At least once a month, I will try to post a book review. Sometimes it will be a book I read years ago, other times I will have just turned the last page and feel like writing a review.
My reviews will always be about a book I rated with either 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads and/or Amazon. There are soooo many books available for readers to choose from—and to choose to buy—that I want to save you readers both selection time and hard-earned money. I want to give you “the best bang for your buck.” So, even though there are some 3-star books that are still “good,” I’ll only post reviews about the “better” and “best” books I’ve read.
Goodreads’ rating system: Amazon’s rating system:
3 stars = I liked it 3 stars = It’s okay
4 stars = I really liked it 4 stars = I like it
5 stars = It was amazing 5 stars = I love it
Today’s novel popped into my head because of Hurricane Harvey. I live about three hours from the coast, so ol’ Harvey and all the rain this hurricane will dump this weekend in my part of town is being talked about non-stop.
In Canyon Lake, our concern is mostly flash flooding. We get a lot of that around here, so we also have several people who are driving home from work, they come to a low-water crossing, and suddenly it floods over and that person is surrounded by water and stranded in their vehicle. This image is why I thought of Wreckage. The main characters were in a plane crash, and they were stranded and surrounded by water – because they are on a deserted island.
***** 5 STARS *****
for Wreckage by Emily Bleeker
Back Cover Book Blurb
Lillian Linden is a liar. On the surface, she looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost two years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings overnight. But they can’t tell the real story—so they lie.
The public is fascinated by the castaways’ saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall—a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program—isn’t buying it. She suspects Lillian’s and Dave’s explanations about the other crash survivors aren’t true. And now, Genevieve’s determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.
In this intriguing tale of survival, secrets, and redemption, two everyday people thrown together by tragedy must finally face the truth…even if it tears them apart.
My August 2017 Review
Superb. You’d never think Wreckage is Emily Bleeker’s debut novel because her writing skills already are on par with some of my favorite seasoned authors, such as Jodi Picoult, Anita Shreve, Elin Hilderbrand, and Jane Porter.
This intriguing book kept me furiously flipping pages because it was just so good that I kept wanting to discover what happened next—and find out in a hurry!
Bleeker excelled at keeping the suspense level high all the way to the end of the novel. She kept my curiosity piqued about the final decision the main character Lillian would make regarding her husband Jerry and her fellow castaway Dave. Bleeker really kept me guessing though about the character Paul, and why was he such a big secret, and about the journalist Genevieve, what lie did she know about that she was going to try to force Lillian and Dave to reveal during their TV interviews.
The author’s choice to set up this book in an alternating chapter format really worked well for keeping me interested. Bleeker switched each chapter between the point of view of Lillian or Dave, and every other chapter also changed from the present-day events to the past time situations that occurred over a span of almost two years being stranded on a deserted island.
I loved the author’s ability to depict the setting so well that I actually felt like I was right on that island, or in that house, or at that hotel room. What impressed me even more though was Bleeker’s talent at characterization. She showed both through action and inner dialogue what was “inside the heads” of Lillian and Dave (and husband Jerry), and made me really “feel for” these characters, especially in regards to how the whole situation affected their spouses and children.
Wreckage was a fantastic read I highly recommend you check out, and I certainly will tell all my family and friends to read this book.
Sounds like a wonderful story full of suspense and secrets. I can’t wait to read it!