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The Lake Trilogy #1
The Lake
At 17, Layla Weston is already starting over. Having lost both her parents and grandparents, and with nowhere else to go, Layla is moving from Florida to a small town in North Carolina to live with the only family she has her estranged uncle and aunt.
The last five years of Layla’s life were spent appeasing her lessthan-loving grandmother, followed by being her grandfather’s caretaker. Growing old before her time, Layla lost her identity. Now she must learn how to allow herself to be the one cared for and loved.
Life takes an unexpected turn when Layla meets Will Meyer. His breathtaking good looks are enough to catch her eye, but his sincerity and passion are everything she needs to find the strength and confidence she lost — and lead her into love.
When tragedy once again strikes Layla’s life, her hope is all but completely crushed. Through it all, Layla learns what it means to truly love and be loved.
The last five years of Layla’s life were spent appeasing her lessthan-loving grandmother, followed by being her grandfather’s caretaker. Growing old before her time, Layla lost her identity. Now she must learn how to allow herself to be the one cared for and loved.
Life takes an unexpected turn when Layla meets Will Meyer. His breathtaking good looks are enough to catch her eye, but his sincerity and passion are everything she needs to find the strength and confidence she lost — and lead her into love.
When tragedy once again strikes Layla’s life, her hope is all but completely crushed. Through it all, Layla learns what it means to truly love and be loved.
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First published February 2, 2013
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6038 people want to read
About the author
AnnaLisa Grant
21 books238 followersAnnaLisa is the youngest of four children and the only daughter, born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After graduating high school, she moved to Charlotte, NC with her parents. This turned out to be a blessing since it was just a few short years later that she met her husband in the Film Actor's Studio of Charlotte. As she studied acting at the Studio, AnnaLisa was in several films and made-for-TV movies, as well as performed in local theater in both dramatic and musical roles. At one time, it was AnnaLisa's dream to be a professional singer.
AnnaLisa completed her undergraduate degree in Human Services at Wingate University and her Master's degree in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. During her thirteen years in the Human Services field, AnnaLisa worked with children in group homes and foster care, and spent two years in private practice counseling individuals, families, and couples.
When her father was in a near fatal car accident in 2010, AnnaLisa's best coping skill turned out to be writing. Five months after the accident, when all the what ifs would not go away, AnnaLisa started writing Layla Weston's story in The Lake. She had no idea what she was going to do with the story. In fact, she wrote sixty-four pages before she told her husband what she was doing. By then it was clear that Layla had a long story to tell and there were multiple books on the horizon.
In 2013, after all three YA novels in The Lake Trilogy were written and she had let them sit long enough, AnnaLisa took matters into her own hands and self-published the titles within just a few months of each other. Received well by readers young and not-so-young alike, The Lake Trilogy has enjoyed breakout success, selling close to half-million copies the first year.
AnnaLisa's publicist is Rick Miles of Red Coat PR, and she is represented by Italia Gandolfo of GH Literary. AnnaLisa has been married to her super awesome husband Donavan since 2001 and lives in Matthews, NC with their two ridiculously beautiful children.
AnnaLisa completed her undergraduate degree in Human Services at Wingate University and her Master's degree in Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. During her thirteen years in the Human Services field, AnnaLisa worked with children in group homes and foster care, and spent two years in private practice counseling individuals, families, and couples.
When her father was in a near fatal car accident in 2010, AnnaLisa's best coping skill turned out to be writing. Five months after the accident, when all the what ifs would not go away, AnnaLisa started writing Layla Weston's story in The Lake. She had no idea what she was going to do with the story. In fact, she wrote sixty-four pages before she told her husband what she was doing. By then it was clear that Layla had a long story to tell and there were multiple books on the horizon.
In 2013, after all three YA novels in The Lake Trilogy were written and she had let them sit long enough, AnnaLisa took matters into her own hands and self-published the titles within just a few months of each other. Received well by readers young and not-so-young alike, The Lake Trilogy has enjoyed breakout success, selling close to half-million copies the first year.
AnnaLisa's publicist is Rick Miles of Red Coat PR, and she is represented by Italia Gandolfo of GH Literary. AnnaLisa has been married to her super awesome husband Donavan since 2001 and lives in Matthews, NC with their two ridiculously beautiful children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 593 reviews
January 13, 2014
Also posted to Jen in Bookland
Ugh...I have no idea how I made it to the end of The Lake. Well that is not true, I used it to read at night when I couldn't sleep. Something I knew I wouldn't get drawn into. This book was so long and drawn out and skipped over like everything that happened.
So it starts with Layla moving in with her aunt and uncle after her grandfather dies. They are the last relatives she has and she wants everything to work out. She doesn't really know them, but they seem nice and caring. Of course at the first event she goes to in town she sees Will and they are instantly attracted to each other. They quickly fall in love, but they have to hide that because his father is evil and will do anything to stop them from being together.
The plot seemed like it would be good, but man it dragged on and on and on. Layla blames herself for her parents death, she caused the accident. It is obvious it was going to be something stupid and she didn't really do anything, but you have to wait for most of the book until you get to what that was. She goes on and on and on and on and on about her life and things that have happened. She goes on about how when her parents died it was horrible, her grandmother was horrible to her, her grandfather was nice but needed a caretaker (her), how she is so happy to be with her aunt and uncle now. How her time with her grandparents was penance for killing her parents. Which fine, I understand all of that, but I don't need it repeated again and again and again. That is one main issue I have with the book, Everything gets repeated again and again and again so much so that by halfway through I was just like enough! I get it! I understand!! You don't have to keep having the same thoughts/conversations for me to remember what she is thinking/feeling! I GET IT! Please stop repeating everything. This book could have been significantly shorter had it not just repeated everything over and over again. It was too much. It just went on and on.
Another issue? The characters were very one dimensional. I didn't really care about any of them. I really didn't like Will. He seemed like kind of a jerk, but somehow everyone liked him and he was so magically amazing. I don't get it. I didn't see it, but everyone keeps saying it. That is what happened with all of the characters. You would hear again and again and again how someone is x, but they wouldn't really show you they were. The dad who is evil? Well....for most of the book I didn't see it. So he helps beat up someone and Layla sees, but even after that she is again and again and again told that he will do anything to keep her away from Will and she is just like well he won't really do anything bad...then he doesn't really. He is the boogie man, but never really seems to do much. I was very disappointed in his terror he unleashed on the family. I expected more, especially after being hit over the head time and time again with how horrible and evil this guy was. Then Layla and Will in love? I didn't see that either. We just were told again and again that they are. They can't be without each other. I didn't see why they liked each other.
One other thing with this book. Layla is moved into this world where people are super rich, but we never get to see that world. We don't really get to see many of the day to day things she has to get used to. She goes to this super fancy school, but we never see her interact with her classmates or see how she tries to fit in. We just get her going on and on about Will and her past life and how she loves Will, but his father is horrible. So much repeating of the same thing, when the story really could have used more story. More something to show the characters and what they were really like, instead of just telling us. It was a wasted opportunity. There is not much I liked about this book. Really I am trying to think of anything I did...it just was not very good. I am not sure why there are so many amazing reviews for it. It was boring and repetitive and slow and I just didn't care about any of it. I didn't realize this was part of a series, but I will not be reading the next book (even though this book does end in kind of a cliffhanger. You don't find out what happened, but I don't care enough to try and read another long drawn out story).
Ugh...I have no idea how I made it to the end of The Lake. Well that is not true, I used it to read at night when I couldn't sleep. Something I knew I wouldn't get drawn into. This book was so long and drawn out and skipped over like everything that happened.
So it starts with Layla moving in with her aunt and uncle after her grandfather dies. They are the last relatives she has and she wants everything to work out. She doesn't really know them, but they seem nice and caring. Of course at the first event she goes to in town she sees Will and they are instantly attracted to each other. They quickly fall in love, but they have to hide that because his father is evil and will do anything to stop them from being together.
The plot seemed like it would be good, but man it dragged on and on and on. Layla blames herself for her parents death, she caused the accident. It is obvious it was going to be something stupid and she didn't really do anything, but you have to wait for most of the book until you get to what that was. She goes on and on and on and on and on about her life and things that have happened. She goes on about how when her parents died it was horrible, her grandmother was horrible to her, her grandfather was nice but needed a caretaker (her), how she is so happy to be with her aunt and uncle now. How her time with her grandparents was penance for killing her parents. Which fine, I understand all of that, but I don't need it repeated again and again and again. That is one main issue I have with the book, Everything gets repeated again and again and again so much so that by halfway through I was just like enough! I get it! I understand!! You don't have to keep having the same thoughts/conversations for me to remember what she is thinking/feeling! I GET IT! Please stop repeating everything. This book could have been significantly shorter had it not just repeated everything over and over again. It was too much. It just went on and on.
Another issue? The characters were very one dimensional. I didn't really care about any of them. I really didn't like Will. He seemed like kind of a jerk, but somehow everyone liked him and he was so magically amazing. I don't get it. I didn't see it, but everyone keeps saying it. That is what happened with all of the characters. You would hear again and again and again how someone is x, but they wouldn't really show you they were. The dad who is evil? Well....for most of the book I didn't see it. So he helps beat up someone and Layla sees, but even after that she is again and again and again told that he will do anything to keep her away from Will and she is just like well he won't really do anything bad...then he doesn't really. He is the boogie man, but never really seems to do much. I was very disappointed in his terror he unleashed on the family. I expected more, especially after being hit over the head time and time again with how horrible and evil this guy was. Then Layla and Will in love? I didn't see that either. We just were told again and again that they are. They can't be without each other. I didn't see why they liked each other.
One other thing with this book. Layla is moved into this world where people are super rich, but we never get to see that world. We don't really get to see many of the day to day things she has to get used to. She goes to this super fancy school, but we never see her interact with her classmates or see how she tries to fit in. We just get her going on and on about Will and her past life and how she loves Will, but his father is horrible. So much repeating of the same thing, when the story really could have used more story. More something to show the characters and what they were really like, instead of just telling us. It was a wasted opportunity. There is not much I liked about this book. Really I am trying to think of anything I did...it just was not very good. I am not sure why there are so many amazing reviews for it. It was boring and repetitive and slow and I just didn't care about any of it. I didn't realize this was part of a series, but I will not be reading the next book (even though this book does end in kind of a cliffhanger. You don't find out what happened, but I don't care enough to try and read another long drawn out story).
November 6, 2013
Where do I even start? This book is amazing and gripping and heart wrenching. I love everything about this book. I felt everything the characters were feeling. Layla is so strong. She's been through so much and her view on the world isn't skewed at all. She is brave. I love the relationships she develops with everyone. Her aunt and uncle are so amazing. Her new friends are the kind of friends everyone needs. Now let's talk about Will. He is so much stronger than he realizes. He is compassionate and loving. The complete opposite of his father. His love for Layla is beautiful and real. Of course a good book wouldn't be good without a bad guy and Will's father absolutely didn't disappoint. I found myself feeling the fear and hate that everyone in this book felt for him. He is truly a grotesque human being.
This book was well written. I love a book that you can actually feel the emotions the characters are feeling and you can definitely feel everything they feel in this book. I absolutely recommend this book to read. It deserves every last star I rated it!
This book was well written. I love a book that you can actually feel the emotions the characters are feeling and you can definitely feel everything they feel in this book. I absolutely recommend this book to read. It deserves every last star I rated it!
June 2, 2014
So, the idea behind the plot is decent, not original, but decent. I agree with a previous rater that the emotions of the main character, Layla, are repeated over and over, I found the book rather redundant in that way. I found myself skimming a lot over those parts because I had already read them so many times, the wording barely even changes.
The characters aren't very deep, and granted most of them are 17-18, but I would have liked to see a little more depth there.
There was a handful of mistypes, which happens but what really bugs me is the occasional homonym confusion. A professional author should know the difference between bare and bear.
There is a lot of unrealistic in this book, and I feel honestly like a lot of loose ends or just missing information that could have been filled in on the back story to add depth to the characters as opposed to just going over and over how guilty Layla always felt and how awful her grandmother was...
The characters aren't very deep, and granted most of them are 17-18, but I would have liked to see a little more depth there.
There was a handful of mistypes, which happens but what really bugs me is the occasional homonym confusion. A professional author should know the difference between bare and bear.
There is a lot of unrealistic in this book, and I feel honestly like a lot of loose ends or just missing information that could have been filled in on the back story to add depth to the characters as opposed to just going over and over how guilty Layla always felt and how awful her grandmother was...
January 16, 2014
Great cover! And I admit it was the main reason I downloaded "The Lake" and it being a freebie sealed the deal.....the book is definitely for a younger audience and while I came to like Layla and Will, I found their conversations and interactions way older than their young 17-18 years..
I'm impressed that Layla isn't a basket case after all the tragedy she has experienced...
Sweet, typical and somewhat predictable yet the author left us with that wee bit of wonder to what would become of the couple and what exactly her guardians have on the sinister Mr. Meyer ...I was pleased with Gwen's choice of colleges....my own daughter is a Clemson grad!
Verdict is still out if I will pursue this love story with next in the series.
I'm impressed that Layla isn't a basket case after all the tragedy she has experienced...
Sweet, typical and somewhat predictable yet the author left us with that wee bit of wonder to what would become of the couple and what exactly her guardians have on the sinister Mr. Meyer ...I was pleased with Gwen's choice of colleges....my own daughter is a Clemson grad!
Verdict is still out if I will pursue this love story with next in the series.
May 11, 2013
Let me start my review by saying I'm cheap. That is I peruse the top 100 free Kindle books on Amazon regularly and then download anything that looks good. I have over 600 books on my Kindle and I've paid for less than 5 of them. So that being said, I saw this book on the free list and the premise sounded good, so I downloaded it.
At first I found the story very interesting. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Layla. By the time I had gotten to the half way mark, I was ready to stop reading. But I figured I'd come this far, I might as well finish it. I didn't hate, but I'm not sure I realized that it was part of a trilogy. I'm not against trilogies, I read them all the time. But lately, as in this case, more and more authors seem to make trilogies that aren't true trilogies. That is, they aren't three books about the same people or premise, but rather one long book broken up into three parts. The difference with that is that the books don't come to a satisfactory conclusion in and of themselves and you have to read all the books in the series for everything to make sense and work out.
I guess I don't like being forced to do that. I would have enjoyed this story more if it had come to a complete conclusion at the end of the book and then the next story would be about the same people, but moving on to something else.
Aside from that, it felt as though everyone was too pleasant and not everything they did seemed to fit in with their personalities. Layla, for instance, apparently had this entire other personality in her life previous to living with her grandparents that is never touched upon until she's with her aunt and uncle and then it's like she suddenly recalls she used to be different and had to suppress it for years. I guess that's possible, but it just felt forced. Plus, it seemed like the teenagers were all too impossibly good, with little to no rebellion, which is just not normal teenage behavior.
I suppose its normal in YA fiction to have the leading characters fall madly in love so quickly and for them to feel like it's the love of their life, but the way the adults all seemed to go along with it was crazy. These are kids, for goodness sake, they are probably going to be in love at least three or four times before they are ready to settle down. I get that they are overly angsty and romantic, but shouldn't the adults see it for what it is?
At first I found the story very interesting. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Layla. By the time I had gotten to the half way mark, I was ready to stop reading. But I figured I'd come this far, I might as well finish it. I didn't hate, but I'm not sure I realized that it was part of a trilogy. I'm not against trilogies, I read them all the time. But lately, as in this case, more and more authors seem to make trilogies that aren't true trilogies. That is, they aren't three books about the same people or premise, but rather one long book broken up into three parts. The difference with that is that the books don't come to a satisfactory conclusion in and of themselves and you have to read all the books in the series for everything to make sense and work out.
I guess I don't like being forced to do that. I would have enjoyed this story more if it had come to a complete conclusion at the end of the book and then the next story would be about the same people, but moving on to something else.
Aside from that, it felt as though everyone was too pleasant and not everything they did seemed to fit in with their personalities. Layla, for instance, apparently had this entire other personality in her life previous to living with her grandparents that is never touched upon until she's with her aunt and uncle and then it's like she suddenly recalls she used to be different and had to suppress it for years. I guess that's possible, but it just felt forced. Plus, it seemed like the teenagers were all too impossibly good, with little to no rebellion, which is just not normal teenage behavior.
I suppose its normal in YA fiction to have the leading characters fall madly in love so quickly and for them to feel like it's the love of their life, but the way the adults all seemed to go along with it was crazy. These are kids, for goodness sake, they are probably going to be in love at least three or four times before they are ready to settle down. I get that they are overly angsty and romantic, but shouldn't the adults see it for what it is?
May 27, 2014
I enjoyed this book because it let you into the life of Layla and how she faces different obstacles that were thrown her way. Layla is the main character of the book who lost her parents at an early age. She then began to live with her grandma and grandpa. Her grandma was very strict with her and only allowed her to do certain things. After about 3 years of living with her grandparents her grandma passed away and it was just her and her grandpa left. Her grandpa was sick and couldn't do most things for himself so Layla had to take complete care for him. When her grandpa dies Layla has no clue what’s going to happen to her. She finds out she is going to live with her uncle Luke and aunt Claire who she has only met one time before. The story takes you on a journey of how Layla settles into her new life with her uncle and aunt but it also tells you about the special boy, Will Meyer. The author takes you on a journey on how Layla and Will begin to change each others life for the better. Will always asked questions and first they used to catch Layla off guard, especially this question, “ Why do you call them Luke and Claire? They are your uncle and aunt, right?” Layla never felt as if she was connected to them but throughout the story she realizes she if very similar to the both of them. Layla begins to fall hopelessly in love with Will but there is one thing stopping them from coming out to everyone that they are in a relationship, Will’s father. Wills father “ can’t grasp that money isn't the most important thing to some people” and because of this Will’s father has ended many relationships and forced the girls family to move away. This book takes you on an exciting adventure as Will and Layla begin to start dating without his father knowing, but in the end will Mr.Meyer find out the truth about who his son likes? Read The Lake by AnnaLisa Grant to find out what happens to Will and Layla.
March 4, 2014
Surprised myself at how much I enjoyed this novel, considering that the recommendation came from my 16 year old daughter, who never reads and has never been interested in reading. When she devoured the whole trilogy in 2 weeks, I decided I needed to check this out for myself and discover why. I eagerly anticipate having some free time to be able to read the next two novels in the series.
Written from the point of view of a 17 year old child, AnnaLisa Grant managed to capture and nuance the emotions and thought processes of a girl of this age; from her guilt about the accident that claimed her parent’s lives, to her perception of her grandparents feelings about her. These feelings are on par with someone who has been through awful tragedy in those tender formative years; they are all feelings that I have experienced personally from the loss of my father at a young age.
I am completely blown away, not just from the emotion conveyed, but from the superb story line, the complex twisting plot, and the breathless anticipation of a beautiful love story. AnnaLisa Grant, thank you for such an amazing story and for grasping not only my daughter’s attention but mine as well! 5 stars!
Michele
Dauntless Indies
Written from the point of view of a 17 year old child, AnnaLisa Grant managed to capture and nuance the emotions and thought processes of a girl of this age; from her guilt about the accident that claimed her parent’s lives, to her perception of her grandparents feelings about her. These feelings are on par with someone who has been through awful tragedy in those tender formative years; they are all feelings that I have experienced personally from the loss of my father at a young age.
I am completely blown away, not just from the emotion conveyed, but from the superb story line, the complex twisting plot, and the breathless anticipation of a beautiful love story. AnnaLisa Grant, thank you for such an amazing story and for grasping not only my daughter’s attention but mine as well! 5 stars!
Michele
Dauntless Indies
October 17, 2014
I give it a 2.5. This book had potential to be a nice cute contemporary novel. But I honestly found myself annoyed most of it. There was a lot of time jumps with no dialogue. Just Layla telling us x, y, and z happened during x amount of time. That's okay. But not if you do it at the expense of the flow of the story, the connection readers want to make with the characters and the character development. Also, it was so flipping repetitive. The romance wasn't cultivated enough for me to fall for them. It was cute but not in the these are soulmates no Gregory Meyer will get in the way. As a reader I want to be invested into their love and want to root for them. And I just felt like questioning their sanity. It felt like she threw in plot points or didnt develop or show us relationships cuz they were convenient or itd be too much effort on her part. I thought the story could have been so much better with a better writing style, less repetitive, more development, more feels basically. Welp. Even though I don't want to I will go read the last two. I heard complaints about them being repetitive and bad too. Yipee. -.- But I must find out what happens so I'll suck it up and read.
I love a good cute contemporary novel. I'm fairly easy to please cause I'm a hopeless romantic. So if I am complaining it must have really been annoying.
I love a good cute contemporary novel. I'm fairly easy to please cause I'm a hopeless romantic. So if I am complaining it must have really been annoying.
December 1, 2014
Very good
I would say I got my money's worth on this book but I got it for free on Amazon. But free or not this book had me hooked. I feel like sometimes free books get a bad wrap for being not up to par with ones you pay for, but I guess I'll quickly learn that that is not true if all the free boks I read are as good, if not better than this one! But from the beginning I knew I would like it. And the fact that it was free was just the icing on the cake. But that's how they get you. The first one is free and then the rest in the series you have to pay for. But I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series!
I could connect with the characters well, I just felt like the story went a little fast. I would have liked more in the way of the developing relationship between layla and Will. It just happened so fast. But nevertheless I loved reading this and taking the journey with all the characters.
I would say I got my money's worth on this book but I got it for free on Amazon. But free or not this book had me hooked. I feel like sometimes free books get a bad wrap for being not up to par with ones you pay for, but I guess I'll quickly learn that that is not true if all the free boks I read are as good, if not better than this one! But from the beginning I knew I would like it. And the fact that it was free was just the icing on the cake. But that's how they get you. The first one is free and then the rest in the series you have to pay for. But I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series!
I could connect with the characters well, I just felt like the story went a little fast. I would have liked more in the way of the developing relationship between layla and Will. It just happened so fast. But nevertheless I loved reading this and taking the journey with all the characters.
May 4, 2013
I just finished reading this book and I loved it!!! I really felt Layla's struggle with her life and also coming to terms with what is new and good for her. I was so glad that Layla made friends and started to enjoy life again. It was also such a relief when she came to terms with her parents death and exactly how they died. I felt terrible thinking of her living with her grandmother, that woman should never have been allowed to have children at all. What an evil witch she was! I am so worried about what Layla's life will carry for her now that they have moved back to Florida. I have a Nook and am having trouble finding the second book but I will definitely keep looking! I just loved the honesty and sincerity of this book! What a coming back to life story this was!
May 7, 2013
To me, a great book is one that I have to force myself to stop reading (because life does go on around me and the children have needs, too) but I can't wait to dive back into the book. THE LAKE was one such book. I picked this one up on a whim and I am glad I did. Layla and Will, Luke and Claire and the other characters have all made a home in my imaginiation. This book was one that sucked me in within the first few pages and I had a hard time putting it down. What an emotional journey this has been to see Layla go from such tragedy to moving on with her life in a way that a teenager is in need of. What a beautiful love story! Thank you Ms. Grant for such a wonderful story you have crafted!!
Want to read
April 11, 2013Amazon Freebie 4/11/13
January 10, 2020
The more I read, the more disappointed I got so I won't waste any time writing a decent review for this book. Just stick to the multiple reviews always here on goodreads. Unfortunately this book is a bad example for a self-published book.
And although there's a cliffhanger as big as Mount Everest I won't be seduced to read the following books in the series.
And although there's a cliffhanger as big as Mount Everest I won't be seduced to read the following books in the series.
January 17, 2016
It's one thing to lose a loved one. It hurts, it's hard, and sometimes it comes so suddenly, it's hard to react to it. It's another thing entirely to lose everyone you've ever known, your entire family completely gone. Everyone who has ever loved you and taken care of you is dead. So what do you do? How do you start over? For our main protagonist, Layla Weston, her journey started the day of her Grandfather's funeral. After her parents died in a terrible accident, she was sent to live with her grandparents, although it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Her grandmother was ruthless, making her feel guilty for her parents' deaths, and making sure that Layla knew that her grandmother blamed her every single day for the death of her beloved son. It was enough to make Layla lose herself completely, giving up everything that identified her as an individual to take care of her new guardians. She stopped going out with friends, doing the things she loved, anything to make her happy didn't exist anymore. She was stripped of what made her Layla, and with the death of her grandfather, she had to figure out who she was.
The silver lining to her grandparents dying was that she was able to live with her aunt and uncle. Sure, she had never really spent time with them before this, and she did feel a little apprehensive about having to live with strangers, even if they are technically her relatives. But the longer she does live with them, the more she actually starts to feel happy again. They allow her to be a teenager again, they allow her to live her life without having to take care of anyone older than her. They even allowed her to do some of the things that used to be a part of her old life, like reading to her heart's content and getting to know her classmates. She has a new set of friends, and a potential boyfriend who seems to think the world of her and is not afraid to show it. From a life full of tragedy, it finally seems like Layla is back on track.
Of course, not everything is as good as it seems, and although Will seems like he's a modern day Prince Charming, there is a dark side to him that is very reminiscent of his power-hungry father. Layla may not see it right away, but it's there, and if she's not careful to tame that temper of his, things may happen that she can't protect herself from. As sure of herself as she becomes, even to the point of standing up to Will's father and declaring her love for his son, she needs to make sure that his father doesn't take drastic measures to remove Layla and her new family out of the picture for good. Will's father isn't a stranger to... persuasive negotiations, and he has no problem doing it again.
I thought this book was pretty interesting. It's different from losing your sister, like what happened in Love Letters to the Dead. Layla was left with nothing, and had to learn how to live with strangers that was never a part of her life before. She did well, though, and finally learned how to trust her Aunt and Uncle. I also feel like she did end up finding herself again. She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, whether it was to her boyfriend's father, or just in general to the rest of the students at her school. She was never really bullied at her new school, which was lucky on her end, but she also didn't allow anyone to make decisions for her. She just took her new life in stride, and became friends with a group of kids that really had her best interests at heart. The ending was surprising, but also makes me feel like Will's father had something to do with it, and of course it ends as a cliffhanger because there are two more books in this trilogy to read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, hopefully this year.
The silver lining to her grandparents dying was that she was able to live with her aunt and uncle. Sure, she had never really spent time with them before this, and she did feel a little apprehensive about having to live with strangers, even if they are technically her relatives. But the longer she does live with them, the more she actually starts to feel happy again. They allow her to be a teenager again, they allow her to live her life without having to take care of anyone older than her. They even allowed her to do some of the things that used to be a part of her old life, like reading to her heart's content and getting to know her classmates. She has a new set of friends, and a potential boyfriend who seems to think the world of her and is not afraid to show it. From a life full of tragedy, it finally seems like Layla is back on track.
Of course, not everything is as good as it seems, and although Will seems like he's a modern day Prince Charming, there is a dark side to him that is very reminiscent of his power-hungry father. Layla may not see it right away, but it's there, and if she's not careful to tame that temper of his, things may happen that she can't protect herself from. As sure of herself as she becomes, even to the point of standing up to Will's father and declaring her love for his son, she needs to make sure that his father doesn't take drastic measures to remove Layla and her new family out of the picture for good. Will's father isn't a stranger to... persuasive negotiations, and he has no problem doing it again.
I thought this book was pretty interesting. It's different from losing your sister, like what happened in Love Letters to the Dead. Layla was left with nothing, and had to learn how to live with strangers that was never a part of her life before. She did well, though, and finally learned how to trust her Aunt and Uncle. I also feel like she did end up finding herself again. She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, whether it was to her boyfriend's father, or just in general to the rest of the students at her school. She was never really bullied at her new school, which was lucky on her end, but she also didn't allow anyone to make decisions for her. She just took her new life in stride, and became friends with a group of kids that really had her best interests at heart. The ending was surprising, but also makes me feel like Will's father had something to do with it, and of course it ends as a cliffhanger because there are two more books in this trilogy to read. I look forward to reading the rest of the series, hopefully this year.
September 1, 2016
To be honest I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I truly loved this story. I really connected with Layla. Layla has been having nightmares every night from when her parents were in a car accident and killed when Layla was 12 years old. She has been living with her Grandparents in Florida where her grandma blames Layla for the deaths of her parents. Her grandma died two years after Layla moved in and ever since then she has been taking care of her grandfather until he died. Layla is going to live with her Aunt Claire and Uncle Luke. Claire and Luke were going to send her off to boarding school thinking that Layla wouldn't want to live with them. Layla asked not to be sent to boarding school. Luke and Claire ask Layla to go to a concert in town. Layla see's a group of teens that turn out to be the kids of the partners at the law firm where Claire and Luke work. Layla came out of the Library and runs into Will Meyer and knocks his soda out of his hands. Will has to take Layla back to where Luke and Claire are because she doesn't remember where they sat. Claire and Layla go shopping and their last stop is a Borders Bookstore Layla turned the corner and almost knocks down the displays of books but Will was there to catch her before she knocked them over. Will asks Layla to go to the movies and dinner with him and his friends. Will is helping Luke with the basement at the house. Will asks Layla to go hiking with him and his friends. At the Bar-B-Que Will admits to having feelings for Layla, but they have one problem. If you want to know more you have to get the book. I can't wait for book two.
February 17, 2017
To be honest, I couldn't even finish this book. It seemed like a huge fanfiction written by an immature twelve-year-old girl. It was like one of those ones about a nice Draco Malfoy who tries to redeem himself and is "nothing like his father."
This book is about a girl who loses her parents and grandparents and is forced to go live with her aunt and uncle. There, she meets Will, the typical "god-like" boy with a perfect face, perfect body, perfect voice and demeanor. No realism whatsoever.
Our main character Layla is so over emotional, it was tough to read at points. She was so flat and one-dimensional that it hurt. One would think that a girl with no one left in the world would be grateful for her aunt and uncle to take her in, but at first she is nothing but ungrateful.
Will, her boy toy always talks about how smart and witty she is. Not even once did she say something that made me think that she had at least an inch of intelligence.
The one thing that sent me over the edge and made me quit the book completely was the following quote. "Then, I experience the most horrid thought I've ever had in my life. I don't really wish they (her dead parents) were here. If they weren't dead, I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have Will. Then, the most disgusting part emerges. And I quote, "I'm glad they're all gone because I want Will more than anyone else in the world."
Please, PLEASE don't waste your time on this book. There is no character more shallow, stupid, and spoiled than Layla Weston.
This book is about a girl who loses her parents and grandparents and is forced to go live with her aunt and uncle. There, she meets Will, the typical "god-like" boy with a perfect face, perfect body, perfect voice and demeanor. No realism whatsoever.
Our main character Layla is so over emotional, it was tough to read at points. She was so flat and one-dimensional that it hurt. One would think that a girl with no one left in the world would be grateful for her aunt and uncle to take her in, but at first she is nothing but ungrateful.
Will, her boy toy always talks about how smart and witty she is. Not even once did she say something that made me think that she had at least an inch of intelligence.
The one thing that sent me over the edge and made me quit the book completely was the following quote. "Then, I experience the most horrid thought I've ever had in my life. I don't really wish they (her dead parents) were here. If they weren't dead, I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't have Will. Then, the most disgusting part emerges. And I quote, "I'm glad they're all gone because I want Will more than anyone else in the world."
Please, PLEASE don't waste your time on this book. There is no character more shallow, stupid, and spoiled than Layla Weston.
April 10, 2017
Layla and Will where to begin? Okay so I read some reviews that were not very flattering and said this book was slow. I entered reading this book knowing there are two more AND a novella. Layla lost her parents at age 12, was raised by grandparents until they passed when she was 17. Then she is shipped off to live with her only living relatives her Uncle Luke and Aunt Clair who she had not seen since she was very young.
This is the set up book folks. New friends, new school, new "situations". This book is anything but slow and I enjoyed every single minute. Even before I finished this book I knew I would want to read more so I bought the entire series including the Novella for $3.99. FYI, book 1 is totally Free! Go grab it and get started. PS- This YA and there is absolutely no sex in book 1. If you have a MS or HS'er in your house, this is a totally appropriate book for that age group.
This is the set up book folks. New friends, new school, new "situations". This book is anything but slow and I enjoyed every single minute. Even before I finished this book I knew I would want to read more so I bought the entire series including the Novella for $3.99. FYI, book 1 is totally Free! Go grab it and get started. PS- This YA and there is absolutely no sex in book 1. If you have a MS or HS'er in your house, this is a totally appropriate book for that age group.
June 28, 2016
Although – on paper - it seems that I could have been interested in Layla Weston’s story (main character The Lake) I have to admit that after listening to the audio version of this book, I’m rather disappointed and mostly extremely bored. Not that is was badly written. It wasn't. Also, I liked the fact that these are mostly good kids. Polite and kind teenagers are so rarely portrayed. Here, it's the parents and the adults that behave badly.
Overall, I felt that Anna-Lisa Grant's first book in this series offered little common ground with my own world.
I’ve read YA books before, that I truly enjoyed. The Viola series by Adriana Trigiani comes to mind. They were captivating. But here? Sure, I tried to empathize with Layla Weston, but that turned out to be a futile exercise. Was it the voice of the narrator, Em Eldridge, that I couldn't appreciate? That might have been a huge factor.
So no, overall not my thing.
Overall, I felt that Anna-Lisa Grant's first book in this series offered little common ground with my own world.
I’ve read YA books before, that I truly enjoyed. The Viola series by Adriana Trigiani comes to mind. They were captivating. But here? Sure, I tried to empathize with Layla Weston, but that turned out to be a futile exercise. Was it the voice of the narrator, Em Eldridge, that I couldn't appreciate? That might have been a huge factor.
So no, overall not my thing.
August 11, 2015
I stumbled upon this ebook for free on bookbub, and I was pleasently surprised!
The story is decently written with lovable characters, a cute little town, a little twist, and above all I love that the setting is so close to home, North Carolina! The writing can be a little redundant in the beginning, but overall it's an easy read and so cute that I could completely look past it. There were moments where I reflected back to my own high school days, and remembered all of the quirky little details that made those years special. I finished it I a couple of sittings only for the purpose of not wanting the book to end so quickly. I will without a doubt be reading the other two books in this trilogy!
This is an absolute perfect example of
adorable summer read with a surprise mystery at the end!
The story is decently written with lovable characters, a cute little town, a little twist, and above all I love that the setting is so close to home, North Carolina! The writing can be a little redundant in the beginning, but overall it's an easy read and so cute that I could completely look past it. There were moments where I reflected back to my own high school days, and remembered all of the quirky little details that made those years special. I finished it I a couple of sittings only for the purpose of not wanting the book to end so quickly. I will without a doubt be reading the other two books in this trilogy!
This is an absolute perfect example of
adorable summer read with a surprise mystery at the end!
April 12, 2014
I really liked this book. Sure it wasn't one of those literary genius types that are life changing or make you think deep thoughts, but for entertaining light reading, I loved it!
What I really appreciated was the lack of cursing in this book! A few of the YA books I've read recently were FILLED with all sorts of really bad language- most of it completely unnecessary. This book might have had one or two mild swear words (why must they have so much language in books for teens?!), but I felt they were well placed.
Its a book I would be comfortable with my teenager reading. Its sweet, romantic with out being sensual/sexual, and was pretty suspenseful.
Good easy read:)
What I really appreciated was the lack of cursing in this book! A few of the YA books I've read recently were FILLED with all sorts of really bad language- most of it completely unnecessary. This book might have had one or two mild swear words (why must they have so much language in books for teens?!), but I felt they were well placed.
Its a book I would be comfortable with my teenager reading. Its sweet, romantic with out being sensual/sexual, and was pretty suspenseful.
Good easy read:)
June 13, 2015
This is a great young adult book and in fact will recommend it to my 17 year old granddaughter, this may be surprising considering the type of books I usually read! This story has a little bit of everything, preserving life's hard knocks, coming of age love, suspense, mystery, friendships, a story of a teenager who loses her parents, then her grandparents, and ends up in with her wealthy Aunt and Uncle, catching the eye of the richest boy in town who has a controlling father who will let no one stand in his way of what he wants for his son! Looking forward to the rest of this lake series.
July 5, 2014
I loved this book! It was really good. I didn't think it would end this way, but I honestly didn't know what other way it could possibly end. The author knew how to end this book and make you crave the next book in the trilogy.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I would recommend it to anyone who liked to read young adult books with the main character getting a fresh start.
I hope you enjoy The Lake by AnnaLisa Grant!
I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I would recommend it to anyone who liked to read young adult books with the main character getting a fresh start.
I hope you enjoy The Lake by AnnaLisa Grant!
March 13, 2014
No idea why this is a 3.75 stars! This is a complete five stars. Literally I was caught captive after the first paragraph! This story is so vivid and clear I really felt that i knew will and Layla. I'm excited to read troubled waters next!!!! BRAVO
July 8, 2014
This was a free download.
I enjoyed this book, it is a perfect fluff book for an afternoon at the beach. When I purchased this book, I had no intentions of purchasing the next in the trilogy, but the ending was a delicious cliff hanger so I purchased the next one.
I enjoyed this book, it is a perfect fluff book for an afternoon at the beach. When I purchased this book, I had no intentions of purchasing the next in the trilogy, but the ending was a delicious cliff hanger so I purchased the next one.
September 22, 2014
This book was SO HARD to read, the characters were very one dimensional. Also I would have like more details about some things, and I thought that a lot of things were repeated over and over again. Honestly I don't know how I made it thru this book and how it has high ratings
dnf
April 1, 2017DNF @ 35%
Yeah... I found it slooooowwww... while it's great to get to know the characters, there was just too much - me, me, me... not to mention the completely unbelievable insta-love... Just too ya/juvenile for me.
Yeah... I found it slooooowwww... while it's great to get to know the characters, there was just too much - me, me, me... not to mention the completely unbelievable insta-love... Just too ya/juvenile for me.
March 10, 2017
thank god that's over... the grammatical errors alone were enough to make me want to poke my eyes out, and that was only part of the problem.
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June 11, 2020I enjoyed reading The Lake by Annalisa Grant, the first book to a three book series telling a heart wrenching story. A young girl suddenly has her whole world ripped apart when her parents die and she starts to question her past actions leading up to their death as she is ridiculed by her grandmother. This story reveals the true strength of seventeen year old Layla Weston, as she faces and deals with hardship, tragic loss, love, and fear. After the sudden death of her parents, she is taken in by her grandparents, her grandmother blames her for her parents’ death; when she was only fourteen years old her grandmother then died, leaving her to care for her grandfather. Layla then takes on the responsibilities of an adult as she completely separates herself from any thought of a normal teenage life. Along this journey she deals with an unscrupulous father of her crush, a developing new life, and learns how to live freely. This book brings you along as you look in from the outside on a responsible young girl desperately trying to gain a sense of normal adolescence.
Have you ever longed for a sense of stability when everything seems off in a situation you can’t control? Layla Weston often found herself feeling this way before she hit the reset button on her life. Since age 12, Layla was always blamed for the death of her parents by her grandmother, and then experiences the loss of her grandparents, as tough as they may have been they were the only family she had for five years. After the tragic loss of her grandfather she quickly learns of her aunt and uncle as they become her new guardians. At first she questions the decision to move with the “strangers she barely knew” to North Carolina but soon realizes that this may be her only chance to live free as a teenager. They move into a town of “snooty rich kids” but Layal stays true to herself, she fights back and doesn’t believe the wealth of a person is the main defining characteristic to who they are. Soon after arriving in North Carolina she meets a young guy, Will Meyer, at a concert, after she stopped staring she sees this may be her first shot at a normal life. They fall for each other and the main reason Will feels as deep of a connection as he does is he admires her tenacity and her determination to stay true to herself Little does she know the Meyer Family is almost the opposite of normal as Gregory Meyer, the father of Will thinks he is too perfect for any girl and goes to any length to rid the object of his affection from Will’s life. As time goes on this becomes apparent to Layla and her aunt and uncle. As a teenager reading this book, there are a variety of lessons you could learn, although this may be an important take away all readers should find. When you’re put in a situation where there seems to be no consistency, take some time to think to yourself and to stay true to who you are; when you believe there is no longer any stability there is still one true source of consistency, and it's yourself. Tough situations make even tougher people when you stick to your own. This story teaches you that it is okay to struggle and feel lost for a certain period of time but to push through and to stay true to who you are. I personally believe that all teenagers should read this book especially during the current situation of the world pandemic. As the world as we know it changes day by day, sometimes the consistency we need can be found within ourselves.
The Lake by Annalisa Grant follows an inspiring, thought provoking journey of a young girl finding her way through the cards life has dealt her, pushing through many instances of pain, fear, and social anxiety.
Have you ever longed for a sense of stability when everything seems off in a situation you can’t control? Layla Weston often found herself feeling this way before she hit the reset button on her life. Since age 12, Layla was always blamed for the death of her parents by her grandmother, and then experiences the loss of her grandparents, as tough as they may have been they were the only family she had for five years. After the tragic loss of her grandfather she quickly learns of her aunt and uncle as they become her new guardians. At first she questions the decision to move with the “strangers she barely knew” to North Carolina but soon realizes that this may be her only chance to live free as a teenager. They move into a town of “snooty rich kids” but Layal stays true to herself, she fights back and doesn’t believe the wealth of a person is the main defining characteristic to who they are. Soon after arriving in North Carolina she meets a young guy, Will Meyer, at a concert, after she stopped staring she sees this may be her first shot at a normal life. They fall for each other and the main reason Will feels as deep of a connection as he does is he admires her tenacity and her determination to stay true to herself Little does she know the Meyer Family is almost the opposite of normal as Gregory Meyer, the father of Will thinks he is too perfect for any girl and goes to any length to rid the object of his affection from Will’s life. As time goes on this becomes apparent to Layla and her aunt and uncle. As a teenager reading this book, there are a variety of lessons you could learn, although this may be an important take away all readers should find. When you’re put in a situation where there seems to be no consistency, take some time to think to yourself and to stay true to who you are; when you believe there is no longer any stability there is still one true source of consistency, and it's yourself. Tough situations make even tougher people when you stick to your own. This story teaches you that it is okay to struggle and feel lost for a certain period of time but to push through and to stay true to who you are. I personally believe that all teenagers should read this book especially during the current situation of the world pandemic. As the world as we know it changes day by day, sometimes the consistency we need can be found within ourselves.
The Lake by Annalisa Grant follows an inspiring, thought provoking journey of a young girl finding her way through the cards life has dealt her, pushing through many instances of pain, fear, and social anxiety.
July 6, 2017
So I read this first book in The Lake series as part of the omnibus of the whole series, and am adding it individually so that I can review it. I loved parts of this book but didn't like others - for example the writing grated on me at points but was brilliant most of the time, like when Layla says "the winningest attorney" when she would also deliver profound statements on life and death.
However this got to be less of a problem toward the end, as the plot became more gripping (or maybe I just became more in the mood for it! 😏)
Layla was a great character. She has overcome so much tragedy in her life, and I loved how this wasn't just a plot device to get the main ball rolling (i.e. Reason she moved to a new town to meet love interest a la Twilight) but this was never the case. In one scene she said "the screeching of tyres brought me back to the most terrifying night of my life" or something like that, I can't remember the exact quote. But I like how it's frequently referenced and affects her visibly and deeply.
There was one potentially problematic scene involving Will and Layla, but this was handled well and solved appropriately by Layla herself. I was also pleased to see her slap one of the two men entering into a "pissing match" as she herself calls it, telling them to grow up and get over themselves!! 😂😂 so overall a great book that kept me gripped throughout. I loved the setting and ADORED the family dynamic between Claire, Luke and Layla. And the romance was pretty cute too, if a little cheesy at the end. But that cliffhanger was a whopper!! Man am I glad I have the omnibus! 😏
Would 100% recommend the audiobook, narrated wonderfully by En Eldridge. So real and natural. Does all the voices excellently too!
However this got to be less of a problem toward the end, as the plot became more gripping (or maybe I just became more in the mood for it! 😏)
Layla was a great character. She has overcome so much tragedy in her life, and I loved how this wasn't just a plot device to get the main ball rolling (i.e. Reason she moved to a new town to meet love interest a la Twilight) but this was never the case. In one scene she said "the screeching of tyres brought me back to the most terrifying night of my life" or something like that, I can't remember the exact quote. But I like how it's frequently referenced and affects her visibly and deeply.
There was one potentially problematic scene involving Will and Layla, but this was handled well and solved appropriately by Layla herself. I was also pleased to see her slap one of the two men entering into a "pissing match" as she herself calls it, telling them to grow up and get over themselves!! 😂😂 so overall a great book that kept me gripped throughout. I loved the setting and ADORED the family dynamic between Claire, Luke and Layla. And the romance was pretty cute too, if a little cheesy at the end. But that cliffhanger was a whopper!! Man am I glad I have the omnibus! 😏
Would 100% recommend the audiobook, narrated wonderfully by En Eldridge. So real and natural. Does all the voices excellently too!
October 13, 2016
1) Author’s Background
Annalisa Grant is known as the “accidental author” because after her father died in a car accident, to cope, she turned to writing. She starting writing her first book “The Lake” and didn't really know where she was going with it until she was sixty pages into it. After writing the first book she knew she wanted to be a writer.
2) Literary Time Period
The lake was written in modern time. The book was written during a very rough time Annalisa life. She had just lost her father in a tragic car accident and was trying to find something to do to get her mind off of things.
3) Setting
The Lake takes place in a small in North Carolina, where Layla Weston will mature and fall in love with Will Meyer.
4) Characters
Will Meyer- The son of Gregory Meyer. He is attractive, smart, and loving. Will fights to stand up for what is right, although it rarely works when he is against his father. Will is in love with Layla Weston and would do anything for her.
Layla Weston- Layla lost her parents in a car accident when she was eight a suffered from mental abuse when she lived with her grandpa and grandma. Now that they have both died she is going to live with her Aunt and Uncle, whom she has only met a few times. She builds a relationship with them and they become a family. Layla meets Will and they fall for each other, despite Will’s father’s hatred for their relationship, Layla tries her best to stand up to him.
Luke Weston- Luke is Layla’s Uncle who become more of a father to her as the book progresses. Luke is a strong, loyal, and caring husband. He would do anything for his girls.
Claire Weston- Claire is Layla’s Aunt who becomes a mother to her as the book progresses. Claire loves her family. She is smart, intuitive, and motherly. She tries her best to do what is best for her daughter no matter what it takes. Claire and Luke both support Will and Layla’s relationship.
Gregory Meyer- Gregory is the antagonist of the story. He a cunning, charming, and what he says goes. He has a plan for his son and Layla isn't apart of it. Gregory is a very successful man and has all kinds of money, and he tries his best to get whatever he desires.
5) Theme
A major theme is the story is standing up for what you believe in. It shows that no matter what stands in your way you can always rise above it as long as you have support from your family and peers.
6) Plot Summary
The past five years of Layla Weston’s life have been awful, she has suffered the death of both her parents and mental abuse from living with her grandma and grandpa, but now is her time to start over. She is moving the North Carolina to live with her Aunt and Uncle who are both successful lawyers. When she arrives to her new home she is amazed at how beautiful it is. Claire and Luke have decorated her room perfectly. Luke and Claire decide it would be a good idea for Layla to socialize, so they take her to a concert in their hometown. This is where Layla and Will meet. They immediately hit it off and become best friends which leads to a romantic relationship. When Will’s father sees them together he begins to think there is something more than a friendship between them. Gregory begins harassing Will about his relationship with Layla. Will swears there is nothing going on, but his father knows that that is definitely not the case. Gregory believes that Layla is going to distract Will from his destiny and tells Layla that she, Luke, and Claire have to go. Layla and Will fight hard, but eventually give into Gregory. When they finally realize that there is no hope for them to be together as long as Gregory is alive, they give each other promise rings as a sign that they will never give up on their relationship. A couple of weeks before Layla and her family leave town, Will and his mother, Eliana, go missing. Gregory hires the FBI to find them, but he eventually gives up. Layla is furious that a man would ever give up on finding his family. When Layla and her family arrive at their new home in Florida, she begins to unpack her boxes, she realizes that there is an unknown box in her room. When she opens it she finds Will’s ring. She doesn’t understand why Will would pack her ring in a box and starts to think that maybe he gave it to her so that she remembers to never give up on him.
7) Literary Devices
The author uses suspense in the novel, which makes the reader feel anxious and uncertain about what is going to happen in the pages to come. Annalisa uses this literary device when she makes the reader unsure is Gregory is going to make Layla leave or not.
Another literary device is symbolism, which represents something in the novel. Annalisa uses this literary device when Will and Layla exchange rings, because the rings symbolize their unforgettable love for each other.
8) Memorable Quotes
“Being protected means someone giving you the God’s honest truth because they care more about what happens to you in the long run than what happens in that moment, even if in that moment you are among those most hated in the world.”
This is the moment when Layla comes to realize that Luke telling her to watch out for Will’s behavior is just because he cares for her so much and doesn’t what to see her get hurt. This means that the reason Luke was so blunt with her was because he wants to protect Layla from everything that could possibly harm her.
“You can have as many do-overs as you need. Life is imperfect and so are we. We are never going to make all the right choices. We’re never going to be in every ideal situation. All we have in life is our ability to control our actions. We can change our part of any outcome at any point.”
This is when Claire is telling Layla to calm down, because she is freaking out about Will and his mother missing. Clair is telling Layla that you can't control some situations, but that you can control how you act.
Annalisa Grant is known as the “accidental author” because after her father died in a car accident, to cope, she turned to writing. She starting writing her first book “The Lake” and didn't really know where she was going with it until she was sixty pages into it. After writing the first book she knew she wanted to be a writer.
2) Literary Time Period
The lake was written in modern time. The book was written during a very rough time Annalisa life. She had just lost her father in a tragic car accident and was trying to find something to do to get her mind off of things.
3) Setting
The Lake takes place in a small in North Carolina, where Layla Weston will mature and fall in love with Will Meyer.
4) Characters
Will Meyer- The son of Gregory Meyer. He is attractive, smart, and loving. Will fights to stand up for what is right, although it rarely works when he is against his father. Will is in love with Layla Weston and would do anything for her.
Layla Weston- Layla lost her parents in a car accident when she was eight a suffered from mental abuse when she lived with her grandpa and grandma. Now that they have both died she is going to live with her Aunt and Uncle, whom she has only met a few times. She builds a relationship with them and they become a family. Layla meets Will and they fall for each other, despite Will’s father’s hatred for their relationship, Layla tries her best to stand up to him.
Luke Weston- Luke is Layla’s Uncle who become more of a father to her as the book progresses. Luke is a strong, loyal, and caring husband. He would do anything for his girls.
Claire Weston- Claire is Layla’s Aunt who becomes a mother to her as the book progresses. Claire loves her family. She is smart, intuitive, and motherly. She tries her best to do what is best for her daughter no matter what it takes. Claire and Luke both support Will and Layla’s relationship.
Gregory Meyer- Gregory is the antagonist of the story. He a cunning, charming, and what he says goes. He has a plan for his son and Layla isn't apart of it. Gregory is a very successful man and has all kinds of money, and he tries his best to get whatever he desires.
5) Theme
A major theme is the story is standing up for what you believe in. It shows that no matter what stands in your way you can always rise above it as long as you have support from your family and peers.
6) Plot Summary
The past five years of Layla Weston’s life have been awful, she has suffered the death of both her parents and mental abuse from living with her grandma and grandpa, but now is her time to start over. She is moving the North Carolina to live with her Aunt and Uncle who are both successful lawyers. When she arrives to her new home she is amazed at how beautiful it is. Claire and Luke have decorated her room perfectly. Luke and Claire decide it would be a good idea for Layla to socialize, so they take her to a concert in their hometown. This is where Layla and Will meet. They immediately hit it off and become best friends which leads to a romantic relationship. When Will’s father sees them together he begins to think there is something more than a friendship between them. Gregory begins harassing Will about his relationship with Layla. Will swears there is nothing going on, but his father knows that that is definitely not the case. Gregory believes that Layla is going to distract Will from his destiny and tells Layla that she, Luke, and Claire have to go. Layla and Will fight hard, but eventually give into Gregory. When they finally realize that there is no hope for them to be together as long as Gregory is alive, they give each other promise rings as a sign that they will never give up on their relationship. A couple of weeks before Layla and her family leave town, Will and his mother, Eliana, go missing. Gregory hires the FBI to find them, but he eventually gives up. Layla is furious that a man would ever give up on finding his family. When Layla and her family arrive at their new home in Florida, she begins to unpack her boxes, she realizes that there is an unknown box in her room. When she opens it she finds Will’s ring. She doesn’t understand why Will would pack her ring in a box and starts to think that maybe he gave it to her so that she remembers to never give up on him.
7) Literary Devices
The author uses suspense in the novel, which makes the reader feel anxious and uncertain about what is going to happen in the pages to come. Annalisa uses this literary device when she makes the reader unsure is Gregory is going to make Layla leave or not.
Another literary device is symbolism, which represents something in the novel. Annalisa uses this literary device when Will and Layla exchange rings, because the rings symbolize their unforgettable love for each other.
8) Memorable Quotes
“Being protected means someone giving you the God’s honest truth because they care more about what happens to you in the long run than what happens in that moment, even if in that moment you are among those most hated in the world.”
This is the moment when Layla comes to realize that Luke telling her to watch out for Will’s behavior is just because he cares for her so much and doesn’t what to see her get hurt. This means that the reason Luke was so blunt with her was because he wants to protect Layla from everything that could possibly harm her.
“You can have as many do-overs as you need. Life is imperfect and so are we. We are never going to make all the right choices. We’re never going to be in every ideal situation. All we have in life is our ability to control our actions. We can change our part of any outcome at any point.”
This is when Claire is telling Layla to calm down, because she is freaking out about Will and his mother missing. Clair is telling Layla that you can't control some situations, but that you can control how you act.
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