I’ve
read a lot of books.
Few like this.
I’ve
read books that wowed me with the twist at the end. I’ve read books that were so-so
yet had enough entertainment value to rate them worthwhile—and books that didn’t.
I’ve read books that were of significance in the societal story they told. I’ve
read books that made me laugh, books that made me cry, books that swept me away
to a make-believe existence. But every once in a very long while, I read a book
that grabs something inside of me and shakes it—grabs and won’t let go, pulling
me into the life of a character so completely that I’m somehow melded with them
in their struggle.
To
say I was invested in this character is a gross understatement. This is the
kind of investment for which authors strive. Alicen McCaffrey begins her story quite unlikeable. A self-absorbed well-to-do, shallow, detached . . . Alicen quickly became someone I felt deeply sorry for—not just sympathetic, but my heart broke for her as I shared in her unbearable grief and resulting sickness.
Having a brother with severe
mental illness likely pulled me even stronger into this story. Witnessing his
schizophrenia, it’s not hard to picture a non-existent world so real that you not
only can touch it but be threatened by it—even to the point of death. Stay away
if you are uncomfortable with a close-up story of grief and delusions. There were
a few times early in where I wondered if this book would haunt me, leaving a scar on my
sanity. Happy to say it didn’t. It just left a mark on my heart of a character
so real I prayed she would make it through the darkness.
One minute I believed this was
happening. A page later—no, it’s that. (Avoiding spoilers here.) The author is
skilled at keeping me guessing throughout. The further I ventured, the harder
it was to put down. I lost sleep. I love that about a book.
After finishing the last page
(very late), my mind filled with tags: freaky, crazy, emotional, spiritually
lifting, joy, grief, light, darkness, evil, goodness. Everything. Every emotion
rolled into a very involved and evolving battle. I am desperate to forget everything about
this book so that I can read it again with the same hope, fear, heartache, joy.
In
other words, I really liked it. I give this book FIVE stars (because that’s the
max.) I can’t wait to get my hands on another by this author. I guess I should
ad that it’s well written and edited, and that the characters are well developed.
Available
for pre-buy now, When Through Deep Waters releases on July 3.
I
received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my
own.
