Into the Water by Paula Hawkins opens with single mother Nel Abbott being found dead at the bottom of a river, an apparent suicide that immediately raises questions. Nel had been investigating the deaths of other women who were also found in the same river over the centuries, making her own death feel unsettling from the very start. Her sister, Jules Abbott, is called back to town to identify the body and to take responsibility for Nel’s teenage daughter, Lena. Jules is forced to confront both her strained relationship with Nel and the dark history surrounding the river and the town itself.
When I first heard that Paula Hawkins was releasing another novel titled Into the Water, I was genuinely excited. I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train, and because of that, I expected her second novel to be just as gripping, if not better. I intentionally avoided reading reviews for Into the Water because I didn’t want my expectations shaped by other readers’ opinions. Unfortunately, I kept procrastinating on buying the book or checking it out from the library, which only increased the chances of accidentally seeing reviews or hearing friends talk about it before I had a chance to read it myself.
I probably would have put it off even longer if one of the book clubs I belong to hadn’t chosen Into the Water as a December discussion pick. I finally bought the book on November 12 while at Target and started reading it that same day, but I didn’t get very far. The story just wasn’t pulling me in the way I hoped it would. It wasn’t until the following Sunday that I really committed to reading it, mostly because I was determined to finish at least one more book before the end of November.
At just 386 pages, I expected the plot to gain momentum fairly early on, ideally within the first 100 pages. Instead, I found myself waiting and waiting for something ... anything ... to happen. Paula Hawkins spends a significant amount of time setting up the story, and it wasn’t until around page 150 that we were given even the smallest hint of intrigue. A few pages later, there was another tiny reveal, but the pacing remained slow. It wasn’t until the final 100 pages that the story finally came to life, and even then, the ending felt rather anti-climactic. I was honestly surprised by how uneventful much of the novel felt.
That said, Into the Water does have some redeeming qualities. I really liked the way each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, as it provides insight into what everyone is thinking and experiencing. However, I do think Hawkins went a bit overboard with this approach, as there were simply too many narrators, which made it harder to fully connect with any one character. I also liked the overall concept of the story. The idea behind the river, its history, and the women connected to it had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it felt as though that potential wasn’t fully realized, almost as if the book was rushed or the author was struggling with writer’s block while under pressure to deliver.
Overall, Into the Water was just okay for me, which is why I rated it 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. It’s definitely worth reading, especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers with multiple perspectives. However, if you absolutely loved The Girl on the Train, there’s a good chance you may find Into the Water somewhat disappointing in comparison.
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I felt that way about Girl on a Train; it was going nowhere slowly. I got so frustrated with the repetitive pace of that novel that I haven't been sucked into the publishing frenzy around Into The Water and won't be buying it. I'm just sorry I didn't use the same criteria for Fiona Burton's The Child. Her previous novel The Widow was only alright so I should have suspected her second attempt would be worse.
ReplyDeleteOh, that is good to know. I was wondering about Fiona Burton's books. I've been wanting to give her a try.
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