The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water

 

When novelist Kendra Brennan moves into her grandfather's old cabin on Hidden  Lake, she has a problem and a plan.  The problem?  An inflammatory letter from A Very Disappointed Reader.  The plan? To confront Tyler, her childhood best friend's brother and the man who inspired her antagonist in her first book.  If she can prove that she told the truth about what happened during those long-ago summers, perhaps she can put the letter's claims to rest and meet the swiftly approaching deadline for her next book.

But what she discovers as she delves in to the murky past is not what she expected.  While facing Tyler isn't easy, facing the consequences of her failed friendship with his sister, Cami, may be the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

Let's jump right into the review.  The title and cover of this book is is intriguing and instantly caught my eye and was the main reason I wanted to read this book.  However, it didn't take me long to remember that this author is not one of my favorites. I am not a fan of first person narrative in a fictional novel so that was an instant draw back for me.  The story line was promising, but there were so many things I could not get past.  

The book could be "triggering" for some individuals as it touches on abuse.  Child molestation was very detailed and descriptive, as was a sex scene.  The abuser seemed to be justified because of their upbringing and this really bothered me.  The descriptiveness and the lack of faith portrayed in the book left me questioning how this is considered to be a Christian fiction title.  There was also drinking, bikini wearing and other things that I thought was not appropriate for the genre.  

Now, I have read books that are not "Christian fiction" and there is a difference considering this one is not laced with profanity, but it is not something I could in good conscience recommend, nor would I want a young teenager to pick it up.  So, even though I don't like to give negative reviews, I'm going to have to give this one two stars.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.