Review: The Summer I Drowned

 So, I'd found this book across Z-library and you cannot imagine the sheer amount of shock I got when I found out that it was a Wattpad book. I mean, I can sadly admit I had a dark Wattpad phase and I've even reviewed a Wattpad book earlier, so.... you know.

Five years after almost drowning, Olivia Cathart returns home to Caldwell Beach determined to face her fears and take some risks―not just by swimming, but by opening her heart. Hoping to rekindle her friendships, she’s excited about a carefree summer with her best friends Keely and Miles. But life in the sleepy town has changed, and no one and nothing is as it seems.

When a series of startling crimes threaten Olivia’s fragile state, she is plunged into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Her only solace from the chaos is West, Miles’s disowned and ruggedly handsome brother, but even he can’t answer the question on everyone’s minds―is Olivia really in danger or is it simply all in her head?

QUICK THOUGHTS AND REVIEW: 3.7/5, INTERESTING, BUT I THINK IT COULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BETTER.

Possible Trigger Tags:

1. Mentions of mental disorders

2. Mentions of meds

3. PTSD

4. Underage drinking

5. Slight implications of abuse

6. Gaslighting

WHAT DID I FEEL ABOUT THE  BOOK'S: 

1. Writing Quality: Well, the writing quality certainly isn't headache inducing, which I guess is a start from Wattpad books. I have been scarred by Wattpad original fiction in general and I don't think that I'll ever be able to recover from it. I don't think anyone who had an old Wattpad phase ever will. Ao3 has fiction in much better grammar I swear to god. But yeah, this book was a break when it came to that because the writing's pretty much straightforward and doesn't contain the phrases that scarred me for life.

2. Character Development: Coming down to this, ehehehehehhehhehe.

Liv: I mean, she is the protagonist, and I would like to thank whatever God is out there that caused the author to actually provide a proper rep to PTSD and episodes related to trauma. Because good lord the other book mentioned PTSD too and god fucking damn, that book was like the worst representation of PTSD that I have seen. Other than that I feel that she's a very stereotypical character. I think that is her negative point because it brings down character points by quite a bit. Not that I don't enjoy stereotypes, I really do, just, it doesn't fit here.

Keely: I think that she's a dhabba in the name of a best friend. A fucking disgrace. I'd forgotten the English word for disgrace lmao. I mean, she's supposed to be the friend who like drifted away but I think that she's simply a bad friend. That's what she is. A Bad friend.

Miles: Alpha male. Die. Manz just wanted everything to be his way or just gaslit everything if it didn't. Pussy. He deserved to die.

West: Another alpha male who just happens to care for Liv. Okay, in some ways he can seen be as a nice person but I think that his character isn't much developed as a romantic interest? There were many potential points where Weston's character could have been developed, but I guess that was just a sad attempt.

3. Couldn't put it down- Ness: 7/10. Pretty much no romance and smooching, so yeah, I guess coming from a Wattpad book, it sure is something.

4. Plot Twists: I guess the plot twists were kind of decent. To the best I guess. Introducing the like, PTSD factor in the end was like a very anti-climatic thing for me. I mean, it did make sense in some cases but I feel like by introducing the PSTD factor and the episode thing in the end made it very anti-climatic for me. The redemption arc by death, yeah, also not a big factor for me. Very no-ish. 

5. Plot: The plot, is also, very much incorporated into mystery, thank goodness. But I am kind of disappointed because the synopsis described killings and stuff and I thought, even half expected that someone would be murdered but kinda disappointed and sad that it was just animals. Not gonna lie, it doesn't even feel like a real mystery/thriller until and unless someone's been murdered. Let's be real. But yeah, otherwise the plot's fine. It's nice, and mysterious and it actually focuses more on the other parts than the romance. Though a lot of it focuses on the romance, which I guess is the like, main quota of Wattpad books existing.   

OVERALL, AN OKAY READ, defo better than the other book. 

Also have this pic because it makes me happy.