My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: eARC courtesy of publisher
A curious cover and an even more curious title; Drowned is a mysterious read from the very beginning. Even at the finish of the read, I felt like I have ten thousand more questions than at the start. I only just found out, after the read, that this is the first book of a series so I have definitely been enticed enough to look this up next year.
Despite all the mystery, this was a very slow read. Understandably, there was a lot of setting up to be done; the world, the characters, the social structure, etc. The information was doled out at a measured pace as the plot develops. It wasn’t boring as it was strange enough that kept me reading though at a similarly slow pace… definitely not a book that kept me awake at night.
The point which most fascinated me was Coe as the female protagonist. Described as ‘deformed and weak’, she’s an outcast of this doomed society. She’s not one of those capable kick-ass characters that you’d cheer along for but rather one who is aware of her shortcomings and seek only to stay alive even if that means submitting to some questionable circumstances. On the opposite spectrum, was Star, ‘the princess’, whom I found absolutely frustratingly shallow though this impression feels somewhat false… I don’t have an answer for this yet; hopefully book 2 will provide some answers
This is not a book I’d rave about even noting certain points of interests. If you’d like to read something somewhat different then I’d recommend picking this up. You will, however, require some patience. It’s a fairly quiet book dotted with some tense & some sweet moments.
Thank you, Harlequin Teen Australia for copy of eARC via NetGalley
Tien's Blurb 