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Drowning with Others
They have the perfect marriage. Did one of them kill to get it? Prep school sweethearts Ian and Andi Copeland are envied by everyone they know. They have successful businesses, a beautiful house in St. Louis, and their eldest daughter, Cassidy, is following in their footsteps by attending prestigious Glenlake Academy. Then, a submerged car is dredged from the bottom of a swimming hole near the campus. So are the remains of a former writer-in-residence who vanished twenty years ago—during Ian and Andi’s senior year. When Cassidy’s journalism class begins investigating the death, Ian and Andi’s high school secrets rise to the surface. Each has a troubled link to the man whose arrival and sudden disappearance once set the school on edge. And each had a reason to want him gone. As Cassidy unwittingly edges closer to the truth, unspoken words, locked away for decades, will force Ian and Andi to question what they really know—about themselves, about the past, and about a marriage built on a murderous lie.
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First published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 752 reviews
October 26, 2019
3.75*
Occasionally, the past has a nasty habit of sneaking back to haunt you...usually when you least expect it!
Andi and Ian were high school sweethearts. Both went to the same upscale boarding school, destined to be the “IT” couple. All with nothing more than a brief hiccup in their senior year.
Now years later, married, with their eldest daughter Cassidy attending the same school.
One of Cassidy's classmates accidentally turns up a long buried secret that involved the disappearance of a teacher from when her parents attended the school.
Now Cassidy's senior class is tasked with the assignment of uncovering...and maybe even solving what happened to this teacher, all those years ago.
What stones will get unturned? Who will be in their cross-hairs?
“Would you rather be drowning with others, or swimming alone?”
Told in two timelines from multiple perspectives, it flowed well and easy to follow along. You could feel the tension intensify as the mystery started to peel away.
I enjoyed everything about this book. Right up until the final reveal. After such an intense grilling of everyone and their motives...the ending just fell flat! I wanted more, maybe just a few fireworks!💥💥
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Goodreads Giveaways!!
Occasionally, the past has a nasty habit of sneaking back to haunt you...usually when you least expect it!
Andi and Ian were high school sweethearts. Both went to the same upscale boarding school, destined to be the “IT” couple. All with nothing more than a brief hiccup in their senior year.
Now years later, married, with their eldest daughter Cassidy attending the same school.
One of Cassidy's classmates accidentally turns up a long buried secret that involved the disappearance of a teacher from when her parents attended the school.
Now Cassidy's senior class is tasked with the assignment of uncovering...and maybe even solving what happened to this teacher, all those years ago.
What stones will get unturned? Who will be in their cross-hairs?
“Would you rather be drowning with others, or swimming alone?”
Told in two timelines from multiple perspectives, it flowed well and easy to follow along. You could feel the tension intensify as the mystery started to peel away.
I enjoyed everything about this book. Right up until the final reveal. After such an intense grilling of everyone and their motives...the ending just fell flat! I wanted more, maybe just a few fireworks!💥💥
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Goodreads Giveaways!!
September 28, 2019
Drowning With Others was one of my September selections on Amazon Prime First Reads. Each month is a hit or miss with me but this selection was definitely a hit. A fast paced suspense based on lies told in years past and currently. The characters were a little out of my league so I had a rough start trying to connect with them but, despite that, the story itself is as old as time: lies, deceit, murder and cover-up. I like the writing style of the author and the book succeeded in being quite suspenseful until the end. If you like suspense then I definitely recommend Drowning With Others.
March 10, 2022
Drowning With Others by Linda Keir is a mystery novel. The story in Drowning With Others is one that is told by changing the point of view between multiple characters and also one that takes place in different timelines.
Andi and Ian have been together since being teenagers attending boarding school. Now years later Andi and Ian are married and have a teenage daughter, Cassidy. Cassidy has been attending the same school that Andi and Ian attended and has an assignment to uncover details in the disappearance of a teacher from back when her parents were in school.
Drowning With Others by Linda Keir was the type of mystery that was easy to begun engaged into the story and flowed well between the different timelines. I found that both sides of the story were interesting and thought this was a great read with only thinking the ending needed a bit more.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Andi and Ian have been together since being teenagers attending boarding school. Now years later Andi and Ian are married and have a teenage daughter, Cassidy. Cassidy has been attending the same school that Andi and Ian attended and has an assignment to uncover details in the disappearance of a teacher from back when her parents were in school.
Drowning With Others by Linda Keir was the type of mystery that was easy to begun engaged into the story and flowed well between the different timelines. I found that both sides of the story were interesting and thought this was a great read with only thinking the ending needed a bit more.
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
October 29, 2019
honestly this book had so much potential to be spectacular...
if i had to quickly describe 'drowning with others' i would say that it is a thriller told in a non-linear fashion about a dead body being uncovered in a small community, and all of the secrets that are uncovered with it. and unfortunately this is a case where the premise was just way more exciting than the story itself.
don't get me wrong - there were moments i loved and couldn't put down my kindle. i particularly loved the old diary entries from our two protagonists, andi and ian, and finding out what happened when they were at boarding school from two different biased perspectives. i loved the exploration of a teacher/student relationship and the complete power imbalance that comes with it. but everything else fell a little flat for me.
the plot itself left more to be desired, as did the side characters. at the end of the story i found that i only really cared about andi and ian and even then, i didn't care that much.
if you're after a quick, stock standard thriller, this book could be right for you, but unfortunately i was left wanting a lot more than what i got.
❀ eARC received via netgalley ❀
if i had to quickly describe 'drowning with others' i would say that it is a thriller told in a non-linear fashion about a dead body being uncovered in a small community, and all of the secrets that are uncovered with it. and unfortunately this is a case where the premise was just way more exciting than the story itself.
don't get me wrong - there were moments i loved and couldn't put down my kindle. i particularly loved the old diary entries from our two protagonists, andi and ian, and finding out what happened when they were at boarding school from two different biased perspectives. i loved the exploration of a teacher/student relationship and the complete power imbalance that comes with it. but everything else fell a little flat for me.
the plot itself left more to be desired, as did the side characters. at the end of the story i found that i only really cared about andi and ian and even then, i didn't care that much.
if you're after a quick, stock standard thriller, this book could be right for you, but unfortunately i was left wanting a lot more than what i got.
❀ eARC received via netgalley ❀
March 22, 2020
EDIT - 9/20/19
So apparently, people see this review without the "This review contains spoilers" mark. This makes absolutely no sense, as not only do I have it marked so, but I view it marked as such as well.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! DON'T READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU DON' WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS.
I really enjoyed this book.
The plotline was amazing - a former teacher who disappeared 20 years prior was discovered in his car at the bottom of a lake. The school launches an investigation - well, a senior class in the school does - to try to figure who killed the man, and why?
The story is split into three perspectives - Ian, a senior at the time the teacher (Dallas Walker) disappeared, and was in Dallas's billiards club.
Andi, Ian's girlfriend in high school who later married Ian, but for no said reason cut it off with Ian in the middle of Senior year, and then got back together with him just a few months later with no indication why.
And finally, Cassidy, Ian and Andi's oldest daughter, who is in Senior year when the teacher is discovered and helps investigate the mystery of the killer.
Most of the story is in present tense (Ian and Andi being married), but occasionally giving flashbacks to Ian and Andi's journals, which contained perspectives from both characters, showing what exactly happened, how it happened, and when it happened.
It turns out that Andi cut it off with Ian to have a secret relationship with Dallas, and Ian ended up discovering this by accident and coincidence. However, Dallas hits Andi once, and may have other relationships going on at the same time. Not to mention he takes part in drug deals, hangs out with some seriously shady people, and is never very consistent with anything.
Both Ian and Andi had the motive - did one of the kill Dallas?
The truth was kind of lame, in my opinion. Turns out that the headmaster of the school found out about Dallas's and Andi's secret relationship, and rather then firing him publicly and disgraceing the name of the school, he hires somebody to "rough him up" and scare him off. However, one day a scare session goes wrong, and Dallas ends up dead. This hit man (Roy) disposes of the body by driving Dallas into the lake in Dallas's car, and nobody is the wiser for 20 years. Everyone just assumed that he took off.
This book kept me on my toes until the very end. Even though I was a little disappointed by the ending, it wasn't predictable (in my opinion.) For me, nothing is worse then a predictable ending.
I didn't like Cassidy very much. She wasn't a great character, and while she was a great detective, she just didn't appeal to me.
Definitely recommend this book.
4.5/5 stars.
(Please inform me of any spelling/grammar issues)
So apparently, people see this review without the "This review contains spoilers" mark. This makes absolutely no sense, as not only do I have it marked so, but I view it marked as such as well.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! DON'T READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU DON' WANT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS.
I really enjoyed this book.
The plotline was amazing - a former teacher who disappeared 20 years prior was discovered in his car at the bottom of a lake. The school launches an investigation - well, a senior class in the school does - to try to figure who killed the man, and why?
The story is split into three perspectives - Ian, a senior at the time the teacher (Dallas Walker) disappeared, and was in Dallas's billiards club.
Andi, Ian's girlfriend in high school who later married Ian, but for no said reason cut it off with Ian in the middle of Senior year, and then got back together with him just a few months later with no indication why.
And finally, Cassidy, Ian and Andi's oldest daughter, who is in Senior year when the teacher is discovered and helps investigate the mystery of the killer.
Most of the story is in present tense (Ian and Andi being married), but occasionally giving flashbacks to Ian and Andi's journals, which contained perspectives from both characters, showing what exactly happened, how it happened, and when it happened.
It turns out that Andi cut it off with Ian to have a secret relationship with Dallas, and Ian ended up discovering this by accident and coincidence. However, Dallas hits Andi once, and may have other relationships going on at the same time. Not to mention he takes part in drug deals, hangs out with some seriously shady people, and is never very consistent with anything.
Both Ian and Andi had the motive - did one of the kill Dallas?
The truth was kind of lame, in my opinion. Turns out that the headmaster of the school found out about Dallas's and Andi's secret relationship, and rather then firing him publicly and disgraceing the name of the school, he hires somebody to "rough him up" and scare him off. However, one day a scare session goes wrong, and Dallas ends up dead. This hit man (Roy) disposes of the body by driving Dallas into the lake in Dallas's car, and nobody is the wiser for 20 years. Everyone just assumed that he took off.
This book kept me on my toes until the very end. Even though I was a little disappointed by the ending, it wasn't predictable (in my opinion.) For me, nothing is worse then a predictable ending.
I didn't like Cassidy very much. She wasn't a great character, and while she was a great detective, she just didn't appeal to me.
Definitely recommend this book.
4.5/5 stars.
(Please inform me of any spelling/grammar issues)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2019
No one can keep secrets these days...
And so begins the exquisitely character-driven novel, Drowning with Others. I started reading this late last night, and just finished today. I could hardly put it down. While it does seem a little too drawn out, I found it to be a fun, quirky, beautifully rendered suspense.
Perhaps it was all the references to the mid to late 90s, when I was in college myself, but the book really resonated with me. I enjoyed the characters, and the mystery was unexpectedly good. I thought the book was heading one way, yet it went head-first in another direction...which I loved. Told from three points of view, those of Andi (the mother), Ian (the father), and Cassidy (their daughter), the time-frame bounces from present day (during Cassidy's senior year in high school) to the 1996-97 school year, when Ian & Andi were the senior "it" couple at Glenlake Academy...a prestigious, elite boarding school near Chicago. It also includes journal entries from each, which were probably my favorite sections.
Truly, my only gripe with this story was the Investigative Journalism class trying to solve a 20 year old crime. Not sure I really found it plausible, as they'd be interfering with an on-going investigation. Nevertheless, I think this one is well worth reading...particularly if you enjoy slow-burning mysteries with absolutely awesome red-herrings.
I'm very happy with this as one of my Kindle First selections.
3.5 stars rounded up
And so begins the exquisitely character-driven novel, Drowning with Others. I started reading this late last night, and just finished today. I could hardly put it down. While it does seem a little too drawn out, I found it to be a fun, quirky, beautifully rendered suspense.
Perhaps it was all the references to the mid to late 90s, when I was in college myself, but the book really resonated with me. I enjoyed the characters, and the mystery was unexpectedly good. I thought the book was heading one way, yet it went head-first in another direction...which I loved. Told from three points of view, those of Andi (the mother), Ian (the father), and Cassidy (their daughter), the time-frame bounces from present day (during Cassidy's senior year in high school) to the 1996-97 school year, when Ian & Andi were the senior "it" couple at Glenlake Academy...a prestigious, elite boarding school near Chicago. It also includes journal entries from each, which were probably my favorite sections.
Truly, my only gripe with this story was the Investigative Journalism class trying to solve a 20 year old crime. Not sure I really found it plausible, as they'd be interfering with an on-going investigation. Nevertheless, I think this one is well worth reading...particularly if you enjoy slow-burning mysteries with absolutely awesome red-herrings.
I'm very happy with this as one of my Kindle First selections.
3.5 stars rounded up
September 27, 2019
Ian and Andi Copeland were high school sweethearts at their boarding school. Twenty years later, they are married and their daughter Cassidy is now a senior at that same school. A car is found at the bottom of the local swimming hole with a body in it, and it turns out to be a missing teacher from Ian and Andi's senior year at school. Cassidy's class is taking on a class project to investigate what happened. The Copeland family is drawn into the mystery of what happened, and along the way secrets are revealed.
Told from Andi, Ian and Cassidy's points of view. Journal entries from Andi and Ian's time at school are used to fill in blanks from their pasts. I enjoyed the way the journal entries were included to further explain the characters and their stories. Andi and Ian broke up for a little while during their senior year, and it seems both of them have secrets from that time in their lives. Cassidy is curious about the submerged car, but she becomes even more curious when she learns things about her parents lives during that time. Well-drawn and likable characters.
Family drama and a murder mystery. The mystery was intriguing, especially since it's not really clear if their was foul play or if the car ended up in the water from an accident or suicide. As the story continues, it seems any of those scenarios is possible. The family drama includes Ian and Andi's teenage years and the events currently happening in everyone's lives.
An entertaining read, but I would have enjoyed more suspense. A good read for fans of domestic suspense that enjoy more relationship drama than suspense.
This was my Amazon First Reads pick for September 2019.
Told from Andi, Ian and Cassidy's points of view. Journal entries from Andi and Ian's time at school are used to fill in blanks from their pasts. I enjoyed the way the journal entries were included to further explain the characters and their stories. Andi and Ian broke up for a little while during their senior year, and it seems both of them have secrets from that time in their lives. Cassidy is curious about the submerged car, but she becomes even more curious when she learns things about her parents lives during that time. Well-drawn and likable characters.
Family drama and a murder mystery. The mystery was intriguing, especially since it's not really clear if their was foul play or if the car ended up in the water from an accident or suicide. As the story continues, it seems any of those scenarios is possible. The family drama includes Ian and Andi's teenage years and the events currently happening in everyone's lives.
An entertaining read, but I would have enjoyed more suspense. A good read for fans of domestic suspense that enjoy more relationship drama than suspense.
This was my Amazon First Reads pick for September 2019.
September 11, 2019
Full Reading
This book was boring. There was no kick of excitement, no roller coaster ride to the next page. I had to plow through a lot of detail just to find out a little bit of information. I felt like I was reading a text book.
This book was boring. There was no kick of excitement, no roller coaster ride to the next page. I had to plow through a lot of detail just to find out a little bit of information. I felt like I was reading a text book.
October 2, 2021
3.5 Stars
The story was told in two parts, past and present both intertwined throughout the book.
The past was about Dallas Walker and the students that were in his classes or involved in the story and a possible part of his disappearance 20 years earlier. And most of it was told through Andi and Ian’s Journals that Glenlake Academy had each student write. It was interesting to read it this way, through their teenage eyes. And to be honest Dallas sounded like a dick. If he was murdered he deserved it. He walked around thinking he was an enigma, a high school poetry teacher with a dark edgy side that couldn’t get enough of his female student body or some chosen female faculty members.
The present was about solving Dallas Walkers death. Did he drive his car off the cliff and into Lake Loomis as a suicide, was it an accident or was murder? Whatever the case no one was super torn up over it. They just wanted it to stay buried and it would have if it went for Mr. Wayne Kelly, current Journalism teacher at Glenlake Academy. A class in which Cassidy (Andi and Ians daughter) is enrolled. Mr Kelly has assigned his class with finding the answers to Dallas’ death. So Cassidy and her fellow classmates are digging for answers which makes things super uncomfortable for Andi and Ian because they seem like one of the many that would like his death to be swept under the rug.
Interesting book, story never gets dull but when I read the synopsis I was expecting a huge mystery to unravel. And there was a mystery but it was far less nefarious than what you are led to believe.
The story was told in two parts, past and present both intertwined throughout the book.
The past was about Dallas Walker and the students that were in his classes or involved in the story and a possible part of his disappearance 20 years earlier. And most of it was told through Andi and Ian’s Journals that Glenlake Academy had each student write. It was interesting to read it this way, through their teenage eyes. And to be honest Dallas sounded like a dick. If he was murdered he deserved it. He walked around thinking he was an enigma, a high school poetry teacher with a dark edgy side that couldn’t get enough of his female student body or some chosen female faculty members.
The present was about solving Dallas Walkers death. Did he drive his car off the cliff and into Lake Loomis as a suicide, was it an accident or was murder? Whatever the case no one was super torn up over it. They just wanted it to stay buried and it would have if it went for Mr. Wayne Kelly, current Journalism teacher at Glenlake Academy. A class in which Cassidy (Andi and Ians daughter) is enrolled. Mr Kelly has assigned his class with finding the answers to Dallas’ death. So Cassidy and her fellow classmates are digging for answers which makes things super uncomfortable for Andi and Ian because they seem like one of the many that would like his death to be swept under the rug.
Interesting book, story never gets dull but when I read the synopsis I was expecting a huge mystery to unravel. And there was a mystery but it was far less nefarious than what you are led to believe.
October 21, 2019
Man, I love mystery books! Plus October is definitely getting me into spooky books.
Drowning With Others was a pretty interesting mystery thriller book that seemed to be tied around one single family: The Copelands. In this family, you will meet Ian, Andi, and their daughter Cassidy. Now this book is told from each of their point of views in like a journal entry style? When I first saw this, I was a bit hesitant. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Luckily for me, the flow worked overall. It was interesting to meet Andi and Ian when they were at this school. Then to see Cassidy walking within those same halls in her time. A lot of secrets come out, especially ones from her own parents. It was interesting to see what Cassidy was going to find out but at the same time I feel like since her parents were involved maybe she should've have been on the investigation project?
No idea if that's a thing though.
Besides all the drama, the mystery was really good! Each twist and secret that came out easily made this a page turner. I'm so happy that I took a chance on this ebook with KU and can't wait for another book by Linda.
Drowning With Others was a pretty interesting mystery thriller book that seemed to be tied around one single family: The Copelands. In this family, you will meet Ian, Andi, and their daughter Cassidy. Now this book is told from each of their point of views in like a journal entry style? When I first saw this, I was a bit hesitant. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Luckily for me, the flow worked overall. It was interesting to meet Andi and Ian when they were at this school. Then to see Cassidy walking within those same halls in her time. A lot of secrets come out, especially ones from her own parents. It was interesting to see what Cassidy was going to find out but at the same time I feel like since her parents were involved maybe she should've have been on the investigation project?
No idea if that's a thing though.
Besides all the drama, the mystery was really good! Each twist and secret that came out easily made this a page turner. I'm so happy that I took a chance on this ebook with KU and can't wait for another book by Linda.
July 30, 2021
3 1/2 Stars Rounded up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 4, 2020
Drowning in sorrow, my sorrow
I didn't want to put this book down....simply because I wanted it over and done with. ASAP. As early as chapter 2 DNF came to mind. If goes nowhere quickly, especially the first half that had me banging my head against my kindle in frustration. You've got to do a lot of reading to extract anything of value to the plot. But you don't know that at the time so you read it all...even all the never ending poetry which is a sizeable part......and then another review star in my mind slowly becomes dim. It was a shame because the general plot is good. This could have been a suspenseful page turner had the authors thought about readability. It was too wordy with far too many pages of non plot related side bars.
I didn't want to put this book down....simply because I wanted it over and done with. ASAP. As early as chapter 2 DNF came to mind. If goes nowhere quickly, especially the first half that had me banging my head against my kindle in frustration. You've got to do a lot of reading to extract anything of value to the plot. But you don't know that at the time so you read it all...even all the never ending poetry which is a sizeable part......and then another review star in my mind slowly becomes dim. It was a shame because the general plot is good. This could have been a suspenseful page turner had the authors thought about readability. It was too wordy with far too many pages of non plot related side bars.
September 26, 2019
I just couldn’t get into this, read a few spoilers and decided the book wasn’t worth my time. I appreciate people who post spoiler reviews so I can avoid wasting my time when I’m on the fence.
October 1, 2019
In my dotage, it is impossible for me to read anything remotely challenging when I'm in bed at night. So, the types of books I like to read in 30-minute nightly increments before passing out at 9:17 p.m. are mostly dumb-but-hopefully-not-too-dumb thrillers. This one was kind of juicily bad and pretty ridiculous in a lot of ways, but it still fit the bill. Set at a boarding school, which -- well, anyone who knows me is aware of my fondness for rich kids at prep school porn, which dates all the way back to my Girls of Canby Hall series obsession in 5th grade. Because one of the main characters is an emo high school poet, there's lots of hilarious doggerel to perk things up. The twist at the end wasn't overly obvious beforehand. All in all, a decent entry in the Bedtime Thriller category.
September 2, 2019
Andi and Ian Copeland were high school sweethearts and the ‘IT Couple’ of their expensive boarding school. Twenty years later, the school is still part of their lives. Their eldest daughter is studying there and their twins are due to start at the school next year, completing a multi-generational association with the school for the Copeland family. So far, so idyllic. But then a shocking discovery – a car submerged in a swimming ‘hole’ with an actual skeleton inside – threatens to rattle a lot of metaphorical skeletons in cupboards for both the Copelands and their old schoolmates and teachers.
The body is suspected to be that of Dallas Walker, poet, pool-player and the ‘writer in residence’ back when Andi and Ian were at the school. Their daughter Cassidy is studying with the current ‘writer in residence’, an investigative journalist who encourages the class to do their own sleuthing to try to work out ‘whodunnit’ and why. Cassidy's determination to get to the bottom of what happened is very unsettling for her parents, one of whom hated Walker and the other of whom was much too close to him. Both would have had their reasons to want him gone, and they’re at the head of quite a long line of people who might have meant him harm two decades earlier. Suddenly the privileged life of the students past and present is put at risk by a 20-year-old secret.
The book starts well and the first third or so was very engaging. Sadly, after that it all started to get a bit ‘samey’, plodding along with few great revelations or plot twists until it limps to a rather unsatisfying ending. Do we as readers find ourselves thinking “Did she do it?”, “Was he mad enough to finish him off?” – honestly, not enough and not really.
At the end of the book, we are told that the author Linda Keir is not a single person – it’s a couple – one male, one female, a little like the (much more accomplished) Nicci French combo. Knowing that after reading, I’m quite surprised as I’d have at least hoped for a greater difference in the diary ‘voices’ of the two lead characters. I found myself repeatedly having to check whose diary we were supposed to be reading as there was so little difference in the style. The other downside to co-writers which really comes through in this book is a sense of repetition as if each has forgotten at times what the other already told us. For me, this doesn’t work in this book at all well.
I’d classify this as ‘wannabe’ Jodi Picoult or Anita Shreve but not as good as either. There's just not enough suspense or plot development to stop this feeling like a real drag of a read.
The body is suspected to be that of Dallas Walker, poet, pool-player and the ‘writer in residence’ back when Andi and Ian were at the school. Their daughter Cassidy is studying with the current ‘writer in residence’, an investigative journalist who encourages the class to do their own sleuthing to try to work out ‘whodunnit’ and why. Cassidy's determination to get to the bottom of what happened is very unsettling for her parents, one of whom hated Walker and the other of whom was much too close to him. Both would have had their reasons to want him gone, and they’re at the head of quite a long line of people who might have meant him harm two decades earlier. Suddenly the privileged life of the students past and present is put at risk by a 20-year-old secret.
The book starts well and the first third or so was very engaging. Sadly, after that it all started to get a bit ‘samey’, plodding along with few great revelations or plot twists until it limps to a rather unsatisfying ending. Do we as readers find ourselves thinking “Did she do it?”, “Was he mad enough to finish him off?” – honestly, not enough and not really.
At the end of the book, we are told that the author Linda Keir is not a single person – it’s a couple – one male, one female, a little like the (much more accomplished) Nicci French combo. Knowing that after reading, I’m quite surprised as I’d have at least hoped for a greater difference in the diary ‘voices’ of the two lead characters. I found myself repeatedly having to check whose diary we were supposed to be reading as there was so little difference in the style. The other downside to co-writers which really comes through in this book is a sense of repetition as if each has forgotten at times what the other already told us. For me, this doesn’t work in this book at all well.
I’d classify this as ‘wannabe’ Jodi Picoult or Anita Shreve but not as good as either. There's just not enough suspense or plot development to stop this feeling like a real drag of a read.
September 15, 2019
I'm torn about this book. I enjoyed the story for the most part and found the plot very compelling, but I pretty much hated the ending. It just wasn't a satisfying resolution--and by satisfying, I mean it didn't seem like a good payoff for the plot.
April 10, 2020
For me this was a sloooow story. A whole lot of who cares, let's get to the point. I did like most of the characters but it was a read that had me wondering if I was ever going to get to the end.
October 1, 2019
Drowning With Others, the second novel by the writing team of Keir Graff and Linda Joffe Hull, begins with the exhumation of former Glenlake Academy poetry teacher Dallas Walker from his grave, in this case a mud-covered metallic blue muscle car at the bottom of Lake Loomis. There’s not much left of Dallas. After all, it’s been 22 years since he went missing.
The discovery of the wreck in the murky water gives a new writing teacher an idea—to investigate the disappearance, to “shadow the police investigation, and, eventually, to tell the story of how this happened.”
Among the writing teacher’s students is Cassidy, who is in her senior year at Glenlake. Cassidy’s parents are Andi and Ian Copeland—who were classmates during Dallas Walker’s brief time on campus. Andi and Ian each have reason to suspect that—just maybe—that their spouse might have something to do with Dallas Walker’s watery fate. It’s a concern they could ignore, but not now that “the ghost of Dallas Walker had come howling out of the past to shatter two decades of tranquility.”
Plucking the car and the skeleton from the bottom of the lake sets in a motion a rich novel that puts reputations—and public image—at stake. Andi and Ian’s relationship got off to a somewhat rocky start at Glenlake Academy, in no small part due to Dallas Walker’s dalliance with Andi. Dallas was a bit of a wild man. He liked to be seen as a tough guy—but then vanished. Years later, Andi and Ian have what appears to be an all-American marriage and a lot to protect.
Drowning With Others—a great title for many reasons—flips back and forth across the decades and rotates points of view including Cassidy and both parents. Whole chapters are plucked from the daily school journals when Ian Copeland and Andi Bloom attended Glenlake in 1996. Journaling is a daily thing, it turns out, at Glenlake. (A good thing; lots of raw material to, um, exhume.) Andi is determined to ensure certain details of her Glenlake years remain buried. Ian wonders if his youthful jealousy left any obvious traces—and he wants to ensure that he doesn’t lose Andi again. Cassidy starts to earn writing teacher Wayne Kelly’s praise for being a “crack sleuth,” which can’t be good news for either Ian or Andi. There’s friend Georgina, who may have played a role in Walker’s demise, and a jaded and grizzled groundskeeper who has seen it all.
Ian and Andi, now “moneyed prep school parents,” recall events from their Glenlake years, which included that “gulp” moment when Dallas Walker disappeared without explanation. And it all comes roaring back as Ian and Andi, during an alumni weekend visit, hear teacher Wayne Kelly’s describe the class project for the year.
“The evening had taken a left turn with Wayne Kelly’s ambush revelation,” thinks Ian, whose family contributions to the school go back to the days of the robber barons. “After four years of visiting as a parent, and two decades of sporadic returns for fund-raisers and class reunions, Ian had finally stopped holding his breath, thinking the subject of Dallas Williams had truly been laid to rest. And now, like a revenant form one of the poet’s own verses, he had come howling back to tranquil Glenlake to disturb the peace. If it were a Dallas Walker poem, the corpse would have pointed a smug finger at the dumb townsfolk and imparted a lesson about how they were all living their lives in fear.”
With the fast-changing points of view and leaps back and forth across the decades, Drowning With Others rocks right along. Tantalizing bits revealed from 1996 spice up our understanding of Ian’s and Andi’s choices now. The nifty plotting is a thing to admire. So is the variety of voices—adult Ian, youthful Ian, adult Andi, youthful Andi, and Cassidy.
Cassidy moves closer to capturing a more three-dimensional picture of her parents as teenagers (every parent who reads this should stop for a moment, ponder that concept—and then shudder to think) and then novel peels back layers involving class privilege, sexual predators, institutional wealth, and that very precious thing, reputation. The ending and the choices made, coupled with the powerful force of tradition, could launch a thousand book club battles. Drowning with Others is literate, smart, clever, and a joy to read.
The discovery of the wreck in the murky water gives a new writing teacher an idea—to investigate the disappearance, to “shadow the police investigation, and, eventually, to tell the story of how this happened.”
Among the writing teacher’s students is Cassidy, who is in her senior year at Glenlake. Cassidy’s parents are Andi and Ian Copeland—who were classmates during Dallas Walker’s brief time on campus. Andi and Ian each have reason to suspect that—just maybe—that their spouse might have something to do with Dallas Walker’s watery fate. It’s a concern they could ignore, but not now that “the ghost of Dallas Walker had come howling out of the past to shatter two decades of tranquility.”
Plucking the car and the skeleton from the bottom of the lake sets in a motion a rich novel that puts reputations—and public image—at stake. Andi and Ian’s relationship got off to a somewhat rocky start at Glenlake Academy, in no small part due to Dallas Walker’s dalliance with Andi. Dallas was a bit of a wild man. He liked to be seen as a tough guy—but then vanished. Years later, Andi and Ian have what appears to be an all-American marriage and a lot to protect.
Drowning With Others—a great title for many reasons—flips back and forth across the decades and rotates points of view including Cassidy and both parents. Whole chapters are plucked from the daily school journals when Ian Copeland and Andi Bloom attended Glenlake in 1996. Journaling is a daily thing, it turns out, at Glenlake. (A good thing; lots of raw material to, um, exhume.) Andi is determined to ensure certain details of her Glenlake years remain buried. Ian wonders if his youthful jealousy left any obvious traces—and he wants to ensure that he doesn’t lose Andi again. Cassidy starts to earn writing teacher Wayne Kelly’s praise for being a “crack sleuth,” which can’t be good news for either Ian or Andi. There’s friend Georgina, who may have played a role in Walker’s demise, and a jaded and grizzled groundskeeper who has seen it all.
Ian and Andi, now “moneyed prep school parents,” recall events from their Glenlake years, which included that “gulp” moment when Dallas Walker disappeared without explanation. And it all comes roaring back as Ian and Andi, during an alumni weekend visit, hear teacher Wayne Kelly’s describe the class project for the year.
“The evening had taken a left turn with Wayne Kelly’s ambush revelation,” thinks Ian, whose family contributions to the school go back to the days of the robber barons. “After four years of visiting as a parent, and two decades of sporadic returns for fund-raisers and class reunions, Ian had finally stopped holding his breath, thinking the subject of Dallas Williams had truly been laid to rest. And now, like a revenant form one of the poet’s own verses, he had come howling back to tranquil Glenlake to disturb the peace. If it were a Dallas Walker poem, the corpse would have pointed a smug finger at the dumb townsfolk and imparted a lesson about how they were all living their lives in fear.”
With the fast-changing points of view and leaps back and forth across the decades, Drowning With Others rocks right along. Tantalizing bits revealed from 1996 spice up our understanding of Ian’s and Andi’s choices now. The nifty plotting is a thing to admire. So is the variety of voices—adult Ian, youthful Ian, adult Andi, youthful Andi, and Cassidy.
Cassidy moves closer to capturing a more three-dimensional picture of her parents as teenagers (every parent who reads this should stop for a moment, ponder that concept—and then shudder to think) and then novel peels back layers involving class privilege, sexual predators, institutional wealth, and that very precious thing, reputation. The ending and the choices made, coupled with the powerful force of tradition, could launch a thousand book club battles. Drowning with Others is literate, smart, clever, and a joy to read.
December 10, 2022
2.5 stars, rounded down. This book was fine. I was mildly intrigued by the opening and compelled enough throughout the book to keep reading to see where it was all going. The problem was that I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. They were very one-dimensional and somewhat unlikeable. There was never enough evidence or suspicion about any of the characters to allow me to form my own hypothesis, which made the book kind of boring. Also, the ending was just a huge disappointment. Just felt very unbelievable and convenient. And on a side note, why the heck was Cassidy so determined to clear Roy’s name? What on Earth made her think he was being railroaded? I’m fine with having read this, but will definitely not be seeking these authors out in the future (yes, “authors” - this book was apparently written by a woman named Linda and a man called Keir who combined their names into a cute little pen name 🙄)
October 30, 2019
An interesting book which caught me unawares. Past swimming its way to the present was the fun to read, it added to the mystery.
2 sweethearts Andi and Ian got married, their daughter Cassidy and her friend found a car in the swimming hole. It was a teacher from the time her parents attended the school. Now it was upto Cassidy and her mates to uncover the truth.
My first book by author Linda Keir, the story had dual timelines with multiple POV which took me some time to get with it. Tension built up slowly with every page. I liked the concept of daughter investigating the parents, it added to the thrill. The ending was unexpected, I wanted a great finale, it felt a little off.
Overall, it was a good family drama combined with a mystery of the past.
2 sweethearts Andi and Ian got married, their daughter Cassidy and her friend found a car in the swimming hole. It was a teacher from the time her parents attended the school. Now it was upto Cassidy and her mates to uncover the truth.
My first book by author Linda Keir, the story had dual timelines with multiple POV which took me some time to get with it. Tension built up slowly with every page. I liked the concept of daughter investigating the parents, it added to the thrill. The ending was unexpected, I wanted a great finale, it felt a little off.
Overall, it was a good family drama combined with a mystery of the past.
November 7, 2019
I wanted to read Drowning With Others, as it was about a married couple with secrets about their boarding school days, and I love reading all fiction stories about married couples. It's unfortunate that I struggled to read the first few pages of the prologue, even with after reading the first chapter, I struggled with getting into the story. So I'm very disappointed that I had give up reading any further. Normally I know from a prologue or the first chapter if I will love or dislike a story. I can normally get into most books, but this one Sadly didn't grab my attention as much as I thought it was going to. But I do recommend reading Drowning With Others, as we are all different and each of us will like a book that one readers hasn't particularly liked.
did-not-finish
November 16, 2020I received this as an Amazon First Reads selection, so the good thing is that I didn't waste any money on it.
I'm not even sure what about this book set me off (although the unlikely premise and character interactions is a good start), but I felt like there were two different authors writing because the past storyline was much more intriguing and full than the present. And then I learned there actually were 2 authors, and that made a lot more sense.
Except it didn't. Why work with someone who's dragging you down?
I just...ugh, no. No desire to read anything by this duo again.
I'm not even sure what about this book set me off (although the unlikely premise and character interactions is a good start), but I felt like there were two different authors writing because the past storyline was much more intriguing and full than the present. And then I learned there actually were 2 authors, and that made a lot more sense.
Except it didn't. Why work with someone who's dragging you down?
I just...ugh, no. No desire to read anything by this duo again.
September 9, 2019
i love boarding school mysteries, but this was just so bad.
February 8, 2022
Unputdownable is a word I realize I often misuse . I realized it when I read this book. This book truly fits that description. I usually read in the evenings; not this book! I started it last night and read until I was falling asleep I read it with my morning coffee, on the steps, in the bathroom, between steps in dinner prep and after dinner until I was finished.
This is a unique mystery; set at an exclusive, fictional, private school in Illinois part of the book takes place in 2019; and part in 1997. it's the story of two generations of students; both seniors both with visiting 'writer in residence' classes and both totally intertwined.
In 1997 Ian and Andi were the it couple at their school. In 2019 they are alumni and parents of a senior Cassidy. In 1997 their writer in residence, a poet named Dallas Walker vanished without a trace 2/3rds through the school year
In 2019 his body; or what's left of it is winced out of the schools lake. Cassidy's class is covering investigative journalism with their Writer In Residence a journo from Philly. Andy & Ian are terrified that their secrets will be revealed.
I have no recollection of how I ended up with a copy of this book but I am so glad I did
This is a unique mystery; set at an exclusive, fictional, private school in Illinois part of the book takes place in 2019; and part in 1997. it's the story of two generations of students; both seniors both with visiting 'writer in residence' classes and both totally intertwined.
In 1997 Ian and Andi were the it couple at their school. In 2019 they are alumni and parents of a senior Cassidy. In 1997 their writer in residence, a poet named Dallas Walker vanished without a trace 2/3rds through the school year
In 2019 his body; or what's left of it is winced out of the schools lake. Cassidy's class is covering investigative journalism with their Writer In Residence a journo from Philly. Andy & Ian are terrified that their secrets will be revealed.
I have no recollection of how I ended up with a copy of this book but I am so glad I did
September 10, 2019
This was another Kindle First offering this month I downloaded. It started off really well and I was really liking the writing style but then I seemed to get a bit bogged down with it all. I think it might've been some of the poetry stuff that I just wasn't very interested in. I liked how they reached the title, though.....and the cover is a terrific one. I think it worked well having the next generation investigating the past of the parents' generation and their own experiences at the very same boarding school. I liked the idea of the journal-keeping as well for their senior years.
Reading about Glenlake reminded me of our public (which are private-don't ask) schools over here along with the strange customs that they all tend to have. I wasn't keen on Andi calling her dad Simon.....I hate all that progressively hip nonsense.
There were a few too many side-hugs going on and I'd have written borne out not born out but that's all my nitpicking !! It just slowed for me after the initial great start.
Reading about Glenlake reminded me of our public (which are private-don't ask) schools over here along with the strange customs that they all tend to have. I wasn't keen on Andi calling her dad Simon.....I hate all that progressively hip nonsense.
There were a few too many side-hugs going on and I'd have written borne out not born out but that's all my nitpicking !! It just slowed for me after the initial great start.
September 8, 2019
little story that could be so true
This wasn't a bad book... it it started to really lose me at about 300 pages in. A little too much fluff made it a solid 3 stars.
This wasn't a bad book... it it started to really lose me at about 300 pages in. A little too much fluff made it a solid 3 stars.
September 4, 2019
At Glenlake Academy, murder is NOT on the curriculum!
Glenlake Academy is a prestigious, expensive prep school tastefully located in a rural area north of Chicago. For generations it has protected and prepared the sons and daughters of wealthy families, giving them academic backgrounds that ensure admission to the Ivy League colleges their parents expect them to attend. The grounds are lovely, the buildings classical in design, and the faculty carefully chosen. The wildcard is always the visiting instructor of writing - a writer, poet, or journalist who comes for one year to lead the writing program for which Glenlake is famous. And in the 1996-97 school year, the wild card is considerably wilder than the school counted on.
Dallas Walker prides himself on being a "bad-boy poet" - swaggering and pushing the envelop at every opportunity. He insists that the students call him by his first name, takes kids to local bars to play pool, and supplies them with beer. As Ian Copeland mutters to himself, "Sometimes I can't believe they let this guy teach prep school." He's not the only person who wonders why this feral cat was released in the aviary.
The Copeland family has attended and supported Glenlake for generations and Ian is embarrassed that one of the buildings is named for his great-grandfather. The Copelands are an old-money mid-western family, although the money isn't flowing as freely as it used to. Ian's parents are stereotypical country club set - quietly sure of themselves and their place in society. Andi Bloom's family is stereotypical noveau riche, her father a loud, boisterous entertainment exec who's made a fortune and likes to talk about it. Chalk and cheese, as the Brits say.
Ian attends Glenlake because of family tradition. Andi has been banished to Glenlake because her mother's dead and her new step-mother wants her out of the house. The teens click and by their senior year are inseparable. Ian's parents are polite, but not eager to welcome Andi into the family. A Jewish daughter-in-law isn't in their plans, but they're willing to hope that college will separate them. The separation comes sooner than anyone expects and the young couple aren't separated by distance, but by Andi's infatuation for an unscrupulous older man who likes firm, young flesh. Then Dallas Walker disappears.
This book is almost a saga, tracing two families for twenty-two years. Andi and Ian reunite after Dallas Walker's disappearance, go to college, and marry soon after graduation. Now they've been happily married for over two decades and their oldest child Cassidy is a senior at Glenlake. The tradition lives on, but Cassidy's parents are disturbed by the new writing instructor - a charismatic journalist. Like mother/like daughter?
There are several threads running through the story and one of them is the wisdom or foolishness of sending teens away to boarding school. Are we aping the English with their famous "public schools" like Harrow or Eton? Are parents passing the buck by having strangers care for their teens? Or are we simply following the tradition of many societies that separate adolescents from their parents in order to let them mature without overly protective or over-indulgent parents?
There's no argument that most of the students at Glenlake (both in 1996 and in 2019) are "good kids." They're mannerly, appreciative of their privileges, and hard workers. They know their parents expect them to succeed and few seem rebellious. The rare lazy, entitled kid sticks out and is despised by his classmates. They drink booze when they can get it, smoke pot, and pair off, but they're discrete when they break rules. Glenlake is swift to punish bad behavior and no one wants to be expelled from Paradise.
Which is why the shocking discovery of Dallas Walker's body rocks the smooth surface of life at Glenlake. Was his death an accident, suicide, or something else? Wayne Kelly wants his students (including Cassidy) to investigate the death as though they were reporters. There's a ready-made suspect in the form of an ex-con who palled around with Dallas. But Walker had dirtier secrets than a liking for rough playmates. Did one of those secrets get him killed? Or was it as simple as a driven student terrified that a C on his report card would keep him out of Harvard?
I read this book in one gulp. I'm giving it four stars because Amazon won't let me give 4 1/2 stars. I admire the authors' bravery. It's hard to pull off a book that moves between two time periods and includes several points of view. It could have been a confusing book, but it flows relatively easily and any reader paying attention can follow its twisted pathways without getting lost or bored. That's an accomplishment in itself.
My only criticism is its length. Most of the narrative adds to the story, but I think the parts about Ian Copeland's business problems could have been left out to good effect. I assume the authors feel that his experiences with a crooked supplier relates to the tragedy at Glenlake Academy, but I don't see it. And lopping 20 minutes or so off the reading time would be a blessing.
I think the strongest point is the characters. Andi and Ian are wonderfully likable people. Not perfect, but their love and loyalty after more than a quarter century as a couple is touching. The two families they came from are completely different, but all the characters are realistic. Not all of them are likable, but they're people you've met.
The authors have tackled some tough issues. We all worry about the vulnerable young and how to protect them. And how much we SHOULD protect them. Our children don't stay children forever. Going away to school is supposed to expose kids to a wider variety of people, but the cost of Glenlake means most of the kids come from wealthy, white families. There is tension because the faculty don't fit in with this privileged group. Glenlake parents may respect teachers, but they aren't likely to consider them social equals. Is Dallas simply a working class man who rejects the "snobbery" of Glenlake? Or is he a self-destructive bastard who longs to pull others into his downward spiral?
How far should we go to preserve institutions we believe in? One character refers delicately to using an "extrajudicial solution." That's putting it mildly! Would you break the law to protect something you love? Would you participate in a cover-up if you believed the end justified the means? There are no set-in-stone answers, but this book makes you think.
Sometimes the dialogue is stilted, but conversations between teens and adults frequently are. Not to mention the awkward conversations between old school mates who haven't met in 20 years. I disagree with some of the sweeping judgments made. Dallas was NOT a sociopath or he would have been more anxious to impress the academy administration than to thumb his nose at them. And illicit student-teacher affairs are no more a problem in boarding schools than other high schools. Anyone who reads a newspaper knows that.
But overall it's a thoughtful, very readable book that involves subjects of interest to most of us. I'm glad I picked it as my Kindle First selection.
Glenlake Academy is a prestigious, expensive prep school tastefully located in a rural area north of Chicago. For generations it has protected and prepared the sons and daughters of wealthy families, giving them academic backgrounds that ensure admission to the Ivy League colleges their parents expect them to attend. The grounds are lovely, the buildings classical in design, and the faculty carefully chosen. The wildcard is always the visiting instructor of writing - a writer, poet, or journalist who comes for one year to lead the writing program for which Glenlake is famous. And in the 1996-97 school year, the wild card is considerably wilder than the school counted on.
Dallas Walker prides himself on being a "bad-boy poet" - swaggering and pushing the envelop at every opportunity. He insists that the students call him by his first name, takes kids to local bars to play pool, and supplies them with beer. As Ian Copeland mutters to himself, "Sometimes I can't believe they let this guy teach prep school." He's not the only person who wonders why this feral cat was released in the aviary.
The Copeland family has attended and supported Glenlake for generations and Ian is embarrassed that one of the buildings is named for his great-grandfather. The Copelands are an old-money mid-western family, although the money isn't flowing as freely as it used to. Ian's parents are stereotypical country club set - quietly sure of themselves and their place in society. Andi Bloom's family is stereotypical noveau riche, her father a loud, boisterous entertainment exec who's made a fortune and likes to talk about it. Chalk and cheese, as the Brits say.
Ian attends Glenlake because of family tradition. Andi has been banished to Glenlake because her mother's dead and her new step-mother wants her out of the house. The teens click and by their senior year are inseparable. Ian's parents are polite, but not eager to welcome Andi into the family. A Jewish daughter-in-law isn't in their plans, but they're willing to hope that college will separate them. The separation comes sooner than anyone expects and the young couple aren't separated by distance, but by Andi's infatuation for an unscrupulous older man who likes firm, young flesh. Then Dallas Walker disappears.
This book is almost a saga, tracing two families for twenty-two years. Andi and Ian reunite after Dallas Walker's disappearance, go to college, and marry soon after graduation. Now they've been happily married for over two decades and their oldest child Cassidy is a senior at Glenlake. The tradition lives on, but Cassidy's parents are disturbed by the new writing instructor - a charismatic journalist. Like mother/like daughter?
There are several threads running through the story and one of them is the wisdom or foolishness of sending teens away to boarding school. Are we aping the English with their famous "public schools" like Harrow or Eton? Are parents passing the buck by having strangers care for their teens? Or are we simply following the tradition of many societies that separate adolescents from their parents in order to let them mature without overly protective or over-indulgent parents?
There's no argument that most of the students at Glenlake (both in 1996 and in 2019) are "good kids." They're mannerly, appreciative of their privileges, and hard workers. They know their parents expect them to succeed and few seem rebellious. The rare lazy, entitled kid sticks out and is despised by his classmates. They drink booze when they can get it, smoke pot, and pair off, but they're discrete when they break rules. Glenlake is swift to punish bad behavior and no one wants to be expelled from Paradise.
Which is why the shocking discovery of Dallas Walker's body rocks the smooth surface of life at Glenlake. Was his death an accident, suicide, or something else? Wayne Kelly wants his students (including Cassidy) to investigate the death as though they were reporters. There's a ready-made suspect in the form of an ex-con who palled around with Dallas. But Walker had dirtier secrets than a liking for rough playmates. Did one of those secrets get him killed? Or was it as simple as a driven student terrified that a C on his report card would keep him out of Harvard?
I read this book in one gulp. I'm giving it four stars because Amazon won't let me give 4 1/2 stars. I admire the authors' bravery. It's hard to pull off a book that moves between two time periods and includes several points of view. It could have been a confusing book, but it flows relatively easily and any reader paying attention can follow its twisted pathways without getting lost or bored. That's an accomplishment in itself.
My only criticism is its length. Most of the narrative adds to the story, but I think the parts about Ian Copeland's business problems could have been left out to good effect. I assume the authors feel that his experiences with a crooked supplier relates to the tragedy at Glenlake Academy, but I don't see it. And lopping 20 minutes or so off the reading time would be a blessing.
I think the strongest point is the characters. Andi and Ian are wonderfully likable people. Not perfect, but their love and loyalty after more than a quarter century as a couple is touching. The two families they came from are completely different, but all the characters are realistic. Not all of them are likable, but they're people you've met.
The authors have tackled some tough issues. We all worry about the vulnerable young and how to protect them. And how much we SHOULD protect them. Our children don't stay children forever. Going away to school is supposed to expose kids to a wider variety of people, but the cost of Glenlake means most of the kids come from wealthy, white families. There is tension because the faculty don't fit in with this privileged group. Glenlake parents may respect teachers, but they aren't likely to consider them social equals. Is Dallas simply a working class man who rejects the "snobbery" of Glenlake? Or is he a self-destructive bastard who longs to pull others into his downward spiral?
How far should we go to preserve institutions we believe in? One character refers delicately to using an "extrajudicial solution." That's putting it mildly! Would you break the law to protect something you love? Would you participate in a cover-up if you believed the end justified the means? There are no set-in-stone answers, but this book makes you think.
Sometimes the dialogue is stilted, but conversations between teens and adults frequently are. Not to mention the awkward conversations between old school mates who haven't met in 20 years. I disagree with some of the sweeping judgments made. Dallas was NOT a sociopath or he would have been more anxious to impress the academy administration than to thumb his nose at them. And illicit student-teacher affairs are no more a problem in boarding schools than other high schools. Anyone who reads a newspaper knows that.
But overall it's a thoughtful, very readable book that involves subjects of interest to most of us. I'm glad I picked it as my Kindle First selection.
October 6, 2019
This book would’ve been my Kindle First Choice for September 2019 if I didn’t have issues with payment. However, this is my first borrowed book from the Kindle Unlimited library.
That being said, I’m glad that I only borrowed this book instead of purchasing it for my Kindle First Choice. This story was told from three points of view – Andi, Ian, and Cassidy. Occasionally, the chapters would be mixed up with journal entries from both Andi and Ian from when they were in high school to make things a bit more interesting in terms of who they were versus who they are in the story’s present time. And already, I had a major issue with it – the focus was supposed to be on Glenlake Academy and, more specifically, the legacy of the Copelands.
When I first started to read this, I got the idea that the author wanted to present – Cassidy was the current point of view as she and her journalism class tried to figure out who Dallas Walker was and what had happened. Andi was the point of view of a previous generation and how she sees Cassidy after what she had been through. Ian, though, I had expected him to be from the point of view of the legacy itself or, to put it bluntly, the administrative point of view. Instead, while Andi’s point of view was the strongest, the weakest link had to be Ian’s.
Ian’s point of view were the chapters I honestly dreaded to read outside of his journal entries the most because it focused on a sub-plot about him owning a liquor store, or a very small franchise of one, to him almost being a victim of fraud. And truth to be told, it was very uneventful compared to the actual mystery at hand. Even and especially by its resolution, it seemed to even be pointless to be there in the first place.
I would’ve thought that since the Copelands, his parents especially, were the fifth generation of students to pass through Glenlake, that Ian would at the very least take a job there. It would’ve put some perspective on the administrative end of the mystery since Cassidy is taking the current seniors’ perspective and Andi for the alumni. It would’ve been a much more coherent way for the mystery to develop more and to lay more suspicion on Ian other than him signing off on his journal entries, “God, I totally want to kill him,” and it would’ve made the actual killer more understandable and less “Oh, yeah we all totally knew what was going on! We just never showed it on our faces because we care about the academy’s legacy that much!”
This book didn’t anger me specifically – it was more of a bigger disappointment than it actually was. From the blurb, it sounded that each character presented, except the kids, would have had a reason to kill Dallas Walker, a writer-in-residence of 1997. However, it left a lot to be desired. I mean, really, there were only two characters that could’ve done it and near the middle, you’ll realize it’s neither of them.
The author really went out of their way to make Dallas as unlikable as possible – preying on an underage girl (or even possibly more than one!), drugs, and taking boys to bars for some underage drinking. The buildup was fine but once Andi and Dallas entered their forbidden relationship, it was like he totally forgot how to hide his vices and might as well have done drugs in front of the billiards club he made. I understand that there must’ve been a reason for multiple people to want to kill him but at the same time, I really felt like the author had to hammer it in that “he deserved to die – he slapped a pregnant teenage girl!”
However, one point of view I truly did enjoy was Andi. She had been secretive about a lot of things regarding her epic breakup with Ian and even afterwards, she’d drown her secrets with wine (although I did start get a bit concerned when almost every chapter of hers, she’s downing a few more bottles) and started to become more and more desperate by sneaking to her husband’s journal to her daughter’s Google Drive folder for her journalism class. She really did have a strong case and a very strong enough reason to want to kill Dallas herself. But again, once you reach the mid-point, you’ll already scratch her off the suspect list.
For Cassidy, she’s written how a mother wishes her teenage daughter to be, except maybe hiding the boyfriend and the underage drinking (but hey, even fictional people can’t be perfect). A lot of her chapters dragged a little until she made the discovery about her mother’s bracelet. But then it dragged again until she makes the decision to go behind her teacher’s back and talk to a potential suspect the in-story cops had arrested. I honestly can’t complain too much about Cassidy other than by the end, I just didn’t care about her college prospects anymore – I wanted this book to end and it just almost wouldn’t.
However, as I mentioned before, Ian’s chapters were the weakest for me. Included in his subplot, he had borrowed money from Andi’s father, Simon, a wealthy “Hollywood-type” that Andi wanted little to do with even though he would do anything for her. It’s rather stupid of Ian to borrow money behind Andi’s back and when she found out, she literally whipped out of her phone and said, “Let’s finish this dumb sub-plot already.” Like, alright, nothing bad would’ve happened to him then.
If the author really wanted this father sub-plot to come up in some way, they probably could’ve had him put money into Glenlake too – making him a legacy as well and especially since it’s clear that no one really likes him (or respects him), it could’ve been an interesting angle to explore on the theme of legacies. Who do you accept as a legacy? How would others possibly view that even with the possibility of a scandal leaking out to the public?
Another thing too is that the story is fully focused on this academy. I never got the sense that the Copelands lived in their home or the city of St. Louis. Instead, the focus was on the academy – and that’s why I wondered why the author just couldn’t make Ian part of the board of trustees, or hell, even the new headmaster himself. Then they would’ve been able to gain access to the files they needed a lot easier and it would’ve made Cassidy under the ire of the students even more understandable other than just her taking all the glory and credit for their hard work.
One final thing, though the person who’s actually responsible for Dallas’s death was just as innocuous as most of the fluff, there’s way too much filler. There are sixty chapters and if you took half of it out, you’ll get the same results. Overall, just like the book, this review will meet an abrupt and random end.
That being said, I’m glad that I only borrowed this book instead of purchasing it for my Kindle First Choice. This story was told from three points of view – Andi, Ian, and Cassidy. Occasionally, the chapters would be mixed up with journal entries from both Andi and Ian from when they were in high school to make things a bit more interesting in terms of who they were versus who they are in the story’s present time. And already, I had a major issue with it – the focus was supposed to be on Glenlake Academy and, more specifically, the legacy of the Copelands.
When I first started to read this, I got the idea that the author wanted to present – Cassidy was the current point of view as she and her journalism class tried to figure out who Dallas Walker was and what had happened. Andi was the point of view of a previous generation and how she sees Cassidy after what she had been through. Ian, though, I had expected him to be from the point of view of the legacy itself or, to put it bluntly, the administrative point of view. Instead, while Andi’s point of view was the strongest, the weakest link had to be Ian’s.
Ian’s point of view were the chapters I honestly dreaded to read outside of his journal entries the most because it focused on a sub-plot about him owning a liquor store, or a very small franchise of one, to him almost being a victim of fraud. And truth to be told, it was very uneventful compared to the actual mystery at hand. Even and especially by its resolution, it seemed to even be pointless to be there in the first place.
I would’ve thought that since the Copelands, his parents especially, were the fifth generation of students to pass through Glenlake, that Ian would at the very least take a job there. It would’ve put some perspective on the administrative end of the mystery since Cassidy is taking the current seniors’ perspective and Andi for the alumni. It would’ve been a much more coherent way for the mystery to develop more and to lay more suspicion on Ian other than him signing off on his journal entries, “God, I totally want to kill him,” and it would’ve made the actual killer more understandable and less “Oh, yeah we all totally knew what was going on! We just never showed it on our faces because we care about the academy’s legacy that much!”
This book didn’t anger me specifically – it was more of a bigger disappointment than it actually was. From the blurb, it sounded that each character presented, except the kids, would have had a reason to kill Dallas Walker, a writer-in-residence of 1997. However, it left a lot to be desired. I mean, really, there were only two characters that could’ve done it and near the middle, you’ll realize it’s neither of them.
The author really went out of their way to make Dallas as unlikable as possible – preying on an underage girl (or even possibly more than one!), drugs, and taking boys to bars for some underage drinking. The buildup was fine but once Andi and Dallas entered their forbidden relationship, it was like he totally forgot how to hide his vices and might as well have done drugs in front of the billiards club he made. I understand that there must’ve been a reason for multiple people to want to kill him but at the same time, I really felt like the author had to hammer it in that “he deserved to die – he slapped a pregnant teenage girl!”
However, one point of view I truly did enjoy was Andi. She had been secretive about a lot of things regarding her epic breakup with Ian and even afterwards, she’d drown her secrets with wine (although I did start get a bit concerned when almost every chapter of hers, she’s downing a few more bottles) and started to become more and more desperate by sneaking to her husband’s journal to her daughter’s Google Drive folder for her journalism class. She really did have a strong case and a very strong enough reason to want to kill Dallas herself. But again, once you reach the mid-point, you’ll already scratch her off the suspect list.
For Cassidy, she’s written how a mother wishes her teenage daughter to be, except maybe hiding the boyfriend and the underage drinking (but hey, even fictional people can’t be perfect). A lot of her chapters dragged a little until she made the discovery about her mother’s bracelet. But then it dragged again until she makes the decision to go behind her teacher’s back and talk to a potential suspect the in-story cops had arrested. I honestly can’t complain too much about Cassidy other than by the end, I just didn’t care about her college prospects anymore – I wanted this book to end and it just almost wouldn’t.
However, as I mentioned before, Ian’s chapters were the weakest for me. Included in his subplot, he had borrowed money from Andi’s father, Simon, a wealthy “Hollywood-type” that Andi wanted little to do with even though he would do anything for her. It’s rather stupid of Ian to borrow money behind Andi’s back and when she found out, she literally whipped out of her phone and said, “Let’s finish this dumb sub-plot already.” Like, alright, nothing bad would’ve happened to him then.
If the author really wanted this father sub-plot to come up in some way, they probably could’ve had him put money into Glenlake too – making him a legacy as well and especially since it’s clear that no one really likes him (or respects him), it could’ve been an interesting angle to explore on the theme of legacies. Who do you accept as a legacy? How would others possibly view that even with the possibility of a scandal leaking out to the public?
Another thing too is that the story is fully focused on this academy. I never got the sense that the Copelands lived in their home or the city of St. Louis. Instead, the focus was on the academy – and that’s why I wondered why the author just couldn’t make Ian part of the board of trustees, or hell, even the new headmaster himself. Then they would’ve been able to gain access to the files they needed a lot easier and it would’ve made Cassidy under the ire of the students even more understandable other than just her taking all the glory and credit for their hard work.
One final thing, though the person who’s actually responsible for Dallas’s death was just as innocuous as most of the fluff, there’s way too much filler. There are sixty chapters and if you took half of it out, you’ll get the same results. Overall, just like the book, this review will meet an abrupt and random end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2021
3.5 stars
Not bad. Not bad at all. It kept me intrigued and guessing until “the big reveal”, it was a bit anticlimactic but an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded with the journaling excerpts from both Andi and Ian. I just felt like the ending fell just a little bit too short.
Andi and Ian are High school sweethearts and have been married for nearly two decades. The only time spent apart was when Andi broke up with Ian to find herself. Only to find herself sleeping with another guy.
Cassidy the daughter of Andi and Ian is finishing up her senior year and is kicking butt in her classes especially the journalism class in which a real investigative reporter is the teacher.
When the guy Andi was sneaking around with is discovered in his car submerged in a sink hole near their high school 20 years later old, painful memories are dredged up. Then when Cassidys journalism class is assigned to “work the case” Andi can’t help but feel like she needs to protect her secret. No can know the connection she had with this guy, not even Ian. She would cover her tracks even if it’s been 20 years she could not let her secret get out.
Not bad. Not bad at all. It kept me intrigued and guessing until “the big reveal”, it was a bit anticlimactic but an enjoyable read. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded with the journaling excerpts from both Andi and Ian. I just felt like the ending fell just a little bit too short.
Andi and Ian are High school sweethearts and have been married for nearly two decades. The only time spent apart was when Andi broke up with Ian to find herself. Only to find herself sleeping with another guy.
Cassidy the daughter of Andi and Ian is finishing up her senior year and is kicking butt in her classes especially the journalism class in which a real investigative reporter is the teacher.
When the guy Andi was sneaking around with is discovered in his car submerged in a sink hole near their high school 20 years later old, painful memories are dredged up. Then when Cassidys journalism class is assigned to “work the case” Andi can’t help but feel like she needs to protect her secret. No can know the connection she had with this guy, not even Ian. She would cover her tracks even if it’s been 20 years she could not let her secret get out.
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