Book Blog #235: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

Title: Into the Water
Author: Paula Hawkins
# of Pages: 386 (paperback)
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Synopsis: In the last days before her death, Nel called her sister. Jules didn’t pick up the phone, ignoring her plea for help. Now Nel is dead. They say she jumped. And Jules has been dragged back to the one place she hoped she had escaped for good, to care for the teenage girl her sister left behind. But Jules is afraid. So afraid. Of her long-buried memories, of the old Mill House, of knowing that Nel would never have jumped. And most of all she’s afraid of the water, and the place they call the Drowning Pool...
Review:

 “She just wanted the truth. The truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth” (314).

 I'll start out with what I enjoyed about the book. I loved trying to puzzle out the truth behind the deaths that occurred at in the river. However, this may be attributed to my interest in the mystery/thriller genre. Regardless, I was gripped by the suspense of the story.

That being said, there were a lot of issues with the story. There's my biggest pet peeve: first person POV switching. I understand why it was done this way; each character had to tell their version of the truth. Every character believes their side of the story is the real side of the story, and through these different perspectives, the reader is suppose to piece together what really happened to the girls who died in the river. However, this means there's A LOT of overlap between perspectives on the same parts of the story, which is the biggest pitfall of POV switching.

But if first person POV switching isn't confusing enough, there are way too many characters. Although some characters played crucial roles in piecing together this puzzle, others were morel like extras in the story (where their perspective isn't necessary). This book could have benefited from less POVs.

While I was reading, I thought a lot about a book I read a long time ago called Nothing But the Truth which was named after the sworn oath a person would take before testifying (see the second sentence in the quote at the top of this review). Both books observe a situation from different perspectives (and as a result leave major plot holes in their wake), but one is meant for adults and one is meant for younger readers. Nothing But the Truth received a lot of criticism, but part of me wonders whether Into the Water would have received similar treatment if it had to be dumbed down to a children's book.

Suspense novels kind of scare me, and this book was no exception which is why I won't be rereading this book anytime soon. I do admit it was an enthralling read, but it definitely had major issues. I wouldn't put it at the top of your to-read list, but if you are interested in the genre and aren't bothered by POV switching and some mysteries being left unsolved, be my guest.