THE GIRL FROM THE SEA - Shalini Boland

PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - We start right away in the same place as the main character--not knowing who she is or where she's come from. Because she has amnesia, her life is revealed little by little as she discovers people and clues from her background. The gradual rebuilding of a life, basically from scratch, was fascinating.

Writing - 4 stars - Boland draws us right into the story in the first scene, just as though we are waking up alongside the main character. The reader is caught up in the mystery, but it's safe since we are one step removed from the worry and drama that Mia is facing. The writing was smooth, pulling the reader along to discover more of Mia's past and how it relates to her present.

Characters - 4 stars - Mia is a touch unlikable and seems excessively shaky and needy, but I suppose this is understandable due to her circumstances. I found it a little surprising that she took what people told her at face value. She hears from her mother and sister and immediately goes to visit them, even though she doesn't seem to recognize any strong feelings for them. I think, in the same situation, I might have spent more time checking them out first, maybe looking on the internet or asking around. Her instinctive caring for Jack at the boat house indicates that she had a good friendship (or more?) with him in her previous life, so she's drawn to the safety of that relationship. But the intriguing thing about this book is that we know so little about the main character and nothing at all about her back story. But we feel a kinship to her. She's struggling in a difficult situation, so I found myself making allowances for her and hoping she'd be able to pull herself together.

Title - 4 stars - Good title, straightforward. It's generic enough to indicate the amnesia angle without taking away any of the drama or leading us in any specific direction.

Cover - 4 stars - Beautiful cover. The girl is obviously in the sea, so it's pretty literal. But as you read more of the story, it obviously becomes a metaphor for Mia's confusion and inability to grab hold of anything in her former life.

Overview - 4 stars - This was a surprisingly compelling drama. I was drawn into the story immediately, taking Mia's side and rooting for her success in regaining her memory, or at least building a new and happy life. It wasn't until after I finished that I realized how much the characters surrounding her were, of course, colored by her perceptions, with little to no other viewpoint. We really never see them outside of her sphere, so we relate to them as she related to them. The "secrets" of her life were revealed bit by tiny bit, which made me want to keep turning the pages to see what happened. A twist towards the end was totally shocking to me and added another layer of interest. I very much enjoyed this book and will definitely look for more from this author.

An enjoyable read up to a certain point, with an interesting twist, but ultimately a bit unsatisfying. There were many unanswered questions, and I thought it could have been a bit longer. However it was a page-turner and a good read.

Review of an advance copy from the publisher.

Great read! Kept me interested and definitely didn't see the ending coming.

Great read!! I could not put this down until the end. Lots of guessing and excitement to keep you engrossed. The ending has a super twist that will knock your socks off. I definitely recommend this book. I will be looking for other books by this author.

what a whirlwind!! I couldn't put this book down- wanting to find out just as a bad as the narrator what happened...

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that I couldn't put down, anxious to find out who did it. It is a perfect summer beach book. At times it felt more like Bridget Jones lost her memory, but the ending made up for it.

I started reading this a bit before my usual bedtime last night, and I was hooked from the first page. It quickly became one of those, I'll-just-read-one-more-chapter books that kept me awake later than I should have been.

The author did an excellent job of telling the story from Mia, the main character's point of view. I got to see how unsettled and even frightened Mia felt that she couldn't remember anything about her life before she was washed up on the beach. She didn't know what her life was like before, or anything about friends or family.

The conclusion was completely unexpected; however, it was also believable and that made the book one I am happy that I read.

This is a decent thriller even though it is a bit predictable for those of us who read a lot of this sort of thing. The writing zips along. Mia is an interesting, if sometimes unlikable character. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Boland has written a novel with an interesting premise and followed through. I'd like to see more from her.

I kept seeing this on various to read lists. It was a bit scary at times. Definitely a good read.

Disappointing ending.

As much as this book was compared to Gone Girl, I didn't read Gone Girl or see the movie, so this was new for me. I love thrillers, but they must be believable - that's part of the thrill!! The characters are flawed, giving them a reality check. It made me think of what I'd do if I lost my memory. The twists and turns kept coming, and it kept me intrigued and entertained and made for interesting discussions with friends. I'm looking forward to seeing what else Shalini Boland delivers -- and whoever did the cover should be commended and kept for future books -- it draws attention immediately!