|
THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING
Joshilyn Jackson
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 0-446-57965-3
March 2008 (hard cover)
Mystery
Joshilyn Jackson will spook and entertain readers
with her surreal novel, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING.
When Laurel is awakened by the presence of a ghostly
girl in her bedroom, Laurel doesn’t know if she is awake
or dreaming. Following the ghost to her bedroom window,
Laurel looks down into her swimming pool and discovers
the horrifying sight of a teenaged girl floating dead.
Throughout the course of the investigation into the
girl’s death, Laurel cannot help but think that there is
something seriously wrong. Laurel needs her sister,
Thalia, to help her shield her daughter from further
problems. Laurel’s husband, David, dislikes Thalia, and
he calls for Laurel’s mother instead. Having escaped
from the poverty-stricken town of DeLop, Laurel’s mother
has the skewed ability to turn a blind eye to anything
that is unpleasant, and the last thing Laurel needs is
to play nice with her mother and father instead of
finding out the truth behind the teenager’s death.
Laurel’s daughter, Shelby, has a pen pal from DeLop who
has come to visit, and Bet is the type of reminder that
Laurel’s mother hates to see. Assuring everyone that she
is taking Bet home, Laurel visits her sister instead and
asks for help. Wherever Thalia goes, trouble is sure to
occur, and when she joins Laurel in investigating the
murder, everything begins to come apart. Laurel
discovers truths about her family, her sister, her
marriage, and herself. Only after discovering these
truths can she possibly stop the murderer from striking
again.
THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING is a shocking mystery, and
readers will be driven to inhale this one! The novel is
about Laurel, rather than the mystery, and the surreal
feel of the novel drives the plot. Readers will be left
completely surprised by the ending, and the culprit is
the last person anyone would suspect. The havoc Thalia
brings with her shakes up Laurel’s entire household, and
readers may be left feeling a bit shaken as well.
Although the unusual way in which Laurel deals with
Thalia may leave readers uncertain, the conclusion of
THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING is highly satisfying.
Reviewed by Angela Etheridge
Rating: 4 |
