Book Review: The Drowning Girls by Paula Treick DeBoard

Title: The Drowning Girls
Author: Paula Treick DeBoard
Source: Author

Goodreads Summary:

Liz McGinnis never imagined herself living in a luxurious gated community like The Palms. Ever since she and her family moved in, she's felt like an outsider amongst the Stepford-like wives and their obnoxiously spoiled children. Still, she's determined to make it work—if not for herself, then for her husband, Phil, who landed them this lavish home in the first place, and for her daughter, Danielle, who's about to enter high school.

Yet underneath the glossy veneer of The Palms, life is far from idyllic. In a place where reputation is everything, Liz soon discovers that even the friendliest residents can't be trusted—and almost everyone has secrets they'd do anything to protect. So when the gorgeous girl next door befriends Danielle, Liz can't help but find sophisticated Kelsey's interest in her shy and slightly nerdy daughter a bit suspicious.

But while Kelsey quickly becomes a fixture in the McGinnis home, Liz's relationships with both Danielle and Phil grow strained. Now even her own family seems to be hiding things, and it's not long before their dream of living the high life quickly spirals out of control… 

My thoughts:

DeBoard is one of my all-time favorite authors. I absolutely devour every book that she writes. If you are not familiar with her, I highly recommend her. I described DeBoard's writing to my book club as Joyce Carol Oates meets Gillian Flynn, and they agreed. She has her own twists and flair of course, but if I had to compare, I would definitely use those two authors.

When I received The Drowning Girls in the mail, I of course had to start reading immediately. Like with her previous books, I could not put it down. Riveting and compelling, this book was like The Crush on steroids. Never has there been teenager so dangerous, devious, and smart. Kelsey is one scary chick.

When Liz, her husband Phil, and daughter Danielle move into the ritzy gated community of The Palms, they have no idea how much their life is about to change. Their once happy lives are soon threatened and split apart by obsession, paranoia, desperation. Held hostage by one fifteen year old girl, this family is going to either sink or swim.

It is impossible to read this book without getting sucked in - I felt nervous and scared for the characters at times, anger at other times. Told in present time and flashback, you start with the ending and are brought full circle before finding out the whole story. I don't have a lot of time to read these days, and I managed to finish this book in a hurry - I had to know what was going to happen next! The ending will blow your mind!

If you are in the mood for a psychological thriller, I highly recommend The Drowning Girls, which comes out in April. Until then, check out DeBoard's previous books The Mourning Hours and The Fragile World.