REVIEW: Drowning Above Water by Alyssa Herron @DarK_YarN
Drowning Above Water
by Alyssa Herron
Thank you to Alyssa for this gorgeous copy in return for my honest review.
A raw and emotional look into a girl's harrowing journey to make good in her life.
Learn more about the book and author HERE.
Self-Published
Publish Date: September 20, 2017
Paperback
203 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Contemporary, Literary Fiction
Drowning Above Water is the story of a troubled young girl, barely clinging to life. She is trafficked across the waters to America by her own mother in an attempt to save her life. Twenty years later, she becomes pregnant. She escapes in an attempt to save her own child's life, to deliver her baby to a safety and love she never knew. If she can give a lasting goodness to an innocent life, maybe her own was worth the pain of living.
My Review:
This debut novel grabbed my heart, twisted it, made it cringe and then spit it back at me. This is truly a raw, harrowing and heart breaking story of a girl who has been put through the wringer, and worst, by her own family - and her journey to make good in life.
Herron writes with a fluidity that makes me feel as if I'm floating beside Malina... from the dark bowels of the ship she was put upon to cross the ocean to her fearful journey as she tries to find safety for a child she's not even sure will make it. The subject matter may be hard for some readers. Human trafficking, rape, sexual abuse, etc. aren't easy subject matters to contend with. There are definitely scenes that had me cringing and wanting to just enfold Malina (among others) into my arms and to some type of safety from what they had to go through. The fact that I was feeling SO much is a testament to Herron's writing. I never felt anything was overdone for the sake of shock value or unnecessary. It was all smooth transitions. I cannot begin to express how much her writing just drew me in from page one until the very end.
Going with Malina on her present journey after finding out she's pregnant to flashbacking to her past as we see how she came to be in such a predicament. Is anyone right in these situations? They're all certainly wrong in their own way. When you know nothing different, do you really feel you have other choices?
A hard, emotional and engaging read. It's hard to believe this is her debut novel and I certainly hope Herron continues to gift us with more writing.
★★★★★
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