Book Review: The Drowning by Rachel Ward

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The Drowning
IF PART OF A SERIES
Author: Rachel Ward
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery
Released: April 29th 2014
Review Source: Chicken House

Water, water, everywhere: His brother has drowned, but Carl can't remember a thing. Until it all comes flooding back...with a vengeance. By the author of the internationally bestselling NUMBERS series.

With a jolt, Carl opens his eyes. He's on the bank of a lake, soaked to the bone. Rob, his brother, is being zipped up in a body bag. And a girl, drenched and trembling, is talking to the police. Who is she? What happened in the water? And why can't he remember any of it?

"Bring her to me . . ."
At first Carl thinks it's his grief speaking. Remembering Rob. The sound of his voice, things he used to say.

"Bring her to me . . ."
But then Carl starts to see him. Rob's face in the water before it washes down the drain. His ghost rising up from the puddles. His hands clawing out of the moldy, rain-rotted walls. Like a dripping tap, he won't stop. "Bring her to me!"

Rob may be dead. But he's not gone. Because he wants to finish what he started, and he won't go under alone.

By the author of the internationally bestselling NUMBERS series, THE DROWNING is a dark psychodrama about love and brothers, crimes and consequences, redemption and revenge.

Let me start by coming clean. From the start I had to fight off the urge to cheat and jump ahead to the last chapter!

Right from the start we are introduced to 15 year old Carl. He has woken after being pulled from a lake. He has no memory of how or why he is there but one thing he is sure of, that was his brother that was just zipped up and taken away in a body bag. And then there is the girl, the girl sitting across from him in the ambulance, crying. Who is she?

I cannot help but to feel sympathy for Carl, not only because of what he has woken up to, but for what waits for him at home. Carl lives at home with his mother, they both have just learned that his oldest brother has died as a result of a tragic accident, a drowning. I love the way the author tied all of the characters to Carl. It was easy to feel the way he felt about his mother, his brother and most of all, about the girl in the ambulance. However, I did not like Carl's brother from the beginning, just a few key sentences made the sympathy at his death just disappear.

What immediately begins to unfold is completely unexpected, I wouldn't say scary, but eery for sure. Carl is hearing voices, but not just any voice. And then there is the drip, the drip from the faucet.

This book was a lot of fun to read, it was exciting and it surprised me with the reasoning behind some of the events that occurred. I did would say that all ages will enjoy it, but you may have to read it with the all of your lights on!