Holly Craig

One star is pushing it!

First and foremost, the only reason I did not DNF this is because I have an asinine rule of thumb that "no book gets left behind". I know, I know, it's ridiculous but for some gawd awful reason, I just can NOT bring myself to do it. After three months of dusting this book off each week and dreading having to return to my nightstand, this book couldn't have ended any sooner!

Now for my review...

The Shallows is a thriller that tries to explore the dark secrets and lies of the wealthy elite in Sydney, but fails to deliver any suspense, originality, or depth. The plot revolves around Emma, whose best friend Ariella is murdered, and her husband Charles, forces them to flee on their yacht. The book is full of clichés, stereotypes, and implausible twists that make the characters unlikable and the story unbelievable. The writing is bland, repetitive, and full of errors. The book is a shallow attempt at creating a gripping thriller, but it only succeeds in boring and frustrating the reader. I would not recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well-written, intelligent, and realistic thrillers.… (más)

The Shallows is a gripping novel about two women who are neighbors in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs. Emma and Ariella appear to have it all. They have expensive five story homes, wealthy husbands, and seemingly perfect lives. Both of them have dark secrets about their marriages that lurk beneath the surface. Ariella's secrets aren't too heavily buried. Her husband has a minder with her 24/7 and other neighbors have noticed. Mateo owns several strip clubs while Emma's husband Charles works for a security company. The two ladies slip notes to each other and share secrets when the minder isn't looking. Ariella's last message says she has a secret to share with Emma. However, Ariella was found murdered the next day after Emma’s daughter Kiki unknowingly filmed the killing while she made a You Tube video that she posted immediately. When Emma’s husband Charles forces the family to leave their perfect life and escape on their yacht, Emma feels trapped and tries to get answers from him. What or who are they hiding from? What did Ariella have to tell her? Does anyone else knows Emma’s own secret?

This story is a page turner. It is told from two perspectives. One is told three months in the past and the other is told in the current date. As the novel progresses three months become two, then one and then weeks. The suspense is ratcheted up from this literary device. Halfway through the book the story is only told in the present day.

I loved the characters. Both Emma and Ariella were sympathetic ladies. Both of the husbands were villains but Mateo is the ultimate villain. He runs a string of strip clubs where teenagers work and people regularly disappear. He cannot even trust his own wife although he probably had no idea she wanted to leave him. They married when she was just 18 and had no idea what life had in store for her. Ariella did not know much about Mateo's business but she knew enough to fear him. Emma’s two kids, Kiki and Cooper, are a big part of the plot too.

The Shallows is the debut novel of Holly Craig. It's amazing to me that her first book is this good.… (más)