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Drowning
Dean knows being different isn’t always a good thing. Trapped by the voices and visits from the dead, Dean is drowning. His father, allegedly drowned, and the friend who took his own life taunt like the school bullies he can’t seem to get away from. A sliver of hope breaks through when his mother announces they are moving. A chance for a fresh start for all of them. So why does she move them to the cottage near the river his father drowned in? The water begins to envelop him, threatening to pull him under, when Dean discovers nothing changes and the bullies find not only him, but his twin sister, Dee, as favorite targets. Dean’s personal struggles worsen as his tentative grasp on reality weakens. An unexpected hand plunges through the water toward him, bringing with it questions and a family secret that haunts them all.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 29, 2019
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7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 27, 2020
Dean Knight has some serious issues, the fog and violence, obvious mental health issues, and the ghosts of his dead best friend and father haunt him. His mother has moved Dean and his twin sister Dee back to the cabin they lived in years ago where his father committed suicide. Dean’s father haunts his time around the river along with a monster that lives in the water that is determined to get him.
Dean is foggy from a round of electroconvulsive therapy and is having a hard time remembering anything. But he is getting more glimmers of his past, especially his father and a beautiful lady. But Dean and Dee have a lot ahead of them as they start school. Dean has bullies he is trying to avoid and Dee is trying to protect him and find someone to love her. But their neighbors Roger and Ella may not be the ones that will save the twins.
My heart breaks for Dean and Dee. Their home life is horrible and they are just trying to survive in a cruel world. I really feel for Dean and all of the bullying he has gone through. I don’t blame him for being so violent. I was hoping and praying that they would get a happy ending after everything they go through.
Dean has some serious issues but he doesn’t get any help because there is no one really there to help him. The story goes round and around with this information with other events sprinkled throughout to breathes more life into it. In the end I have mixed feeling about it. I felt bad for Dean and Dee and I wanted to know how the story ends. But at the same time not much really happened that would make me want to pick this book up again.
I do think this is a good read and if you want a more honest approach to teen issues and mental health I recommend checking out this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Dean is foggy from a round of electroconvulsive therapy and is having a hard time remembering anything. But he is getting more glimmers of his past, especially his father and a beautiful lady. But Dean and Dee have a lot ahead of them as they start school. Dean has bullies he is trying to avoid and Dee is trying to protect him and find someone to love her. But their neighbors Roger and Ella may not be the ones that will save the twins.
My heart breaks for Dean and Dee. Their home life is horrible and they are just trying to survive in a cruel world. I really feel for Dean and all of the bullying he has gone through. I don’t blame him for being so violent. I was hoping and praying that they would get a happy ending after everything they go through.
Dean has some serious issues but he doesn’t get any help because there is no one really there to help him. The story goes round and around with this information with other events sprinkled throughout to breathes more life into it. In the end I have mixed feeling about it. I felt bad for Dean and Dee and I wanted to know how the story ends. But at the same time not much really happened that would make me want to pick this book up again.
I do think this is a good read and if you want a more honest approach to teen issues and mental health I recommend checking out this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
January 31, 2020
Steven Cross offers up a chilling look into teenage mental illness in the YA drama Drowning. I am truthfully having a hard time coming up with words that can describe my feelings about the novel.
As many of you know, I live with mental illness. My own and the various illnesses of my children. It is a hard road to walk and one that I would not wish on another soul for as long as I live. The way Steven talks about mental illness and the bullying, confusion, self-loathing, and full out anger at the world is nothing short of brilliant.
I assume that Cross is discussing the problems of mental illness in society today. Still, I must tell you that these same tactics have repeated throughout history. Unfortunately, in those days, it was just kids being kids, and there is more emphasis on zero-tolerance policies and all that crap. It is nothing more than history repeating itself generation after generation with no end in sight.
The way that Dean and Dee make it through in their own way with a dead father and a neglectful mother is astounding to me. The way that they fight with all their might to battle the demons within with nothing more than their own wits saddens me, but at the same time makes me admire them, even respect them.
Without giving away the entire plot, I cannot go on. Just know, Mr. Cross, that this novel has moved me. I will continue the fight where Dean and Dee couldn’t.
That being said, I award Drowning a full 5 out of 5 stars. I can’t force all of you out there to read this book, but please, for the sake of our children, give this book a read.
I would like to thank the author and R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy of Drowning in exchange for an honest review.
As many of you know, I live with mental illness. My own and the various illnesses of my children. It is a hard road to walk and one that I would not wish on another soul for as long as I live. The way Steven talks about mental illness and the bullying, confusion, self-loathing, and full out anger at the world is nothing short of brilliant.
I assume that Cross is discussing the problems of mental illness in society today. Still, I must tell you that these same tactics have repeated throughout history. Unfortunately, in those days, it was just kids being kids, and there is more emphasis on zero-tolerance policies and all that crap. It is nothing more than history repeating itself generation after generation with no end in sight.
The way that Dean and Dee make it through in their own way with a dead father and a neglectful mother is astounding to me. The way that they fight with all their might to battle the demons within with nothing more than their own wits saddens me, but at the same time makes me admire them, even respect them.
Without giving away the entire plot, I cannot go on. Just know, Mr. Cross, that this novel has moved me. I will continue the fight where Dean and Dee couldn’t.
That being said, I award Drowning a full 5 out of 5 stars. I can’t force all of you out there to read this book, but please, for the sake of our children, give this book a read.
I would like to thank the author and R&R Book Tours for providing me with a copy of Drowning in exchange for an honest review.
January 31, 2020
I found this to be a very impactful read. Most worlds I jump into don't touch on mental illness or mental health that often. While it might be touched on in passing, the books I pick up rarely focus on these issues. Drowning does not go this route. Instead, this book deals heavily with mental illness straight from the get go.
It deals with heavy topics such as bipolar disorder and suicide. It throws you into the minds of people who are not completely mentally healthy. This book throws a darker shade on the world than most books (I read) do, and it does so in an impactful way.
For my full review, check here: https://phantomofthelibrary.com/2020/...
It deals with heavy topics such as bipolar disorder and suicide. It throws you into the minds of people who are not completely mentally healthy. This book throws a darker shade on the world than most books (I read) do, and it does so in an impactful way.
For my full review, check here: https://phantomofthelibrary.com/2020/...
January 26, 2020
Drowning is a brilliant book told from two perspectives. I would have given this a five out of five, but the transitions aren't clearly marked and occasionally happen mid conversation which is confusing. It's absolutely captivating, and you can feel yourself immersed right from the start. You can feel everything Dean does, and see what he sees. You'll get chills, but won't be able to put this down.
February 7, 2020
A good book to read if you want an insight into mental illness. The story is good to follow . I cant wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews