Book Review - Into The Water by Paula Hawkins

Book Review

Title: Into The Water

Author: Paula Hawkins

Published: May 2017

Rating: 45/100

Review:

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins Book Cover
Into the Water Cover
(Review From Goodreads)

I enjoyed The Girl on the Train (TGT) so I gave Into the Water (ITW) a shot, hoping for the same level of murder, mystery and intrigue. Whatever I was hoping for, I didn't get it. Here are 3 reasons why.

1. Too many characters, none of them likeable

Hawkins follows the same chapter format she used in TGT, giving character-based perspectives. However, in ITW, there are so many characters (10+) that it's almost impossible to keep track of them all. I was listening to the audio book and, every time I started a new chapter, I'd have to take a few seconds to remember who the person was and how they slotted into the story. It wasn't until I was 30-40% into the book that I had a clear grasp on who each person was and what their role in the story was.

George RR Martin is the undisputed master at doing character-based perspectives and, granted, he arguably also has too many characters. The difference is that his characters are juicy, vastly different and many of them are likeable. I'm not suggesting that all characters have to be likeable, but if they aren't likeable, they need to be juicy, i.e. be interesting and loathsome, like Cersei Lannister. Hawkins did this with Rachel in TGT, but failed to do it in ITW.

Martin also deftly weaves his characters into the overarching story in a way that makes it easier to follow. Hawkins, on the other hand, seems to bounce around from character to character (and back in time) whenever she feels like it. She also includes characters that never needed a perspective in the first place, like Josh. A good chunk of this novel's chapters just felt like filler content.

2. It's slow and the pay off at the end is not worth the slog

There is nothing wrong with a slow book ... if the slowness is building up to something big and worthwhile. If you force someone to walk through a dry desert you must give them an oasis at some point. In ITW, there is no oasis and no light at the end of the tunnel. ITW is just pure darkness, from start to finish.

I predicted how the novel would end shortly after meeting the eventual killer's character early on in the book. It was so predictable I figured Hawkins would blind side me, but I was mistaken.

3. There are underdeveloped themes and unanswered questions

Hawkins struck gold when she landed on the 'Drowning Pool' concept. The very idea that a body of water had some mystical power that made women commit suicide was very interesting to me, as a reader who loves his fantasy and science fiction. She peppered this delectable plot device with a sprinkling of 'dead witches' and a character who could speak to the dead. At this point, my fingers were crossed that Hawkins was going to delve off into supernatural territory and the resulting end of the novel would be a complete twisted surprise, like a character possessed by the spirit of a long dead witch... but no, it was like she teased me the entire novel and decided not to give me any relief at the end. Shame on you Paula, shame.

Then there are the many unanswered questions. What really did happen to Henderson? Was the house, cottage and entire town of Beckford really haunted? What was the real truth behind the 'Mad Annie' character?

Summary

Hawkins is a great writer who can certainly spin a complicated tale and keep you interested, however ITW missed the mark in my opinion. It was a great concept and had a lot of potential, but the "waters" were just too murky and hard to wade through.

Who will like this book?

If you absolutely loved Paula's last book The Girl on the Train, and rated it a 9/10 or more, you'll probably really enjoy Into the Water. If you rated it any less than a 9/10, you'll probably feel underwhelmed by it like I did.

Comments