Nik reviews: LEFT DROWNING by Jessica Park

Left Drowning

Jessica Park

Release Day: July 16

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 What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe? 

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning. 

This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content. 

Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

I was already committed to reading an eARC of another book by the time I received LD's eARC. I really had a hard time deciding which book to read first. I already started the other book but I wanted to start LD as well and weigh my emotions about the two books (cue music: torn between two lovers books). As I was expecting, Jessica had me gripped with her story on the first page. ON THE FUCKING FIRST PAGE. My dilemma has been solved by a freaking one page. What does that tells you huh? Well maybe that, THIS BOOK IS AMAZING.

Amazing story, amazing characters, amazingly written.

I'm not saying this just because Jessica is one of my favorite authors and that I made a pact to myself with my own blood (<< wait, don't take this literally) that I will read any book this author will ever write. I'm saying this because of what the book really is: AMAZING.

I don't know how to properly review this book without giving away so much spoilers but I will try my best to not spoil it for you guys who are reading this and haven't read LD yet.

Blythe McGuire - a nineteen year old college student in Matthews who has to go through a tragic event of losing her parents right in front of her eyes and destroying the dreams her brother James had happily weaved. She honestly believe that it was her entire fault, and so four years had already passed but she hasn't really moved on. She chose to detach herself from people surrounding her and decided to just watch her life continues from the outside. Just when she thought her life will just be this monotonous berating of herself, she met Chris.

Christopher Shepherd - a nineteen year old college student in Matthews who cares deeply enough for his three siblings that he chose to bottle-in all the pain he went through during his childhood. After leaving their pasts behind, he thought everything would finally be all right and he's in control now. But really, it was just the beginning for him and his sibs before their haunting pasts come crashing down on them.

Blythe + Chris - an inexplicable draw between these two characters could be felt the moment they first met. It was wonderfully emotional. I felt raw pain for these two characters trying to struggle against the pull of their fucked-up histories hoping they will both win, one way or another.

Shepherd sibs (Sabin, Estelle and Eric) - a set of colorful characters that guided Blythe toward the water's surface and helped her breathe again. Despite their own shitload pasts, they were able to save Blythe from drowning. Blythe found a family with this crazy bunch; a family that she thought was completely lost on her.

The conflict in this book was written in a way you could never imagine. I wonder where Jessica got it? Oh yes, of course from her wonderful brain that I wish I have an access to.

This book, by far, is the best book she has ever written. Every character, and by 'every' I mean ALL of the characters, will leave a mark on whatever will be left of your fragile heart after reading this novel. This book will tear you open like floodgates. So yeah, take that as a warning. It is one hell of an emotional ride that I wasn't ready to end.

Jessica has always had a way with words and writes like nobody else. And I would kill for her fucking humor, too. Sure, creative writing can be learned but this girl seriously has the gift of careening words to make a beautiful story.

And holy shit, can she write sex scenes! Like for real. Like, volcanic-hot sex scenes. This woman knows steamy. Yes. I didn't get much of it from FOL and FOM so when I was reading LD and I am on "THAT" part, I was like WTH it's seven-fucking-o'clock in the morning and I feel like needing the coldest shower with water straight from Antarctica. Holy mother of penguins-living-in-the-arctics. So if you are wondering what that note on the blurb is for, well you got the answer: sex steamier than your favorite ramen. Ooops. ;)

Below are my twitter antics when I was reading LD. Yep, that's me: bitch gone crazy.

I hope Jess didn't think that it was a ginormous mistake on her part giving me an eARC with all the tweet-bugging she experienced from me. LOL

And I just want to take this opportunity to thank Jessica for giving me the chance to read this book in advance before all the world read and gush about it. THANK YOU. You just made this month one of the best birthday months of my life. Seriously.

I decided not to include quotes, YET. I'm afraid I might quote the whole book and ruin it for you guys. Maybe I'll update this post and include my favorite quotes on the release day.

So there, if I haven't expressed how I loved this book so much the way I reviewed it I don't know how else to do it. Oh yes, maybe I can by giving a rating? I know there's a post somewhere in my blog about the ratings I give but I will make ONE exception for this book.

 one billion stars until you are all LEFT DROWNING

Note: eARC provided by Jessica Park. I don't know if for an honest review or she just found me annoying and gave me a copy so I can shut the hell up. LOL. Love you, Jess! *wink*