This book is packed-full of emotion and it hits you in the head (or heart) like an anvil. The story is raw, not pretty, full of pain, but with a great ending. Alex and Jesse meet by chance, when he stops to help her with a flat tire in the middle of a storm. But alas, it seem like fate keeps pushing them together. Alex is married to Victor, who seems to have ties to the mob and is not a good person. In fact, he’s abusive towards Alex and it makes it very uncomfortable for anyone to be around them when together.
“He said the truth is like that water: it doesn't matter how hard you try to bury it; it'll always find some way back to the surface. It's resilient.”
The story is told from alternating points of view, from Jesse in the past and from Water (Alex) in the present. I kept wishing to both POVs to meet with each other so I could understand and read the ending faster! Jesse tells us the story from the beginning, while Water’s story starts when she wakes up in the hospital and cannot remember her past. Water’s sections are absolutely heartbreaking, she went through so much at such a young age, I cannot imagine having to endure so much pain and uncertainty.
“What if all those little bits that make up me get lost, overshadowed by one dark memory? My last memory, the one that made me want to forget everything else in the first place. Will I be able to escape the kind of damage that experience can cause?”
I really liked the host of characters that accompany Jesse and Water. Jesse’s parents are very supportive, and so is Jesse’s sister. Boone is his roommate and a good friend at the end. I really enjoyed Ginny, who kind of adopts Water and shares her very sad story in order to force her out of her comfort zone and make her choose to live, the opposite of what she did.
One of the things I liked the most was how Water and Jesse’s souls seem to remember each other, how distance and heartache and pain cannot separate them. It’s so romantic *sigh* Sadly – and this is just my moral radar talking – I really didn’t like the cheating parts. Especially since when it started Jesse and Water (Alex) didn’t even knew each other well. Also, Victor’s fate was a bit too convenient for my taste. The writing is sublime, lyrical, and full of raw emotions and insights. I can for certainty say that it will not be my last book by Tucker.
“The mind, it can be a deceitful thing. But it is no match for the heart."
Overall, Burying Water is a great start to the series and I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s a very powerful read, full of cruelty, injustice, put the power of love, patience and resilience. I’m curious to read Boone’s story and to continue the series and maybe start the Ten Tiny Breaths series too.This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC