Review ~ Drowning Instinst by Ilsa J. Bick

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick 5/5

I bought this book because I loved Ashes, so when I heard Ilsa had another young adult novel out I looked it up and it sounded great. I absolutely adore this book, I devoured it three days, I couldn't put it down. I was reading until dawn last night because I kept telling myself just a little bit more before I go to sleep, eventually I had to force myself to put it down. So what can I say about the book without giving anything away. Of course the writing was great - that I had expected  - the story was way more captivating than I'd anticipated, a total work of art (okay I'm fan girling a little, but who can blame me). This book bought a whole new light to the taboo subject of a student teacher affair, it was written in a way that was totally new to me with no clear lines between monsters and victims. I was totally mesmerized by the damaged and broken characters they were so layered and well developed - Jenna is a great protagonist, I cried a few times reading her story and it pained my heart a little but in the good way, the way that tells you your never going to forget this book or these characters.

Such a great book, an epic as far as i'm concerned, as soon as I had finished I wanted to read it all over again.  It only took me three days to read but will stay with me forever, a complex novel about a girl with emotional and physical scars who falls for a guy who shouldn't fall for her, but their both broken and maybe their forbidden love can save them, or not since Jenna's story is told into a police recorder. After all "this is a fairy tale with teeth and claws" The book was so powerful I think it may have permanently scorched a mark on my soul, there are so many poignant quotes in this book, but you can read it for yourself for them, however I think the book is best summed up in this quote from the acknowledgements "People drown, quietly, before our eyes all the time" ~ Ilsa J. Bick. Seriously I highly recommend this book. it left me breathless, and I was still crying a little even as I closed the cover and slid it back on the shelf.

Goodreads ~ Amazon