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Underlake
Pampered and cultured Katie Welch has had the same friends her entire life, but lately she doesn’t fit in anymore. Then her mother drags her to a remote farm town where the local kids are friendly, but they don’t know the real her. Even the grownups in her life seem to have lost their way. In the throes of growing up and growing apart, Katie discovers the most unusual boy swimming in her lake and for the first time in memory, she connects. John is refreshingly old-fashioned and wise in ways Katie has never encountered before, but it’s clear he’s hiding something. Katie is just so happy to have someone she can relate to, she’s willing to defy her mother and ignore the warning signs - until it's too late.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2014
About the author
Kia Heavey
5 books37 followersKia Heavey was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City. She graduated from Barnard College with a degree in German Literature and went to work as a creative professional in advertising. Her hobbies include fishing, music, reading, hiking, and most of all, being with her family. Her husband is Chief of Police in their hometown. They have two children and a cat.
Kia is the author of three novels:
NIGHT MACHINES, a book about a married mom who indulges in a harmless mind game and almost loses everything. (Recommended for adults, since it contains mature situations and would probably also be very boring to anyone under 25).
UNDERLAKE, a YA romance with a hint of the supernatural. In this book, a lonely Manhattanite girl is dragged to the sticks for the summer, where she connects unexpectedly with the natural beauty of the place, her own artistic talent, and the mysterious (and possibly dangerous) boy who swims in the lake by her house.
DOMINO, a modern fable about a barn cat locked in a deadly rivalry with a pampered house pet who convinces all the other animals that hunting is wrong. Before he knows what's happening, Domino is in an existential struggle to protect his territory, his family, and a time-honored feline way of life.
Kia is the author of three novels:
NIGHT MACHINES, a book about a married mom who indulges in a harmless mind game and almost loses everything. (Recommended for adults, since it contains mature situations and would probably also be very boring to anyone under 25).
UNDERLAKE, a YA romance with a hint of the supernatural. In this book, a lonely Manhattanite girl is dragged to the sticks for the summer, where she connects unexpectedly with the natural beauty of the place, her own artistic talent, and the mysterious (and possibly dangerous) boy who swims in the lake by her house.
DOMINO, a modern fable about a barn cat locked in a deadly rivalry with a pampered house pet who convinces all the other animals that hunting is wrong. Before he knows what's happening, Domino is in an existential struggle to protect his territory, his family, and a time-honored feline way of life.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 27, 2014
When "Underlake" was highly recommended to me as an example of truly fine YA fiction worth reading, I was not quite sure. "Fine", "excellent", and "really superb" combined with Young Adult Fiction seemed a bit incongruous to me, but the praise was *so* effusive, and I *do* have a young nephew, so why not download the book to my Kindle app to read?
That was a month or so ago. Last weekend, I was half-struck down by a vicious cold, and grabbing my phone for something light to read, saw "Underlake" pop up and decided to give it a whirl after another dose of DayQuil.
Two days later, I was telling everyone I could about the book, the writer's very interesting ideas for our decadent age, and thinking a whole lot about it.
A lot of folks are qualifying this as "Christian" or "religious" fiction, but I have to disagree. Yes, there's a church, a priest, even some praying, but it is, I hope, still unnecessary to note that for decades, such things were considered normal in American life and cultural expression. It's just part of the story, an influence on some of the characters, but the book is hardly preachy and certainly more than head-and-shoulders above some of the "Christian" fiction I've made the mistake of reading in every way—writing, plot, movement, character development, intelligence. I say that as someone who does what her husband calls "a lot of heavy reading", so maybe I'm not the best judge of YAF, but I do remember chucking a "Sweet Valley High" book against the wall in annoyance when I was the target market for such things, so I do at least have some experience reading the stuff!
It's hard to write about "Underlake" without giving the story away. There's an intriguing mystery that definitely encouraged me to keep turning the digital pages; not only that, but the main character, Katie, seems real enough, with problems and frustrations all but the most isolated can identify with, so we find ourselves wondering what will happen next. Especially good are the portions of the book where Katie struggles to understand the way Underlake has changed her—both in relating to herself and to her New York City friends, who do not understand, much less appreciate, what she underwent and how it has affected who she is becoming. This affects her relationship with her widowed and permissive mother, too, in dramatic ways indeed. Very interesting, and very well-portrayed. It's not difficult to pull for Katie as she breaks out of a shell others are convinced she's actually trying to get into.
Yes, quite a few of the kids in the story are wealthy, and many of them are also very physically attractive, but that's probably par for the course. If my own teen memories are correct, when I was that age I thought everyone else was rich, good-looking, and I was poor and plain. Sound familiar? Many of the kids are absolute goofballs, as teens tend to be, while others are either more serious by nature or (importantly) because their parents expect them to be serious, as in the case of the kids living in the town of Overlake—all of them have summer jobs along with their fun! What I especially appreciate is that the book is not focused on romance, as so many YA books seem to be. It's about life, and part of life is love, but it's not the overwhelming point of "Underlake"; life itself is the point.
Heavey is very good at weaving a spell—that, too kept me turning the pages. Writing about the lake house in which Katie and her mother live, especially, Heavey just draws us in to the old place with warmth; the house is almost a character on its own. Heck, I was online trying to find a lake-adjacent house to spend a last summery weekend in upon finishing the book!
There are a couple of "stock" characters, but this is YAF so that's to be expected (and is probably educational somehow). The book does seem to wrap up a bit quickly, but it's hardly jarring; mostly, I think, readers want to continue "living with" Katie and those surrounding her in the welcoming, fascinating woodsy towns by the lakes. There is a paranormal aspect to the tale, too, that lends some neat twists to the story.
In the end, this is a well-crafted coming of age, growing up story I wish had been around when I was the ripe market for such writing. Its quality really is so far above what was available to me, and that's one of the things that makes it such marvellous reading for young people. That is evidenced by the fact that one does not really recognize it as a growing-up tale at all—it's just a good story as you're reading, a page-turner that gets the mind's wheels turning, giving rise to curiosity and that much-neglected human ability, wonder. "Underlake" also seems like the kind of book that can help young people fall in love with reading, never a bad thing at all.
YAF or no, "Underlake" is indeed very good reading (especially when one is sick, because who wants to read physics or philosophy then?), especially for those it is intended to entertain. I read it as an aunt seeking out good books for her nephew, and this is definitely going to be a book I give to him. This is the only work of Heavey's I've read, but this is definitely a good first outing for a new YAF author. Recommended.
That was a month or so ago. Last weekend, I was half-struck down by a vicious cold, and grabbing my phone for something light to read, saw "Underlake" pop up and decided to give it a whirl after another dose of DayQuil.
Two days later, I was telling everyone I could about the book, the writer's very interesting ideas for our decadent age, and thinking a whole lot about it.
A lot of folks are qualifying this as "Christian" or "religious" fiction, but I have to disagree. Yes, there's a church, a priest, even some praying, but it is, I hope, still unnecessary to note that for decades, such things were considered normal in American life and cultural expression. It's just part of the story, an influence on some of the characters, but the book is hardly preachy and certainly more than head-and-shoulders above some of the "Christian" fiction I've made the mistake of reading in every way—writing, plot, movement, character development, intelligence. I say that as someone who does what her husband calls "a lot of heavy reading", so maybe I'm not the best judge of YAF, but I do remember chucking a "Sweet Valley High" book against the wall in annoyance when I was the target market for such things, so I do at least have some experience reading the stuff!
It's hard to write about "Underlake" without giving the story away. There's an intriguing mystery that definitely encouraged me to keep turning the digital pages; not only that, but the main character, Katie, seems real enough, with problems and frustrations all but the most isolated can identify with, so we find ourselves wondering what will happen next. Especially good are the portions of the book where Katie struggles to understand the way Underlake has changed her—both in relating to herself and to her New York City friends, who do not understand, much less appreciate, what she underwent and how it has affected who she is becoming. This affects her relationship with her widowed and permissive mother, too, in dramatic ways indeed. Very interesting, and very well-portrayed. It's not difficult to pull for Katie as she breaks out of a shell others are convinced she's actually trying to get into.
Yes, quite a few of the kids in the story are wealthy, and many of them are also very physically attractive, but that's probably par for the course. If my own teen memories are correct, when I was that age I thought everyone else was rich, good-looking, and I was poor and plain. Sound familiar? Many of the kids are absolute goofballs, as teens tend to be, while others are either more serious by nature or (importantly) because their parents expect them to be serious, as in the case of the kids living in the town of Overlake—all of them have summer jobs along with their fun! What I especially appreciate is that the book is not focused on romance, as so many YA books seem to be. It's about life, and part of life is love, but it's not the overwhelming point of "Underlake"; life itself is the point.
Heavey is very good at weaving a spell—that, too kept me turning the pages. Writing about the lake house in which Katie and her mother live, especially, Heavey just draws us in to the old place with warmth; the house is almost a character on its own. Heck, I was online trying to find a lake-adjacent house to spend a last summery weekend in upon finishing the book!
There are a couple of "stock" characters, but this is YAF so that's to be expected (and is probably educational somehow). The book does seem to wrap up a bit quickly, but it's hardly jarring; mostly, I think, readers want to continue "living with" Katie and those surrounding her in the welcoming, fascinating woodsy towns by the lakes. There is a paranormal aspect to the tale, too, that lends some neat twists to the story.
In the end, this is a well-crafted coming of age, growing up story I wish had been around when I was the ripe market for such writing. Its quality really is so far above what was available to me, and that's one of the things that makes it such marvellous reading for young people. That is evidenced by the fact that one does not really recognize it as a growing-up tale at all—it's just a good story as you're reading, a page-turner that gets the mind's wheels turning, giving rise to curiosity and that much-neglected human ability, wonder. "Underlake" also seems like the kind of book that can help young people fall in love with reading, never a bad thing at all.
YAF or no, "Underlake" is indeed very good reading (especially when one is sick, because who wants to read physics or philosophy then?), especially for those it is intended to entertain. I read it as an aunt seeking out good books for her nephew, and this is definitely going to be a book I give to him. This is the only work of Heavey's I've read, but this is definitely a good first outing for a new YAF author. Recommended.
January 25, 2016
The author of this book, was kind enough to give me a copy in return for a review. I had already ready Kia's book Night Machines and was very impressed with it. Just like Night Machines, Underlake is unlike anything I've read before and I was completely glued to it.
Some might say that Underlake doesn't know what type of book it wants to be. There is the coming of age contemporary YA fiction aspect to it. There is the Christian fiction aspect of it, and then there is the paranormal element that it has. I found all three of these put together in one book to be very inventive.
It was refreshing to read Katie's view on things as a modern teenager. She is going through a time in her life where she is questioning some of the choices she has been making and if some of the things she thought were so important really are. She is also wondering if her friends are making some choices that could lead them down the wrong roads and worrying about them. I agreed wholeheartedly with the changes that she makes in her life. I hurt with her as her friends made fun of her beliefs and accused her of being judgmental simply because she had decided to go to church, when in fact they were the ones being judgmental of her, and I hurt with her when her own mother didn't even respect the changes she was making in herself either.
I loved reading about the small town and the friends she made there. I would have loved to have gotten to know them even better. The ending felt a bit rushed. I would have liked to have dwelt on the emotions and romance between John and Katie in the last third of the book a bit more. The paranormal aspect of the story was interesting and quite different from any other book I've read. There was no explanation of what John was or how he got that way, but that was alright with me. I will definitely be reading anything else this author writes as her writing style just pulls me in and she comes up with such interesting combinations in her books.
Some might say that Underlake doesn't know what type of book it wants to be. There is the coming of age contemporary YA fiction aspect to it. There is the Christian fiction aspect of it, and then there is the paranormal element that it has. I found all three of these put together in one book to be very inventive.
It was refreshing to read Katie's view on things as a modern teenager. She is going through a time in her life where she is questioning some of the choices she has been making and if some of the things she thought were so important really are. She is also wondering if her friends are making some choices that could lead them down the wrong roads and worrying about them. I agreed wholeheartedly with the changes that she makes in her life. I hurt with her as her friends made fun of her beliefs and accused her of being judgmental simply because she had decided to go to church, when in fact they were the ones being judgmental of her, and I hurt with her when her own mother didn't even respect the changes she was making in herself either.
I loved reading about the small town and the friends she made there. I would have loved to have gotten to know them even better. The ending felt a bit rushed. I would have liked to have dwelt on the emotions and romance between John and Katie in the last third of the book a bit more. The paranormal aspect of the story was interesting and quite different from any other book I've read. There was no explanation of what John was or how he got that way, but that was alright with me. I will definitely be reading anything else this author writes as her writing style just pulls me in and she comes up with such interesting combinations in her books.
March 24, 2014
Full disclosure: The author gave me a copy of the book in return for an honest review. Underlake is a very different YA take on the teenage years which is refreshing to Moms looking for a novel they can give their daughters. The main character, Katie, is a jaded New York teenager who discovers there is life outside the island of Manhattan one summer. She longs for the life of her new friends which is simpler and more steady than the life she has known. One where the parents parent and the kids have responsibilities normal for teenagers. Katie rebels against her upbringing by going to church and searching for something deeper in her life through God. This novel will resonate with Christian Fiction parents and teenagers looking for something different from the usual vampire/werewolf, fashion, celebrity-driven books out there today.
March 1, 2014
A book I wish I had when I was a teenager. As the author, I dedicate it:
For girls everywhere
Who are less than thrilled
With the popular things.
For girls everywhere
Who are less than thrilled
With the popular things.
April 13, 2014
In her Goodreads author profile, Kia Heavey explains just what motivated her to write her laudable YA novel, Underlake: she says, "I wrote Underlake to entertain teen girls trying make good choices in the face of tacky pop culture, peer pressure, and permissive parenting." But there's more; Heavey also reveals that she loves "a captivating, creepy story that weaves a spell."
So to say that I was intrigued--and quite anxious to read Heavey's novel--is an understatement. The author generously provided me with a review copy. As soon as I received it, I opened it right up and read the dedication that underscores Heavey's deep desire to write fiction with a counter-cultural message, to give encouragement to those teenaged girls who feel they don't fit in with modern mores and fashions and are looking for deeper meaning in their lives; it reads, "For girls everywhere who are less than thrilled with the popular things."
By the time I'd turned the last page of this well-written page-turner (about a day-and-a-half after it came in the mail!), I could clearly imagine how readers in the author's target audience--to whom she lovingly dedicated this book--might be inspired to follow in the footsteps of Underlake's brave and likable young heroine.
Heavey's novel revolves around Katie Welch, who lives in NYC with her distant, career-obsessed, morally confused single mother. She is surrounded by fast-living high school friends and doesn't always feel comfortable with the things they are up to. They are getting involved in underage drinking, drugs, and pre-marital sex, and Katie is known as the goody-two-shoes of the bunch. Still, when her mother drags her off to a cottage in Underlake (a tiny lakeside town in Upstate NY) for the summer, she doesn't know how she's going to survive life out in the sticks surrounded by kids who seem like small-town country hicks compared to the hip, urban friends she's known since kindergarten.
In spite of herself, however, Katie makes friends with some fresh-faced, refreshingly kind and straightforward teenagers from the nearby town of Overlake. She is drawn to their modest manner of dressing, their tight-knit, happy families, the clean, fun activities they enjoy, and the beautiful simplicity of their Catholic Faith. All the kids in her new circle attend church every weekend, and Katie begins to join them for Mass--which is something that she hasn't done since way back when she was a little girl and her father was still alive. Over the course of the summer, her faith grows and strengthens.
Inspired by nature’s vibrant colors, which open up a whole new world to a lifelong city dweller like Katie, the work of this budding artist improves by leaps and bounds and takes on an almost magical quality. And speaking of magical: an otherworldly teenaged boy, whom Katie sometimes spies splashing about in the middle of the lake, appears one day at the end of her dock, and he's so good-looking and charming that he takes her breath away. His name is John, and he is unlike any boy she's ever met before--indeed, there's something "other" about him. But then again, Katie has always felt that among her city friends, there was something "other" about her, too, so she and John seem like a perfect match.
I would hate to put too many spoilers in this review, so I won't give you any more details about Katie's enigmatic boyfriend, whose very existence is an mystery to most of the residents of the area. You'll just have to read the book to learn the secrets of John's unusual life story. But suffice it to say that during the course of her summer in the country, Katie's life is so profoundly changed that she has trouble readjusting when she and her mother return to New York at the start of the new school year. She has nothing in common anymore with her old friends, and the tenuous closeness that had developed between mother and daughter during their stay at the quiet lake house begins to vanish--just as John would vanish every night when he left Katie and swam away across the lake. Without her new-found faith, Katie would be completely lost, and church becomes a refuge where she feels safe and at peace. But more than anything, she longs to return to Underlake...and to John.
That's all I'm going to say regarding the imaginative plot, but I can tell you that even though I might not be the book's target audience, I really enjoyed this story--and if you have your daughter read it, Mom, you should go ahead and read it, too. Reading it made me wish I'd had a novel like this available to me when I was about 14 or 15. It's not often that you can find a book that appeals to the romantic heart of a teenager the way this one does, but is also so inspirational and has such powerful and important messages to impart.
I highly recommend Underlake, an entertaining coming-of-age tale with an eerie paranormal edge to it. Heavey is uniquely talented and her writing style is straightforward and attractive; the characters are fully developed and their conversations are real-to-life; and the plot moves right along at a brisk pace, weaving its spell. I think this book would make excellent summer reading for the starry-eyed young romantic in your life who needs better examples of what true love and happiness look like than she's going to get from mainstream popular teen fiction.
(This is Kia Heavey's second book. She is also the author of Night Machines, a novel for adults.)
So to say that I was intrigued--and quite anxious to read Heavey's novel--is an understatement. The author generously provided me with a review copy. As soon as I received it, I opened it right up and read the dedication that underscores Heavey's deep desire to write fiction with a counter-cultural message, to give encouragement to those teenaged girls who feel they don't fit in with modern mores and fashions and are looking for deeper meaning in their lives; it reads, "For girls everywhere who are less than thrilled with the popular things."
By the time I'd turned the last page of this well-written page-turner (about a day-and-a-half after it came in the mail!), I could clearly imagine how readers in the author's target audience--to whom she lovingly dedicated this book--might be inspired to follow in the footsteps of Underlake's brave and likable young heroine.
Heavey's novel revolves around Katie Welch, who lives in NYC with her distant, career-obsessed, morally confused single mother. She is surrounded by fast-living high school friends and doesn't always feel comfortable with the things they are up to. They are getting involved in underage drinking, drugs, and pre-marital sex, and Katie is known as the goody-two-shoes of the bunch. Still, when her mother drags her off to a cottage in Underlake (a tiny lakeside town in Upstate NY) for the summer, she doesn't know how she's going to survive life out in the sticks surrounded by kids who seem like small-town country hicks compared to the hip, urban friends she's known since kindergarten.
In spite of herself, however, Katie makes friends with some fresh-faced, refreshingly kind and straightforward teenagers from the nearby town of Overlake. She is drawn to their modest manner of dressing, their tight-knit, happy families, the clean, fun activities they enjoy, and the beautiful simplicity of their Catholic Faith. All the kids in her new circle attend church every weekend, and Katie begins to join them for Mass--which is something that she hasn't done since way back when she was a little girl and her father was still alive. Over the course of the summer, her faith grows and strengthens.
Inspired by nature’s vibrant colors, which open up a whole new world to a lifelong city dweller like Katie, the work of this budding artist improves by leaps and bounds and takes on an almost magical quality. And speaking of magical: an otherworldly teenaged boy, whom Katie sometimes spies splashing about in the middle of the lake, appears one day at the end of her dock, and he's so good-looking and charming that he takes her breath away. His name is John, and he is unlike any boy she's ever met before--indeed, there's something "other" about him. But then again, Katie has always felt that among her city friends, there was something "other" about her, too, so she and John seem like a perfect match.
I would hate to put too many spoilers in this review, so I won't give you any more details about Katie's enigmatic boyfriend, whose very existence is an mystery to most of the residents of the area. You'll just have to read the book to learn the secrets of John's unusual life story. But suffice it to say that during the course of her summer in the country, Katie's life is so profoundly changed that she has trouble readjusting when she and her mother return to New York at the start of the new school year. She has nothing in common anymore with her old friends, and the tenuous closeness that had developed between mother and daughter during their stay at the quiet lake house begins to vanish--just as John would vanish every night when he left Katie and swam away across the lake. Without her new-found faith, Katie would be completely lost, and church becomes a refuge where she feels safe and at peace. But more than anything, she longs to return to Underlake...and to John.
That's all I'm going to say regarding the imaginative plot, but I can tell you that even though I might not be the book's target audience, I really enjoyed this story--and if you have your daughter read it, Mom, you should go ahead and read it, too. Reading it made me wish I'd had a novel like this available to me when I was about 14 or 15. It's not often that you can find a book that appeals to the romantic heart of a teenager the way this one does, but is also so inspirational and has such powerful and important messages to impart.
I highly recommend Underlake, an entertaining coming-of-age tale with an eerie paranormal edge to it. Heavey is uniquely talented and her writing style is straightforward and attractive; the characters are fully developed and their conversations are real-to-life; and the plot moves right along at a brisk pace, weaving its spell. I think this book would make excellent summer reading for the starry-eyed young romantic in your life who needs better examples of what true love and happiness look like than she's going to get from mainstream popular teen fiction.
(This is Kia Heavey's second book. She is also the author of Night Machines, a novel for adults.)
August 10, 2017
Kindle freebie. Hmm, mixed thoughts here. Good writing. Pretty frank portrayal of current high school culture (quite inappropriate at times). Hint of fantasy. Some really good deeper points.
March 28, 2014
When I was a young teenager, I read Beverly Cleary’s Fifteen and loved it. Ms Cleary seemed to capture everything I was feeling during those turbulent years. That feeling is also perfectly captured in Kia Heavey’s new novel Underlake.
I suppose the appropriate genre for this captivating book would be ‘young adult Christian literature’ but don’t let the Christian literature label turn you off. The religiosity of the story is simply a part of fifteen year old Katie Welch finding her way and discovering what works for her. As she says herself ‘That works for me but it doesn’t have to work for you. The whole point is that we are individuals’ (pg293) What a wonderful concept for us all to embrace. The problem for Katie is that realizing this truth, and implementing it in her life, does not mean that those around her understand or are willing to do the same. Her mother and closest friends feel rejected and hurt. Only John understands.
Underlake is the first book I have read in a long time that has completely captivated me. I loved Katie and her Underlake friends. I was frustrated and angered by her mother and society friends. John I had some trouble with: at times I adored him as much as Katie did and at other times I was suspicious of his motives. It was harder for me to accept him as another teenager trying to find his way. But however I felt about the characters, I was always thinking about the story; I couldn’t wait to get back to it and see what would happen next. The story pulled me in and held me captive. Kia Heavey has that effect on me; her writing style speaks to my heart.
If I had to pick one negative thing about Underlake, it would be that it took so long to get a comprehensive description of what Katie looked like. By then I had already started to picture her in my mind and Kia’s description of her didn’t match the picture I had in my brain.
Biggest positive is that the author doesn’t leave the reader hanging at the end of the book. Everything pulls together and the reader is left satisfied.
I loved this book and, without hesitation, recommend it to readers of all ages. We can all learn something from Katie’s outlook and from John’s redemption. It is a story, and a moral, that will stay with me. Great job Kia Heavey!
I suppose the appropriate genre for this captivating book would be ‘young adult Christian literature’ but don’t let the Christian literature label turn you off. The religiosity of the story is simply a part of fifteen year old Katie Welch finding her way and discovering what works for her. As she says herself ‘That works for me but it doesn’t have to work for you. The whole point is that we are individuals’ (pg293) What a wonderful concept for us all to embrace. The problem for Katie is that realizing this truth, and implementing it in her life, does not mean that those around her understand or are willing to do the same. Her mother and closest friends feel rejected and hurt. Only John understands.
Underlake is the first book I have read in a long time that has completely captivated me. I loved Katie and her Underlake friends. I was frustrated and angered by her mother and society friends. John I had some trouble with: at times I adored him as much as Katie did and at other times I was suspicious of his motives. It was harder for me to accept him as another teenager trying to find his way. But however I felt about the characters, I was always thinking about the story; I couldn’t wait to get back to it and see what would happen next. The story pulled me in and held me captive. Kia Heavey has that effect on me; her writing style speaks to my heart.
If I had to pick one negative thing about Underlake, it would be that it took so long to get a comprehensive description of what Katie looked like. By then I had already started to picture her in my mind and Kia’s description of her didn’t match the picture I had in my brain.
Biggest positive is that the author doesn’t leave the reader hanging at the end of the book. Everything pulls together and the reader is left satisfied.
I loved this book and, without hesitation, recommend it to readers of all ages. We can all learn something from Katie’s outlook and from John’s redemption. It is a story, and a moral, that will stay with me. Great job Kia Heavey!
May 15, 2014
Kia Heavey's novel revolves around Katie Welch. Katie lives in NYC with her single mother who is career-obsessed. She is surrounded by high school friends that are getting involved in things that she doesn't always feel comfortable with like underage drinking, drugs and sex. Her mother drags her off to a cottage in for the summer and she devastated to be away from the friends she has known all her life. Katie doesn’t know how she is going to make friends in such a strange and back-woods place.
Katie does make friends with some teenagers from the nearby town of Overlake. All these kids attend church every weekend, and she begins to join them for Mass. Katie also meets a boy who she sees swimming in the middle of the lake named John. Even though John has an “other” quality to him, she falls in love with him over the summer.
During the course of her summer in Underlake, Katie's life is changed so much that when she and her mother return to New York she has trouble readjusting to being with her old friends. She has nothing in common with them anymore. More than anything, she longs to return to Underlake and be near John.
I loved reading Underlake; it was an entertaining book with an eerie paranormal edge to it. Heavey is a great storyteller and even though I am not its target audience I would recommend this book for young girls and moms alike.
Katie does make friends with some teenagers from the nearby town of Overlake. All these kids attend church every weekend, and she begins to join them for Mass. Katie also meets a boy who she sees swimming in the middle of the lake named John. Even though John has an “other” quality to him, she falls in love with him over the summer.
During the course of her summer in Underlake, Katie's life is changed so much that when she and her mother return to New York she has trouble readjusting to being with her old friends. She has nothing in common with them anymore. More than anything, she longs to return to Underlake and be near John.
I loved reading Underlake; it was an entertaining book with an eerie paranormal edge to it. Heavey is a great storyteller and even though I am not its target audience I would recommend this book for young girls and moms alike.
July 14, 2015
Today's teen characters are usually portrayed as adults. They sleep around, drink and do drugs, all without ever learning a lesson that sets them straight.
So what happens when a teenager wants to be a teenager? What happens when they recognize that they're not prepared to handle life as an adult?
A lot of YA stories are described as "coming of age" but Underlake focuses more on being the age you are, which is a refreshing change of pace.
Without giving away too much of the story, I can safely say that the supernatural elements of Underlake are put to good use as the story's main character is torn between old fashioned values and the modern sensibilities that are being forced upon most teens today.
The book would be a great read for any teenager who struggles to live by their values, but it is also just a good story with unique twists and turns that would keep anyone turning the pages.
So what happens when a teenager wants to be a teenager? What happens when they recognize that they're not prepared to handle life as an adult?
A lot of YA stories are described as "coming of age" but Underlake focuses more on being the age you are, which is a refreshing change of pace.
Without giving away too much of the story, I can safely say that the supernatural elements of Underlake are put to good use as the story's main character is torn between old fashioned values and the modern sensibilities that are being forced upon most teens today.
The book would be a great read for any teenager who struggles to live by their values, but it is also just a good story with unique twists and turns that would keep anyone turning the pages.
May 6, 2014
A most unexpected delight by Ms. Heavey. While it is clearly a novel for Young Adults, I, as a bitter misanthrope of over 50, found it very compelling and even moving, which is a real testament to the strength of Kia’s writing and the story itself. I don’t want to get hung up on the plot, because a lot of the joy of the novel is in the discovery of the story and characters, but I found them very real: funny, fallible, human beings that I wanted to know more about. One of Ms. Heavey’s gifts as a writer is the way she can slip in subtly disquieting events until the reader finds themselves in a place and story they did not expect. In short, this was a really good book that transcends the genre and deserves to be widely read.
January 1, 2016
I have a love/hate relationship with books that make me cry. This book made me cry, and I loved it.
The first sixty or so pages were really slow. I wish that they could be condensed a little bit so that impatient readers don't give up on the story. I was starting to think the book was going to be fairly boring, but once it finally got going, it really took off. Katie was fairly irritating at first, but she had a ton of character growth fairly quickly and I found that she was an incredible and loveable character. There were times when John's stupidity and selfishness really got on my nerves, but he made Katie into a better version of herself (as she did for him) and I love him for that.
This book was marketed rather deceptively. The hook implies that Katie was uninterested in being friends with Sarah, Meredith and the other kids in the small town. She actually became very good friends with them. That was a big part of the reason she feel in love with the place. It was the local kids, not John, who got her to go back to Church. The hook seems to imply that Katie is an angsty teenager (which she was at first, but, like I said, she went through a lot of character growth early on that did make her likeable) who is acting up against her mother for no reason and has started dating a flattering snake of a boy who is actually a player or a user or something awful, when in reality Katie's mother was a distant, no-rules (except to plan out Katie's entire future for her) type who cared more about looking cool to her co-workers and cheating boyfriend than she did for her daughter. While John was keeping secrets from Katie, and sometimes was a complete idiot, he was the only person who was there for Katie when she desperately needed someone.
There were two main climaxes in the book. My assessment of them is going to have spoilers.
This is an incredibly good book, but do be warned that the book description is not particularly accurate. I also really appreciated The approach to some real problem faced by Christian teens, particularly that of being thought judgemental because you don't like some of the things that this worldly society encourages. I truly did not expect to be very impressed by this book, especially with the slow start, but it surprised me by being wonderful.
The first sixty or so pages were really slow. I wish that they could be condensed a little bit so that impatient readers don't give up on the story. I was starting to think the book was going to be fairly boring, but once it finally got going, it really took off. Katie was fairly irritating at first, but she had a ton of character growth fairly quickly and I found that she was an incredible and loveable character. There were times when John's stupidity and selfishness really got on my nerves, but he made Katie into a better version of herself (as she did for him) and I love him for that.
This book was marketed rather deceptively. The hook implies that Katie was uninterested in being friends with Sarah, Meredith and the other kids in the small town. She actually became very good friends with them. That was a big part of the reason she feel in love with the place. It was the local kids, not John, who got her to go back to Church. The hook seems to imply that Katie is an angsty teenager (which she was at first, but, like I said, she went through a lot of character growth early on that did make her likeable) who is acting up against her mother for no reason and has started dating a flattering snake of a boy who is actually a player or a user or something awful, when in reality Katie's mother was a distant, no-rules (except to plan out Katie's entire future for her) type who cared more about looking cool to her co-workers and cheating boyfriend than she did for her daughter. While John was keeping secrets from Katie, and sometimes was a complete idiot, he was the only person who was there for Katie when she desperately needed someone.
There were two main climaxes in the book. My assessment of them is going to have spoilers.
This is an incredibly good book, but do be warned that the book description is not particularly accurate. I also really appreciated The approach to some real problem faced by Christian teens, particularly that of being thought judgemental because you don't like some of the things that this worldly society encourages. I truly did not expect to be very impressed by this book, especially with the slow start, but it surprised me by being wonderful.
March 21, 2014
Kia Heavey is blessed with a rich imagination and story-telling skills. Her adult novel (Night Machines) is filled with vivid imagery, dreamy and unforgettable. Her second novel (Underlake), for teen readers, also startles with dreamy, sometimes disturbing, always unforgettable images.
Christian moms will love this novel for its unique heroine, a teenage girl who doesn't conform to the values of her affluent classmates and so-called friends. Her own mother is materialistic, image-conscious, and sexually active with a man who cheats on her and embarrasses her. Some role model, eh? Yet Katie has a remarkable reserve of inner strength, wisdom and common sense. She is unchurched, but her intuition is good. This reminds me of a 1996 book, Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Jungian analyst Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Katie embodies the intuitive and instinctive abilities that Estes describes, an inner wisdom which women have been dispossessed of, over time and across cultures. Estes writes of the archetype of the Wild Woman, a female in touch with her primitive side and able to rely on gut feelings to make choices.
Katie, however, goes beyond mythology and ultimately finds guidance from God. First, she must be uprooted from her familiar friends and home in the city to spend her summer in a small, quiet town by a lake, far from anywhere important. "My life is ruined," she sobs on page one. Her friends are good about not mocking her for being a cry-baby (how many teen girls suffer the problem of weeping in the school cafeteria), but they aren't really there for her, especially when their top priority seems to be partying, smoking weed, drinking and making out in public.
At Underlake, Katie meets small-town teens with a completely different set of values. When your mother is already doing the things your friends do, and seems okay with her teenage daughter being "cool" along with them, there's only one radical way to rebel: by attending church. Katie goes to Mass with her new friends and discovers that she is not as alone in the world as she thought.
The local legend of a Boy in the Lake is where the paranormal and archetypal elements of the novel come into play. To avoid plot spoilers, I firmly resolve to say nothing more about this. But I will point out some of the most memorable lines of the novel. Alone at the dock, Katie enjoys the quietude and serene beauty of the lake. Then:
"Some sort of commotion had pulled her awake... eyes half open, she looked out to the middle of the lake. What appeared to be a boy, or maybe a young man, was swimming and splashing about.... There were no houses or docks or other signs of life; just a silly boy, way out in the middle of the lake, apparently unconcerned that he was hundreds of feet from the nearest shore. He dove smoothly beneath the surface once again, his feet vanishing without a ripple. Again, Katie held her breath and waited for him to surface. This time, she had already exhaled and taken several gulps of fresh air by the time he reappeared. He seemed to be completely at home in the water, playing and paddling. ... He was far away and splashing showers of sun-silvered water all about him, but she made out hair that appeared flaxen even though it was wet. ...The next time the boy went under, she dozed off again before he came back."
Katie's summer at the lake must end, of course, but we see the lake during the winter, with stirring, vivid imagery:
"In the depth of winter, lethargy took hold of the residents of Underlake in earnest. The dimness, the intense cold, the near-perfect stillness worked a spell on all life beneath the seal of ice. Charmed, the creatures remained motionless for days at a time. Fish, amphibians and reptiles alike drowsed in muddy holes and submerged hollows, drawing minimal oxygen as their vital functions slowed to a near halt. The green grasses and reeds of summer had long since browned and drifted downstream, their life forces retreating into root systems, waiting for spring to conjure new shoots."
An example of Katie not caving to peer pressure:
"Zack pulled a tiny pipe and a plastic bag of dried leaves out of his pocket and placed them on the table, smiling that demented grin of his and looking around the table. Katie and Michaela said no thanks ...Katie said nothing as she watched. The sight filled her with apprehension and maybe even sorrow, but she didn't want to criticize her oldest, best friends. They were all of above-average intelligence, sophisticated and open-minded, after all; they must know what they were doing. So Katie said nothing."
I won't comment on structure, style and plot. The prose is straightforward. Mothers, you may rest assured this novel is wholesome and safe for your daughters to read.
Whatever Kia writes next, it's sure to be dreamy, vivid, imaginative and memorable. I look forward to more from this author.
Christian moms will love this novel for its unique heroine, a teenage girl who doesn't conform to the values of her affluent classmates and so-called friends. Her own mother is materialistic, image-conscious, and sexually active with a man who cheats on her and embarrasses her. Some role model, eh? Yet Katie has a remarkable reserve of inner strength, wisdom and common sense. She is unchurched, but her intuition is good. This reminds me of a 1996 book, Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Jungian analyst Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Katie embodies the intuitive and instinctive abilities that Estes describes, an inner wisdom which women have been dispossessed of, over time and across cultures. Estes writes of the archetype of the Wild Woman, a female in touch with her primitive side and able to rely on gut feelings to make choices.
Katie, however, goes beyond mythology and ultimately finds guidance from God. First, she must be uprooted from her familiar friends and home in the city to spend her summer in a small, quiet town by a lake, far from anywhere important. "My life is ruined," she sobs on page one. Her friends are good about not mocking her for being a cry-baby (how many teen girls suffer the problem of weeping in the school cafeteria), but they aren't really there for her, especially when their top priority seems to be partying, smoking weed, drinking and making out in public.
At Underlake, Katie meets small-town teens with a completely different set of values. When your mother is already doing the things your friends do, and seems okay with her teenage daughter being "cool" along with them, there's only one radical way to rebel: by attending church. Katie goes to Mass with her new friends and discovers that she is not as alone in the world as she thought.
The local legend of a Boy in the Lake is where the paranormal and archetypal elements of the novel come into play. To avoid plot spoilers, I firmly resolve to say nothing more about this. But I will point out some of the most memorable lines of the novel. Alone at the dock, Katie enjoys the quietude and serene beauty of the lake. Then:
"Some sort of commotion had pulled her awake... eyes half open, she looked out to the middle of the lake. What appeared to be a boy, or maybe a young man, was swimming and splashing about.... There were no houses or docks or other signs of life; just a silly boy, way out in the middle of the lake, apparently unconcerned that he was hundreds of feet from the nearest shore. He dove smoothly beneath the surface once again, his feet vanishing without a ripple. Again, Katie held her breath and waited for him to surface. This time, she had already exhaled and taken several gulps of fresh air by the time he reappeared. He seemed to be completely at home in the water, playing and paddling. ... He was far away and splashing showers of sun-silvered water all about him, but she made out hair that appeared flaxen even though it was wet. ...The next time the boy went under, she dozed off again before he came back."
Katie's summer at the lake must end, of course, but we see the lake during the winter, with stirring, vivid imagery:
"In the depth of winter, lethargy took hold of the residents of Underlake in earnest. The dimness, the intense cold, the near-perfect stillness worked a spell on all life beneath the seal of ice. Charmed, the creatures remained motionless for days at a time. Fish, amphibians and reptiles alike drowsed in muddy holes and submerged hollows, drawing minimal oxygen as their vital functions slowed to a near halt. The green grasses and reeds of summer had long since browned and drifted downstream, their life forces retreating into root systems, waiting for spring to conjure new shoots."
An example of Katie not caving to peer pressure:
"Zack pulled a tiny pipe and a plastic bag of dried leaves out of his pocket and placed them on the table, smiling that demented grin of his and looking around the table. Katie and Michaela said no thanks ...Katie said nothing as she watched. The sight filled her with apprehension and maybe even sorrow, but she didn't want to criticize her oldest, best friends. They were all of above-average intelligence, sophisticated and open-minded, after all; they must know what they were doing. So Katie said nothing."
I won't comment on structure, style and plot. The prose is straightforward. Mothers, you may rest assured this novel is wholesome and safe for your daughters to read.
Whatever Kia writes next, it's sure to be dreamy, vivid, imaginative and memorable. I look forward to more from this author.
March 19, 2015
Underlake by Kia Heavey is an incredible coming-of-age story that is rich with elements of love, mystery, suspense, even a touch of fantasy that you wouldn’t think could work--but WOW!--does it ever!!
This unpredictable story is packed with clever twists and turns, and superbly written. The prologue grabs you by the heart, and then we meet Katie, a teen who is very miffed to be separated from her trendy city friends and deposited in a boring hick town for the summer. But it turns out to be the opposite of boring. Charmed with life here, Katie doesn’t want to leave at summer's end. She particularly doesn’t want to leave behind John, the impulsive, endearing young man who is so different from anyone she’s ever met. Little does she know, he’s concealing a deep, ancient secret that will change both their lives forever.
When I had to set this book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. In fact, I admit I let my kids watch too much TV so I could keep reading. I read with particular anticipation for the other-worldly aspect that is tantalizingly hinted at. The story takes a fantastical turn, yet the author makes it completely credible and so intriguing.
This is a modern, fast-paced story that teens (and their mothers!) will certainly enjoy, but besides being highly entertaining, it has moral value as well. Katie is a teen trying to find her place in the world, but she comes to realize that the mainstream “answers to happiness” that are pushed at her, won’t make her truly happy. She’s a smart young woman, and as she sees the consequences of bad choices (drinking, drugs, premarital sex) playing out around her, she is no longer fooled by the lure of “all things popular.”
Katie and her mother stopped going to church after her father died, but through the course of the story, Katie finds her way (believably) back to the Catholic Faith. The religious content is a credible, influential part of the story, and is never forced or out-of-place.
Underlake has the most magical, satisfying, heart-tugging ending. I loved how the final pages take you further down the road of the main characters’ lives than you would expect. You want to know the details of how their lives turn out because you care that much about them.
Underlake is one of those rare books that has the power to leave you with a lasting and meaningful impression. You close the book, but you continue to marvel over a story that has become so very real and dear to you.
Reviewed by:
Therese Heckenkamp
Catholic author of Past Suspicion and Frozen Footprints
This unpredictable story is packed with clever twists and turns, and superbly written. The prologue grabs you by the heart, and then we meet Katie, a teen who is very miffed to be separated from her trendy city friends and deposited in a boring hick town for the summer. But it turns out to be the opposite of boring. Charmed with life here, Katie doesn’t want to leave at summer's end. She particularly doesn’t want to leave behind John, the impulsive, endearing young man who is so different from anyone she’s ever met. Little does she know, he’s concealing a deep, ancient secret that will change both their lives forever.
When I had to set this book down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again. In fact, I admit I let my kids watch too much TV so I could keep reading. I read with particular anticipation for the other-worldly aspect that is tantalizingly hinted at. The story takes a fantastical turn, yet the author makes it completely credible and so intriguing.
This is a modern, fast-paced story that teens (and their mothers!) will certainly enjoy, but besides being highly entertaining, it has moral value as well. Katie is a teen trying to find her place in the world, but she comes to realize that the mainstream “answers to happiness” that are pushed at her, won’t make her truly happy. She’s a smart young woman, and as she sees the consequences of bad choices (drinking, drugs, premarital sex) playing out around her, she is no longer fooled by the lure of “all things popular.”
Katie and her mother stopped going to church after her father died, but through the course of the story, Katie finds her way (believably) back to the Catholic Faith. The religious content is a credible, influential part of the story, and is never forced or out-of-place.
Underlake has the most magical, satisfying, heart-tugging ending. I loved how the final pages take you further down the road of the main characters’ lives than you would expect. You want to know the details of how their lives turn out because you care that much about them.
Underlake is one of those rare books that has the power to leave you with a lasting and meaningful impression. You close the book, but you continue to marvel over a story that has become so very real and dear to you.
Reviewed by:
Therese Heckenkamp
Catholic author of Past Suspicion and Frozen Footprints
April 29, 2014
"Night Machines," Kia Heavey's fascinating first novel, is now followed by her equally---nay, even more--- intriguing second; "Underlake." Both novels abound with Heavey's particular authorial gifts: Descriptions of nature and of natural plot elements that are lyrical in the finest sense yet realistic to a point that the reader feels 'Aha! Yes, I know that--how fine!; An omniscient narrator with a subtle tone of compassion toward characters and their struggles that's strong, clear, and without a speck of sentimentality; and prose that seamlessly combines plot with clear-sighted explorations of society, morality, friendship, faith, and love.
Heavey's utterly unique visions of the uncanny are like no other. Her stories defy genre. In them, when the uncanny kicks in, there are no fireworks, histrionics, or hyperbole: the thoughtful, even narrative voice continues, accepting, suffusing, considering, wondering, deciding.
Each and every character in Heavey's books is decisively him or herself: as in Dickens or one of the Russian novelists, the least character is individual. And even Hunter the cat has his role to play.
Katie, the protagonist, the teenage girl with her urbane and privileged life---if I start discussing Katie, the website will run out of space. Suffice it to say that if everyone had Katie's fierce honesty and the courage to build character out of strife, the world would be a different place.
"Night Machines" was rated as an adult novel. "Underlake" is YA. I pretty much think this distinction is pointless. I'm about as far from being a young adult as you can get, yet I read "Underlake" with suspense, empathy, and edification.
Not bad accomplishments for a ripping good read.
Heavey's utterly unique visions of the uncanny are like no other. Her stories defy genre. In them, when the uncanny kicks in, there are no fireworks, histrionics, or hyperbole: the thoughtful, even narrative voice continues, accepting, suffusing, considering, wondering, deciding.
Each and every character in Heavey's books is decisively him or herself: as in Dickens or one of the Russian novelists, the least character is individual. And even Hunter the cat has his role to play.
Katie, the protagonist, the teenage girl with her urbane and privileged life---if I start discussing Katie, the website will run out of space. Suffice it to say that if everyone had Katie's fierce honesty and the courage to build character out of strife, the world would be a different place.
"Night Machines" was rated as an adult novel. "Underlake" is YA. I pretty much think this distinction is pointless. I'm about as far from being a young adult as you can get, yet I read "Underlake" with suspense, empathy, and edification.
Not bad accomplishments for a ripping good read.
April 22, 2016
Underlake is an interesting take on a poor little rich girl story. Katie Welch's mom is a successful career woman who sends Katie to an exclusive private school. Katie gets to hang out with other rich kids, who, like her, have a generous allowance and little supervision. Despite this Katie generally "makes good choices", does well in school, and her mom doesn't worry about her, being too busy working and figuring out her own dating life.
The story starts with an unwelcome disruption in Katie's life - her mom and her are spending all summer, not in a fashionable vacation spot as usual, but in a upstate NY backwoods to renovate a summer cottage they own. Katie's never been there before, since it's usually leased to someone, but the tenant has died and her mom wants it ready to get back on the market. This is very upsetting to Katie, who would rather with her friends. But a lot of things have been upsetting Katie lately, and she's not sure why. So far it all seems to be a typical mainstream YA novel, until they get to the lake, and there's a ghost, and a strangely old-fashioned by cute guy.
This story is somewhere between fantasy and supernatural and spiritual. It's closer to a mythopoeic tale than a coming of age story, though it has elements of the latter. Instead of an obvious fairy tale underpinning though it uses a Faith-based structure.
I liked it a lot and I would recommend it to teens and adults. If I have one complaint it would be that I think the epilogue type ending was superfluous.
Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary review copy of this book. I have a longer review of it on my blog - www.bookhorde.org - where I also review many other conservative books.
The story starts with an unwelcome disruption in Katie's life - her mom and her are spending all summer, not in a fashionable vacation spot as usual, but in a upstate NY backwoods to renovate a summer cottage they own. Katie's never been there before, since it's usually leased to someone, but the tenant has died and her mom wants it ready to get back on the market. This is very upsetting to Katie, who would rather with her friends. But a lot of things have been upsetting Katie lately, and she's not sure why. So far it all seems to be a typical mainstream YA novel, until they get to the lake, and there's a ghost, and a strangely old-fashioned by cute guy.
This story is somewhere between fantasy and supernatural and spiritual. It's closer to a mythopoeic tale than a coming of age story, though it has elements of the latter. Instead of an obvious fairy tale underpinning though it uses a Faith-based structure.
I liked it a lot and I would recommend it to teens and adults. If I have one complaint it would be that I think the epilogue type ending was superfluous.
Disclosure: I was provided a complimentary review copy of this book. I have a longer review of it on my blog - www.bookhorde.org - where I also review many other conservative books.
May 25, 2016
I have a confession to make. As a middle-aged man, I'm definitely not the target audience, but I think I can give an objective review of the novel's merits just the same. Kia Heavey's novels were recommended to me by mutual acquaintances and I chose this one because it looked like it would be the lighter read. I did enjoy the book, despite myself, though I must admit that I had the uneasy feeling that I was intruding someplace that I didn't belong. This is clearly a book for young girls, but anyone with an open mind can relate to an angst-filled teenager who feels estranged from her environment and the people around her. Everyone who has been lonely will find themselves rooting for the protagonist to connect the the mysterious boy who enters her life, and will want to know just what his secret ultimately is. What distinguishes this novel from most others of its type is that it has an eerie, other-worldly feel to it that is just a little unsettling, but in a good way.
December 12, 2014
Underlake
Wow. Was not expecting such a Novel! Great story. love how u know what happens to them in the end. Would love to hear more about Katie and John but sadly, their story ends here. Lol. Adore it! But still is sad John dies but eventually everyone dies.. #toatsMCgoats#
Wow. Was not expecting such a Novel! Great story. love how u know what happens to them in the end. Would love to hear more about Katie and John but sadly, their story ends here. Lol. Adore it! But still is sad John dies but eventually everyone dies.. #toatsMCgoats#
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