad thing for Kate) Xavier is quite a selfish, nasty piece of work really!
Kate turns to the one thing she knows......her laptop and the internet! Kate creates a program to search for others with her problem and possible help.
Kate ends up internet chatting to someone who she presumes is a guy, though she doesn't actually know for sure. the "guy" suggest someone may be trying to send her a message within these visions, some higher person..........
We get a deep insight into Kate's past a mistake she made before she left home. Will she ever come to terms with it? She comes into contact with people who wish to help her for nothing in return along her way.
As I said I did find parts of the book harder going than others, however I read all the book and I did enjoy Kate's life journey.
So would I recommend it? To the right person yes! Would I read it again? Probably not but then i do usually only read books once anyway.
First of all I love the cover, it makes you want to know more about the book. So just as a great cover should do, this one draws you in.
I don't really know why as it doesn't suggest so in the blurb, but I had thought this book would have some sort of paranormal elements to it.......it didn't.
For anyone that has read my review policy you will know I actually state I do not review religious books, however I asked one of the authors direct if I could review this book. I have to say its not the easiest read but with a little perseverance it is well worth reading and quite enjoyable.
The central character Kate Pepper works for her boyfriend Xavier, and lets just say Xavier is the type that takes Kate totally for granted and when anything goes wrong at home or at work she is the first in the firing line of insults and nastiness. I think that Kate accepts this treatment as she doesn't believe she is worth anymore. Though even the quieter, less confident people can only be puched and trampled on for so long.
Kate has a problem, she has these visions, they start infrequently and fairly mild so much so Xavier asks her if she's pregnant! The visions and fainting etc continue, Kate finally realises that the visions come to her every time she touches water, that's drinking, washing, and even getting caught in the rain! I don't want to give away much more of the story but after hitting rock bottom, losing her job and boyfriend....(though in my opinion losing the boyfriend is not a bad thing for Kate) Xavier is quite a selfish, nasty piece of work really!
Kate turns to the one thing she knows......her laptop and the internet! Kate creates a program to search for others with her problem and possible help.
Kate ends up internet chatting to someone who she presumes is a guy, though she doesn't actually know for sure. the "guy" suggest someone may be trying to send her a message within these visions, some higher person..........
We get a deep insight into Kate's past a mistake she made before she left home. Will she ever come to terms with it? She comes into contact with people who wish to help her for nothing in return along her way.
As I said I did find parts of the book harder going than others, however I read all the book and I did enjoy Kate's life journey.
So would I recommend it? To the right person yes! Would I read it again? Probably not but then i do usually only read books once anyway.
February 8, 2012
H2O is an allegorical work of Christian fiction that I read in two sittings because it was so hard to put down!
Kate, a successful business woman and sushi chef of growing renown, thinks she has everything she wants from life. Then she begins blacking out and having visions every time her skin comes into water, and her life begins to fall apart. After several serious accidents and seeking medical help to no avail, being rejected by her boyfriend/boss, Kate sinks into a serious depression, trapped by her fear of water. In her search for an explanation for her condition, she meets someone online who says there could be an alternate solution for her problem than just saying she's going insane: it could be a message from God to get her attention. But that's not what Kate wants to hear. "Jesus can make you clean."
This story is Kate's journey to discovering the power of God and His love for her, realizing that being a Christian isn't all about rules and traditions, but rather a relationship with Jesus. He wants to know you regardless of your past mistakes, and just wants you to accept Him.
My only criticism for the book was that in the first chapter or so, I thought the dialogue felt forced (this could be because I couldn't stand Xavier's character- good job on making me hate him!), and I thought there was a general over-use of adjectives that made it feel wordy rather than creating a vivid description. Both of these issues were confined to the first chapter, and the rest of the book flowed very smoothly.
I especially loved the descriptions of Kate's visions. Having the Bible knowledge that I do, I was able to recognize each one. In most of the visions, Kate became the water, which gave me a whole new perspective in these already familiar scenes from the Bible. As I read them, I felt like I was witnessing them firsthand. It was a beautiful feeling. Knowing that water is a symbol for the Holy Spirit made reading the book all the more enjoyable, thinking about the ways that the Spirit moves in people's lives to draw them to God. They are thirsty, trying to get satisfaction from everything apart from God, when Jesus is the only one who can fill up the void inside with His Living Water.
I want to say thank you to the author(s) for allowing me to read and review H2O. It was a pleasure!
Kate, a successful business woman and sushi chef of growing renown, thinks she has everything she wants from life. Then she begins blacking out and having visions every time her skin comes into water, and her life begins to fall apart. After several serious accidents and seeking medical help to no avail, being rejected by her boyfriend/boss, Kate sinks into a serious depression, trapped by her fear of water. In her search for an explanation for her condition, she meets someone online who says there could be an alternate solution for her problem than just saying she's going insane: it could be a message from God to get her attention. But that's not what Kate wants to hear. "Jesus can make you clean."
This story is Kate's journey to discovering the power of God and His love for her, realizing that being a Christian isn't all about rules and traditions, but rather a relationship with Jesus. He wants to know you regardless of your past mistakes, and just wants you to accept Him.
My only criticism for the book was that in the first chapter or so, I thought the dialogue felt forced (this could be because I couldn't stand Xavier's character- good job on making me hate him!), and I thought there was a general over-use of adjectives that made it feel wordy rather than creating a vivid description. Both of these issues were confined to the first chapter, and the rest of the book flowed very smoothly.
I especially loved the descriptions of Kate's visions. Having the Bible knowledge that I do, I was able to recognize each one. In most of the visions, Kate became the water, which gave me a whole new perspective in these already familiar scenes from the Bible. As I read them, I felt like I was witnessing them firsthand. It was a beautiful feeling. Knowing that water is a symbol for the Holy Spirit made reading the book all the more enjoyable, thinking about the ways that the Spirit moves in people's lives to draw them to God. They are thirsty, trying to get satisfaction from everything apart from God, when Jesus is the only one who can fill up the void inside with His Living Water.
I want to say thank you to the author(s) for allowing me to read and review H2O. It was a pleasure!
January 11, 2012
Kate Pepper has a high-stress job, a creepy megalomaniac boyfriend named Xavier, an addiction to dark roast coffee, and even more disturbing- disturbing and unpredictable visions that come out of nowhere, taking away not only her peace of mind, but in several instances, also hurting her greatly, almost to the point of near death. After Xavier and co-workers begin doubting her and making her question her own sanity, she realizes that all of these visions come to her when she's wet or in contact with water. Kate can't get a definitive diagnosis to save her life- which may be the case, if she doesn't figure out what's behind these visions.
After losing control one too many times, Kate strikes up a friendship with an online friend, who ultimately ends up helping in more ways than I can say in the review without giving away much of the second half of the novel. Kate's surrounded by a number of people- her idiot boyfriend Xavier, her friend Alison, the owner of her coffee shop haunt, Candice the waitress at the coffee shop- but not a single one can save her. By the end of the book, you're filled with sympathy for this character- you want her to be saved and be happy. Ultimately, the character gets what she deserves.
What can I say about this book? I can honestly say I have never read such an interesting concept for a book. I read a lot, and I read all genres, but I simply had a hard time putting this into a singular category. It was an easy book to read, and kept your attention the whole time, and had you questioning all sorts of things. Not bad things, mind you, but things that you should think about. I thought it was positively a great book, no question. I will gladly pass it on and tell anyone that I enjoyed it thoroughly.
After losing control one too many times, Kate strikes up a friendship with an online friend, who ultimately ends up helping in more ways than I can say in the review without giving away much of the second half of the novel. Kate's surrounded by a number of people- her idiot boyfriend Xavier, her friend Alison, the owner of her coffee shop haunt, Candice the waitress at the coffee shop- but not a single one can save her. By the end of the book, you're filled with sympathy for this character- you want her to be saved and be happy. Ultimately, the character gets what she deserves.
What can I say about this book? I can honestly say I have never read such an interesting concept for a book. I read a lot, and I read all genres, but I simply had a hard time putting this into a singular category. It was an easy book to read, and kept your attention the whole time, and had you questioning all sorts of things. Not bad things, mind you, but things that you should think about. I thought it was positively a great book, no question. I will gladly pass it on and tell anyone that I enjoyed it thoroughly.
April 5, 2012
This was an odd story, but it was also edgy and different, which I liked. The imagery of the ultimate healing and the need to be cleansed from sin was pretty vivid. I loved how the heroine, Kate, couldn't get any more lost, and how she had to become broken in order to finally see the sad truth of her existence. The authors showed her misery at the top of her game as well as the misery she experienced during her all-time low. John was a great friend to her and probably the best example of Jesus in human form that she could have come across. Everyone needs a John in their life who listens and doesn't ask questions, unless they are hard hitting truths necessary for change. Everyone needs Jesus. That's the point of the story, but it was delivered in a very creative way in this book.
Sometimes the woman seemed a bit like a guy to me in the way she saw the world, but I suppose that had something to do with the fact that the authors were men. But overall, they did a great job portraying everyone's need for redemption. I liked the many visions Kate had and then seeing how they tied into many stories in the Scriptures. There seemed to be a purpose in each vision. Though I'm not much of a fantasy lover, I do enjoy a good allegory, and this novel was definitely allegorical in nature. The best part of the story was probably Kate's realization that she would rather risk the visions and live a risky, but cleansed life, than to life in "safety," but have a dead, useless existence. That's some pretty powerful imagery. Well done!
Sometimes the woman seemed a bit like a guy to me in the way she saw the world, but I suppose that had something to do with the fact that the authors were men. But overall, they did a great job portraying everyone's need for redemption. I liked the many visions Kate had and then seeing how they tied into many stories in the Scriptures. There seemed to be a purpose in each vision. Though I'm not much of a fantasy lover, I do enjoy a good allegory, and this novel was definitely allegorical in nature. The best part of the story was probably Kate's realization that she would rather risk the visions and live a risky, but cleansed life, than to life in "safety," but have a dead, useless existence. That's some pretty powerful imagery. Well done!
May 27, 2012
H2O is riveting, edgy, and unabashedly raw. I was captivated from the start as Kate Pepper, a woman bent on control, fights to keep her stilettos firmly planted against the strengthening undertow of a buried secret. The story’s character development is sensational (you’ll love to hate Xavier, her heartless heartthrob boyfriend), and the progression of the water theme throughout the book is thoroughly gripping. I was truly impressed at how the authors (friends and brilliant novelists Austin Boyd and Brannon Hollingsworth) captured the heart of a woman, especially her struggle between maintaining control and longing to be loved and cared for. Women will surely relate to Kate’s struggles including her thirst for control, fear of being vulnerable, and inability to escape (even at 90mph on her “Ice Rocket”) her heart’s longing for unconditional love—and her hero does not disappoint.
June 4, 2012
I won this book from one of its authors, Brannon Hollingsworth. I was VERY impressed with this book. I immediately sympathized with it's main character, Kate Pepper and her struggles in the book. I detested Xavier,what a jerk! I was immediately taken in with her internet friend and how the story developed between the two of them. I am not the most religious person on the planet, and this book touches lightly on the subject but in a meaningful and though provoking way! I REALLY loved this book! I recommend it to EVERYONE!
October 17, 2012
I feel very fortunate to have won this books on the goodreads site. I had no idea what type of book H2O the Novel was when I began reading it. I was blown away by it! The Christian themed book is full of powerful images, deep and meaningful visions, and insights that can be both inspiring and somewhat troubling. Water and visions...who knew that the combination would make a fantastic read? I have recommended this book to my friends and I will continue to suggest it.
May 24, 2012
This is a wonderful book that you will be compelled to read from start to end without wanting to stop. It is unlike any inspirational or spiritual book I have read. The idea of water playing such an important role in the book was ingenious. It is a sensational debut for Brannon Hollingsworth and I look for more great reads to come from Mr Hollingsworth.
March 27, 2012
Highly recommend this book!
Can't wait to see what these guys write next.
More in-depth review to follow soon.
Can't wait to see what these guys write next.
More in-depth review to follow soon.
February 27, 2012
This book is very different from my usual fare but I was approached by one of the authors to do a review.
Kate Pepper is a successful business woman, working for a company that provides in-seat video screens with underlying apps for airlines. She is also carrying on an affair with her boss.
The book opens with Kate preparing a Sushi dinner for people her boss has invited. As she puts her hands under water, she is hit with the first of many visions and blacks out. Her boss/lover is not very concerned with her well-being and more worried about the dinner not getting done. His abysmal treatment of Kate seems to be common and it's very easy to dislike him.
Soon, every time Kate touches water, whether it be rain, tears or the shower, she has more visions. Someone or something is sending her messages.
As she struggles to control what is happening to her, she loses her boyfriend (if one could call him that, heartless and abusive as he is), her job and slowly but surely her grip on her sanity.
Afraid to be labeled as crazy, she refuses to tell anyone the truth, instead reaching out across the internet to find a reason for the visions. Her spider program leads her to WRKRJC, who anonymously begins to talk to her in IM. He becomes instrumental in Kate's acceptance of herself, her visions and the reason behind them.
Kate has undergone a crisis at age 17 that combined with her disdain for her parents and her upbringing has taken her far away from God. Through the visions, which basically described events documented in the bible, though Kate doesn't really understand that until towards the end, Kate finds her voice again, her real voice, not the one of the scared young woman who fled her home and moved clear across the country.
She begins to make friends, real friends. A young boy and his parents who are in the fishing business, a simple girl at the coffee shop she frequents, the coffee shop owner, and WRKRJC, her internet sounding board. All the while, Kate struggles with what is happening to her, going so far as to foregoing water in any form to avoid further visions. She manages to go nearly 3 months without taking a shower, cleaning her house, drinking only coffee and juice, no tears, no rain, no fog, and basically barricades herself at home, her only connection to the outside world her phone and laptop. When she's in need of a plumber, the man that shows up is serendipitously her friend WRKRJC whose real name is John.
Non-judgmental and forgiving, John stands by her as her mother passes away, gently prodding Kate to listen to the Voice from the visions, worrying about her, helping her and just being there for her, which is in direct contrast to her previous relationship with her boss, and also the treatment she has experienced from other men.
At the core, this book is about faith. The authors skillfully insert key moments of the Bible into the visions, each one having to do with water of some sort. It becomes clear fairly early on that the message of this book is for Kate to find her way back to her faith.
The struggles are realistically described, and the increasing desperation Kate experiences as she fights against the inevitable are very well laid out.
I didn't much care for the constant tense changes. While the narrative is in the 1st person singular, the authors tend to switch the tense without an explanation. Some of these may work, but a lot of them don't. I had to re-read quite a few sentences that jolted me right out of the narrative.
This is not my kind of book, to be honest, though I did enjoy reading it. I wish I could believe the message the book is sending.
Overall, I am giving this 3 stars. It's well written as a whole, but the tense changes were distracting.
I received a free electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Kate Pepper is a successful business woman, working for a company that provides in-seat video screens with underlying apps for airlines. She is also carrying on an affair with her boss.
The book opens with Kate preparing a Sushi dinner for people her boss has invited. As she puts her hands under water, she is hit with the first of many visions and blacks out. Her boss/lover is not very concerned with her well-being and more worried about the dinner not getting done. His abysmal treatment of Kate seems to be common and it's very easy to dislike him.
Soon, every time Kate touches water, whether it be rain, tears or the shower, she has more visions. Someone or something is sending her messages.
As she struggles to control what is happening to her, she loses her boyfriend (if one could call him that, heartless and abusive as he is), her job and slowly but surely her grip on her sanity.
Afraid to be labeled as crazy, she refuses to tell anyone the truth, instead reaching out across the internet to find a reason for the visions. Her spider program leads her to WRKRJC, who anonymously begins to talk to her in IM. He becomes instrumental in Kate's acceptance of herself, her visions and the reason behind them.
Kate has undergone a crisis at age 17 that combined with her disdain for her parents and her upbringing has taken her far away from God. Through the visions, which basically described events documented in the bible, though Kate doesn't really understand that until towards the end, Kate finds her voice again, her real voice, not the one of the scared young woman who fled her home and moved clear across the country.
She begins to make friends, real friends. A young boy and his parents who are in the fishing business, a simple girl at the coffee shop she frequents, the coffee shop owner, and WRKRJC, her internet sounding board. All the while, Kate struggles with what is happening to her, going so far as to foregoing water in any form to avoid further visions. She manages to go nearly 3 months without taking a shower, cleaning her house, drinking only coffee and juice, no tears, no rain, no fog, and basically barricades herself at home, her only connection to the outside world her phone and laptop. When she's in need of a plumber, the man that shows up is serendipitously her friend WRKRJC whose real name is John.
Non-judgmental and forgiving, John stands by her as her mother passes away, gently prodding Kate to listen to the Voice from the visions, worrying about her, helping her and just being there for her, which is in direct contrast to her previous relationship with her boss, and also the treatment she has experienced from other men.
At the core, this book is about faith. The authors skillfully insert key moments of the Bible into the visions, each one having to do with water of some sort. It becomes clear fairly early on that the message of this book is for Kate to find her way back to her faith.
The struggles are realistically described, and the increasing desperation Kate experiences as she fights against the inevitable are very well laid out.
I didn't much care for the constant tense changes. While the narrative is in the 1st person singular, the authors tend to switch the tense without an explanation. Some of these may work, but a lot of them don't. I had to re-read quite a few sentences that jolted me right out of the narrative.
This is not my kind of book, to be honest, though I did enjoy reading it. I wish I could believe the message the book is sending.
Overall, I am giving this 3 stars. It's well written as a whole, but the tense changes were distracting.
I received a free electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2020
I also reviewed this book on my blog:
The Real World According To Sam
Where to begin?? First of all, I'd like to thank Brannon Hollingsworth for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book. Second of all, H2O was so wonderful that I don't even have words to express how much I liked it. I'll give it a shot though.
CHARACTERS:
Kate Pepper-A very likable, relatable heroine who seems to be getting deeper and deeper into trouble. She begins to have visions whenever water hits her. It seems like someone is trying to reach her, but who?? I found myself cheering for Kate the whole way through. She had her moments, and who can forget her Ice Slice, but overall, I adored her. She has terrible relationships throughout her life and finally finds a way to escape....with the help of her newly gained friends of course.
Xavier-The character I hated the most. He is so....grrrr!!! Let's just say only concerned with himself, his image and how people around him---Kate---are used to accessorize him [how they make him look]. A man in need of serious help. I type this and already I am disgusted. Slightly redeemed in the end, but not enough to make me like him.
Andrea-Kate's best friend. I liked her, she seemed like a really nice girl who provided stability in Kate's chaotic life. Not the main stability, but still part of the foundation.
Hiram-A great character who pops up frequently. Sells coffee at his shop which also provides internet in Seattle. Throughout the book, Hiram provides Kate with guidance that helps lead to her salvation.
I could keep going with characters, but that would take entirely too long. The plot was wonderful
and I couldn't help but keep reading until I was done. I loved the development we saw in Kate. I also love the fact that everything wasn't given away at the beginning. Slowly we got to learn and care for Kate. Her entire history wasn't just laid out on the table. That is a key thing that most writers forget to do. Keep the mystery. H2O is one of the best books I've ever read and in a few months I will probably revisit it and learn even more than I did the first time around. I loved Kate and John and the entire cast. I love that Kate was able to discover and love herself and reached the point where she could forgive herself and be forgiven. Everything was tied up with no loose ends. This book is a masterpiece and words don't even begin to describe its wonderfulness. =) I'm really glad I decided to take the plunge.
The Real World According To Sam
Where to begin?? First of all, I'd like to thank Brannon Hollingsworth for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book. Second of all, H2O was so wonderful that I don't even have words to express how much I liked it. I'll give it a shot though.
CHARACTERS:
Kate Pepper-A very likable, relatable heroine who seems to be getting deeper and deeper into trouble. She begins to have visions whenever water hits her. It seems like someone is trying to reach her, but who?? I found myself cheering for Kate the whole way through. She had her moments, and who can forget her Ice Slice, but overall, I adored her. She has terrible relationships throughout her life and finally finds a way to escape....with the help of her newly gained friends of course.
Xavier-The character I hated the most. He is so....grrrr!!! Let's just say only concerned with himself, his image and how people around him---Kate---are used to accessorize him [how they make him look]. A man in need of serious help. I type this and already I am disgusted. Slightly redeemed in the end, but not enough to make me like him.
Andrea-Kate's best friend. I liked her, she seemed like a really nice girl who provided stability in Kate's chaotic life. Not the main stability, but still part of the foundation.
Hiram-A great character who pops up frequently. Sells coffee at his shop which also provides internet in Seattle. Throughout the book, Hiram provides Kate with guidance that helps lead to her salvation.
I could keep going with characters, but that would take entirely too long. The plot was wonderful
and I couldn't help but keep reading until I was done. I loved the development we saw in Kate. I also love the fact that everything wasn't given away at the beginning. Slowly we got to learn and care for Kate. Her entire history wasn't just laid out on the table. That is a key thing that most writers forget to do. Keep the mystery. H2O is one of the best books I've ever read and in a few months I will probably revisit it and learn even more than I did the first time around. I loved Kate and John and the entire cast. I love that Kate was able to discover and love herself and reached the point where she could forgive herself and be forgiven. Everything was tied up with no loose ends. This book is a masterpiece and words don't even begin to describe its wonderfulness. =) I'm really glad I decided to take the plunge.
April 20, 2012
A few months ago author Austin Boyd visited my blog and encouraged me to read his latest release, promising that I wouldn't "go away thirsty" from it. Wow, was he right! "H2O" is a beautiful story full of descriptive imagery and eternal truths that came to life all over again as I turned the pages. Full of depth and honesty, you could see the care and craftsmanship that the authors poured into the story over a three-year writing period. This is a master of a novel!
Kate Pepper is the Ice Queen. Highly successful, but also cold and isolated. In everything she does she seeks to remove herself from her past and from needing anyone else. Yet she longs to be known, to have her life touched by someone who cares. Out of the blue she begins having visions when she comes into contact with water. Not realizing at first what sparks the visions, she finds herself collapsing into unconsciousness in various places, such as inside her shower or on the sidewalk during a rainstorm. The visions change everything about how she views herself and the people around her. Desperately searching for answers, Kate begins to hear the call of One who does know her better than she knows herself, One whose touch can heal every part of her troubled heart. But will she embrace Him, or run from Him?
What I loved about this novel was the transformation we see in the way Kate looks at things. In the beginning it seems everything in her life is in shades of grey. Even the cover confirms this monochromatic theme. I think that was why it was so shocking to me when Kate would injure herself and blood would be mentioned: it was something bright and alarming in my mind's eye. But throughout the story, as Hope begins to make an appearance, other colors are introduced. By the end there's a brilliant rainbow on your mental palette, and you want to weep at the fullness and beauty of it all. There is a Redeemer who knows your name! He is calling to you to walk with Him and with other people who love Him, in a relationship unlike anything you may have known before. The metamorphosis took my breath away.
To give you any more hints about the plot would spoil your own reading experience. Get yourself to a bookstore or an online retailer and read this one for yourself. Due to some of the subject matter I would not recommend this for young readers, but those with maturity are sure to recognize the deep truths. It will be a treat to your senses, your mind, and your spirit!
This review originated at http://www.reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
Kate Pepper is the Ice Queen. Highly successful, but also cold and isolated. In everything she does she seeks to remove herself from her past and from needing anyone else. Yet she longs to be known, to have her life touched by someone who cares. Out of the blue she begins having visions when she comes into contact with water. Not realizing at first what sparks the visions, she finds herself collapsing into unconsciousness in various places, such as inside her shower or on the sidewalk during a rainstorm. The visions change everything about how she views herself and the people around her. Desperately searching for answers, Kate begins to hear the call of One who does know her better than she knows herself, One whose touch can heal every part of her troubled heart. But will she embrace Him, or run from Him?
What I loved about this novel was the transformation we see in the way Kate looks at things. In the beginning it seems everything in her life is in shades of grey. Even the cover confirms this monochromatic theme. I think that was why it was so shocking to me when Kate would injure herself and blood would be mentioned: it was something bright and alarming in my mind's eye. But throughout the story, as Hope begins to make an appearance, other colors are introduced. By the end there's a brilliant rainbow on your mental palette, and you want to weep at the fullness and beauty of it all. There is a Redeemer who knows your name! He is calling to you to walk with Him and with other people who love Him, in a relationship unlike anything you may have known before. The metamorphosis took my breath away.
To give you any more hints about the plot would spoil your own reading experience. Get yourself to a bookstore or an online retailer and read this one for yourself. Due to some of the subject matter I would not recommend this for young readers, but those with maturity are sure to recognize the deep truths. It will be a treat to your senses, your mind, and your spirit!
This review originated at http://www.reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
May 18, 2012
First, a big thank you to Brannon Hollingsworth who contacted me on Goodreads and offered me a copy of this book in exchange for a review! He also personalized a message and autographed the book which I greatly appreciated!! :)
I am always intrigued by a good "thriller" type plot from the Christian fiction genre. This is a market that is still somewhat sparse, so I'm always on the lookout. This book definitely fit the bill! Kate is a character that many, many women can relate to - Christian or not. In fact, Kate is not a believer, at all. Her parents were very strong Catholics, but she was raised in such a way that religion has left nothing but a bad taste in her mouth. She is running as far as she can from God. The more "visions" she has, the more people try to tell her that perhaps God is trying to capture her attention. Kate does not want to hear this.
Kate starts looking everywhere she can for answers. She finds help in a new online friend "WRKRJC", who turns out to be a plumber named John Connor (I found it interesting that the initials were the same as for Jesus Christ). Through their online conversations, he gently leads her to look again to where she didn't want to look before. He helps her to remove the scales from her eyes, so to speak.
There were a host of interesting characters in this book that were involved in Kate's life. Xavier, who was her boyfriend and boss in the first part of the book - oooooh, I couldn't stand him. He was slime. But, he was an important stop on her journey, I think. Hiram, the coffee shop owner, and Candice the waitress, who become her friends, and also help to bring to Kate God's message of love and acceptance. My favorite character in the book is John. After her horrid relationship with Xavier, I just wanted Kate to be in a good, healthy relationship. John was obviously sent by God for her. She blossomed with him and it was because of him that she began to open herself up to the Word of God.
The only reason I did not give this book a full 5 star rating is because it was a bit slow through the first half of the book. It was not boring by any means, but it was just not as quick paced as I had expected. However, the last half of the book, especially once John came into the picture, really made up for it. And the ending was wonderful! The overall message of the book was fabulous and one that I would love to share with everyone!
I am always intrigued by a good "thriller" type plot from the Christian fiction genre. This is a market that is still somewhat sparse, so I'm always on the lookout. This book definitely fit the bill! Kate is a character that many, many women can relate to - Christian or not. In fact, Kate is not a believer, at all. Her parents were very strong Catholics, but she was raised in such a way that religion has left nothing but a bad taste in her mouth. She is running as far as she can from God. The more "visions" she has, the more people try to tell her that perhaps God is trying to capture her attention. Kate does not want to hear this.
Kate starts looking everywhere she can for answers. She finds help in a new online friend "WRKRJC", who turns out to be a plumber named John Connor (I found it interesting that the initials were the same as for Jesus Christ). Through their online conversations, he gently leads her to look again to where she didn't want to look before. He helps her to remove the scales from her eyes, so to speak.
There were a host of interesting characters in this book that were involved in Kate's life. Xavier, who was her boyfriend and boss in the first part of the book - oooooh, I couldn't stand him. He was slime. But, he was an important stop on her journey, I think. Hiram, the coffee shop owner, and Candice the waitress, who become her friends, and also help to bring to Kate God's message of love and acceptance. My favorite character in the book is John. After her horrid relationship with Xavier, I just wanted Kate to be in a good, healthy relationship. John was obviously sent by God for her. She blossomed with him and it was because of him that she began to open herself up to the Word of God.
The only reason I did not give this book a full 5 star rating is because it was a bit slow through the first half of the book. It was not boring by any means, but it was just not as quick paced as I had expected. However, the last half of the book, especially once John came into the picture, really made up for it. And the ending was wonderful! The overall message of the book was fabulous and one that I would love to share with everyone!
March 15, 2012
Where do I start? The best place is to begin with a thank you to Brannon for a copy of his book. I was immediately attracted to the title (my namesake) and the cover. The first kudos goes to the book designer. What a captivating cover for a novel. I love the imagery it brings to the experience...nicely done.
I feel somewhat obligated to gush all over this book b/c of the free copy I received. I will eliminate that pressure with an honest review. I always steer clear of all Christian Fiction, mainly due to its 'cheesy' propaganda. When I am in the mood to read religious books, I want straight doctrine and no romance, entanglements (there are enough of those in the scriptures without adding more confusion), treks, or group speak. Also, while engaging in fiction, I want limited influence of 'cheesy' christian perspective. Don't get me wrong, if the characters were smart and christian this would be a different story...but I digress...
I went into this book without knowledge of its Christian Fiction perspective (don't know how I missed that). I am happy that this was the case. I began this read and immediately found myself enthralled...only later realizing that it was indeed Christian Fiction. By that point the story had me sucked in and I couldn't put this down. I LOVED this read!! I found Ms Pepper annoying at the outset, but her annoying ways were soon made clearer and she developed into a very likable character.
Although the beginning of the story was a bit heavy in detail, I persisted and was rewarded with an amazing story and eventual Christ centered theme. I didn't find it overbearing or preachy (the 2 main reasons I avoid this genre). I enjoyed the character development and the story. I couldn't put this book down. I had to finish it!
I thought that the editing was superb (lately lacking in big-name books), the story was brilliant, creative, and unique, the characters were well-developed, and the imagery was to perfection. What a great read on my spring break!! All will enjoy this.
Note for parents with young children: Careful with the abortion in the book...although it is not graphic and not supported, it is a part of Kate's story. I would suggest for older kids (15+).
I feel somewhat obligated to gush all over this book b/c of the free copy I received. I will eliminate that pressure with an honest review. I always steer clear of all Christian Fiction, mainly due to its 'cheesy' propaganda. When I am in the mood to read religious books, I want straight doctrine and no romance, entanglements (there are enough of those in the scriptures without adding more confusion), treks, or group speak. Also, while engaging in fiction, I want limited influence of 'cheesy' christian perspective. Don't get me wrong, if the characters were smart and christian this would be a different story...but I digress...
I went into this book without knowledge of its Christian Fiction perspective (don't know how I missed that). I am happy that this was the case. I began this read and immediately found myself enthralled...only later realizing that it was indeed Christian Fiction. By that point the story had me sucked in and I couldn't put this down. I LOVED this read!! I found Ms Pepper annoying at the outset, but her annoying ways were soon made clearer and she developed into a very likable character.
Although the beginning of the story was a bit heavy in detail, I persisted and was rewarded with an amazing story and eventual Christ centered theme. I didn't find it overbearing or preachy (the 2 main reasons I avoid this genre). I enjoyed the character development and the story. I couldn't put this book down. I had to finish it!
I thought that the editing was superb (lately lacking in big-name books), the story was brilliant, creative, and unique, the characters were well-developed, and the imagery was to perfection. What a great read on my spring break!! All will enjoy this.
Note for parents with young children: Careful with the abortion in the book...although it is not graphic and not supported, it is a part of Kate's story. I would suggest for older kids (15+).
April 3, 2012
I am super blessed reading the novel, and I can still feel the high (joy) from finishing the book- not because I finished it, but because of the story.
H2O the Novel is highly gripping, metaphorical and brilliantly written. The idea behind touching water spark visions is truly unnatural but very unique and interesting. The way the words were woven and used phrase by phrase was very smart. It's deep, no doubt in that.
Kate Peppers has it all- the brain, the beauty, the boyfriend, and the work, and she deserved it because she worked her way through it. We are at first introduced to "clean-freak" Kate making her infamous sushi for an important event while arguing with her all-controlling boyfriend Xander, and this is when her world started to change wit that first vision (but at that time she still didn't know it was called visions) when she touched water. She started to fall apart slowly but miserably. A few scrapes here in there to full pledged motorbike accidents and a bathroom fall that led her bruised and bloody. Her boyfriend/boss drifted farther from her, good thing her girl bestfriend is still there. Plus a few new as well as old acquaintances who always made her feel grounded and appreciative of "small blessings" as her mother would call it.
But it doesn't end there. The visions are getting uncontrollable and even with the slightest drop of water they appear, as if with the urgency that may lead to life and death, and in a way it does. While reading the first few chapters, I honestly was at lost because I didn't understand what I was reading, until I recognized the visions she's having. Later on she's fired from work and with that she swore not to touch water anymore. What used to be her element became her worst enemy! For four months she lived without taking a bath and drinking water, it was really gross. She's so deep in her pit and while she wants to rise from her fall, she refuses the only fact that makes sense. Until her mother died. Will she open her mind? Or remain in this lifestyle forever? This one decision will change her.
Kate's journey of success and fall from it to saving grace is very anticipating. H2O is unique and refreshing. I'll never view water in the same way ahain!
H2O the Novel is highly gripping, metaphorical and brilliantly written. The idea behind touching water spark visions is truly unnatural but very unique and interesting. The way the words were woven and used phrase by phrase was very smart. It's deep, no doubt in that.
Kate Peppers has it all- the brain, the beauty, the boyfriend, and the work, and she deserved it because she worked her way through it. We are at first introduced to "clean-freak" Kate making her infamous sushi for an important event while arguing with her all-controlling boyfriend Xander, and this is when her world started to change wit that first vision (but at that time she still didn't know it was called visions) when she touched water. She started to fall apart slowly but miserably. A few scrapes here in there to full pledged motorbike accidents and a bathroom fall that led her bruised and bloody. Her boyfriend/boss drifted farther from her, good thing her girl bestfriend is still there. Plus a few new as well as old acquaintances who always made her feel grounded and appreciative of "small blessings" as her mother would call it.
But it doesn't end there. The visions are getting uncontrollable and even with the slightest drop of water they appear, as if with the urgency that may lead to life and death, and in a way it does. While reading the first few chapters, I honestly was at lost because I didn't understand what I was reading, until I recognized the visions she's having. Later on she's fired from work and with that she swore not to touch water anymore. What used to be her element became her worst enemy! For four months she lived without taking a bath and drinking water, it was really gross. She's so deep in her pit and while she wants to rise from her fall, she refuses the only fact that makes sense. Until her mother died. Will she open her mind? Or remain in this lifestyle forever? This one decision will change her.
Kate's journey of success and fall from it to saving grace is very anticipating. H2O is unique and refreshing. I'll never view water in the same way ahain!
March 23, 2016
Thank you to Brannon Hollingsworth for the copy. Received for a honest review with no compensation provided.
Kate is workaholic, driven to succeed and also dating her boss Xavier. While cleaning some fish for her special roll sushi she faints and ends up having visions. The visions don't stop since it happens to be triggered by water. She ends up missing important projects and presentations at work because her mind is occupied by her avoidance of water and her sheet determination for some answers to her visions. Her life spirals into despair, having only a friend she has met online to support her.
Kate is just like anyone really. A person who thinks they have committed a sin so badly that they pick up their life and move far away to start anew. Which doesn't always work. And in Kate 's case someone is reaching out to her. To help her forgive herself.
What this book did well was the sheer fact that an unbeliever started to believe after she accepted Jesus into her life. Now I'm not one to be a preacher, my family is Catholic, as I am myself. I don't try to condemn people who don't believe in anything. To each their own! The clear message in this book is this: if you need help and guidance, you need only ask. Simple as that.
Boyd and Hollingsworth's writing is fluid (hah get it?) and dynamic. Kate's memories and thoughts were so scrambled together, it was a little messy written that way but I can garner what was happening at its best. Also the beginning was a tad slow, and I wished to know more about who the other people were. The people who also had similar problems. I guess that was the only hole in the book.
Rating 4/5
Quotes
“Sonetimes you have to pay a steep pricedor something or someone you love.”—Grandpa (207)
“He will show you the way. And He'll nfbdf test you beyond your ability to endure.”—John (211)
“It's okay, Kate. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, but I also don't like labels. They separate people. They build walls. I want to tear down, to get people together.”—John (237)
Kate is workaholic, driven to succeed and also dating her boss Xavier. While cleaning some fish for her special roll sushi she faints and ends up having visions. The visions don't stop since it happens to be triggered by water. She ends up missing important projects and presentations at work because her mind is occupied by her avoidance of water and her sheet determination for some answers to her visions. Her life spirals into despair, having only a friend she has met online to support her.
Kate is just like anyone really. A person who thinks they have committed a sin so badly that they pick up their life and move far away to start anew. Which doesn't always work. And in Kate 's case someone is reaching out to her. To help her forgive herself.
What this book did well was the sheer fact that an unbeliever started to believe after she accepted Jesus into her life. Now I'm not one to be a preacher, my family is Catholic, as I am myself. I don't try to condemn people who don't believe in anything. To each their own! The clear message in this book is this: if you need help and guidance, you need only ask. Simple as that.
Boyd and Hollingsworth's writing is fluid (hah get it?) and dynamic. Kate's memories and thoughts were so scrambled together, it was a little messy written that way but I can garner what was happening at its best. Also the beginning was a tad slow, and I wished to know more about who the other people were. The people who also had similar problems. I guess that was the only hole in the book.
Rating 4/5
Quotes
“Sonetimes you have to pay a steep pricedor something or someone you love.”—Grandpa (207)
“He will show you the way. And He'll nfbdf test you beyond your ability to endure.”—John (211)
“It's okay, Kate. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, but I also don't like labels. They separate people. They build walls. I want to tear down, to get people together.”—John (237)
June 13, 2012
My initial feeling about H2O was uncertainty - it is narrated by Kate Pepper, a 102-pound size 2 aerospace marketing executive and sushi chef who slices off part of her palm while catering a work-related dinner party hosted by her gorgeous but controlling boyfriend, Xavier. I'm not big on blood and I don't like controlling men in fiction or in real life, so this was not a promising start.
But underneath the doubtful beginning there is the start of a puzzle, a mystery, about Kate's reactions to the everyday miracle of water. Kate blacks out in the shower following her hand injury, and this turns out to be just one of many blackouts, always precipitated by water. It isn't long before she starts seeing things during her blackouts, and it becomes unclear what is real and what isn't. She starts searching for answers on the internet, and connects with someone with the known as WRKRJC, who attempts to help Kate make sense of her visions.
Some aspects of the novel felt little odd, like having WiFi explained. I thought that wireless internet technology was virtually omnipresent in the English-speaking world. Others (like the character names Thomas Cook and John Connor, better known respectively as a global travel company and the hero of the Terminator movies) made me wonder if there was something I was missing. And the special coffee roast from the mountains of New Zealand? I don’t think so. Most of our mountains are ski-fields, not exactly conducive to growing a warm-weather crop like coffee.
But despite this, I found the book intriguing, thought-provoking and well worth reading. H2O is rich in symbolism (to the point of almost being allegorical) with excellent use of language. It’s different to most of the Christian fiction on the market today and defies a straightforward genre description, being part literary, part speculative and part romance. I really enjoyed it, and am glad I persevered with it. Recommended.
Thanks to Living Ink Books (imprint of AMG Publishers) and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
But underneath the doubtful beginning there is the start of a puzzle, a mystery, about Kate's reactions to the everyday miracle of water. Kate blacks out in the shower following her hand injury, and this turns out to be just one of many blackouts, always precipitated by water. It isn't long before she starts seeing things during her blackouts, and it becomes unclear what is real and what isn't. She starts searching for answers on the internet, and connects with someone with the known as WRKRJC, who attempts to help Kate make sense of her visions.
Some aspects of the novel felt little odd, like having WiFi explained. I thought that wireless internet technology was virtually omnipresent in the English-speaking world. Others (like the character names Thomas Cook and John Connor, better known respectively as a global travel company and the hero of the Terminator movies) made me wonder if there was something I was missing. And the special coffee roast from the mountains of New Zealand? I don’t think so. Most of our mountains are ski-fields, not exactly conducive to growing a warm-weather crop like coffee.
But despite this, I found the book intriguing, thought-provoking and well worth reading. H2O is rich in symbolism (to the point of almost being allegorical) with excellent use of language. It’s different to most of the Christian fiction on the market today and defies a straightforward genre description, being part literary, part speculative and part romance. I really enjoyed it, and am glad I persevered with it. Recommended.
Thanks to Living Ink Books (imprint of AMG Publishers) and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
January 20, 2012
I LOVED this book! It's amazing to me to think of the lenghts that our Wonderful Savior will go to when trying to bring his children back to his side! I think that Kate had the kind of life that alot of us fantasize about having. She had the great job, the great condo, the good looking boyfried, and the money to do pretty much as she pleased. She wasnt a bad person. She lived a great life, and was a repectible person. Though she had turned away from Gods love for so long. Its amazing to see God working in her life, even as she has no clue to the fact that he is placing her in all the right places with the right people so that He can get her attention. Over and over she is told that someone is trying to reach her and she doesnt want to listen. She can't fathom that it could possibly be God trying to bring her back to his side. She has made some mistakes in her life, some mistakes that she is so ashamed of, that she believes that they are unforgiveable. But it takes loosing her great life, a deep depression and trying to learn to live her life without water to truely open her eyes. She finally see's the people in her life that truely care for her. She finally makes a connection with a friend that literally came out of nowhere in her biggest time of need. They show her through their nonjudgemental ways that God doesnt hold on to our mistakes, he doesnt care about our past transgressions. His love is unconditional and nonjudgemental. And in the end, the connections with these wonderful people and finally accepting her visions, brings her back to "The Radiant One". And He is finally able to make her clean through The Living Water! Scary as the visions must have been, all I can say is that, to be given such gift as to look upon our Saviors face and hear His voice. I'd be playing in water all the time!!! Thank you to Brannon Hollingsworth and Autin Boyd for sharing this wonderful book and their love the God, The Father! God bless you both!
February 20, 2012
I have to say when I first read the blurb on H2O I wanted to read it. I didn't know anything about the authors but I am always willing to try new books and authors. I didn't realize when I started reading this book that the authors were coming from a spiritual/religious place. I finally caught on about 1/3 into it and when I mentioned it to my husband he said "well it's good you didn't know or you would have never started it." He was so right. I didn't read the bios on the back, which I usually do, so that is sort of telling in itself that I was fated to read it. I was raised Roman Catholic and attended grades one through twelve at parochial schools. After which I decided that while I believed in some of the things that I was taught I didn't really feel connected to the church. So I basically walked away. I usually avoid anything that has a religious theme to it for that reason. I don't think I will have the same level of experience that Kate did, but it is making me reevaluate my judgment around avoiding everything religious.
I really enjoyed reading H2O and felt that it was well told and a thoroughly enjoyable read. While reading it I related to Kate so much. There were many things about her that are similar. The need to move far away from her family, the need to over achieve and her choices in the men in her life for starters. I have a few people in mind that I will recommend this to. I guess I just want to say thank you to you both for giving me a little nudge to get me thinking again. Reminding me that we have choices to make and how we treat other people has far reaching consequences. Sometimes just by being there to listen or even just giving a stranger a smile will change their day.
I really enjoyed reading H2O and felt that it was well told and a thoroughly enjoyable read. While reading it I related to Kate so much. There were many things about her that are similar. The need to move far away from her family, the need to over achieve and her choices in the men in her life for starters. I have a few people in mind that I will recommend this to. I guess I just want to say thank you to you both for giving me a little nudge to get me thinking again. Reminding me that we have choices to make and how we treat other people has far reaching consequences. Sometimes just by being there to listen or even just giving a stranger a smile will change their day.
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