August 10,2017 DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT

Have you ever felt like you've been hit by a train?? Well, after the birth of my first child, I literally felt like I'd been run over NOT ONLY by a train--but also a tractor trailer and then a bus. NOT KIDDING.  They kicked me out of the hospital--bleeding like a river--broken blood vessels NOT only in my face but also both eyes-- I WAS A PRETTY SIGHT--with this newborn/alien to boot. What the hell was I supposed to do with him??  I felt totally INCOMPETENT in every way. MOTHERHOOD was a mystery and I didn't have a clue.  THIS WAS A TOUGH TIME FOR ME-- I felt like I'd lost my identity and was drowning in this foreign land. Some women are genetically geared to be selfless caretakers--NOT ME. When I think back now--I was probably depressed for the first year-- overwhelmed--by the AWESOME responsibility. I only wish I knew THEN what I know NOW--but some things can only be learned in hindsight. I definitely enjoyed my daughter--born two years later and ESPECIALLY my son--born nine years later--SO MUCH MORE. By then, I'd learned to appreciate every second with my precious newborns--it's a stage that's gone in the blink of an eye.

Talk about disappearing acts, several characters in Paula Hawkins newest thriller Into The Water disappeared in the blink of an eye too.

If you are interested in reading Hawkin's new book, I highly recommend a character map or you will be utterly confused. The story is told through several characters with each chapter only 2-4 pages long. This is probably intended to keep the reader off balance, but I found it hard to follow. I read at least 100 pages before I understood the the plot. Jules is the main character of this thriller. She grew up on a river--near the drowning pool--infamous for several mysterious deaths of women.  Jules is called back home after the suspicious drowning of her sister, Nel. After returning home, Jules has to confront her past--a past she would have rather left behind.  In doing so, she is forced to reevaluate many decisions she has made in her life including cutting her sister out of her life several years earlier. Nel's death and the investigation that ensues stirs up trouble in their close knit community and old buried questions come to light again regarding the other women who have  drown in the pool including Libby, Lauren, and  her niece's best friend Katie. How did these women really end up in the pool? Did they commit suicide or were they killed because they were "women who got in the way"? Find out when you read  this novel of 380 pages. FYI--I also had trouble getting into Hawkin's hugely successful book Girl on a Train so give this one a try and see what you think. It will probably be the next great movie so it's worth the read. The ending which is supposed to be a shocker,  seemed more like a  dud to me too.  Sorry.  This is an easy read so it's really only a 3.5 mile run. Let me know what you think.