Disclaimer: I received this e-arc and book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Summer I Drowned

Author: Taylor Hale

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 2.5/5

Recommended For...: thrill seekers

Publication Date: July 7, 2020

Genre: YA Thriller

Recommended Age: 15+ (mental health, almost drowning, violence)

Publisher: Wattpad Books

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Five years after almost drowning, Olivia Cathart returns home to Caldwell Beach determined to face her fears and take some risks―not just by swimming, but by opening her heart. Hoping to rekindle her friendships, she’s excited about a carefree summer with her best friends Keely and Miles. But life in the sleepy town has changed, and no one and nothing is as it seems.

When a series of startling crimes threaten Olivia’s fragile state, she is plunged into a terrifying game of cat and mouse. Her only solace from the chaos is West, Miles’s disowned and ruggedly handsome brother, but even he can’t answer the question on everyone’s minds―is Olivia really in danger or is it simply all in her head?

Review: Overall, this is a pretty good book. The book has a good plot for most of the book and the book does well world building wise and character development wise.

However, there are a lot of problems with this book. The book needs another round of editing in my opinion because there were a lot of adjectives and clunky writing. The book was also not written the best. The book is really hard to get into and is even harder to stay into. It takes a lot of focus to make it through this book and honestly, my interest in the story dropped off at about 70% through. Also, I have a quip about some of the mental health aspects of the book. In short, the author needs to research hallucinations and mental health more to make it more realistic instead of a barely passable lie.

Verdict: It was good, just needs more work.