Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

December 20, 2011 by Simon Pulse

Paperback, 212 Pages

Review Copy

Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He’s leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they’ll never forget.
But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someones been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn't seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin’s dark side, and her own safety. Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

Review

You know what they say about lying now don't-cha kids? That those who do will burn in the lake of fire? That nothing good ever comes from it? Well for the dark lake waters at Pine House, the lie sits quietly waiting to drown its victim......and on this particular weekend, Colin and Hannah.

Ok so lets back up, Hannah and Colin, our in-love teens, are just on the cusp of adulthood, heading off for college in the fall and dealing with the inevitable separation that is to come. Hannah being worried about the long distance relationship thing, wants their last weekend together to be bliss. She wants to say the big I love you and perhaps succumb to the mattress dance. And with all those big decisions, Hannah is feeling a bit overwhelmed and very nervous....she wants to do something special for Colin, but has no idea how to show him she loves him without actually saying it.

When opportunity presents itself, Hannah jumps at the chance to plan a secret getaway. And here would be the Hannah's first warning sign: probably best if you stay away from a creepy lake house when you find its picture and property info on newspaper clippings in your boyfriends attic. {But seriously there is no room for common sense when you live in a fiction story!!} So what does Hannah do...well, she lies to her mom, gets her bff to cover for her and takes off with a unsuspecting Colin. But half way there, when Colin discovers where they are going, a dark cloud descends on him, making the trip weird, awkward and creepy. Hannah is a little freaked out (warning sign number two: always listen to your gut fear...if sunshine boyfriend suddenly looks like the devil, you may want to open the car door and hit the pavement) by Colin's behavior, but like a dandelion in the wind, she blows Colin's behavior off as college stress.

When they finally get to the lake, things are bad right from the start. No electricity, no other houses for miles around and miles of woods surrounding them.....(warning sign number three: when your in an unfamiliar place surrounded by trees and an old creepy house with scary looking boyfriend...might as well save yourself the unavoidable nightmare to come and drown yourself now) The feeling of isolation is immediate and impending doom seeps off the pages, for in what feels like a month, the kids spend the next few days taking photos, swimming in the creepy dark water, sleeping..ALOT and exploring the woods around the house. All the while Colin has spurts of depression, homicidal tendencies and seems to be losing time while calling Hannah some creepy old name. When Colin's behavior turns for the worst (warning sign number four: your boyfriend is now a psychotic freak....you should probably just call the whole weekend off) Hannah will have to fight for her life to get away from him and that house.

I wound up really liking Still Waters, it was a quick read and while the writing in a sense was simple and the character development needed some minor dialog restructure, I found the overall style of Berne's storytelling magnetic. The plot, the creepy factor and tone of the novel, all tied together creating an enjoyable read, that caused me to overlook some of the weaker elements. Due to its abrupt end and dangling strings of unresolved issues- I can only wait with anticipation for the next installment.

Rating

Recommended to mature teens (16-up) and adults. Contains graphic language, mild sexuality, frightening scenarios and violence.

4/5-Ya-Suspense

A big giant thanks to Emma Berne for review copy

Winners