'The Girl Who Stopped Swimming' by Joshilyn Jackson revolves around a gripping mystery involving the drowning of a neighborhood child in the main character's pool. The story follows Laurel Hawthorne, a mother who can see ghosts, as she navigates through a crisis triggered by the appearance of the ghost of her daughter's best friend. As the plot unfolds, family secrets, relationships, and the dark underbelly of Southern USA life are expertly intertwined, keeping readers engaged with unexpected twists and turns. Jackson's writing style immerses readers in the characters' lives, making them bond with the complex and flawed individuals populating the novel.
The narrative skillfully delves into the complexities of family dynamics, supernatural elements, and the collision of different worlds. With a mix of mystery, suspense, and emotional depth, the book explores themes of love, commitment, and the consequences of past actions. The characters, particularly Laurel and her sister Thalia, are portrayed with intense realism, adding layers to the storytelling and creating a remarkable atmosphere that resonates with readers long after finishing the book.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Triggers include themes surrounding the death of a child, grief, and hauntings, which may be emotionally challenging for some readers.
Has Romance?
The presence of romance is medium; while it is not the central plot, the relationship between the main character and her husband is a significant subplot.
From The Publisher:
Laurel Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother make sure the literal family skeleton stays in the closet or turning scraps of fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister Thalia, an impoverished Actress with a capital A, is her polar opposite, priding herself on exposing the lurid truth lurking behind middle class niceties. While Laurel's life seems neatly on track-a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, and a lovely home in suburban Victorianna-everything she holds dear is suddenly thrown into question the night she is visited by the ghost of a her 13-year old neighbor Molly Dufresne. The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is inexplicable-an unseemly mystery Laurel knows no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Only her wayward, unpredictable sister is right for the task, but calling in a favor from Thalia is like walking straight into a frying pan protected only by Crisco. Enlisting Thalia's help, Laurel sets out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about her family's guarded past, the true state of her marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.
Richer and more rewarding than any story Joshilyn Jackson has yet written, yet still packed with Jackson's trademarked outrageous characters, sparkling dialogue, and defiantly twisting plotting, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING is destined both to delight Jackson's loyal fans and capture a whole new audience.
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1 comment(s)
Ugh, gothic as they come. LOVED it.
What can you read after
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming?
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