Thicker Than Water

by Brigid Kemmerer

[Jo]

2.5 Stars.

Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.

After loving Letters to the Lost and falling in love with Kemmerer's writing all over again, I picked up Thicker Than Water straight away. But now, having read it, I'm a little disappointed.

Not because the story was bad, it wasn't. I loved both Thomas and Charlotte, their individual voices and their chemistry together. I was intrigued by the mystery; who killed Thomas' mum, why did they, and how did they get into a locked house? But for a lot of the book, Thomas is arrested several times over, or Charlotte is hanging out with Thomas when her family - which includes three older brothers and a father who are all cops - warn her away from him, certain he murdered his mother. The book is told from both perspectives, so we, the readers, know Thomas didn't kill his mum, but Charlotte doesn't know that for definite, and she just keeps meeting up with him despite all she's told. It just seemed really stupid to me. I know Thomas was a good guy, but that doesn't excuse reckless behaviour from someone who doesn't. I know, if Charlotte didn't keep hanging out with Thomas, there wouldn't really be a story, but I just kept thinking, "What are you doing?!" Even more so given the fact that Charlotte is also diabetic, and with regards to her food intake and sugar levels, she's not as on the ball as she normally is when around him, and puts her health at risk.

Other than that, not a huge amount happens, not until pretty much the last 30% of the book. We find out a few things, and the story gets more interesting... and then all of a sudden, there is a huge climax 95% where we get our answers, and then the book ends. So abruptly! It just seemed so bizarre to me that there's nothing much happening for a great deal of the book, and then for everything to happen in the last 5%. Everything happens so fast, and then it ends. There are still unanswered questions. So many. And just behaviour at the end that I don't think was realistic. In spoilers, because I can't talk about it otherwise.


Knowing that Thomas is an empath, and can heighten emotions, why would either one of them want to be with the other? I mean, how do they know that what Charlotte feels is real? Thomas hasn't yet got control of what he can do, so how does he know he's just heightening a crush into something more? How could he be happy with that? How could Charlotte be happy with that possibility, that her emotions are being played with? It just doesn't feel right to me.

Also, even though Thomas was being controlled by his brother JB when he attacked Charlotte, Charlotte still has that memory of Thomas lying over her with his hands round her throat. It doesn't matter that he wasn't in control, that he wasn't doing it himself, it was still him strangling her. That's not something you're going to get over so quickly. I know four weeks go by in a matter of short chapters at the very end there, but to throw her arms around his neck the first time she sees him after? No. That's not realistic. Having someone almost kill her isn't something she is just going to get over and be perfectly fine being around the guy who did it, no matter the circumstances. That would affect her. But she is not affected. I'm not saying, when it comes to this particular issue only, that she shouldn't be with him, just that it would be a lot more realistic if they would take things pretty slow. Because that's a lot to have to deal with. But she's not.

And again, that just takes me to the point before - if she's not reacting in this realistic way, are her emotions being played with by Thomas unconsciously? It all just seems quite weird and it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Thomas, in my opinion, needs to do a lot of work on himself and his power before he gets close to anyone. And I think he's being irresponsible for allowing their relationship to continue when he hasn't got a handle on it yet.

Saying all that, the book is seriously creepy. That ending, though very fast and abrupt, was just so awful. It made me feel so uncomfortable. It was so disturbing! The book is left open, though, what with all the questions left unanswered, and with how things are left. So if this is just a stand alone novel, then I'm hugely disappointed - which, as things stand, it looks like it is. If there will be a sequel, I'd definitely give it a go, because I did love the characters, and I'm intrigued by what we learn at the end, but I would want a whole lot more to happen.

So yeah, I have mixed feelings. Which is really upsetting for me, because I was such a huge fan of The Elemental series. And I just feel awful for not loving a book as much as I'd like by an author I think is awesome. I am sad and disappointed.

Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for the eProof.