Drowning Is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley

Drowning Is Inevitable

by Shalanda Stanley

A terrible mistake tests friendships in this stirring novel that John Corey Whaley calls “a literary knockout.”  
 
Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape the shadow of her mother, Lillian, a woman so troubled she drowned herself in a river at age eighteen. Olivia’s only outlets in their small Louisiana town are her best friend, Jamie, her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max, and their wild-child friend, Maggie.
When a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run. In a flash, the four become fugitives on the road to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem.
Shalanda Stanley’s breathtaking debut explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?
 
Praise:
 
“An emotional book of family bonds and teen relationships, the power of parental influence, and of fate.” —School Library Journal
 
“Anyone who has endured familial strife will appreciate Olivia and her friends. Realistic yet hopeful—a wide array of readers will enjoy this atmospheric book.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“A story that stays in hearts forever.” —YA Books Central
 
“The story shows the powerful bonds of friendship over even the inevitability of family.” —Bustle.com 
 
“Both heartwarming and heartbreaking.” —Emily Reads Everything
 
“A definite must-read.” —The Review Diaries

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

3 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on It Starts at Midnight
So, in Drowning Is Inevitable, we have Olivia, whose mom killed herself when she was a baby (and only 18 years old). Her dad is basically afraid to look at her, and her grandma is practically senile. (Someone please tell me where Child Protective Services is in all this? Great.) She’s best friends with Jamie, who has been there for her since they were kids. And she’s dating Max. Jamie has an awful home life too, his dad has turned into an abusive alcoholic, and one night after a fight, Jamie, Olivia, Max, and their friend Maggie skip town, because of course.

See, this is where things got a bit confusing for me. Who actually runs away? Especially when there are witnesses, and a very clear history of this dude being a raging jackass? Guess we’ll chalk this one up to “teenage stupidity” and move on.ezgif-2817510299

Anyway. There are some good things about this book for sure. First, the writing is very lovely. The book is paced well, and I had no trouble staying interested in the plot. Olivia’s story is so heartbreaking, her yearning to know her mother was so profound. And some of the story may have led me to cry on a bus to New York. The friendships and family relations in this book were really solidly fleshed out, and I liked how every relationship that was presented had its own development and characteristics.

But there were parts that I did have trouble with. Mostly Maggie and Max, I didn’t really understand their purpose. I never really felt chemistry with Olivia and Max, so he could have stayed home for sure. All the poor decision making was hard to swallow too. Eventually, you’d think that one of them would realize how ridiculous, and more importantly, reckless they were being. A lot of what happened throughout the story made me think that perhaps it wasn’t quite in line with reality, and I was less connected to the plot because of it.

Bottom Line: The characters were the stars of this book, as well as the intricate family and friend relationships. It’s worth a read for those things alone, even if the plot itself had some believability issues.

**Copy provided from publisher for review

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  • Started reading
  • 22 August, 2015: Finished reading
  • 22 August, 2015: Reviewed