A suspenseful story that follows Frank and his family, who attempt a fresh start by embarking on a cross-country move in their RV. Their journey takes a dark turn when they encounter Mara, a mysterious and injured young woman on a deserted road, and invite her into their RV. As they become stranded with Mara, hidden secrets and tensions rise, leading to a harrowing ordeal that tests the family's bonds and reveals disturbing truths about their past and each other.

This was a different type of book for me. I didn't really know what to expect, but I just went with it. It is definitely an interesting read.

I was completely gripped by this story and was impressed with the writing quality. I was entertained throughout the story and would not hesitate to recommend this book.

The book really drew me in and grabbed my attention right from the very start! The story was well written yet creepy and chilling. The author is amazing. What a thriller!

this was a good read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed reading it. I was hooked from beginning until the end.

Under the Water by Paul Pen is a dramatic thriller with lots of twists and turns. The story hinges on Frank, a man travelling with his wife and children , across country in their new RV to their new home and a new start. As a family they have been through some stressful times, most notably a severe injury to their son who lost an eye as a result. They are a close knit family however , and determined to make the best of their situation. When they decide to head off the beaten track to visit some hot springs and camp overnight they are looking forward to some relaxing family time together, but the plan soon goes off the rails when they accidentally hit a young woman who suddenly appears in the middle of the road. From here the story takes a darker turn, but to say any more would spoil the fun.
This is definitely a thriller, and unfortunately for me it veered too far away from plausibility, which meant I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped to. I prefer my thrillers a little more grounded in reality. I thought the characters did not feel very well developed , and I found the daughter irritating. That being said, there were some very good moments of suspense and I give kudos to the author for his skill in creating and maintaining the tension.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book was unexpected. I don’t know quite what I was expecting going into it - I guess more of a straightforward mystery thriller. What I got, however, was a wonderfully layered and intensely unnerving story of family, love, betrayal, and the nature of humanity. It was exactly what I wanted out of this story and I loved it. I thought the characters were beautifully rounded and contained a depth that I don’t always find in novels of this genre. By the time I reached the end, I had a completely different idea of what was happening and what had happened. The thing that made it really work was that it was a subtle shift in my perception, along with a few turning points, rather than one big shift that didn’t quite fit with what I already knew. These were real people and a real family experiencing real things. It was not so unexpected that it felt unreal and contrived. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This story is one of nightmares!! It features the picture-perfect family; everyone knows one. Beautiful successful parents, great kids, a wonderful life. That is until one night they're driving alone and stumble across a young woman on the road, injured and in need of help. The family invites her into their home and this is where things take a twist (however, for me, a stranger on the street would have been the first red flag!).

Let's see: Frank is a horrible person and no amount of justification would redeem him. I don't feel like we really got to know Grace. Like her YouTube channel, she remains superficial through the entire book. And overall, I was unhappy that the book focused on the crazy woman seeking revenge for being wronged. Doesn't the man get some of that blame? I think the case for that was very obviously made in this book. But yet, still the woman is shown to be the unhinged one. Maybe the response was a bit extreme, but it was much more justified than Frank's actions. Saying anything more regarding all that might constitute a spoiler so I will stop. I also really loved the social justice warrior daughter. She was a great comedic (sometimes) break from the tension of the book.

This is the second book I have read by Paul Pen and he never disappoints. Creepy and to me, more of a horror/thriller. Very much enjoyed it. You won't see the ending at all. Hope to read more by this author.

A thrilling, surprising novel. This story kept on escalating; from the appearance of a lovely family, unexpectedly and gradually spiraling into a series of incredible, terrible events. Masterfully built up, and carefully unfolded tale. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you NetGalley for the review copy, all opinions are my own.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to.

Under the Water is a very difficult book to review without spoiling it so I'm going to keep this as vague as possible.

Frank and Grace along with their two children Audrey and Simon are making a break from Seattle to move to Boston after a string of terrible luck. They are hoping for a fresh start in a new city to set things right again.

One night while on the road they encounter a woman and let's just say that their lives will never be the same again.

This book had such a feeling of dread and I had a hard time putting this down. Who is this woman? Is she a ghost? Is something supernatural happening here? I really had no idea and then the author casually slips in the connection and turns the entire story on it's head but in a really great way. I really enjoyed this dark story. I'm 2 for 2 with Paul Pen now so I look forward to what he comes up with next. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I have read by Paul Pen and I enjoyed both books. I am seeing a trend now....this book was Dark! It is classified as a general fiction but I would put it in the literary fiction/thriller category! It was definitely thrilling. I loved how he introduced each character independently in the beginning and wove them into the story for later. The theme of the book was not a new one betrayal at its highest...but how he wove that into the story was impressive and shocking. The talent this writer shows in his writing I think in my opinion is in his ability to Express the emotions of the individuals in the story. Some may not like this tyoe of expression as it is raw, but it is real and personally I love this kind of writing.

Under the Water by Paul Pen is described as a literary thriller. It often felt more like horror. I don't want to give away anything, so I won't comment on the plot. I will say the opening scene really grabbed me and made me want to know more. I was compelled to read on throughout, even though I came close to giving up on it a few times. Just when I got fed up with the current state of affairs, a twist made me want to continue. Ideally, the twist would come before that happens, but everyone's tolerance is different. If you like thrillers or domestic horror, this one may be for you. I don't read much of this genre, so I am probably not the best judge. I chose this ARC from Netgalley because I had read Paul Pen's Light of the Fireflies. Both books would make for good TV or film adaptations, I think.

Under the Water is a solid read. I found this one took time to build but when the action started it was off with a bang. A couple of the twists took me by surprise and had me gasping in shock and squirming in my seat. Pen's words are well crafted and I had no indication that this book had been translated to English (great job done by the translator and editor). At times I felt the characters needed more dimension - for the first half of the book I didn't feel emotionally invested in them and Grace and Frank felt a little one dimensional and I wasn't buying their picture perfect marriage. But Grace grew on me over time, especially once Mara's identity was revealed. Read this one if you enjoy domestic thrillers that keep you guessing and engaged. Thank you NetGalley for this e-copy that was given in exchnage for an honest review. This review has also been published on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2996392195

There is a lot I enjoyed about this book. There was plenty of crazy, plenty of mystery, plenty of good characters. I particularly enjoyed the POVs of some peripheral characters, looking at the main ones from outside. Overall a good plot. However, not my favorite of Pen's books - nowhere close to The Light of the Fireflies. Maybe something was lost in translation but a lot of the dialog seemed stilted and forced. In addition, was say too much emphasis on the characters seeming woke. It's just not believable that so many people would talk that way so much.

I think this book was translated from Spanish? I think something got lost in the translation. The descriptions of the characters and the road were really long and clunky. The dragged the book down. I liked the idea but about 2/3 of the way through it became such a slog, I had to force myself to finish it.

I have read earlier books ny this author and really liked them. This book however had a despicable main character and to me, a lousy ending. I will say in its defense, it was an interesting read. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me an arc to this book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

Sorry for the delay in my review, life has gotten in the way.

I have to agree with another review here that this would make an awesome movie / tv series.

the book was great... the author is talented. check it out.