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Drowning Anna
Anna Goldsmith, 13, moves with her family from London to a northern town. Beautiful and an ace student, she is praised by her teachers, given a violin solo, and assigned to play center fielder in hockey, displacing Hayley Parkin, who is her first and seemingly devoted friend. What Anna doesn't know is that Hayley is an adept manipulator and all of her classmates live in fear of her. First she draws people in to learn their sensitivities and secrets, then launches whisper campaigns against them. Once she has totally isolated her victim via social ostracism, she launches physical attacks. When Melanie Blackwood, who really wants to be Anna's friend, gradually gives in to Hayley's pressure, Anna begins to cut herself. Upon discovering this activity, her well-intentioned but all-too-busy parents call on the teachers for help. A few superficial changes take place, and the adults work to set the "personality clash" to rights. But Hayley is just getting started. Although the vocabulary is simple, this book is complex in structure. The first chapter is told in present tense via an omniscient narrator as Anna sets in motion what will be the climax of the plot. The next chapter features Melanie reminiscing about how all of this started. Anna, who is comatose through most of the book, speaks mostly through her diary entries and letters. The shifting narratives contribute to a compelling story that will strike a chord with many young teens.
256 pages, Paperback
First published July 17, 2001
10 people are currently reading
396 people want to read
About the author
Sue Mayfield
34 books21 followersSue Mayfield has written eight novels for young adults including 'I Carried You on Eagles’ Wings', 'Blue' and 'Damage'. Her first historical novel 'Hill of the Angels' will be published in June 2016. Many of her stories are about young people overcoming difficulties and explore themes of loss, friendship and forgiveness. She is currently working on a story about the healing relationship between a girl and a horse. As well as fiction, Sue has written two non-fiction books about bereavement. Originally a teacher, and now a professional counsellor, Sue facilitates other people’s writing in a wide range of places including schools, museums, hospitals and GP practices. She is particularly interested in the relationship between words and health and helps people ‘write themselves well’ in her private practice ‘finding words’ and at Maggie’s Centre, Cheltenham.. She is currently writer in residence for 'Beyond Words' a joint project for young people organised by Cheltenham Festival and Gloucestershire Hospitals Education Service.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
November 11, 2018
~3.5 stars. This book took me back to my high school days, and I really felt for Anna here. The sheer nastiness of the bullying she endured was despicable. I do feel like the book ended quite abruptly, and without resolution of the storylines (why did Hayley begin bullying Anna in the first place? Did Anna and Melanie patch up their friendship?). But certainly it was an honest look at how hurtful and destructive bullying can be, and how often it is dismissed as "teasing" or overlooked by teachers.
February 18, 2009
A good example of the consequences of bullying and a novel to make you think. Set in Yorkshire, England, the story revolves around Anna Goldsmith, who as the new girl in town, is singled out by the most popular girl in school, Hayley Parkin, to be Hayley's new best friend. What starts out as an intense friendship in the way of teenage girls soon turns sinister as Hayley "goes off" Anna for no reason, and begins to systematically bully Anna both physically and emotionally.
I think everyone would probably have known someone like Hayley in their lifetime whether it was at school, the workplace or elsewhere, making Mayfield's story relevant to a wide audience.
The story is told partly in flashbacks through diary entries by Anna and Anna's best friend Melanie's memories, and partly in present day starting out with the dire consequences of Hayley's shocking cruelty and then going back and showing what, how and why.
It's not a light read, but it's a good read and I would recommend it to primarily to young teenage girls as an eye opener but it would be suitable for most readers of teenage fiction.
I think everyone would probably have known someone like Hayley in their lifetime whether it was at school, the workplace or elsewhere, making Mayfield's story relevant to a wide audience.
The story is told partly in flashbacks through diary entries by Anna and Anna's best friend Melanie's memories, and partly in present day starting out with the dire consequences of Hayley's shocking cruelty and then going back and showing what, how and why.
It's not a light read, but it's a good read and I would recommend it to primarily to young teenage girls as an eye opener but it would be suitable for most readers of teenage fiction.
December 23, 2011
It's a long time ago when I read this book but I mostly remember all of the plot because it's really deep and touching. I remember reading this book without laying it down once. It so real what's happening to Anna (I'm talking with experience). Teenagers can be so cruel without even noticing it. It's all fun until someone commits suicide.
What fascinated me the most was the writing. It's divided in dairy entries by Anna, which her mother reads while she's sitting next to Anna who is in a coma. Anna's, Her mothers, Melanie's (friend) point of view so you can see what bullying not only does to the victim, it also shows the view of a follower of the bully.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes stories who are real and wants to know what it's like to be a victim of bullying.
What fascinated me the most was the writing. It's divided in dairy entries by Anna, which her mother reads while she's sitting next to Anna who is in a coma. Anna's, Her mothers, Melanie's (friend) point of view so you can see what bullying not only does to the victim, it also shows the view of a follower of the bully.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes stories who are real and wants to know what it's like to be a victim of bullying.
July 28, 2013
~ Contains Spoilers~
I decided to read the novel 'Blue' by Sue Mayfield because my mum had originally gave it to me to read. Usually I ignore these suggestions but when she told me it was about bullying, I was immediately interested. When I read the novel, I found it very relatable, deep, emotional and moving. It has turned into one of my favourite books that I never get sick of.
This Novel completes the 'Book recommended by a family member' category. Even though my mum had suggested it, I was very interested in it anyway precisely because the novel was about bullying , therefor why I am listing as my 'Own Choice'.
My favourite character in 'Blue' was Anna Goldsmith who is the victim. This novel breaks my heart, yet at the same time, I can relate to it completely. It is just amazing how someone can go from acting like your best friend one day, then being cruel and manipulative the next. The most horrible thing to me, is that it is so subtle and undercover, yet so effective and people hardly consider it bullying but it is. And it hurts.
The novel had an interesting format. You get to see things from different perspectives through out the novel. The novel starts off with an attempted suicide from Anna Goldsmith when it suddenly got too much for her to handle. Her mother finds her and rushes her to hospital. While she lays in a coma, her mother finds her diary and begins to read. The chapters lead up to why she attempted the suicide, right from when she was the new girl in Year 9, up to year 12. It was so alluring, I could not put it down.
Two quotes I found very moving were 'I hope it tasted good Hayley! You were like a spider, devouring it's prey.' and 'I am too small and the pain is too big.'
These were both from Anna Goldsmith and both mentioned in her letter to Hayley Parkin before she attempted her suicide. These were very emotional to me and led me to tears. No one should be pushed to the point of taking their own life because everything is too much. I don't know how people can live with that guilt of knowing they contributed to someone taking their own life.
The novel 'Blue' has taught me that you don't need to keep all your emotions in. You don't need to bottle it up. You can reach out for help. You can stand up for yourself. There are people who love you and need you in their life.
Life will get better. People will eventually realise that the bully is taking things too far and they will hold back.
I decided to read the novel 'Blue' by Sue Mayfield because my mum had originally gave it to me to read. Usually I ignore these suggestions but when she told me it was about bullying, I was immediately interested. When I read the novel, I found it very relatable, deep, emotional and moving. It has turned into one of my favourite books that I never get sick of.
This Novel completes the 'Book recommended by a family member' category. Even though my mum had suggested it, I was very interested in it anyway precisely because the novel was about bullying , therefor why I am listing as my 'Own Choice'.
My favourite character in 'Blue' was Anna Goldsmith who is the victim. This novel breaks my heart, yet at the same time, I can relate to it completely. It is just amazing how someone can go from acting like your best friend one day, then being cruel and manipulative the next. The most horrible thing to me, is that it is so subtle and undercover, yet so effective and people hardly consider it bullying but it is. And it hurts.
The novel had an interesting format. You get to see things from different perspectives through out the novel. The novel starts off with an attempted suicide from Anna Goldsmith when it suddenly got too much for her to handle. Her mother finds her and rushes her to hospital. While she lays in a coma, her mother finds her diary and begins to read. The chapters lead up to why she attempted the suicide, right from when she was the new girl in Year 9, up to year 12. It was so alluring, I could not put it down.
Two quotes I found very moving were 'I hope it tasted good Hayley! You were like a spider, devouring it's prey.' and 'I am too small and the pain is too big.'
These were both from Anna Goldsmith and both mentioned in her letter to Hayley Parkin before she attempted her suicide. These were very emotional to me and led me to tears. No one should be pushed to the point of taking their own life because everything is too much. I don't know how people can live with that guilt of knowing they contributed to someone taking their own life.
The novel 'Blue' has taught me that you don't need to keep all your emotions in. You don't need to bottle it up. You can reach out for help. You can stand up for yourself. There are people who love you and need you in their life.
Life will get better. People will eventually realise that the bully is taking things too far and they will hold back.
November 8, 2013
This book was really amazing. While it was depressing and really painful to read some parts, it was really beautiful to read. You really can connect to the characters in the book, even if you haven't gone through some of the things they have, or connect extremely well if you have. The British slang used was a little difficult to get used to, but once you do it's not that weird to read. "Drowning Anna" really captures the brutality and effects of bullying on the viction. I definitely recommend this book to any and everyone.
July 4, 2016
This book should be read by all teenagers as it gives a powerful insight into school bullying. I liked how the author allowed the reader to understand the thinking of the victim, the bully and the bystander. The only thing that let the book down was the ending, but other than that a great read.
September 25, 2017
Third time reading this and it's just as good. my friend suggested this to me and I'm super glad she did. Sue mayfield created a beautiful story and talked about a very sensitive topic that should be talked about. 10/10 would definetly recommend
May 1, 2011
A very fast read... Bullying has to be stopped by the kids who are standing by watching. A fictional story but very thought provoking! (6th grade and up)
December 21, 2023
I read this book as a highschool student with disordered eating, and it really resonated with me. I really enjoyed the book overall, but I felt like there should have been more. Some things that happen never get resolutions, and some things are never even explained to add much needed context. That being said it's an amazing book, and even years later I still remember reading it vividly. I remember feeling sick at certain parts, and crying at others. Truly a moving piece of literature.
July 11, 2024
Read this book a couple of times as a teenager and remember never being able to put it down, a massive page turner.
I agree with other reviews that it ends very abruptly considering what happens at the end and how much build up there is.
I agree with other reviews that it ends very abruptly considering what happens at the end and how much build up there is.
January 4, 2017
Read it for a school project and it didn't surprise me that much. The plot was very predictable and I thought that the audience really didn't learn much about Anna and her bullying situation.
February 7, 2019
What a heartwrenching book, the author hit the nail on the head with this one. How so many small things can turn into such a heavy burden. A must read.
May 13, 2022
it’s a pretty short read, but it was a really good book! i’ve reread it too many times.
June 17, 2010
Anna Goldsmith attempts to commit suicide when her life becomes completely unbearable. Just over a year ago she was a new student in a new school and her new best friend was Hayley Parkin. Hayley makes her feel special and loved and accepted, and then she turns against her for no apparent reason. Anna slowly goes from being outgoing, confident to being withdrawn, and a pariah. Hayley turns everyone against her. Something of Anna’s pain is revealed when her mother, Frances, discovers that she’s been cutting herself. But by then it’s too little, too late. Frances has a talk with administrators and teachers at Anna’s school, but everyone seems to think that Anna’s exaggerating things, that she’s overly sensitive, that the torment can’t be as bad as she’s making it out to be. Anna is so tired of it all. She has one friend, Melanie, and Mel’s seemingly one of those fair-weather friends. She isn’t immune to Hayley’s machinations, either. No one seems to be. And Hayley uses Melanie to get to Anna all the time – pumps her for information to use against Anna, steals her away time and time again. Anna finally decides that life isn’t worth living if it’s going to be like this, and she tries to kill herself by taking an overdose of her mother’s sleeping medication with a surfeit of vodka. Her mom accidentally finds her when she comes home early. If she hadn’t, Anna would likely be dead.
The book reveals, through different characters points of view, and Anna’s diary entries, what really happened to Anna. Hayley’s animosity is hard to understand, hardly human – or maybe exactly human (and that’s what makes it so scary). It’s got the same hard, unrelenting, death march toward the inevitable doom as the Chocolate War, only it’s girls and their bullying and cruelty. It gets Anna alone and then it destroys her, and you wonder if anyone can really be that cruel, that evil, and you hope that it isn’t true. But people are. That hurts more, even, than Anna’s pain, which is palpable.
Anna writes three suicide letters – to her parents, to Melanie, and to Hayley. Here’s an excerpt from what she says to Hayley:
“Hayley,
“If I called you a murderer, would that be too strong a word? By the time you read this I will be dead. That was what you wanted all along, wasn’t it? To get rid of me completely. Character assassination, they call it.
“I don’t know what I ever did to make you hate me so much.
“I don’t know what went wrong. What made us enemies?
“You have made me hate myself. You have made me feel worthless. You have made me want to die.”
“I hope that makes you feel good.” (p. 304)
It seems that Anna will live at the end, but it’s not clear whether her attempted suicide and note will have any effect on Hayley Parkin or what she decides to do about Anna in the future.
This was a devastatingly quick read that cuts you up inside.
The book reveals, through different characters points of view, and Anna’s diary entries, what really happened to Anna. Hayley’s animosity is hard to understand, hardly human – or maybe exactly human (and that’s what makes it so scary). It’s got the same hard, unrelenting, death march toward the inevitable doom as the Chocolate War, only it’s girls and their bullying and cruelty. It gets Anna alone and then it destroys her, and you wonder if anyone can really be that cruel, that evil, and you hope that it isn’t true. But people are. That hurts more, even, than Anna’s pain, which is palpable.
Anna writes three suicide letters – to her parents, to Melanie, and to Hayley. Here’s an excerpt from what she says to Hayley:
“Hayley,
“If I called you a murderer, would that be too strong a word? By the time you read this I will be dead. That was what you wanted all along, wasn’t it? To get rid of me completely. Character assassination, they call it.
“I don’t know what I ever did to make you hate me so much.
“I don’t know what went wrong. What made us enemies?
“You have made me hate myself. You have made me feel worthless. You have made me want to die.”
“I hope that makes you feel good.” (p. 304)
It seems that Anna will live at the end, but it’s not clear whether her attempted suicide and note will have any effect on Hayley Parkin or what she decides to do about Anna in the future.
This was a devastatingly quick read that cuts you up inside.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2019
"Drowning Anna" is such a great book! It sends a message to the readers on how bullying can affect a someone, in such little time. I liked how the author left the book as a cliffhanger, in order to make the reader want to read more. I totally recommend this book, because even though this is not a real story, it still makes you feel as if it has happened. This book is one of my favorites!
September 12, 2014
Name: Punaya Munjal
Book Review
Title: _Drowning Anna
Author: Sue Mayfield
Story Elements:
Location- United Kingdom
Time-In the 21st century
Main Characters and their traits.
The main character is Anna Goldsmith; she is a student in an international school. She is a victim of serious bullying. Another character is Melanie Blackwood; she is one of the ignorant but supporting friends of Anna.
The antagonist is Hayley Parkin. She is the queen bee of the school. She is very popular and thinks she has the power to destroy people by lowering their self-esteems.
Anna is victimized of bullying. She comes home, each day her eyes are overflowing with tears. She doesn’t know what to do. She is confused. She is scared and then only one thought hits her.
Important events in the story in chronological order.
• Anna shifts into a new environment, a new school.
• She meets her 1st friend, Hayley Parkin. They become really close friends.
• Out of the blue, Hayley turns on Anna. She starts ignoring and starts making other people ignore her.
• Anna meets another girl. Melanie Blackwood. They become friends.
• Anna gets a boyfriend.
• Melanie gets annoyed as Anna is obsessed by her boyfriend and has no time for her, thus turns on Anna and starts to take side of Hayley.
• Anna is alone again.
• Melanie realizes her mistake. She apologizes.
• The bullying is reported to the principle.
• This makes things better. However, Hayley threatens Anna and it all starts again.
• Anna tries to attempt suicide.
Anna thought that the best way to resolve the problem was to commit suicide. She did try. I think that this book was trying to aware our society how much of a hell our world can be. By writing Anna’s story down, Sue Mayfield tried to aware us about the serious consequences of bullying. I, personally was bullied in my previous school in primary but I resolved the problem by standing up for myself. There was no one that supported me. I was on my own. Anna pretty much failed to stand up for herself thus the bullying became more serious.
My opinion of the book is that I disliked this book because it was really sad and depressing. All the bullying refreshed my wound. This book was unpredictable as the antagonist took quite an interesting twist in her personality. The ending of this book was horrific and shocking due to the fact that Anna attempted suicide. I didn't have a favourite part in this book.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to other students because, no matter how depressing the book is, students must be aware of bullying and how to stand up for or the consequences might be horrific. I liked the story line and how the author used suspense as the strong point. The plot wasn't that predictable.
Book Review
Title: _Drowning Anna
Author: Sue Mayfield
Story Elements:
Location- United Kingdom
Time-In the 21st century
Main Characters and their traits.
The main character is Anna Goldsmith; she is a student in an international school. She is a victim of serious bullying. Another character is Melanie Blackwood; she is one of the ignorant but supporting friends of Anna.
The antagonist is Hayley Parkin. She is the queen bee of the school. She is very popular and thinks she has the power to destroy people by lowering their self-esteems.
Anna is victimized of bullying. She comes home, each day her eyes are overflowing with tears. She doesn’t know what to do. She is confused. She is scared and then only one thought hits her.
Important events in the story in chronological order.
• Anna shifts into a new environment, a new school.
• She meets her 1st friend, Hayley Parkin. They become really close friends.
• Out of the blue, Hayley turns on Anna. She starts ignoring and starts making other people ignore her.
• Anna meets another girl. Melanie Blackwood. They become friends.
• Anna gets a boyfriend.
• Melanie gets annoyed as Anna is obsessed by her boyfriend and has no time for her, thus turns on Anna and starts to take side of Hayley.
• Anna is alone again.
• Melanie realizes her mistake. She apologizes.
• The bullying is reported to the principle.
• This makes things better. However, Hayley threatens Anna and it all starts again.
• Anna tries to attempt suicide.
Anna thought that the best way to resolve the problem was to commit suicide. She did try. I think that this book was trying to aware our society how much of a hell our world can be. By writing Anna’s story down, Sue Mayfield tried to aware us about the serious consequences of bullying. I, personally was bullied in my previous school in primary but I resolved the problem by standing up for myself. There was no one that supported me. I was on my own. Anna pretty much failed to stand up for herself thus the bullying became more serious.
My opinion of the book is that I disliked this book because it was really sad and depressing. All the bullying refreshed my wound. This book was unpredictable as the antagonist took quite an interesting twist in her personality. The ending of this book was horrific and shocking due to the fact that Anna attempted suicide. I didn't have a favourite part in this book.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to other students because, no matter how depressing the book is, students must be aware of bullying and how to stand up for or the consequences might be horrific. I liked the story line and how the author used suspense as the strong point. The plot wasn't that predictable.
November 6, 2015
This book has a message that is still incredibly relevant but, unfortunately, it is poorly written with characters that are not developed well. Some spoilers ahead...
The main character, Anna, is developed well enough. But all of the other characters are static. I know it is hard to make a villain who is more than just a villain, but reading Shakespeare is a good route to go if you are going to do evil just for evil's sake.
This is a book about bullying. Anna starts out friends with Hayley Parkin, and I think they are friends for about four months before Hayley completely turns on her. Anna's friend Melanie, who narrates most of the book, notes that Hayley just "goes off people" and often there isn't a reason. I should pause and note that the narration alters between Anna's diary entries, Melanie's recapping of events, and the present tense of Anna's mom finding her daughter after she has overdosed and then subsequently taking her to the hospital. The alternation between past and present tense is annoying. Mayfield should have just stuck with one. More on the writing in a minute. Anyway, Hayley is clearly a sociopath, and there is no change in her character at the end. Melanie is an awful, self-absorbed so-called best friend of Anna's who is also trying to be loyal to Hayley. Seriously, Mel is the worst character in the book. Basically, Hayley Parkin is Jessica Wakefield and Melanie is Elizabeth, spineless and useless. Hayley pushes Anna to anorexia, then cutting, then thoughts of death, then overdosing. Anna's parents suck as well, as they push her to do more and be better, even though she's already a top student. Not one person cares for her mental health. A constant throughout the book is how everyone tells Anna to "get over it," "lighten up," "don't take things so seriously," etc. It is never said outright that these people are wrong, it is just implied by Anna's overdose. Nonetheless, Mayfield should have made a point to acknowledge that the blaming the victim thing is absolutely not okay. It basically felt in the end like Hayley had won. We think Anna will be okay, but we aren't sure. It just feels so tragic that everyone had to go through this to learn how serious and subtle girls bullying girls can be.
Another note on the writing: There is nothing but short sentences. It's really annoying. It makes the prose feel choppy and childlike. I know it could have been done better. Mayfield admits this novel grew out of workshops, and since this is the case it certainly needs more work. Again, the message is powerful, but also disturbing when you consider how often bullies are dismissed for not being all that threatening. It's insidious.
The main character, Anna, is developed well enough. But all of the other characters are static. I know it is hard to make a villain who is more than just a villain, but reading Shakespeare is a good route to go if you are going to do evil just for evil's sake.
This is a book about bullying. Anna starts out friends with Hayley Parkin, and I think they are friends for about four months before Hayley completely turns on her. Anna's friend Melanie, who narrates most of the book, notes that Hayley just "goes off people" and often there isn't a reason. I should pause and note that the narration alters between Anna's diary entries, Melanie's recapping of events, and the present tense of Anna's mom finding her daughter after she has overdosed and then subsequently taking her to the hospital. The alternation between past and present tense is annoying. Mayfield should have just stuck with one. More on the writing in a minute. Anyway, Hayley is clearly a sociopath, and there is no change in her character at the end. Melanie is an awful, self-absorbed so-called best friend of Anna's who is also trying to be loyal to Hayley. Seriously, Mel is the worst character in the book. Basically, Hayley Parkin is Jessica Wakefield and Melanie is Elizabeth, spineless and useless. Hayley pushes Anna to anorexia, then cutting, then thoughts of death, then overdosing. Anna's parents suck as well, as they push her to do more and be better, even though she's already a top student. Not one person cares for her mental health. A constant throughout the book is how everyone tells Anna to "get over it," "lighten up," "don't take things so seriously," etc. It is never said outright that these people are wrong, it is just implied by Anna's overdose. Nonetheless, Mayfield should have made a point to acknowledge that the blaming the victim thing is absolutely not okay. It basically felt in the end like Hayley had won. We think Anna will be okay, but we aren't sure. It just feels so tragic that everyone had to go through this to learn how serious and subtle girls bullying girls can be.
Another note on the writing: There is nothing but short sentences. It's really annoying. It makes the prose feel choppy and childlike. I know it could have been done better. Mayfield admits this novel grew out of workshops, and since this is the case it certainly needs more work. Again, the message is powerful, but also disturbing when you consider how often bullies are dismissed for not being all that threatening. It's insidious.
July 13, 2025
I read this book back in high school, and after going on a wild goose chase trying to remember what it was called, I decided to pick it up again. It’s still pretty good, and I think it does a great job of showing how our actions have consequences.
Anna is the new girl in school, and she becomes friends with popular Hayley right off the bat. But after a few months, things change, and suddenly Anna is the target of bullying. She gets driven further and further to the edge, until one afternoon she decides to take her own life.
Personally, the subject matter hits me hard. I was bullied in grade school and I spent years thinking I was unlovable and too weird for friends. Seeing how awful these kids are to Anna was tough to read at times; I think Sue Mayfield did a fantastic job at depicting the blind cruelty that happens all too often.
The changing perspectives was interesting, but I feel like it could have been whittled down to just two, instead of three. We get an omniscient third person narrative at times, switching off with Melanie’s first person and Anna’s diary entries. I found myself dreading the third person chapters; they were the least interesting, possibly because, even though the narrator was omniscient, it somehow felt very detached from what was going on. Melanie, while not fleshed out like Anna was as a character, was still a good choice for narrating. She was caught in the middle, caught between her loyalty to Anna and her fear and admiration of Hayley. Peer pressure is a tricky beast, and seeing Melanie constantly flip flop was, while frustrating, painfully accurate.
We never find out why Hayley became so aggressive and awful. I felt at times she was a bit too mean, almost borderline cartoon villain. While bullies definitely have no excuse to treat others the way they do, they’re still people, with emotions and personalities. Hayley was very much flat and the typical mean girl, with the exception of the ending where she starts to feel some remorse for what she’s done. I would have loved to see more humanity from her.
I’m glad I was able to track this one down again. It was definitely hard to read at times, since my own experiences are still fresh in my mind, but this serves as an excellent reminder to be kind to others. We have no idea what goes on with other people, or how our actions affect them.
Anna is the new girl in school, and she becomes friends with popular Hayley right off the bat. But after a few months, things change, and suddenly Anna is the target of bullying. She gets driven further and further to the edge, until one afternoon she decides to take her own life.
Personally, the subject matter hits me hard. I was bullied in grade school and I spent years thinking I was unlovable and too weird for friends. Seeing how awful these kids are to Anna was tough to read at times; I think Sue Mayfield did a fantastic job at depicting the blind cruelty that happens all too often.
The changing perspectives was interesting, but I feel like it could have been whittled down to just two, instead of three. We get an omniscient third person narrative at times, switching off with Melanie’s first person and Anna’s diary entries. I found myself dreading the third person chapters; they were the least interesting, possibly because, even though the narrator was omniscient, it somehow felt very detached from what was going on. Melanie, while not fleshed out like Anna was as a character, was still a good choice for narrating. She was caught in the middle, caught between her loyalty to Anna and her fear and admiration of Hayley. Peer pressure is a tricky beast, and seeing Melanie constantly flip flop was, while frustrating, painfully accurate.
We never find out why Hayley became so aggressive and awful. I felt at times she was a bit too mean, almost borderline cartoon villain. While bullies definitely have no excuse to treat others the way they do, they’re still people, with emotions and personalities. Hayley was very much flat and the typical mean girl, with the exception of the ending where she starts to feel some remorse for what she’s done. I would have loved to see more humanity from her.
I’m glad I was able to track this one down again. It was definitely hard to read at times, since my own experiences are still fresh in my mind, but this serves as an excellent reminder to be kind to others. We have no idea what goes on with other people, or how our actions affect them.
September 23, 2012
When Anna Goldsmith moves to Yorkshire from the south of England, she finds the transition difficult – that is, until Hayley Parkin, the most popular girl at school, takes Anna under her wing. Sue Mayfield’s YA novel Drowning Anna unspools the story of Anna’s relationship with Hayley, which deteriorates almost as quickly as it began.
As Melanie explains:
Hayley Parkin goes off people. I don’t know why. Perhaps she gets bored with them. Perhaps she runs out of things to buy them. Perhaps she can’t stand competition. She doesn’t seem to need a reason. She drops people.
Drowning Anna combines third person narration with Melanie’s reflections and entries from Anna’s journal. From all these different points of view, we come to understand what has driven Anna to such a commit such a drastic act. Anna is a very relateable character. She’s smart, athletic, musical and attractive – but she’s also 14 when the story starts and given to bouts of self-doubt. Hayley Parkin is not the only thing wrong with her life: her teacher-mother is stressed out and moody, her doctor-father is never home; her older brother, Tom, is busy with his own life and doesn’t always live up to expectations – meaning there is extra pressure on Anna.
None of that explains, however, why Hayley decides to focus so much malevolent energy on Anna. She starts small by ignoring her, but it doesn’t take long for the harassment to extend to mimicking her accent (which, granted, means less in a Canadian context but having lived for a time in the UK, I understood this as a tool of torture), isolating Anna and actually physically hurting Anna.
Hayley, it seems, has a lot of charisma. The other students want to be in her orbit, but it feels sort of like, “keep your enemies closer.” We don’t ever get a clear understanding of why Hayley is so hateful, but it hardly matters. At the end of the day, Hayley will have to live with her choices.
Mayfield really captures the very particular cruelty of teenage girls. Anyone who has ever been bullied will see themselves in Anna Goldsmith.
As Melanie explains:
Hayley Parkin goes off people. I don’t know why. Perhaps she gets bored with them. Perhaps she runs out of things to buy them. Perhaps she can’t stand competition. She doesn’t seem to need a reason. She drops people.
Drowning Anna combines third person narration with Melanie’s reflections and entries from Anna’s journal. From all these different points of view, we come to understand what has driven Anna to such a commit such a drastic act. Anna is a very relateable character. She’s smart, athletic, musical and attractive – but she’s also 14 when the story starts and given to bouts of self-doubt. Hayley Parkin is not the only thing wrong with her life: her teacher-mother is stressed out and moody, her doctor-father is never home; her older brother, Tom, is busy with his own life and doesn’t always live up to expectations – meaning there is extra pressure on Anna.
None of that explains, however, why Hayley decides to focus so much malevolent energy on Anna. She starts small by ignoring her, but it doesn’t take long for the harassment to extend to mimicking her accent (which, granted, means less in a Canadian context but having lived for a time in the UK, I understood this as a tool of torture), isolating Anna and actually physically hurting Anna.
Hayley, it seems, has a lot of charisma. The other students want to be in her orbit, but it feels sort of like, “keep your enemies closer.” We don’t ever get a clear understanding of why Hayley is so hateful, but it hardly matters. At the end of the day, Hayley will have to live with her choices.
Mayfield really captures the very particular cruelty of teenage girls. Anyone who has ever been bullied will see themselves in Anna Goldsmith.
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December 11, 2011Drowning Anna was a beautifully written book filled with compassion, love, sadness, and the typical teenage life. Anna Goldsmith was a beautiful girl, with brownish hair, big round brown eyes. Anna was very intelligent which made her liked by all the teachers, a great hockey player, and she spoke like the queen of England, not only that but she had a great loyal, caring, and funny persona. She moved to a small town in England, as soon as she arrived there Haley Parkin, the most popular girl in school, immediately befriended her. About a year later Haley completely dropped her and not only that but started picking on her. Haley starts doing dreadful things to Anna like tripping her with her hockey stick, causing her to fracture her ankle. Or, turn Anna’s entire class against her and write terrible stuff about her in her notebook or even on the board. Drowning Anna is the story of how Anna and her new friend Melanie deal with this. Like most teens that get bullied Anna cannot handle the pain, but to fully understand why she does what she does you must read Drowning Anna.
Drowning Anna takes place in a small town in England in the 21st century. I would say that Drowning Anna is a realistic Fiction book, and you can fl that throughout the book because when she gets bullied you feel like you are getting bullied. Or when someone is nice to her you feel wonderful as well, Drowning Anna is clearly a very empathetic book. The thing that I most loved about the book was the format in which it is written because unlike most books it switches off every chapter where one chapter may be Anna’s narration, one may be her mother, and one is her friend Melanie's. There was nothing that I disliked about the book. But, something that I would change would be the ending; I would give more detail about what happened after rather then leaving so many loose ends. All in all, Drowning Anna was a fantastically written book that makes you really go through all the emotions that Anna goes through.
Drowning Anna takes place in a small town in England in the 21st century. I would say that Drowning Anna is a realistic Fiction book, and you can fl that throughout the book because when she gets bullied you feel like you are getting bullied. Or when someone is nice to her you feel wonderful as well, Drowning Anna is clearly a very empathetic book. The thing that I most loved about the book was the format in which it is written because unlike most books it switches off every chapter where one chapter may be Anna’s narration, one may be her mother, and one is her friend Melanie's. There was nothing that I disliked about the book. But, something that I would change would be the ending; I would give more detail about what happened after rather then leaving so many loose ends. All in all, Drowning Anna was a fantastically written book that makes you really go through all the emotions that Anna goes through.
February 10, 2016
This is story centered around female/female bullying in school. Anna starts off being friends with Hayley, but Hayley, for reasons known only to herself, turns against Anna and carries out a protracted and vindictive series of verbal, and then even physical , attacks against the girl.
Melanie tries to be friends with both girls, but finds that isn't such an easy task in itself.
The story is also told in a somewhat unusual manner. First off, there's a lot of flashback as seen both in Anna's diary, and in regular flashback form. The story starts off with Anna trying to kill herself, so there's also the ongoing attempt of the hospital to keep her alive.
There's a tremendous amount of insight her into the terrible pressure that Anna feels and how no one seems to really understand what is going on with her. It's a strong examination of what goes on in the lives of many girls who find themselves ostracized at school for reasons they cannot even begin to figure out.
This is a really good, although upsetting, book and one that is a must-read.
Melanie tries to be friends with both girls, but finds that isn't such an easy task in itself.
The story is also told in a somewhat unusual manner. First off, there's a lot of flashback as seen both in Anna's diary, and in regular flashback form. The story starts off with Anna trying to kill herself, so there's also the ongoing attempt of the hospital to keep her alive.
There's a tremendous amount of insight her into the terrible pressure that Anna feels and how no one seems to really understand what is going on with her. It's a strong examination of what goes on in the lives of many girls who find themselves ostracized at school for reasons they cannot even begin to figure out.
This is a really good, although upsetting, book and one that is a must-read.
July 27, 2017
One of the most honest and raw books I have ever read. This book carved out a place in my heart when I was thirteen, and twelve years later I still find pieces of myself in the pages.
If you want to know what psychological bullying can do to a person, read this book. If you want to know how someone can stand by and let bullying happen, read this book. If you want to know how difficult it is to realise you weren't aware of someone's struggle until it is too late, read this book.
If you have been bullied, have bullied, know someone who has done either, read this book. In other words, if you are a human being, read this book. There should not still be so many children suffering in silence.
I have been the hospitalised child, the bystander friend, the shellshocked adult, and this book captures those voices more accurately than anything else I have ever read. This is how bad 'teasing' can get.
If you want to know what psychological bullying can do to a person, read this book. If you want to know how someone can stand by and let bullying happen, read this book. If you want to know how difficult it is to realise you weren't aware of someone's struggle until it is too late, read this book.
If you have been bullied, have bullied, know someone who has done either, read this book. In other words, if you are a human being, read this book. There should not still be so many children suffering in silence.
I have been the hospitalised child, the bystander friend, the shellshocked adult, and this book captures those voices more accurately than anything else I have ever read. This is how bad 'teasing' can get.
October 31, 2016
Wow! What a powerful book. Could not put it down. Very relevant today. So important to see these bullying situations from the perspective of the victim. I would have liked to known more about the bully and maybe seen some of her perspective also...I read a book like this and want to put it into some sort of program where other teens can read it and see the impact their words and actions can have. What you say and do DOES make a difference-good or bad. So THINK about what you do and say. Remember to treat people the way YOU want to be treated.
I wish the victim would have told SOMEONE how she was feeling. That still baffles me, but it is the case most often that "telling makes it worse" fear. Very good perspective work and powerful finish too. I am going to recommend this book to a couple moms with daughters who could be victims. Open lines of communication are SO important. Communicating with a teen is NOT easy.
I wish the victim would have told SOMEONE how she was feeling. That still baffles me, but it is the case most often that "telling makes it worse" fear. Very good perspective work and powerful finish too. I am going to recommend this book to a couple moms with daughters who could be victims. Open lines of communication are SO important. Communicating with a teen is NOT easy.
September 5, 2012
Anna was a new girl to the school and was welcomed instantly. Hayley the most popular girl loved her and they were the best of friends. Until Hayley realized that Anna was becoming to likeable. Hayley schemed of ways to make Anna life miserable. In a matter of days Anna became one of Hayley's friends to her enemy, and since everyone listened to Hayley everybody hated Anna. Except for Melanie, she was not the mean to Anna but she acted like she did not know her. She was to excited becuase Hayley picked Melanie for her new best friend. She does not want to be mean ta Anna because they are friends, but she deffinantly does not want to lose her noew rule as Hayley's new best friend. She is torn. One day Anna cannot stand being tormented anymore she takes some pills and swallows it in the filled bathtub with alchol. Her mom catches her, but is it too late...
September 6, 2008
My teacher suggested this to me, and I couldn't have been happier! This book seriously dug deep within me, I related to the character so easily, seeing as I was in the exact same situation. Anna is a young, lovely girl. She is befriended(sp) by Hayley a popular girl with a bad side. As soon as their friendship starts it ends with Anna taking 11 pills and a third of vodka to end it all, thankfully she is found before her death and is taken to the hospital, she is in a coma the whole time in the story. While in the hospital her mom finds her daughters diary(which is super exclusive) Her mom soon learns why her daughter did this, and her true feelings about her life. I'm so glad i was able to read this! Thank you Ms. Swisher :)
March 15, 2010
I read this book all in one day. Yep, all three hundred and sixteen pages. Quite the pathetic accomplishment, I know, But I really wanted to finish it. I would not recommend this book, not because the author is a bad author, but because I wanted to avoid the subject of bulling. The main character, Anna, was living a reoccurring nightmare. The book was haunting me. All the needless pain she had to endure. The antagonist, Haley, had taken her bulling to extremes. So far that Anna was cutting herself and attempted to commit suicide, by overdosing on Vodka and some pills. When the author was describing how she cut herself, I though I was going to pass out. She was starving herself to death.
Haley is a very fickle character. One day she is nice to Anna, the next she is not.
Haley is a very fickle character. One day she is nice to Anna, the next she is not.
November 8, 2012
I came across Drowning Anna in 6th grade. As depressing as it was, I stayed up reading it with the television as my light source. It was amazing, some would consider it Adult. I would put it under young adult. Growing up in the city you are encountered by many "adult" ideas and situations. In Drowning Anna you are introduced to self harm, suicide, eating disorders, love, sex, hard kisses, etc. Awkward subjects yet beautiful words. Drowning Anna is definitely a great read. WARNING: I do not recommend to anyone recovering or dealing with any of these subjects: eating disorders, self harm, suicide.
May 31, 2015
4 times down on a book..!!
Wow......!!
Its a great book. It had catchy character personas with a combo of a factual plot.But when i was into the book, it ended. Where I started feeling a part of the book it ended. I felt the end was incomplete.
I mean, What happened to Hayley after that incident? Did she change or remained the same?
Melanie? What about her friendship with Anna?
Most important part, What about Anna? Was she able to cope with the situation? What happened??
I would really love to read more books by this author.
Wow......!!
Its a great book. It had catchy character personas with a combo of a factual plot.But when i was into the book, it ended. Where I started feeling a part of the book it ended. I felt the end was incomplete.
I mean, What happened to Hayley after that incident? Did she change or remained the same?
Melanie? What about her friendship with Anna?
Most important part, What about Anna? Was she able to cope with the situation? What happened??
I would really love to read more books by this author.
April 21, 2013
I would like to say that I didn't enjoy reading this book just because of what it's about, but I really liked it. It really made me think. This book might've seemed over exaggerated, but I'm sure things like it happen all the time. It amazes me how much words can hurt a person. Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. SO not true. I read this years ago, so I don't remember all the details, but it was a great book to read, well written and every page kept me wondering what was going to happen next.
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