Diving In

Art & Coll #1

by Kate Cann

A huge sort of tremor ran through me. After so long, so much fantasizing, I'd actually kissed him. I hope he didn't see that shiver, I thought. I don't want him to know how overwhelmed I am, not yet.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Chick Lit, Childrens, Fiction, Contemporary, Teen

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

When I was a child, I wanted to be a witch. My first foray into writing was a series of nasty spells full of rats’ tails and bats’ wings. Then, when I turned thirteen, I began keeping a lurid diary, full of adoration or loathing, depending on who I was writing about. I used my later diaries for the Diving In trilogy.

I never thought ‘I want to be a writer’, but I loved books and writing. At school, I was rubbish at just about everything but English, so I went on to Kent University where I did two degrees in English and American Literature. At Kent, I fell dramatically in love with the man I'm still married to. We had loads of fights and adventures, but we kept coming back together. He's still the person I most want to spend time with. Awww!

My first proper job was in a publishing house, Time Life Books, as a copy-editor. I felt very glamorous. I used to go to the huge YMCA on Tottenham Court Road at lunchtime and do aerobics classes (very big in the 1980s and yes - I wore legwarmers). Then I'd fall asleep over my desk in the afternoon.

When my two kids came along, I set up as a freelance copy-editor and worked from home. By chance I got given some teenage books to edit, and I hated the way they treated sexual relationships: they were either full of gloom and doom, or were gushy, unrealistic candyfloss. So I got bitten by the ‘I can do better than this’ bug, and started writing. I remember the first day I started to write - it took me over. I forgot to eat (unthinkable for me) and I nearly forgot to collect the kids from school. About a year after that, Diving In was accepted for publication.

When I ran out of material from my diaries and memories, I realized my daughter and son were teenagers, and started eavesdropping on them. They were extremely tolerant about this although they did sometimes demand money from me.

Big changes have been afoot recently. My kids have left home - really left home, not just gap-year-travelling/university left home, and my old man is doing the sort of work that means he can work from home a lot of the time. So we've sold up and moved into the wilds of Wiltshire and so far I am absolutely loving it. The space, the silence, seeing the stars at night in the pitch black, the owls, the trees, the walks, the great food in the local pubs - everything! I'd started to bring nature into my books - it all started with Crow Girl - and now I'm working on two books about a city girl who gets plunged into the wilds. So the move is very much linked to and helping my writing. I think the sheer beauty and power of nature and how it can get right inside you is something a lot of kids are cut off from today.

I still love London though - the plan is to come up every couple of weeks, catch up with all my old mates, possibly do something seriously cultured like go to the theatre. And I want to travel a bit more, too - offsetting my increased carbon footprint with an enormous compost heap.

I love long conversations, running, reading, gardening, walking and white wine (in moderation of course) and I’m the first to admit I have the life of Reilly (who apparently had a pretty cushy life). I start the day with a run or walk with my dog, when I think about what’s going to happen next in the book I’m writing. Then I have a huge breakfast, and get down to work. I write on (or if it’s cold, in) the spare bed with a laptop, my dog at the bottom of the bed. If it’s sunny, I write in the garden, on a sun-lounger. Tough, ay? I also have this theory that you can’t be truly creative for more than about three or four hours a day, so in the mid afternoon, I knock off, and do my emails and stuff. Told you it was cushy.

Reviews

[Hannah]

Note to self: never decide to reread any of the books I was obsessed with when I was 14 ever again.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: https://hiplibrariansbookblog.com/200...

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

There isn't really a story for this one. I just saw it, thought I'd give it a go. The End. Sorry.
Anyway...there are a series of them...somehow? Because well it ended like that's the end. Nothing more else could happen...but something else obviously does. I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel :S

To be honest, I found it flat. And boring. I know some of Kate Cann's other stuff which is supposed to be so good but this...well it didn't live up to my expectations. I found a few spelling mistakes - a pet hate of mine.
And it did take a while to get going. Art, the boy, is a complete and utter idiot. I'm sorry but WHY would someone fall for him with a personality like that. Though, I guess the author wanted us to hate him.
One reason why I probably won't read the whole series is because I can guess it's going to be like 'Do I love him or not? He's an idiot but I want to go out with him? Oh no. My life is over' kind of thing. Which I think will get on my nerves.
I have seem some good reviews and maybe this book just isn't for me. But I would say it's worth a try at least. The characters (apart from Art) are great and I loved Val. She made me laugh a couple of times.

[Alja ✨]

After MONTHS of searching for this book without knowing the title and repeatedly googling 'book about swimming, character named Art' without success, I FINALLY FOUND IT!!

I read this book sometime between 6th and 8th grade because my best friend was a swimmer and she loved it and it was one of the first (YA) romances I read. I probably will not be rereading this because I don't want to know how bad it actually is but I'm just glad I found it again. I also read the translated version so if anything, I should read that one when I want to ruin my childhood, lol.

Date read: like 2010? Not sure

[Kate R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only character I found likable in this was the mother.
Collete was annoying, paranoid, and overreacted to everything, while at the same time subjected herself to being mistreated.
Art was moody, rude, pressuring, arrogant etc. etc. Besides his apparent good looks, he was simply not a nice person. I don't know why anyone would fall for him. Looks aren't everything.
I loved the mother. She was very funny, and in addition, had a simply kick-ass rant at the end about the importance of sex. And she really loves her daughter, no matter how annoying Collete may be.

[Summer Lambert · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know there’s just some things that irritates and you don’t know why? This voice over was one of them. I was punching the air.

[Danni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really feel like there was much of a storyline to this book. Unfortunately it didn't get me hooked and really into it. It was an easier read and the chapters were fairly short which I quite like. Unfortunately I don't feel compelled to read the other two books in the trilogy after reading this one

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diving In’s protagonist Coll is a keen swimmer, but that’s not really the point of the novel, because swimming is a metaphor – A METAPHOR – for her awakening sexuality.

Coll is athletic and down-to-earth, from a family of working-class lefties. Art is rich and callous, content to skate by on his good looks. The plotline of Diving In is an old chestnut of a trope: when they fall in love, Coll’s innate goodness “fixes” Art’s innate badness. The thing is, I don’t hate tropes if they’re well done. Kate Cann actually manages to pull off a diverting YA novel. And it’s one that’s a lot sexier than most teen fare.

You know what I love to read about? UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension). It’s everywhere in TV and movies, and yet most novelists fail miserably at it. Either romance is non-existent or it’s overblown. (Edward. Bella. Meadow. Ahem.) I’m mentioning this because Kate Caan is really good at UST. Her writing is flawed in other respects – the story’s set-up is plodding and she switches tenses like a crazy person – but I have to give her props for her UST.

Teenage!me thought that Diving In was sogreatOMG, and even old-enough-to-know-better!me thinks that it’s a pretty good read.

[Shav]

Col has been smitten with the mysterious boy she sees at the pool every Thursday night. She decides to fancy him in her fantasies– because that's the safest way. But one day she bumps into him and it's like he notices her. They start going out together and it's like they have this natural attraction to one another.
Col wants to take it slow, get to know him better. But it's like Art is only focused on one thing. At the age of 16, it's not always easy to stand up for yourself and refuse your boyfriend. But this strong heroine chooses to stand up for herself even though she knows that it would be easier to give in.

Personal note:
I was 11 or 12 when I read this book the first time. After I finished the series, I decided to read it each year. And I did exactly that for three years. But the books disappeared from my local library and I couldn't find them anywhere else afterwards.
I really needed these books the past few months. But I'm glad I've gotten them the past month.

[andrea grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

7/10 - art and coll/colete.

this was dead freaking good! so much better than any other YA romance i've read in recent history. instead of the couple being in love the whole time and the plot splitting them up, they actually have real differences that are dealt with, which was SO nice. the characters were developed; coll had ideas, opionions and a moral compass. also, i found the britsh humor far to hilarious!

the most impressive part for me was how the author explores all of coll's emotions, both 'positive' and 'negative.' i often find most YA novels only ever really make things light until one short part in the climax. i really liked how they portrayed her mixed emotions throughout.

overall, would 100% reccomend!

[Kattie]

Coll, short for Collet has had a crush on a mystery man that mostly always goes to the pool on thursdays. she's never made contact with him untill she bumped into him. she finds out coll is rich and has had sex before, unlike her. she feels as if he doesn't feel the same way for her as she does to him.
Art (mystery man), short for Aurther, keeps asking to do IT with him bur shes not ready yet. He kind of
lies to Coll and tricks her into a cabbin with two bedrooms; one for her parents and one for her AND art. they find themselves fighting, and Coll makes it really obvious that they are over, esspecially since her mom yelled at Arts dad and stepmom. but in the end they both end up back together. its wayyy more fun if you read it with the details:)

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really have a lot to say about this one, it was a cute book. After awhile it just got a little old, Coll, the main character, spent the entire book was debating with herself about the guy she sees swimming, Art. At different times I wanted to scream at Coll, "Just make up your mind already!" It's a fun read for a lazy summer afternoon. I want to know where Art & Coll's story goes next, this is the first book of the trilogy.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the books that got me through my teenage years so I jumped at the chance to read it again. It was a pleasant surprise to see that it really hasn’t aged! The themes of growing up and apart from your parents, trying to discover who you are and navigating your way through relationships are all very relevant still.

[Michelle Sallay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I loved how it was written before cell phones and the internet, and I honestly didn't think there were any books like this in the late 90s.

I like Kate's writing style and I enjoyed the characters very much. I just bought the next two in the series for more of them.

[DodoReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was featured as part of a Throwback Thursday post.

Check out the full review:

http://treasurecovebookreviews.com/20...

Happy reading =)

[Odette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this before my reading journal, aka before 2005, zo I was younger than 15 when reading all the (translated) books of Kate Cann and I can remember loving them!

[Favour · Rating 3 out of 5]

i'm here for val and col's parents and probably no-one else

[Camryn Tham · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Major Spoilers Ahead*
Diving In, by Kate Cann marks the beginning of a trilogy revolved around a sixteen year old girl named Colette and her beginning challenges of a romance that blossomed at her local swimming pool. She was raised by a headstrong mother that could, by some perspectives, be described as a “man hater” due to her strong feminism beliefs. When Colette’s mother was introduced, I initially believed that the upcoming message of this trilogy would be the importance of feminism, or at least the importance of the respect all women should recieve. However, in my opinion, it took longer than needed to instill that sense of “natural right” to the main character Colette.
When Colette meets Art, the boy she developed a crush on during her after school swimming sessions, it seems to be love at first sight. She turns her back on the words her mother's embedded within her mind and chose to pursue this boy, despite never meeting him. Personally, I don't mind a “love at first sight” plot at all! After all, the reason I chose this book was because I love romance novels and was excited to read about the contrast between pursuing romance with a boy and upholding strong feminism beliefs. Right off the bat, while reading the beginning sections, I understood why Colette was reluctant to follow in her mother's footsteps especially since her mothers beliefs were close to being “man-hating”. However, I believe the problem began to coil when Colette and Art began to talk and spark interest within one another. Besides Art being described as good looking, nothing really rang as interesting for him. I didn't think of it too much because it was only the beginning, but it lacked the sense of excitement that usually makes up romance novels. Simply put, his personality was flat and nothing too special came about meeting him. But this was no reason to say the book itself was written poorly, the biggest problem for me was the personalities of the main characters.
Further into the book, I waited for the development of personality and feminism within Colette. Instead, the readers were given the spontaneous relationship of Colette and Art. Their relationship development was near nonexistent and did not uphold the basic foundation to a relationship. Especially seeing that this was a described as the first novel to a love trilogy, I often questioned how this novel could continue on for two more books when there is such rushed development. The relationship itself wasn't intriguing, they often went to bars and Art’s house (where we are introduced to Art’s unideal family life), where Art can now be seen as pushy for physical affection. Art was raised in a huge mansion, where his rich father and stepmother live in as well. His contempt towards his family was extremely visible to the point where Art continued to show his rash side with Colette even when his family wasn't around. A red flag swung right before my eyes despite it being completely invisible to Colette, who brushed it off because of her strong attraction to Art.
Throughout the book, multiple signs of an unhealthy relationship flashed before my eyes. The most prominent being when Art invites Colette to his camping lodge, where he then gets angry at her for not sleeping with him. Colette gets angry in return, which brought me some hope towards the message that had slowly declined from my thoughts throughout the book. I thought, “this is the perfect moment to just end it with him.” and thus, the relationship between Colette and Art was over (Finally!). My favorite part of the book remains the moment when Colette witnesses a girl being harassed by drunk men at the park and she steps up to protect her, with Colette getting injured in the process. This moment held so much emotion because it proved that no matter how much Colette wanted to veer away from her mother’s mindset, the importance that lies within it overpowers her desire to not follow it. I enjoyed the scene so much because as it showed a more powerful side to Collette, it showed a vulnerable side to her mother -- who was always depicted as a headstrong women with strong beliefs. The duality between a human and a mother made this chapter so strong.
What disappointed me the most was the ending. After having a discussion with her mother, Colette decides to rekindle her short lived romance with Art and give him another chance. The strength that Colette gained gives me hope that she knows how to handle a relationship, I just wish it weren't with Art. I felt as if the ending didn't bring much justice to the purpose behind this trilogy, which was to know that you are just as in control of a relationship that your significant other is. I can't imagine the next two books, especially since the ending of the first book seemed so conclusive. Overall, this book was well written, the plot however, never put me to the edge of my seat and often made me frustrated with the choices made by the main character. But, I understand that each reader has their own opinions and may have differing opinions to mine!

[Maria Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the timetravel to the 90’s. Mothers forcing their 16 yo’s to drink wine, adolescents smoking, kids calling each other and have to go through parents first, an 80’s montage of redecorating the attic with fitting music accompanying it (why is this a part of the book anyways?), love it.

Started reading this because my cousin used to read the trilogy years ago. I wanted to know what I was missing. I wasn’t disappointed.

In the end this is a book I would let my children read. Not because it has such high literary qualities, but because of the powerful message for teenagers: know your boundaries and act to them.

[Helena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I unpacked a box of old books at the weekend and, finding it hard to get into the book I’m currently reading, decided to reread the odd mix of books I’d discovered from my teens and early 20s. I loved this book when I was younger (hence why it was kept when many others found their way to the charity shop) but reading it now was not a pleasant experience. I had forgotten the ending and found myself getting very annoyed at the turn of events in the last few pages.

[Michelle (MichellesBookishLife)]

The first in the Art and Coll quartet, Kate Cann follows 17-year-old Colette as she searches for summer love and finds it in a boy named Arthur, or ‘Art’ for short. He’s handsome and rich, and she’s quickly interested. Too interested, in fact. She quickly gets attached to him and wonders why he’s not answering her calls. Did she dive in too fast?

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I reached for after seeing a mention of this author.
I read this in my teens but remembered nothing about it other than it had something to do with swimming.The level of escapism was just what I needed but I also think this has some great commentary about consent although I'm conflicted about the continuing of the relationship in book 2.
Also Col's Mum is such a great character.

[Rachael Death · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book

I read this book many times a good 25yrs ago ago and loved it then, rereading it now I’m older and no longer having the same teenage issues and worries is interesting. I was able to reflect on what I know now. Fantastic book and series actually - looking forward to continuing to go down memory lane with the next 3 books.

[Suz R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this triology about Art and Colette more than ten years ago when I was a teenager and haven’t forgot it since then. Probably one of few books that I loved so much that I felt changed me and my view of life. Will never forget these books and carry the sweet memory of them my whole life.

[Maheswari · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ Love in paradise

Ansel such a beautiful human being , I should have given 3 stars but 50% of the book were much too dragging with all Nikkie anxiety
I would rather the story focus more on both main characters reunion

[Dovilė Butkienė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knyga skirta paaugliams, nėra įspūdinga, bet mergaitėms būtina žinoti, kad jei kažko nenori daryti, tai ir NEPRIVALAI! Juk visada yra kitas pasirinkimas! Kalbama apie paauglišką meilę, kai vaikinas vis spaudžia mergina pasimylėti, o ji vis dar nepasiruošusi prarasti nekaltybę.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Currently revisiting Kate Cann after a teenage obsession. I didn’t read this one first time round and, as with her others, it hasn’t dated entirely well - but I liked this! Very frank for YA and pitched older than many.

[Ashley]

#41
Borrowed from the library.

FS: "As the hot water pounded down on me, I was suddenly aware I was not alone."
LS: N/A

[Jasmijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked it a lot when I was 12. So... Three stars?

[Martyna Mituzaitė · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple, not complicated and banal summer read. Nothing really sticks with you, but it's okay.