Drowned: Book 2 of the Drowned Series

Drowned #1

by Cyn Balog, Nichola Reilly

Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam-but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival. Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever. Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Disability

260 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2014

About the author

Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She is author of young adult paranormals FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS(2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013).e. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.

She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly. Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog's post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.

Reviews

[Tara Goodyear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Frost once debated whether the world will end in fire or ice. Well, for Nichola Reilly, the world will end in water. Drowned is Ms. Reilly's first post-apocalyptic young adult fantasy filled with a bleak, damp future for Corvina Kettlefish, or Coe as she is called, and the rest of the dwellers on the island of Tides. Sea monsters and human nature set out to destroy Coe and those she loves, but Coe is resourceful and much more important than she knows.

Each day, the shrinking population of Tides gathers on a platform when high tide rolls in. It is their only dry place on the island that is high enough to keep them safe from the raging ocean. At least for now. They have an assigned spot on the platform based upon their job - and essentially their importance - on the island. Children are allowed to remain in the center of the platform until they reach their 16th Hard Season, and then they are cast into outer spots as their duties dictate. The outer realms of the platform are the most dangerous, not just because of the rising water and strong under currents, but also because of snake-like, spear-nosed creatures called Scribblers.

Coe only has one good arm after a childhood Scribbler attack, and she is faced with a terrifying reality - adulthood is fast approaching and she will lose her central spot in formation. She is disabled, weak and barely able to perform her daily duties as the Craphouse Keeper. The only bright light in Coe's life is Tiam. Tiam is a handsome, strong and very capable member of Tides and will no doubt be given a position of importance when he reaches adulthood. Coe longs to be someone worthy of Tiam, someone like the beautiful Princess Star, but love and longing are wasted emotions in a world where survival is everything.

As Coe continues to struggle with her reality, she learns that the king of Tides is sick. He has no male heir and it is only a few tides before the entire island is seething with civil unrest. Coe must find a way to keep the peace just as her father did before her, or else everything and everyone she loves will be lost. When the world ends in water, is escape even possible?

This book is like nothing I've ever read. I'm not normally a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, but throw in some fantasy and you've got my attention. Nichola Reilly hits the ground running with a relatable and resourceful heroine right from the start. Coe doesn't need to be saved, although I don't think she'd mind it every once in a while. She's learned after many tides of having only one arm that she's got to save herself. Yes she gets scared, and yes she has teenage angst and somewhat naively girlish daydreams, but she is real. There is something magical in Coe's spirit and it makes it easy to root for her.

I don't know if the world will end in fire, ice or water, but Nichola Reilly makes me want to take a few survival skills classes just in case. One passage from Drowned continues to stick with me even though it's been a few days since I finished the book; and I think it not only paints a haunting picture of the world of the book, but also a world we could be headed for.

"... we created this. We went on to learn things that were 'more important', but we forgot the most important things of all. We called it progress, but maybe while we were busy building machines that could make it so much easier to access information like the average daily diet of the Northern Cuckoo, we were also building our own coffins."

This book is not only an amazing read (I struggled with the fact that my life kept interrupting my reading!), it is also an incredible piece of literature. The setting is so vivid that it is easy to immerse yourself in the world of the book. The characters are complex, hovering between childhood and adulthood with wide eyes and trepidation we all felt growing up. The plotting is tight and Coe's voice is clear as she leads us on her difficult journey. My only criticism is that I now have to wait for the second book in the series!

There are so many conversations I could have about this book. It is truly one of the most original and unique stories I have read in a long time. I strongly recommend it and hope you will find a place for it at the top of your summer reading list as soon as possible!

[Hayden Casey]

I will not be rating this book, because I don't think it's fair to rate books I haven't completely finished.

Drowned, by Nichola Reilly, is the first book in a while that I have not finished, and below, I will tell you why.

It's hard to get into a book, to sit back and let it envelop you, when you can't deal with the main character. At all. Because let me tell you: Coe has a major Mary Sue Complex.

"Can she be talking about me? It's hard to believe that someone so ethereal and special ever thinks about me."

This isn't all. Let's keep going, shall we?

"At first I think I must have misheard him, that me just have been asking someone else. Why would he want me to scavenge with him?"

Don't worry, there's more:

"'Don't listen to Wallow,' he says to me. 'Don't listen to any of them. They underestimate you.'
"'Right,' I mumble.
"'You're better than any of them. If brains were muscles you'd be stronger than all of them.'
"I turn away from him to hide my blushing. Why is he telling me this?"

And more:

"He's placing his trust in me. Me."

And more:

"'I'm . . . me?' Surely she is mistaken."

And more!

"'Me?' I sputter. Who would recommend me?"

By now, this is getting a bit ridiculous:

"She blinks. 'No mind. It is a beautiful color. I am jealous.' Of me?" . . . "Why are you . . ."

And all these are only within the first 20% of the book! But, still, let's go on:

"'But I must know I can place my trust in you.' Me?"

And on:

"'Did anyone ever tell you, Coe Kettlefish, that you are positively stunning?'
"'Stunning?' I ask. No one has ever called me that before. 'You mean . . . frightening?'
"He laughs. 'I mean beautiful.'
"Beautiful! No matter how hard the waves pound against the sides of the platform, even if I get carried out to sea today and the scribblers make me their evening meal, I know I won't be able to stop grinning like an absolute fool."

And, sigh, on:

"Why, if he's in that much pain, does he want to see me?"

And, finally, I am so unfortunately annoyed that I can't find it within myself to go on. So I DNF'ed this sad little character in this depressing little book and decided to move on. Drowned would've been a worthy read were the main character not so insufferable: the world was creatively spun, the plot engaging for the most part. But some barriers are just too high to climb. Coe was one of them.

One thing to add before I go: if you've noticed, like I did, that some of the characters have odd names (Coe? Tiam? Huh?), know that Reilly has explanations for them, which I found interesting. ("When my mother named me Corvina [for which "Coe" is a nickname], she must have known who I would be. Named after a smelly, slimy, disgusting fish.") ("Tiam used to be a very popular name here. It was once considered to be a lucky name, for it pays respect to the goddess Tiamat, who rules the sea and controls its chaos.")

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sent this book early by the author to read and give an honest review. Receiving the book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is not welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam—but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.
Until the day their King falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows, and for reasons Coe cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.
Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about, before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.

I was drawn to this book as soon as I saw the cover. I had no idea what it was about, but I knew I would have to read it just based on that. It's quite breathtaking and really captures the mood of the story once you read and understand the elements that are presented.

I'm a big fan of dystopia. I love how authors can shape their worlds from what they know and make it into something totally different and unique. Reilly certainly does this with her world. Who would have though of a world that is almost always covered by water with a population that is constantly trying to avoid it to stay alive? It's a unique idea that will definitely drew me in.

Coe is the MC of the story. When I first started reading, I couldn't quite make out how old she was. I knew this was a YA book, but age ranges tend to be broad with this genre depending on the maturity level of the character. Turns out she was much older than I originally thought. I expected her to be more mature for her age, but she didn't come across that way to me. Overall I liked her character. She has many great qualities: she's kind, caring, and above all loyal. All qualities that are important in a story such as this. She did possess some of the teen angst we tend to see in YA. It did not put me off, which was a plus because sometimes such angst makes me want to cringe. I think it was just the right amount. And I loved that Reilly made the character a bit self-loathing. It went along with the total devastation of the world in which she was living. I also loved the touch of the disability (which I won't disclose as it's better if you read it for yourself). Coe has had to adjust so she can stay 'afloat' in her world. It made the character much more real for me.

I liked Tiam's character but in all honesty can not picture him in my head. I would have liked a bit more description of how he looked. I do like how protective he is over Coe. You get the feeling that he would put himself on the line for her life no matter what. Partly because her father asked him too and partly because that's just the kind of guy he is. I did get the feeling that he was a bit taken with himself, thinking he was better than others (though I don't know if this what the author intended). Coe tells us he's handsome and strong, and that everyone likes him. But when it comes down to it, it seems he's not as loved as she had once thought.

The secondary characters certainly were also very interesting. The princess with her tower and her fancy clothing. The King who rules over all the people is questionable. And those who were asked by Coe's father to watch over her turn out to be more enemy than friend. It makes for a great mix of personalities and interesting interactions with the characters.

I really enjoyed Nichola's writing. It's easy to read and flows nicely. She has a good way with description for the most part, although I do think her descriptions of some of her characters could have been better. But I can picture the world in my head, surrounded by water that continuously rises and recedes with the tide. The world building is interesting. I will say that I would love a bit more background, although I understand that it is part of the mystery the author is trying to build. I can totally picture a world taken over by water because of climate change. It addresses something key in our current society, which makes it more realistic, as if it could happen tomorrow so we need to be prepared.

The book was certainly a page turner for me (as noted by the fact that I finished it in three days with all those interruptions of life). I didn't find myself bored. I will say that Rielly addressed certain things more than once and it made me feel like I was going in circles at times. As if the main character just could not break out of her rut to get to the nitty gritty of what she needed to learn. I like to have an idea of what's really going on in a book by about half way through, but that didn't happen for me until about three quarters of the way through and then I felt like the ending was a bit rushed because of it. I was also taken aback by the fantastical element that is introduced. While I kind of had a feeling something like it might happen, when it did, it really wasn't addressed well in my opinion. I feel like it should have been more of a big deal, and that emotion did not come across to me (from either the main character or the secondary ones who knew/found out). I like that it was included, I just wish there was more information and character realization centered on it when it did.

Overall the story is filled with action, emotion, romance, and fear. I am definitely intrigued to see where Rielly takes the next book, especially with how this one ended. I think readers of Kagawa and Meadows will like this post-apocolyptic fantastical world.

[Rennekesblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samenvatting
Het verhaal gaat over Vina en door het steeds langzaam verder oprukkende water, begint elke dag met een ‘volkstelling’ waarvoor ze zich naar een platform midden op een verhoging op het eiland moet verplaatsen. Ze heeft een hekel aan het tellen omdat er steeds minder mensen overblijven. Ze is en voelt zich nutteloos, ze mist een arm, is misvormd en kan daardoor geen nuttige werkzaamheden doen en wordt ook door zichzelf bestempeld als het laagste van het laagste. Daarnaast is het ieder voor zichzelf, het kan tenslotte je laatste dag zijn. Hoewel ze stiekem gek is op Tiam de enige jongen van haar leeftijd, wordt er van iedereen en dus ook van Vina verwacht dat er geen gevoelens voor een ander ‘getolereerd’ worden.
Er is ook nog een kasteel op het eiland en daar wonen koning Wallow, zijn dochter Ster de prinses en hun schildwachten, als het water hoog staat is alleen de toren van het kasteel het enige dat niet overloopt en nog hoger is dan hun platvorm. Dan na een hele tijd zijn de koning en zijn dochter bij het platform te vinden en de koning praat met Tiam, dan ziet hij Vina en vraagt hoe oud ze is, helaas krijgt ze het idee dat hij van haar walgt.

Quote: ‘Ze is … Ik denk niet … kijk nou naar haar.’

Dan blijkt dat de koning erg ziek is en een paar maatregelen wil nemen. Voor ze er erg in heeft wordt ze toegelaten in het kasteel om gezelschapsdame van de prinses te worden. Haar leven wordt anders en ze krijgt te maken met geheimen waar de anderen niets van weten, mede omdat zij in tegenstelling tot de anderen heeft leren lezen van haar vader.

Mijn mening
Het is een boek over de uitzichtloosheid van een volk dat op een eiland leeft dat langzaam verdwijnt en dat maakt dat je het gevoel krijgt dat erg angst, gelatenheid, boosheid en strijd de boventoon voeren. Het leest ook erg spannend naarmate het boek vordert. Alleen aan het einde voel ik een groot gemis, net of het verhaal niet eindigt maar er nog een vervolg komt.

Conclusie
Het is een fantasievol boek geschreven voor en over 16 tot 18-jarigen. Door het ‘ik’ verhaal, verteld vanuit Vina is het goed inleven in de gedachtegang van een tiener en is het een ware young adult fantasy. En het is zeker origineel en fantasievol.

[Michelle Rebar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Drowned is a gorgeous, post-apocalyptic fantasy that has it all. There is adventure, mystery, romance, danger, action and a touch of fantasy. Readers will be pulled under by, and blissfully drown in, this harrowing tale of the rising tides and the possible end of the world. The writing is so vivid and fluid that at times I forgot I was reading and I became a part of the story. The beautiful, descriptive details made it feel so real, a perfect moving picture was painted in my mind. Drowned is equally enchanting and terrifying and I dreamt about it while I was reading it as well as for several days afterwards. I couldn't get it out of my head. I loved this exciting, hard-to-put-down, action-packed, thought-provoking, romantic adventure and I'm already pining away the days until I can read the next book.

Far, far in the future, the world has been almost completely covered by water. There is very little dry land remaining, and as far as the people of the island of Tides know, they are all that is left. Their numbers and their island are both dwindling, and they all know that the end is near. They live their lives at the mercy of the waves. Every high tide they must climb to a platform and wait and watch as their island disappears into the sea. Balancing on the platform is always a frightening ordeal as the waves crash around them, occasionally swallowing up those at the edges. It's only a matter of time before they are all taken to a watery grave. Coe is one of the last teens left on the island, and for the moment she is relatively safe. She had been given a spot to stand in the center of the platform because of her age, but she knows that soon she will be an adult and since she is weak and has a physical deformity, she will soon be cast out to the edges. One fateful day, her life changes. She is asked to work in the castle for the princess of the island and her status is now above those who had been bullying her. Once in the castle, she discovers that the king is dying and her best friend, Tiam, who she's been in love with all her life has been offered the crown. Unfortunately, life can't go on as it has been. The people of Tides are beginning to revolt, the water is rising, horrifying sea creatures are killing people and Coe has discovered shocking secrets that will change everything...as long as she can survive. Coe, Tiam and their other allies must fight for their lives as they try to escape from the only place they've ever known. It's either that, or they wait to drown.

[rachel, x · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 38%

After the mess that was Sleepless, I decided to give Balog a second chance. It did not go very well.

There was something about the writing style that did not click with me; same with the characters. Our protagonist, Coe, was so blah. While I do not think every character has to be strong or badass, I do think that if you write a meek character, you just have to give them more personality than mere meekness. Balog obviously disagrees. I also disliked that way that Coe was bullied for her appearance and was somehow still a Special Snowflake that everyone secretly loved and wanted.

At the very least, the plot could have been more engaging. It was so damn dull. The romance subplot was unnecessary. I struggled to see what Coe saw in Tiam, especially when I felt that Coe and Star had more chemistry.

Overall? Drowned really did have the potential to really be something. It has a unique premise that I was looking forward to seeing Balog take on and yet my attempts to push myself through nearly ended with me in a reading slump. Not worth it.

🌻 Trigger warnings for bullying and death/loss.

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[flieder.kind ~ Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puhhhh... Gestern Nacht ausgelesen und ich weiß noch immer nicht, was ich dazu sagen soll. Einerseits war es ja ganz spannend, andererseits wirklich vorhersehbar und die Protagonistin ging mir gehörig auf den Geist. Was mich aberzogt allem nervt, ist das abrupte Ende und die Überholspur, die das ganze eingenommen hat.

Wer es gelesen hat weiß vermutlich was ich meine, wenn ich "Fische" und "Kiemen" sage. Reicht das?

Uhh. Die drei Sterne, die ich hier vergebe, sind eher schwach. Aber für zwei fand ich es dann schlussendlich doch zu spannend. Zu Band zwei werde ich vermutlich nicht greifen.

[Céline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik kan er nog niet veel over zeggen, maar je leest alles op woensdag 19/02 tijdens de blogtour op www.celinezoalszeis.be

Laat je niet misleiden door de afschuwelijke cover want de inhoud is echt wel zeer goed ;)

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mijn review wordt binnenkort gepost op https://booksofhopeanddreams.wordpres... als onderdeel van de blogtour!

[Lauredhel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drowned is set in a surreal postapocalyptic world, in the end days before the floods completely cover the planet. At first I thought this was a fantasy book - and it's categorised as Fantasy on Goodreads - but slowly I came to realise that it is actually probably maybe cli-fi science fiction, set on Earth, with some magicalish biological elements, but not necessarily fantasy as such. Or something. It's a fun thing to puzzle out, so I'm looking forward to the next book!

Several hundred humans remain in the known world, dubbed "Tides". A wooden platform is the only refuge for (most of) the people at high tide. The society is heavily socially stratified, with every individual having their own set place in the spiral formation on the platform. Those considered the most expendable in the society are on the outside; children are in the centre, the safest spot. The outer echelons of the spiral are frequently washed off by waves or eaten by scribblers, which are terrifying carnivorous eel/sandworm critters. The scribblers shriek, not hiss, but I'm still getting a Priness Bride vibe!

At low tide, the people come down to the island to scavenge and fish. The world remains dangerous at low tide, however - the danger being not just from scribblers, but from other humans. This is a society in a death spiral (hrm, sorry) of despair, as the waters ever so slowly rise higher, and the platform becomes more rickety, with not enough salvage to fix it properly. There is a desultory programme of sending people off in boats on an "Explore" to find other survivors, but no-one really expects them to return.

Our main character, Coe Kettlefish, is a teenage girl who lost a hand to scribbler attack when she was a small child. Coe is alone, her father being one chosen for an Explore in the past. Other people call her "Scribbler Bait", because they consider that her disability makes her useless to their society, destined for the outer spiral and certain doom. For now, however, being below the age limit, she stands near the middle of the high-tide formation. Coe admires Tiam, the gorgeous, kind boy who stands next to her in the spiral, but she never really expects him to admire her back, especially since she always smells like poo. You can probably figure out the rest there.

However!

There is one other dry area at high tide, apart from the decaying wooden platform. It is the very top of the castle tower, when the royal family live. Royal family, you say? Huh? Me too! But there they are, the dying king and Princess Star, lording it over everyone in their cushy castle. What is the secret of the royal family? How are they living so well? What lies past the horizons? What lies within the castle? And why isn't "Scribbler Bait" dead yet?

I weirdly loved this book, though I didn't expect to at first. The initial vagueness of the description of Tides ended up being a positive, not a negative: the gradual unfolding of the world held my attention, with new mysteries introduced along the way. Coe's courage and curiosity buoys up a narrative that could be a bit bleak otherwise, and the way she deals with and feels about her impairment feels realistic. Best of all, this book doesn't feel like every other YA dystopian/postapocalyptic book out there. The reveals near the end sank their hooks into me, leaving me looking forward to more. And since I can't say any more about those reveals... Go read!

[Ricarda Scola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meine Meinung:

"Herrscher der Gezeiten" von Nichola Reilly ist ein ziemlich spezielles Buch, das es mir nicht leicht macht, zu entscheiden, ob ich es mag oder nicht.

Der Einstieg ist wirklich gut gewählt. So gut, dass man die ersten Kapitel im Nu gelesen hat. Wie so oft, wird man mitten ins Geschehen katapultiert, aber hier wird man gleich von der düsteren, stellenweise auch gruseligen, Atmosphäre gepackt. Der sehr simpel gehaltene Schreibstil sorgt zusätzlich dafür, dass man schnell vorankommt und so ist ein kurzweiliges Lesevergnügen garantiert. Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus der Ich-Perspektive.

Auch wenn dieses Buch mit einer einzigartigen Heldin punkten kann, waren mir die Charaktere im Schnitt viel zu flach gehalten. Man könnte zwar argumentieren, dass alle Elemente die Kargheit des Weltentwurfs spiegeln sollen, aber das reicht mir nicht, um darüber hinwegzusehen, dass man etwa 95% der Figuren schon nach 5 Minuten wieder vergessen hat.

Die etwas besseren 5% reduziert sich im Prinzip auf die Kinder. Da hätten wir Everybodys-Darling-Tiam, die eingebildete Prinzessin Star, die hoffnungsvolle Fern und die gehandicapte Coe. Viel mehr als ihre stereotypischen Eigenschaften ist leider nicht bei mir hängen geblieben.

Woran es bei den Charakteren mangelt, macht zum Großteil die Geschichte wieder wett. Diese braucht zwar ein bisschen, um in Fahrt zu kommen, fesselt aber trotzdem an die Seiten. Der Spannungsträger war für mich sowieso mehr die Atmosphäre als die eigentliche Handlung. Ich muss allerdings auch gestehen, dass die Autorin mit ihrem Szenario einen Nerv bei mir getroffen hat. Ich sage gerne, dass ich Respekt vor dem Meer habe, aber eigentlich habe ich Angst. Die Vorstellung, nicht zu wissen, was da tief unter mir so herschwimmt, bereitet mir sogar in meiner Wohnung eine Gänsehaut. Nun hat mich Reilly mit einer Welt konfrontiert, die fast komplett überflutet ist und in der es vor menschenjagenden Raubfischen nur so wimmelt. Das war der reinste Albtraum für mich! So kann ich also kaum objektiv beurteilen, ob ihr die Szenen während der Flut wirklich so gut gelungen sind, oder ob die nur für mich unheimlich intensiv waren. So oder so werde ich diese Eindrücke bestimmt nicht so schnell vergessen!

Was mir auch noch gut gefallen hat, war die implizierte Botschaft, die auch in diesem dystopischen Endzeit-Szenario nicht fehlen darf: die Menschheit richtet sich selbst und seine Umwelt zugrunde und nennt das dann auch noch Fortschritt.

Eine zarte Liebesgeschichte darf natürlich auch nicht fehlen, aber die fehlt hier kaum ins Gewicht. Ich würde sie gerne als unnötig bezeichnen, hätte diese nicht den ein oder anderen Stein ins Rollen gebracht.

Das Cover ist ein echter Hingucker und wäre für mich auch jetzt noch ein Kaufgrund. Allerdings weckt es in Kombination mit dem Klappentext ziemlich falsche Erwartungen, weswegen ich dann das englische Original doch vorziehen würde.

Fazit:

Nichola Reillys "Herrscher der Gezeiten" ist gewiss kein perfekter Reihenauftakt, dafür ein sehr eindringlicher. Die düstere Atmosphäre hat mir mehr als einmal Gänsehaut beschert und ist für mich fast das Beste an diesem Roman. Auch die Geschichte lohnt sich definitiv, aber die Charaktere haben Verbesserungsbedarf. Ganz knappe 4/5 Bücher!

[Tonyalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

See this review and more on my blog, Lilybloombooks

4.5 stars
I have said it a thousand times, and I will probably say it a thousand times more; but I love stumbling on books that I have heard next to nothing about and end up loving.

Drowned is nothing like anything I have read before. Sure, it's a dystopian. But the world, the characters and the horror of it all mashed together makes it an awesome read.

This world is depressing. It's a small Island, in which the residents have to stand on a platform during high tide so they are not swept away. There's hardly any water (ironic as that sounds), the only food is fish and the seas are laden with sea creatures that made me shiver. It took a little time for the details to come on how the world became the way it was, but it was worth the wait.

Coe made this book for me. There are parts of her personality that are so innocent and naive that made my heart ache but, she is strong, smart and has a heart that rivals her Island is size. There are many things that she does to help and protect the few she loves and even when it came to her interactions with the princess, she proved time and again that for such a small girl she is BIG. Even when things are at their worst, she never lost her faith or hope that things could and would get better.

The other characters, such as the princess Star, Tiam and Finn add another deep layer to the book. Tiam was hard to read at first, because it didn't seem like his intentions were clear. But as the story progressed, it was so obvious and my heart swelled. Star, is such an oblivious, naive snob that tried my patience. This was the perfect example of how great a person Coe was, because had it been me in her shoes, I would have knocked her off her high horse and on her pretty ass more times than I could count. Finn, as with Tiam, was hard to read. And that's all I am going to say about him.

The Narrator
This is my first audio narrated by Amanda Dolan but I will be looking for more books narrated by her. I loved her voice as Coe! I have great luck lately with narrators and she is definitively one of my new favs!

There were some big plot twists that came out towards the end - one I kind of saw coming but the other one really rocked my world. The ending too, left on a major cliffhanger and a heartbreaking one at that. It's the best kind though, the ones that make you ache and long for the next book! I highly recommend it!

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Harlequin TEEN and NetGalley*

In a future Earth that is now mostly covered in water, Coe lives on an island called Tides which is slowly being taken over by the ocean. The other inhabitants shun Coe who lost a hand from a scribbler attack.
Her life changes when the King falls ill and Coe becomes Princess Star's hand maiden.
With no male heir who will replace the King when he dies?
Can the people of Tides escape the ocean?

From the blurb I was excited to read this but unfortunately I couldn't connect to the storyline or the characters.
For me the world Drowned is set in is a strange world that I felt like a lot went unexplained.
One thing that I didn't understand was that the hotel that serves as the palace on Tides is supposed to be on a mountain, so surely it wouldn't be on the absolute top and therefore the peaks would be seen from Tides? But no peaks or scenery apart from the sea were mentioned. I also found the scribblers - killer swordfish (?) that like to bury themselves under sand - very odd.
Coe was an okay character and it was different that she only had one hand. I felt sorry for her but I didn't really connect with her. I didn't warm to any of the other characters very much.
The plot was alright but I found it dull in places and nothing that happened surprised me.

Overall this was an okay read but I found it disappointing.

[Rachel E. Carter]

Loved this novel. Nichola did a brilliant job telling her tale and I would love to see her series someday portrayed as a movie -the descriptions of this post-apocalyptic sea town are so beautiful and I was really able to relate to the protagonist. I can't wait for the sequel and I fully intend to read any future YA novels by this author -can't wait for the sequel!

[Hazel · Rating 5 out of 5]

For thousands of years people thought about how and when the world would end.

But I don't have to wonder. I know it is going to happen in my lifetime.

High tide is approaching, the waves coming closer. Soon everything will be underwater.


Coe is one of the few remaining teenagers on the island of Tides. Deformed and weak, she is constantly reminded that in a world where dry land dwindles at every high tide, she is NOT welcome. The only bright spot in her harsh and difficult life is the strong, capable Tiam- but love has long ago been forgotten by her society. The only priority is survival.

Until the day when their king falls ill, leaving no male heir to take his place. Unrest grows. and for reasons Ceo cannot comprehend, she is invited into the privileged circle of royal aides. She soon learns that the dying royal is keeping a secret that will change their world forever.

Is there an escape from the horrific nightmare that their island home has become.? Coe must race to find the answers and save the people she cares about before their world and everything they know is lost to the waters.



Doesn't that summery make up want to read Drowned?? Well, it made me want to read it, and i hope it does you to, cause it was a darned great book. I'm excited to read the rest of the series!! There are only two books in the series, and the next book is called Burned. i think it is told from Star and Coe's mother's eyes. i'm excited to read it!! i hope it is as good as the first book.
okay, i just said that Star and Coe have the same mother- they do! but they are half sisters- they have different dads, and obviously Princess Star has the selfish dad. Coe's dad is Buck Kettlefish, and he was a good man, but he died :(

[Brea Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drowned is set in a futuristic setting after the oceans has risen and humans have been living on a small island for a very, very, very long time. The sea level is so high that it covers the entire island at high tide every day. Our MC, Coe, is a young girl on the island who is disliked by most and is doing her best to survive when she suddenly gets noticed and becomes the princess’s hand maiden.

In general I enjoyed the variety of characters is this book. Coe is a fantastic character and I grew to like her personally a lot. Despite her situation, she is very relatable and still retains normal, teenage feelings and emotions and it doesn’t feel weird. She begins quite closed off and a bit numb, but then she just grows into herself and gains confidence and experience and it’s a fantastic, slow transition that I appreciate so much.

Love is an interesting point in Drowned. We see it from so many perspectives and what it means for different people. By no means is it the focus of the book but it is definitely an important aspect that I enjoyed.

Also, there is this fantastic twist at the end that people have been describing as fantasy, but I think it has more to do with evolution. Maybe not realistic evolution, but whatever. I still like it and I would like it more if that as the author’s intent. So that’s what I’m going to believe. :P

All in all a fantastic book that I believe is immensely underrated. Great characters, plot arc, twists that I didn’t predict and has such an interesting setting that I haven’t seen before in YA. Highly recommend.

[Adele Broadbent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Coe lives on an island that is covered by the rising tides every night. They count their days and lives by tides. When the tides rise, they all clamber onto a concrete platform away from the Scribblers which attack them if they are in the water.

Coe only has one hand as she lost her other in a scribbler attack. Many of the others call her Scribbler Bait but are amazed how she survived.

It is a time of survival and there are less than 500 people left. No-one is sad when one of them is swept off the platform by a wave, or attacked by a scribbler from under the sand where they have learnt to hide, as the food they have been handed out has run out. Now, they have to survive on nothing but fish.

There is no place for emotions in this place in earth’s future, especially the emotion of love....

Clever story as it is set in the future with the concrete platform built by someone in our time, who predicted the rising oceans. Haven't decided whether to read the next in the series.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some postapocalyptic worlds are more miserable than others, and the world of Tides, a tiny island surrounded by rising water and man-eating fish, is “day after day of misery, of waiting to die. Every day you wonder what the point is... and the longer you go on, the more life seems like a game you’re meant to lose.” Coe Kettlefish is the most miserable inhabitant of Tides. Small, pale, and pink-eyed in a world of blue-eyed tanned people, she is missing a hand and destined for a short life on the fringe of their tiny, isolated world. Cleaning the latrine. But her intelligence and a childhood friendship with Princess Star whisks her away to the castle and a world of intrigue. Despite the presence of royalty and two hunky boys, Drowned is not your average postapocalyptic fantasy romance. The unusual setting and background mysteries - is Coe’s father alive? How did the king’s family come to power? keep the pages turning. —Paula Willey for Booklist Online

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words. I have no words. I have no words. I have no words.
Maybe if I keep writing this, the words will come...maybe not.

Some books I have had the pleasure of reading, albeit VERY few, are so phenomenal that I am actually terrified to describe/review them because I feel that to do so would actually do the book a disservice. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS.

To say that I have read Drowned is quite an understatement; I have experienced it. And it was mind-blowing. And heartbreaking. And beautiful.

To summarize my thoughts on Drowned, this is all I need to say: I have no complaints about this book. NONE. How can this be??? I don't know, but it's true.
The premise is truly original and thought-provoking.
The setting is beautiful in a violent, wild, and dark kind of way.
The characters are well-developed and intriguing.
The pace is phenomenal; it doesn't drag like many books in a series tend to do (just to fill up pages in order to justify the fact that there will be more than one published), and it doesn't speed along in a way that leaves you behind, all confused and frustrated.
The descriptions are detailed and believable.
The writing is unexpectedly gorgeous - and I can't even explain why; it just is!
...I could go on and on and on here...

Coe is TRULY an original heroine. Seriously. I don't think I have ever read a novel where the main character, especially a female, is physically deformed AND considered sexually unattractive. (Gasp!) I loved it! That fact alone made me fall in love with Drowned. But Coe is also amazing because she is strong, brave, talented, clever, thoughtful, sensitive, and hopeful. She is EVERYTHING you could ever ask for in a dystopian heroine. EVERYTHING.

Tiam is adorable, if not a little frustrating at times. But this is simply who he is. Is he a little too hesitant at times? Yes. Blinded by his own ideas and perceptions about Tides? Okay. Sometimes not as quick to react as one might like? Sure. But you can't blame him for any of this. He is, after all, the product of a very effed up world, one where taking any kind of action will surely lead to death. And a gruesome one at that. His hesitancy to see the truth, and others' points of view, is just his character. He makes up for this by also being brave, strong, loyal, respectful, a true gentleman, and (dare I say) pretty freaking hot. So I think I can live with a little hesitancy once in a while. And when Tiam sacrificed himself for Coe at the end, I lost it. I mean really lost it. I fell even harder in love with him in that moment, as I'm sure Coe did.

The rest of the characters were well-developed and added to the story rather than detracted from it. Fern was adorable, Finn was disgusting Did he really try to rape Coe in the craphouse?!? Ugh!!, and Star was frustrating, to say the least.

The setting was beautiful. As I read the book, it was easy to hear the angry crash of the waves against the beach and tower, smell and taste the salt from the sea, and watch the murky, angry black water greedily engulf everything in sight.

The ending reduced me to a blubbering, snotty mess, not only for the way it ended but also because right after that, I discovered that the next two books in the series would not, in fact, be published.
I have no idea why.
There is no way to justify that.
Even though Drowned seems to have a very small following, that does not excuse the fact that those who fell head over heels in love with it will never, ever get to experience the final two books.
My heart literally broke when I found that out.
The only thing that comforts me is knowing that I was privileged enough to experience the wonder that is Drowned.

This book will stay with me forever.
It is incredible.
I cannot believe it does not have more of a presence here on GR, especially since it kicks so many other, and far more popular, trilogies' asses in every way possible!!!

Thank you, Cyn Balog/Nichola Reilly, for writing one of the best books I have ever read.

[Jay Wagemans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much and I can't wait to read Buried and Burned, but I guess I have to wait a little bit... I read the Dutch version and I hope that doesn't matter much. The idea definitely translates very well. Such an original idea for an alternative world! Kinda dystopian, nerve-wracking, and unique to live in a place where you have to fight to be alive every day. It's just part of a daily routine. Actually, the only thing I didn't like about this book was the romance. I could have done without so much of the swooning and I usually don't like love triangles, but this one worked for the story. Also: a little weird that Vina is basically the ugliest person on the island, but she still manages to make two boys fall in love with her?

Vina is so hardened and imperfect and I do love that. Life is such a b*tch in this world, it's fascinating (that sounds very morbid, but I don't know how to describe it any other way). I was immediately excited to see what Vina was going to do about her way of life! In the first few chapters, I felt like every bit of mystery that was being set up by the blurb was revealed, so I was skeptical. It got a little annoying that Vina kept comparing herself to 'perfect' people and saying "they're everything that I'm not, woe is me", but she came back strong and so did the story. One additional point of feedback: why is Vina so down to earth when it comes to her job and death, but also so naive when it comes to royalty? I usually got things a lot faster than she did, because she wanted to believe that things are better than they actually are and that is an interesting personality trait, but also kind of annoying.

Okay, so the story makes a giant comeback after a small dip! That why I believe it still deserves 5 stars. I was afraid it was going to get more and more girly and sappy as soon as the princess got more screentime, but thankfully, that was not the case. It's still as raw as the first few chapters I fell in love with. Speak of falling in love, Kokkel (not sure what Vina's pet is called in English) is absolutely adorable and I missed him in the second half of the story. Hope he's doing well. The fact that Vina has a pet and takes care of it the way that she does, tells us so much more about her as a person. Very smart!

This story is one that makes you feel like you need to finish it in one go. It's very captivating, original, and also very much a nailbiter. You never know what to expect, because this is an entirely different world that doesn't adhere to the rules we're used to. Every character had a distinct personality and I'm just so very impressed. We have someone slowly turning evil for understandable motives, we have someone slowly turning delusional for understandable motives, and then we also have someone who still has a childlike sense of wonder in a world where being a child is impossible. They complete each other and it makes the story so interesting as a whole. It's just amazing. The more you read, the more you get to know about the mysteries of the past, the history of the island and the palace. It keeps you on your toes, together with the constant treat the sea poses. So, will you let Vina take you on the adventure that she calls 'just another Tuesday?'

[Franzi_liebt_Buecher · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG. Ich kann "nur" drei Sterne geben, weil ich das Buch nicht ganz gelesen habe. Kurze Erklärung: Das Buch fiel mir während des Aussortierens alter Bücher in die Hände. Das Buch ist von 2015 und ich habe es immer noch nicht gelesen....naja also wahrscheinlich weg damit. Da mich der Klappentext grundsätzlich aber noch angesprochen hatte, hab ich einfach mal reingelesen (blöderweise in das letzte Drittel...warum auch immer ich das getan habe). Und siehe da: Es war spannend! Eine Protagonistin mit einem Arm, Außenseiterin und eher schwach, aber doch ziemlich cool. Hab also direkt weitergelesen und DIESES ENDE. Es hat mich zerstört. Und nun hasse ich mich dafür, weil ich erst jetzt (nach einer Stunde Recherche) gesehen habe, dass die Reihe scheinbar nie fortgesetzt wurde - Bei diesem Ende! Ich bin verzweifelt und verstehe definitiv nicht warum. Was soll ich nur tun?

OMG. Why didn´t she write the Sequel? I NEED IT. That ending cannot be the real ending. IT CANNOT BE. If anyone knows sth about the series -> Please answer or write me. Thx, cause I´m dying right now.

[Ursula Visser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wat een bijzonder verhaal!

De auteur heeft me meegenomen naar een wereld die hoofdzakelijk draait om water. Land is een kostbaar goed, hoogte is dat ook.
Het platform dat boven de zee uitkomt is zowel een toevluchtsoord als ook een machtsmiddel, de kille sfeer op het eiland voert de boventoon en het is zaak je positie op dat platform te behouden.

De enige mensen die redelijk veilig zijn, is de koninklijke familie die in het kasteel woont. De hoogste plek van het eiland.

Het verhaal boeide me vanaf de eerste bladzijde. De kilte van de mensen is zo goed overgebracht, dat ieder sprankje hoop meteen van de pagina afknalt.

Ik kan niet wachten op het vervolg!

[Nicole Ramge · Rating 5 out of 5]

INHALT:


Deutsche Erstveröffentlichung

Wer diesen Roman gelesen hat, wird das Meer mit anderen Augen sehen….

Die Erde ist überflutet. Die letzten Überlebenden harren auf einer kleinen Insel aus, deren Ufer mit jeder Flut schmaler werden. Dass sie in dieser Welt unerwünscht ist, spürt Coe jeden Tag. So gut sie kann, erledigt sie ihre erniedrigende Arbeit und setzt sich gegen die anderen Inselbewohner zu Wehr. Heimlich schwärmt sie für den mutigen Tiam, ihren einzigen Freund.

Dann geschieht es. Der Herrscher der Insel liegt im Sterben und hinterlässt keinen Erben. Ausgerechnet Coe wird ins Schloss eingeladen und erfährt, dass die königliche Familie ein Geheimnis hütet, das alles für immer verändern kann. Gibt es einen Ausweg aus dem Albtraum, in dem sie alle leben? Coe und Tiam müssen sich beeilen, Antworten zu finden, bevor die Welt für immer in den Fluten versinkt ….




kurze EINBLICKE:



Jeden Morgen frage ich mich, ob ich den Sonnenuntergang noch sehen werde. Jeder Windzug fühlt sich an wie der Atem des Todes in meinem Nacken.
- Seite 7




Ich erschauere, ungläubig und starre auf meine alte verkrustete Schaufel.
Tiam: für die Welt verantwortlich.
Coe: für die Kacke.
- Seite 49




Zum ersten Mal bin ich vollkommen allein, in einem wunderschönen, prachtvollen Raum. Und kann meinen Blick nicht von dem Hässlichsten in diesem Zimmer abwenden: meinem Spiegelbild.
- Seite 75




Ich liege einfach hier, wünsche mir, dass der Boden mich verschluckt, mich für immer begräbt, im selben Gang. ….
Wenigstens wäre dies das angemessene Ende der Geschichte ….
Zusammen, aber getrennt.
- Seite 342


Meine MEINUNG:


Coe Kettlefish ist ein Mädchen das allem anderen, aber nicht ihrem Alter entspricht. Alleingelassen, ohne Familie sitzt sie mit 495 anderen Menschen auf der Insel fest. Vor dem Schloss, auf der Plattform.
Ihre Behinderung macht ihr das Leben nun auch nicht einfacher und so wird sie meiner Meinung nach einfach nur ausgenutzt und darf die Toilettendame spielen, ohne einen Teller vor der Tür, in dem das Kleingeld klimpert.
Natürlich ist dann das Selbstwertgefühl nahezu gar nicht vorhanden, sind sich selbst als entstellt und hässlich, auch ohne Spiegelbild das sie versucht zu meiden wo es nur geht.

Einzig ihre Tagträume bleiben ihr, um dem Leben gelegentlich ein Lächeln zu schenken und sich in einer anderen Welt zu verlieren.

Ach ja ….

Tiam, der Einzige unter den circa Gleichaltrigen behandelt sie nicht so. Auch wenn er sie fast gar nicht beachtet ist er in den wenigen Momenten in denen er ihr seine Aufmerksamkeit schenkt, wirklich bei ihr und hört ihr zu.

Natürlich ist jeder auf irgendeine Art und Weise in ihn vernarrt oder gar verliebt.

Sein Charakter hat sich für mich in dem Buch öfters mal gedreht so dass ich eigentlich bis zu Ende etwas Zwiegestalten bin. Aber dann zeigt er seine wahres ich und lässt mich staunen.




Es gibt noch den ein oder anderen Charakter den ich hier bewusst nicht vorstelle, da er zu tief in die Handlung greifen würde!












Anfangs war ich doch wirklich sehr überrascht in welche Richtung mich dieses Buch führt da es nach allem anderen scheint als eine Dystopie.
Ohne irgendwelche Erklärungen müssen wir hier in der Geschichte eins und eins zusammenzählen, was mich letztendlich mehr in ein Märchen geführt hat. Wir haben ein Schloss einen hohen Turm, einen König und das arme Volk draussen auf der Plattform kurz vor dem Hungertod.
Die Meeresungeheuer namens "Kritzler" dürfen wir nicht vergessen!


Irgendwann folgten dann die Erklärungen und finden uns einer tausend jährigen Zukunft wieder, die mehr von der Steinzeit hat als von unserer Zivilisation. Keiner kann lesen, schreiben und viele Dinge können einfach nicht benannt werden, ist es doch zu lange her und keiner scheint sie zu kenne.

Und plötzlich macht das Buch eine Wendung in meinem Kopf, sehr interessant.

Es hat mir anfangs nicht nicht gefallen, war es doch etwas anderes als erwartet. Aber der Gedanke, wie die Zukunft wirklich aussehen könnte erschreckt einfach wieder einmal enorm!

Wir haben weiterhin die Märchenaspekte, die auch mit dem Tagebuch zu tun haben das Coe von ihrem Dad hat, ist sie doch die Einzige die lesen und schreiben kann. Aber woher das kommt kann ich auch jetzt nur vermuten.

Überhaupt lässt mich das Buch nun nachdem ich es beendet habe mit vielen Vermutungen zurück wie diese Geschichte weiter gehen können. Denn das tut sie, wird nur leider etwas auf sich warten lassen, den der Folgeband ist noch nicht mal in seiner Originalsprache erschienen.




Überraschend gut, genauso wie das Cover hat mich dieses Buch erst ein wenig in die irre geführt bis es mich für sich gewinnen konnte!

[Vanessa Price · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting idea and, because I like YA, I enjoyed it, but it left many questions through a lack of story development.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
*Full review can be found at Part of that World.

I've been wanting to read this one ever since I heard of it! Like, no joke, it's been one of my highly anticipated summer releases. So, I was really excited when Harlequin Teen approved my request! And I had to start it as soon as it appeared on my kindle. :)


Rating: 4 Stars!

I wasn't totally sure what to expect from this novel, went into this completely blind and only knowing that it was fantasy. I was pretty much sucked in from the beginning, and the momentum never stopped. It slowed down a bit, dragged along at some parts, but ultimately, it was a pretty fast-paced novel. There was just A LOT of waiting out the Tides and learning the about the tribe in the first half of the book, which weighed the story down. But I never truly got bored.

I loved Coe's voice and how she told the story. This girl has spent her whole life like a pariah on the island, and ever since her dad died, she's had no one to help her. No one who cares enough about her. And in this tribe, everyone looks out for number one: themselves. Coe has been pushed around, given the worst job, and still manages to hold onto her ideals and morals. Her innocence was refreshing, and even when she was down on her luck and even when she talked about how they'd never escape the Tides, she never truly gave up. She still held that hope inside of her, that things could change and that they'd survive, even if it only seemed like a fantasy from one of the stories she's read. She was strong yet vulnerable, steadfast in the looming threat of danger and death, intelligent without appearing condescending and always craving love. Her development felt so genuine, from a girl who just wanted a friend to a strong heroine who managed to never give up and who fought for what she believed in.

There were a lot of secondary characters; ones I hated and wished they'd died, and others that I felt could have been more developed. Like I said, Coe doesn't have friends. No one cares about her. To them, she's just the girl with one arm, black hair, and pink eyes. A "creature" that deserves to be Scribble Bait. But there are a few who don't treat Coe any differently, who see past her features to the girl underneath. A girl who is scared and susceptible to the people who would love to see her gone. But Tiam takes care of her, becomes her protector. He's a funny guy who only wants to help his people. And then there is Fern, the youngest in the tribe; a girl who still has her innocence and hope, who still believes in the good of people and the stories that Coe tells her. These two were my favorites, aside from the main character. Star was an okay character, but I don't really like her. But I'm hoping she grows into a person who puts aside her wants to help others. Aside from that, everyone else can just go die.

The romance was very underdeveloped, but that was okay! No declarations of insta-love. This tribe doesn't believe in love anymore, or romance, or caring for others. After all, they all die at some point. And people have been known to kill for the best spots on the platform that is the only way they survive during the Tides. But Coe still holds onto love, to the fantasies she reads that keep her comfort, the damsels in distress and the princes who rescue them. It's a very one-sided love, but I think we'll see more development of hers and Tiam's relationship in the sequel. At least, I hope so!

The plot was intriguing! The author sprinkled the information and background of the tribe throughout the book, like a trail of bread crumbs, leaving me following the story-line as I tried to figure out what was happening. This is like a post-apocalyptic fantasy, where floods destroyed the world and the water is rising everyday as the survivors struggle to live. It's why the tribe is only 496 people strong. No one can seem to stop the Tides from coming; all they can do is ride out the storm and hope they make it to the next rising. I liked where the story headed, but I'm no so sure about the revelations surrounding Coe. We'll just have to see what happens. ;) AND UGH. THAT CLIFFHANGER. SERIOUSLY, THE WORST. I'M NOT OKAY WITH THIS!

Drowned was a very intriguing fantasy with a strong, likable heroine and a generally fast-paced plot that centered around survival in a world where its every man for himself.

[Dark Faerie Tales · Rating 1 out of 5]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Another unfortunately disinteresting read about the end of the world, which completely lacked humour.

Opening Sentence: I write things on the sand so I won’t forget them.

The Review:

I tried to enjoy Drowned, I really did. But a book based on the apocalypse, with everyone counting down the tides until they drown to death, and in a world where everyone fights for themselves and there is no hope, is a leeeetle difficult to enjoy! The problem with such books is that the world-building isn’t believable or that it’s too realistic, and in this case the latter meant that I was beginning to feel anxious about my own upcoming doom! I could imagine the four hundred odd people scrambling around in their formation and huddling together when the tide got too close, unfortunately I could just as easily believe that some people would prey on the weak, making it survival of the fittest.

When someone disappears, we all assume the worst. Because the worst is usual.

There was absolutely no humour in the entire story, something I did not think was possible. I have no idea how so many characters manage to stay sane given the dire circumstances, I know for sure I wouldn’t have the strength. Coe is an odd heroine, in that she is not pretty, or skilled (she is the ‘Craphouse Keeper’ of the island) and has lost her arm in a ‘scribbler’ attack, but what sets her apart is her ability to love, something the people of Drowned have long forgotten.

The job of Craphouse Keeper, Ana told me when I assumed it when I was five, “always falls to the youngest person in the world.” But Tiam never had to shovel crap, and neither did Memory, the next youngest person in the world. And Fern is now the youngest, but when I pointed that out, Ana just shook her head and barked, “Be grateful.” It seems that either I am the greatest Craphouse Keeper in the world or they think shoveling crap is the best job a one-handed nobody should be entitled to.

Tiam added a teency bit of romance to the story, as well as the adventure and the spark that was definitely missing beforehand (he was probably the reason I gave this read a star at all). However, Coe and Tiam’s friendship needed much developing especially to make the romance believable. It was hard to contemplate why Tiam would go to such lengths for Coe when he hadn’t been speaking to her properly in recent years, but then why hadn’t they been speaking for years when their allocated spaces were within feet of each other? It just didn’t make sense…

I back away, grinding my teeth together so violently my jaw aches. Then without another word, I head away from him, down the shore. I know that what I need to do is stop myself from caring about Tiam. Just stay as far away as possible. Because if it hurts this much to lose a person you love, I don’t think I can live through it twice.

I found that the concept of Drowned was interesting, especially the addition of the diary that Coe reads. The problem was that my attention drifted too much whilst reading this book, there wasn’t enough to interest me to begin with so it was hard work to continue reading. If the first third of the book was more captivating and there had been some element of comedy, even if it was dry humour, I think it would have made a big difference!

Notable Scene:

I nod. My father never went anywhere without that blue kerchief. He’d tie it around his neck and use it to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Or he’d pull it over his forehead to keep the hair out of his eyes. “Where did they find it?”

“It washed ashore today.” He takes my hand and gently pools the fabric into it. It, like everything, is damp. “I thought you should have it.”

“Oh, Thanks,” I say calmly, even though the world’s crashing around me. And to think only a heartbeat ago I’d been having stupid, stupid daydreams that Tiam had asked me to go off with him because I was special to him. When, really, all he wanted to tell me was that everyone who ever cared about me is dead.

FTC Advisory: Harlequin Teen provided me with a copy of Drowned. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for providing an advanced reader's copy!

[warning: I don't promise that this review will make any sense. It's 2 o'clock in the morning, so I am just going to air out my feelings in a nicely(?), organized(?), typed fashion and see how that goes.]

Okay, so first, I am going to list my qualms with this book, so that way we can just get it over with and move on to the cool bits of this book.

Qualm #1: I really have no sense of the tides. Don't get me wrong, I like how tides are used as a marker to show a change in time. However, it just wasn't super clear how much longer 10,000 tides were in comparison to 10 tides. Understand what I am getting at? No? Me either. Even as I type this, I am still trying to figure out to explain my qualms with the sage of tides in relation to time. Anyways, if time could be just a smidgen clearer, I think it would help readers further grasp the setting of this book.

Qualm #2: Considering that everyone but Coe and Buck are illiterate wouldn't this show in their speech? Instead, in this book everyone talks the similarly, as if they are literate individuals. I don't know if this is exactly realistic...but then again, mermaids.

Annnnnd done. That's all my qualms with this book. Oh, an the fact that I will probably have to wait at least a year before I can read the sequel *shakes fist at the sky*


No on to WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK:
Can we please just talk about Coe?
I freakin' love Coe as a main character. She feels real to me. I rarely ever question her motives (unlike most mcs of ya novels *cough*), and I find so freakin' awesome that she manages to pluck up her courage and take a dive when she has every reason to be frightened and vulnerable. Coe does not come of as another immature 16 year old. She lives every day facing the tides, wondering if this is the day the other islanders will throw her into the sea. She had to grow up fast, and due to Reilly's craft of writing, Coe's maturity shows beautifully.

Sure, Coe second-guesses herself. Sure, she frequently doubts the very person trying to help her. An sure, she subconsciously believes a monarchy is the best form of government for the island. But don't all teenagers do this? Don't teenagers and young adults second-guess themselves, doubt the very people who love us, and or sometimes brainwashed into believing government should never change? Coe is everything I want to see in a teenaged main character.

I find that the fact Coe has limited use of her right arm very important for young readers. Not only does she share the same responsibilities of the other islander without so much of a complaint, but also she perserveres when she has every right to take a moment and weep (she lost one of her arms, the islanders are assholes, and she lost her father to the tides). As a person who suffers from multiple mental disabilities/illnesses, I admire Coe's spunk.

I am so thankful to have been given the chance to read an advanced copy of this book. I have never before come across a YA apocalypse book that included a main character who was either physically or mentally disabled. This is like coming across yummy foreign food for the first time.

There are so little YA books that touch on teenagers with disabilities, let alone go above and beyond and show readers that hey, sometimes having a disability is not even the main problem of the story' it's actually the tides. It is even more freakin' awesome that here is an apocalyptic piece of YA fiction that for once places someone who would be perceived to be at a disadvantage and showing that that person can survive just as likely as someone without a disability. It expands readers' horizons. We really do need more diverse YA books because we are all a part of a diverse group of people.

Because, really, why can't there be a person with a disability kicking ass in an apocalyptic world?

[Tamara · Rating 1 out of 5]

The idea behind this book was interesting. The world is flooded and a "small" (about 500) group of people is all that is supposedly left. The land they live on is shrinking, and the ocean surrounding it is full of scribblers (some kind of long carnivorous fish with spear-like snouts). When the tide comes in, everyone has to find their allotted spot on the raised platform that is high enough to keep them from drowning or being eaten by the scribblers (everything but the platform and the castle tower, where the king and princess hide, are submerged during high tide). Life is bleak; the people have assigned jobs but have to fend for themselves in terms of survival. Nobody cares about anyone else, and nobody trusts anyone else.

Coe (Corvina), the main character, is a good person. She does actually care about others, even though most of the people seem to hate her. Tiam is also good. He can be a bit reckless, but he does care about Coe and try to take care of her and Fern. But he also made me mad. When he told Coe he was going to be king, I just knew that part of the bargain was marriage to Star. And that just wasn't okay. He should have told Coe he cared for her a long time ago. I hated Star, and nothing changed that. She was self centered, stupid, and silly, concerned about unimportant things, like having her wedding dress finished instead of finding and saving Tiam, who was supposedly her "soulmate"--as if she'd know.

I will say right now that I hated the end of this book. Coe, Star, and Fern survive, but Tiam dies. He is claustrophobic and couldn't make it through the tunnel of water they had to go through to get to safety, thus falling to Finn and the other people they left behind. That's right. A character I liked died, and a character I hated survived. STUPID! I really dislike this trend of unhappy endings, where someone who should live dies.

On to other things I disliked:
- The story just kind of ends. You don't know what happens except that Coe, Star, and Fern arrive at a door to some evacuation center under the mountain. What then?
- Lots of things went unexplained: Why do Coe and Star have gills? What is in the evacuation center? Is it really underground? Does everyone there have gills? What happened to Aliah, and why did she have to leave? What happens to the people they left behind? What happens to Coe, Star, and Fern? Does the water ever recede?
- It was all pretty much post-apocolyptic without anything supernatural. Until toward the end, when all of a sudden we find out that Coe and Star are sisters and have gils, allowing them to breathe under water, and they can swim really well. Out of nowhere.

But my main dislike was that Tiam died and Star lived, but that was enough. If it hadn't been that way, I wouldn't have minded everything else as much.

Note: I don't recall any swearing. But the ending was horrible.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The synopsis of this book was extremely intriguing to me. I had not heard of anything remotely like this before. I was hoping that it was a good book and it would hold my interest based on the synopsis. I know this may seem odd, but I generally don't pay much attention to reviews when picking a book. I look at them, but if I get a feeling about a book or the reviews aren't all gushing about how awesome the book is, then I will usually get it. When the tour option came around for this book, I decided that I would sign the blog up for the tour and review. I wanted to review this book myself and not give it to the other gals. That's one of the nice things about being the boss!!

The world that Nichola Reilly has designed for us in this book is one that is amazing, heartbreaking, lonely, curious, and captivating. These people are forced to live (and die) by the tides. It is a grueling existence, definitely not for the weak or lazy. There is a lot of work to be done during the times of low tide. And you'd better believe that if you don't have yourself on the platform in your designated spot when the tide comes in, you won't make it. Sometimes even being on the platform, death will find you.

Coe is a very strong, independent female character. She has to be because she has no one to look after her. She must rely on herself and only herself to survive this difficult life. She is an odd looking child and is treated as such. She has developed a thick outer skin because of the taunting and stares that she gets, and she trusts no one. She can't. It may mean the difference between life and death.

I was enthralled with this world and the characters. I was sucked into the whirlpool of this strange, wet world and I was thrashed around along with the characters. I felt the heartache and loneliness of Coe. I was wrapped up in her emotions and her being, living every moment as if I were her. Nichola Reilly weaved together a beautiful tapestry that was so lifelike that you can't help but become part of the scenery as you view it. While this book is labeled as young adult, I don't believe that anyone should exclude it based on this label. There is something for everyone in this book and it will leave you reeling and excited and washed out, just like the characters. I give Drowned 5 books because I can't give it more. I will definitely be getting more of Nichola's books and she is on my stalking list.

[Marni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Scouts honor, if the first 150 pages of this book would be condensed to about 30 pages, this book would be a solid 4 star. There were some points that went on during those pages, but they could have been made as a whole and gone on from there. During those pages, not only is it drawn out but nagging questions appear that are never answered. A condensed version would have had the reader maybe left wondering but not feeling pressured by them. Plus, I felt that the descriptions weren’t set up enough to get a real feel of the surroundings nor enough for the reader to let their imagination fill in the gaps. The first half also feels a bit juvenile, but even with the main characters ages, they would be wise above their years.

The remaining 150 pages really get the story moving. There are events that make you really think. These events give you questions. And most of these questions are given answers to and those that aren’t answered lead up to the next book. I would love to read a prequel novella about Coe’s life before the incident that took away the majority of the memory of her childhood. Possibly told from Tiam’s eyes, because he went through some things in his early seasons too that set up some of his insecurities.

Near the end of the book, I started to get a feel of the City of Ember series. Being that I loved that series (if you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. DON’T watch the movie!), that’s not a bad thing. I am really interested in Ms. Reilly’s next book in this series. She has really set it up where the next book could just blow away this first one. I anticipate a wide eyed, caffeine fueled, burning the midnight oil read with it.

A true YA dystopian, this book is filled with death, hope, romance, mystery, betrayal and discovery. I suggest this book to readers 12+ who are looking for something a little different but with adventure included. I don’t feel that adult readers will enjoy this as much as a young reader just because of the peculiarities involved.