Author: Caroline Smailes
Series: -
Genres: Contemporary, YA, Urban fantasy
Publisher: 4th Estate / HarperCollinsPublishers
Source: Paperback
Pages: 367
// Add to GoodReads // Amazon //
Series: -
Genres: Contemporary, YA, Urban fantasy
Publisher: 4th Estate / HarperCollinsPublishers
Source: Paperback
Pages: 367
// Add to GoodReads // Amazon //
BLURB:
An urban fairy tale from the acclaimed author of 99 Reasons Why.
Arthur Braxton runs away from school.
He hides out in an abandoned building, an old Edwardian bathhouse.
He discovers a naked woman swimming in the pool.
From this point on, nothing will ever be the same.
The Drowning of Arthur Braxton is an unflinching account of the pain and trauma of adolescence and of how first love can transform the most unhappy of lives into something miraculous. It is a dark and brooding modern fairy tale from one of our most gifted writers.
I received this book from the publishers for an honest review. I just want to take time to thank the publishers for giving me an opportunity to read such a wonderful book! Thank you so much. Also I love the card I shall continue to use it as a book mark because the cover of the book is just so beautiful!
THE WORLD: The world in this book is combined between the real (our world) and the fantasy, fairy, magical world. We also have time jumps in this book. So talking about this world, the plot takes place in Wales, where rain is like a part of the family. Nothing ever happens but rains and rains and rains. Of course there are teenager/young adult problems too - girls/boys and school! It's just an ordinary world...or so it seems! Simultaneously with it is another wold The Oracle world, where magic and other supernatural things happen! Believe me the two worlds are so beautifully combined that you don't even know which is which sometimes!
CHARACTERS: I wouldn't say that there is only one main character in the book, yes I mean Arthur Braxton is the key character and his name is in the title of the book, but to me he wasn't the lead. Okay but let's start with him. So Arthur is a young man who basically doesn't have a good life. His mom left him and his dad, and his dad got his heart broken so much she basically forgot how to be a human being, so Arthur has to be the son and father in the house. When we meet Arthur he is running away because a bully in school post an intimate picture of Arthur on Facebook. He just doesn't want to live anymore and decides to kill himself, when he steps into The Oracle. I liked Arthur as a character, he was funny, very he was kind and loving, and caring for his father. He did was any 18 or so year old guy would do, he wanted girls, he fell in love he showed off. He was a genuine character.
Now perhaps let me just clarify the name The Oracle, it's also a huge character in the book but it's not a person. It's a bathhouse, something like a spa if you may. And in the book The Oracle in the main character to my mind.
Okay so moving on, the character I absolutely loved was Laurel. She is fourteen or fifteen when the book starts and she starts to work in The Oracle for extra cash because her mom is basically a baby maker and nothing more. Lauren is smart she loves to read and wants to be a teacher. But we see how her life changes when she starts to work at The Oracle. She is basically seduced by Martin Savage, who works in the Oracle and he is the most awful person ever to live you guys! Hated him! But yeah, coming back to Laurel, I loved the way the book handled her story, how they showed what happened. Genius!
Now, when Arthur goes into the Oracle he finds two girls there, Laurel and Deplhina. Laurel is shy and doesn't speak to him and Delphina is bubbly and beautiful and they fall in love from the very first sight. Deplhina teaches Arthur how to swim, they have their first kiss, they connect and truly fall in love with one another, but there is one problem. No one else can see Delphina but Arthur. This is where the story gets interesting guys! I mean it's so confusing at the beginning but trust me later is all starts to make sense!
I also enjoyed other characters, such as Silver - who has the power of seeing people's life lines, in other word he reads palms and he keeps saying 'Run, Run for your life'. He is kind of a father figure for Delphina and a little for Laurel I think as well. We have Maddie, who is a beautiful singer and a number of other minor character.
Now I have to point out that all of them except Arthur live in The Oracle, and only Arthur can see them. Why? Well you need to read this book and find out!
Now perhaps let me just clarify the name The Oracle, it's also a huge character in the book but it's not a person. It's a bathhouse, something like a spa if you may. And in the book The Oracle in the main character to my mind.
Okay so moving on, the character I absolutely loved was Laurel. She is fourteen or fifteen when the book starts and she starts to work in The Oracle for extra cash because her mom is basically a baby maker and nothing more. Lauren is smart she loves to read and wants to be a teacher. But we see how her life changes when she starts to work at The Oracle. She is basically seduced by Martin Savage, who works in the Oracle and he is the most awful person ever to live you guys! Hated him! But yeah, coming back to Laurel, I loved the way the book handled her story, how they showed what happened. Genius!
Now, when Arthur goes into the Oracle he finds two girls there, Laurel and Deplhina. Laurel is shy and doesn't speak to him and Delphina is bubbly and beautiful and they fall in love from the very first sight. Deplhina teaches Arthur how to swim, they have their first kiss, they connect and truly fall in love with one another, but there is one problem. No one else can see Delphina but Arthur. This is where the story gets interesting guys! I mean it's so confusing at the beginning but trust me later is all starts to make sense!
I also enjoyed other characters, such as Silver - who has the power of seeing people's life lines, in other word he reads palms and he keeps saying 'Run, Run for your life'. He is kind of a father figure for Delphina and a little for Laurel I think as well. We have Maddie, who is a beautiful singer and a number of other minor character.
Now I have to point out that all of them except Arthur live in The Oracle, and only Arthur can see them. Why? Well you need to read this book and find out!
LOVE: Arthur and Delphina are in love and can do anything for one another! Laurel loves Delphina also but with a different kind of love.
PLUS: The story itself. It was so originals, so unique. I loved the way this book was written from different point of views of the characters. I think you got to understand them better!
PLUS: The story itself. It was so originals, so unique. I loved the way this book was written from different point of views of the characters. I think you got to understand them better!
MINUS: I feel like I had more questions after reading this :D I mean guys this book sucked me in so deep I literally couldn't stop thinking about it, and I feel that not all of my questions got answered at the end. Also I could have done without so many sexual references.
OVERALL: Overall, I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I was amazing! Seriously, I recommend every one to read it because you will not be disappointing with it! Let me just tell you that I want to drown together with Arthur!
OVERALL: Overall, I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book! I was amazing! Seriously, I recommend every one to read it because you will not be disappointing with it! Let me just tell you that I want to drown together with Arthur!
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