The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is the first book I've read by Erin Bartels and it was not at all what I was expecting. The story was such a complex story and had me so confused at times as to what was really going on.

The story was intriguing at first, but I struggled with the way it was written (it seemed to fluctuate between first person [Kendra] and then times where Kendra is mentally telling stories/explaining things to Cami [who isn't there, this is all in Kendra's mind]). I hope I explained that well enough.

I had a difficult time finishing this book - partly because of the POV struggles and partly because I felt like some of the content went too far. I understand that the storyline needed to include certain things, but it wasn't something that I wanted to read. I also felt like there needed to be more about God's grace and redemption. I don't remember that being a part of the story.

So while I don't have many positive things to say about this book, I did think it was intriguing at times and it did keep me wondering what was going on. I don't recommend the book, but that is mainly because of a lot of content issues I had and just personal preference. Mature readers only.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

[1.5 stars]

In The Girl Who Breath Underwater, the author uses first person limited to tell the story. this is a good way to keep the reader questioning about what exactly happened to her former best friend. However, I found it hard to believe that the Kendra would mistake Andres for Andre or that she told her agent that he could stay at the cabin. While the author does keep the reader wanting to get to the end to find out what happened to Cami, there was just too much of a stretch for much of the plot.

“Did you ever consider that antagonists have stories of their own? Or that in someone else’s story you’re the antagonist?”

This is the first book by this author that I have read. While this book addresses some pretty gritty subject matter, it is written in such a manner that I had a hard time putting it down. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, thinking about the story, compelled to read more until I was bleary eyed.

The style the book is written in is quite interesting. I did not find it to be a fast read in spite of the fact I did not want to put it down. It is more slow and steady, taking the reader into past and present, showing the development of friendships, betrayal, abuse, and so much more.

The author did a good job of heightening the tension in the story between Kendra and Tyler, and Kendra and Andreas. There are a couple of extremely well-done twists too! I cannot say that I have ever read a book quite like this one. I was impressed with the writing and fully engaged with the storyline and characters from beginning to end.

If you are looking for an engrossing read that is not your typical cookie cutter story, this is the book. It is not wrapped up in a neat little bow but then most times life is not that way either. I would classify The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water as more Women’s fiction than Christian fiction. There could definitely be triggers in this story for someone who is a victim of sexual assault or physical abuse but there is also hope for healing. I highly recommend reading the authors note at the end!

I was provided a digital copy of the book from the publisher through Netgalley for review purposes. This is my honest opinion of the story. No compensation received.

I read the first chapter of The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater, then put the book away for a bit. Part of it was to process the magnificent opening. Most of it was because I realized this was a book I’d want—no, need—to read in one sitting. The summer you chopped off all your hair, I asked your dad what the point of being a novelist was. He said it was to tell the truth. It’s not often that one line can draw me into a story, but let’s analyze—or maybe overanalyze—it a bit.

In the first line, we learn that this isn’t written for us but addressed to the enigmatic “you.” This immediately sets us up with a mystery (To whom is this story being told?) and furthers that mystery by leaving things unsaid and assumed, things that “you” would know but we do not. We also get the sense that this novel is an exploration of what it means to be a novelist. This could be a throwaway line or relegated to an unimportant subplot, but anyone who has read Bartels’ previous work (especially The Words Between Us) will know that it probably isn’t. This theme about literature and how it affects us is important to her. Then, lastly, we’re left with a contradiction. Fiction is meant to tell the truth, but fiction by definition is an invention. It’s imaginary. (But does that make it untrue?) All of these questions are set up in the first two sentences of the novel. And all the sentences that follow are an attempt at an answer.

The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater follows Kendra, a young novelist returning to her grandfather’s lake house to finish her next novel and work with a translator on the German version of her debut novel. A lot of unexpected things happen at once. First, there’s all the memories of returning to a childhood haunt. Second, there’s the people—the ones that have been missed, the ones still missing, and the ones she only wished were missing. And third, there’s Andreas, her German translator. She’d been in a bit of a brain fog when she suggested that the translator come stay with her in the cabin and definitely was expecting an Andrea and not a tall, blond, and handsome Andreas.

Bartels takes the storyline in multiple directions, exploring each of these relationships. It seems all a bit much at first, and would be in less capable hands, but Erin balances it all with precision and grace. Flashbacks to the past explain her relationships with most of the people on the lake. The mysterious “you” is hinted at, but not officially revealed until the end. Possibly the book’s only weakness is that when the big reveal happened, I was so convinced of it I didn’t think it was supposed to be a mystery any longer.

It through it all, The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater explores the idea of truth in fiction and how what we write about is influenced by what we’ve done (or what’s been done to us). She presents Story as a cathartic or therapeutic, a way of speaking about traumas and processing them but in a safe, controllable, fictionalized manner. We find out that Kendra’s fictionalization is based on her childhood and, specifically, how she was sexually abused and raped by a friend’s older brother. Returning to Hidden Lake means confronting that past and existing in the vicinity of her abuser.

It’s a difficult plotline for Christian fiction, a genre that generally shies away from any sexual content, but Bartels finds the correct balance between understating the horror of abuse and exploiting it. The abuse is clear, but Bartels doesn’t dwell on it or sensationalize it. And it also becomes the story of someone who isn’t being “abused,” as it might be legally defined, but who is being inordinately pressured into a sexual relationship. With statistics saying that 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are a victim of child sexual abuse, and with the sexual abuse being uncovered in so many Christian circles, it may be a difficult topic, but it’s something we need to talk about. The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater handles it in a sensitive manner that also explores how antagonists—the real ones anyway—have their own fleshed-out stories and tragedies. Not to condone their actions, but to help contextualize and understand the depth of brokenness.

Despite its heaviness, The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater also has its moments of lightheartedness and romance. The whole storyline with Andreas—which at first seems like an unnecessary inclusion—provides a welcome humor and romance filled antidote to the rest of the story. Bartels also cleverly wraps it all up in a way that makes it more than just that, as well. Life is story and Erin Bartels’ books have always captured that. She writes relational fiction. It’s not thriller or mystery or suspense or romance, but in a way it’s all of those things because the relationship between two people can be all of those things. The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater is no different. Bartels continues to amaze and this—at least until the next book—is her best. It’s a bit early in the year to be talking about awards and accolades, but I’m not convinced it’s premature. Truly, an outstanding book.

Oh, this book has me feeling all kinds of ways, and I'm not sure how to review it. It's both beautifully written and traumatic and terribly tragic.

Once I started this story, I didn't want to put it down. The prose is well-done and fitting for the heroine, and the descriptions are perfect. This was my second book by this author, and they were both page-turning with the realistic yet mysterious quality to them.

I do think this book should come with some kind of note at the beginning because I had no idea what I was getting into from the back cover blurb. This is a heavy, dark story dealing with sexual abuse. Very well-written but the subject matter is heartbreaking. Which brings in my main disappointment with the novel. I so badly wanted the characters to know the Lord and the Hope that He offers. Not a cliché hope but the true kind that comes from Him taking on our sorrow and grief and carrying us through them (even if we don't understand that at the time). Leaving out the faith thread felt like a missed opportunity in a story that desperately needed the Lord's influence.

While the book is undeniably well-written and poignant, I was left a little too deflated, especially considering Revell is a Christian publisher (and the mentions of casual drinking were too much for me). The story is engrossing and important, yet I couldn't help but feel like there was unreached potential for readers to come away with a more raw understanding of the Lord's unearned love for each of us and His promise to heal the broken in heart and bind their wounds.

*I received a free copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

I have read every book by this author and I think this is my favorite so far. It is a heart-touching story of friendship, forgiveness and redemption. It is also a journey of self-exploration for the protagonist, Kendra Brennan. Kendra has always dreamed of being an author, so when she publishes her first book, she is excited beyond belief. That excitement is brought to a screeching halt when she receives a letter at her apartment signed from “A Very Disappointed Reader.” So Kendra returns to her grandfather’s cabin on Hidden Lake, the place that she is sure the letter originated because she wants to confront the writer who stole her joy. In her stay there, she discovers hard truths about her friends Cami and Tyler and their parents. She also meets the translator for her new book, a German American named Andreas, a man with a good sense of humor and of himself. Finding out more about Cami and Tyler is central to the story and helps Kendra explore her own feelings and how they have shaped her writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its nuances, as the story meandered down the road of self-discovery and acceptance of the past. The plot was somewhat complicated and woven like a spider’s web, intricate and multi-layered. The characters fairly jumped off the page into my mind, drawing me to read more about their lives and their relationships together. The story is sad at times and uplifting at others, with an underlying theme that God can redeem even the worst circumstances and that He understands why we have become the people that we are today. I highly recommend this book for all who enjoy good Christian fiction with lessons to teach and relationships to discover.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Revell Reads Blogger Tour via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

This is a hard book to review. I really enjoyed it. The writing style is exactly what I like. The point of view challenged me as a reader. It had great character growth and an interesting plot. The issue is it is marketed as Christian fiction, but there aren't really any Christians present in the story. There are some vague references to God and who you were created to be, but there is also a rather graphic sex scene and a lot of drinking. This book also needs a strong trigger warning as it deals with sexual abuse. So, while I personally enjoyed the story, I would not recommend it to the typical Christian reader that is looking for a clean read that obviously points to Christ. If you don't mind being challenged and reading something more edgy, you might enjoy this book.

I received a copy of this book for review form the publisher and Netgalley.

While excellently written, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is definitely a heavy somber read. Dealing with sexual abuse, rape, and substance abuse, this book doesn’t skim over the darker parts. I finished the book in a couple of days, but around three quarters the way through I realized that this book was going to end like the book that Kendra writes at the end: unresolved in many senses. I was somewhat surprised by the content and disappointed by the lack of any spiritual response to it. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. I hadn't read any of Erin Bartels's other work but I will be looking for her books. The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water moves at a slow but satisfying pace. The characters are deep and fleshed out and it is up to the reader to decide who is in the right or who is in the wrong, or if they could all be a little of both. Kendra is a writer whose debut novel reaches great success. She has a contract for a second book but is suffering from writer's block. Before going to her deceased grandfather's Michigan lake cabin, she receives a letter from a "Very Disappointed Reader," pointing out that Kendra used thinly veiled true events from the lake and that Kendra might not be correct about the story - or at least, not be the protagonist that she believes she is. A German translator comes to her cabin on the lake to work on translating her first novel. Secrets from long ago start coming out about her long-lost best friend, Cami, who lived across the lake and Cami's family. The story is multi-layered and very realistic about its characters and their lives.

This was my first time reading this author but the title and blurb grabbed me--so glad it did! This was such a great book. I went into it unsure if it was a mystery or romance or what but I think it hit all the areas. The characters were solid and true to themselves/believable. The storyline twisted and turned through the main character's life as she evolved. It held the perfect balance between setting the scene and delving into the scene. The only negative I could possibly say about this book was in the beginning I was confused when the MC kept talking to "you" but once I realized she was addressing her friend the story flowed better. Overall, an excellent read and now I have added Ms Bartels' previous books to my TBR pile.

I obtained an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

This is a hard book to read because of the heavy subject matter. It deals with sexual.abuse, rape and suicide. I liked Kendra and Andres a lot and was glad for their connection however I felt Tyler got off too easy. I think the writers description of the areas setting is beautiful and spot on. This is a great story but one for adults only due to the subject matter.
Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest review.

I am so glad The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels was my first read of 2022. I became captivated from the first word. There is nothing better than reading a book that you don’t want to end.

Is everything in life forgivable or are there certain things that can never be forgiven? Can we ever escape our past or will we always be defined by it? These are things that I am still thinking about now that I have finished this book.

Erin Bartels is from Michigan, where I am from, so I enjoyed reading about places I have been, and reading about the beauty of the northern part of Michigan.

I loved the characters even with all their flaws. I loved the way the story was told, it was written as a letter by Kendra to her best friend Cami. Kendra has written a very successful novel, somewhat about her life. She now has to write novel number two but is distracted by a letter she got from a Very Disappointed Reader. She is determined to find out who wrote the letter and isn’t able to continue writing until she can solve this mystery. I loved how each characters story slowly came out. At the end you read the authors note which ties the whole story and the authors life together.

Thank you NetGalley and Revell for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was published yesterday January 4, 2022. Make it one of your first reads of the new year!

The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater by Erin Bartels

Kendra is a successful first-time author, who is under a looming deadline for her second book. To overcome her writer’s block, she returns to Hidden Lake, the setting for her first book where she writes about a girl who has been sexually abused. There she encounters memories and people who figured prominently in her first book. Determined to be more like her first protagonist, she faces them despite the pain they cause. And in facing them, she comes to understand more about herself.
Bartels writes a book that speaks to the horrors that many young girls have experienced—sexual abuse. This book is not for everyone. There will be triggers for those who have lived through this. Despite the difficulty of the subject, Bartels handles it well, but I would recommend it only for adult readers.
Kendra’s story also includes the beauty of a pure love story, the strength of a young woman to overcome her challenges and the discovery that every story has two sides.
Her descriptions are lyrical and although this is not expressly a Christian novel, it contains hope, personal growth and a character who shows Christ-like love. I thought it was very well written and commend Bartels for broaching difficult and complicated subjects with grace.

Erin Bartels is an amazing wordsmith. This is evident in The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water. It is an intense story of personal and interpersonal struggles. In spite of the wonderful language in this book, it is slow moving, and the characters unengaging. I stopped reading at thirty-five percent as my thoughts strayed more and more to my next read rather than on the current one.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of his book from Revell via NetGalley. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a heavy read. It was not easy for me to follow the narrative as the first person character is always referring to situations affecting “you”. By half way through the book, I’d finally figured out who the elusive “you” was referring to.
Subjects of abuse, sexual misconduct, denial, lies, and even death make for a difficult read. If you are actively healing from these types of issues in your life, I would not recommend this read.
The main character, Kendra, writes a fictional book that closely mirrors her past resulting in many childhood friends resenting their less than stellar lives being exposed. She must deal with the past and get answers before she can move on.

Great read, compelling story.
Memory is a tricky thing and each person has a subjective view of events. This is the challenge for Kendra as she realizes that what has happened on the lake all those years ago, may actually be something completely different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for this Advanced Reader Copy, in exchange for my honest review.

I want to first say that I found the writing in this book to be very beautiful. However, the storyline was very slow moving and hard to really get attached to. The storyline follows a young writer, Kendra, who is struggling to follow up her debut novel. But becomes de-railed because of an anonymous letter, from someone who seems to know her more than the average reader. And this seems to destroy all of her confidence. The story bounces back and forth between the present and Kendra's memory.

None of the characters are particularly endearing, I must say that I struggled to finish this book.
It was truly not the most horrible book that I read but it did not grab me and I did not feel a connection to the characters of the story. The setting was described beautifully, on a positive note.

The way this book was written was fascinatingly similar to Miss Buncle's Book. But this book should come with a lot of trigger warnings, including sexual abuse, rape, and suicide. If you're prepared for a book that reads like a very difficult memoir of friendship, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is a book that you won't be able to get out of your head for awhile.

Erin Bartels demonstrates an extremely perceptive sense of what happens when we hold secrets. Many, perhaps all, of the characters in The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water have secrets that range from mildly to devastatingly self-destructive. Kendra speaks in first person to a second-person "you" throughout the narrative; she tells that person her reasons for returning to a lakeside cabin after ten years of refusing to visit, even though her beloved grandfather lived there. The inviting beauty of the Michigan lake and forest surroundings is skillfully described in many passages, often almost intrusive since the sensuous, dreamy set pieces are not fully integrated into the narrative.

As the story progresses, Kendra describes events that the "you" and she were involved in when they we younger, and we realize she is speaking/writing to her first and only best friend from her Hidden Lake summers. Cami has been missing for several months, and although Kendra has not had contact with Cami in eight years, Cami's adoptive parents' fear and confusion, added to Kendra's own feelings for her estranged friend, reveal the first reason for her return to Hidden Lake.

A more emphatic reason is the sexual abuse that occurred over several summers when Kendra was young. Her well-received semi-autobiographical novel about those years results in a scathing letter that forces Kendra's return to the site of strong, conflicting emotions and psychological distress. She confronts the sexual predator, ironically Cami's brother by adoption, beseeching Tyler to explain his intimidation and continued abuse. She must be certain the actions and motivations she ascribed to the novel's thinly disguised Tyler were true.

Bartels has courageously rendered her own sexual abuse in this novel, just as her fictional protagonist does. This crime generally creates a profound and extremely complicated dynamic, but victims of sexual abuse are never at fault. To the confusion of the reader, Bartel gives Kendra thoughts about her complicity when deliberately putting herself in harm's way each summer. Yes, many victims believe they are somehow at fault and have complicated feelings for their abusers, but any good friend, teacher, therapist, etc. will work doggedly to unpack those misconceptions.

Yet Bartels never introduces this necessary part of the psychological healing process; she presents a new love interest in what seems like an antidote to Kendra's problems. In addition, Tyler, the aggressor, is allowed to get off with a verbal admission to Kendra of his wrongdoing, and his adoptive father does nothing except say in a heartfelt way that what Tyler did was "wrong.." There is nothing in the novel about Tyler's mother or father even discussing the abuse with him when it is revealed to them, let alone do something more significant (though they had provided therapy for a younger Tyler due to the horrifying sexual trauma her experienced before he was adopted). Granted, Tyler is probably 30 in the present time of the story, but his parents' reactions are hard to accept.

Child prostitution, sexual predation, and possible suicide are some of the dark, weighty ideas around which Kendra's story unfolds. In my opinion, the unfolding hits some significantly wrong notes along the way, and the novel contains more sexual encounters and relationships beyond Kendra's. So to be fair, all that is a lot to illuminate in one regular=length novel.
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Kendra is a late 20s writer who had a successful first novel but now is blocked as the contract date for a second book looms. Her Grandfather has recently died and left her his lake cabIn in the woods where she spent her childhood summers. She hasn’t been there for several years, but hopes going off the.grid by herself will afford her the chance to make progress on her second book. She also hopes to reconnect with her childhood BFF, even though she has been estranged from her for several years. She. carries a disturbing letter from a fan who appears to know her personally. Kendra’s Mentor, Robert, is a famous Writer and the Dad of her childhood friend. My problem with this book was that Robert’s early novel and Kendra’s recent one both have the same setting, just a generation apart. There are excerpts from both of these books, as well as the current time and I found it very confusing to follow any one of the similar stories all in the same setting. A German translator, an eccentric local recluse and a mystery as to the identity of the author of the. fan note make for an engaging quick read. I appreciate the opportunity for an early read in exchange for an honest review.
#TheGirlWhoCouldBreatheUnderWater. #NetGalley