Book Review: The Swell by Allie Reynolds

Every time I start a Thriller, I think to myself, “I’m going to take my time with this so that I can savor it”. Every time, I fail. I love getting so interested in a story that I can’t put it down and the world around me ceases to exist. 

The Swell caught me from the very first paragraph of the Prologue. I knew immediately that I needed to get to the end and find out what happened. Once the story itself actually started, I was even more drawn in by getting to know the characters. I devoured it in less than 12 hours.

 Every one of the characters had secret motivations and it was fascinating to watch the way in which each secret came to light. There was a complexity to each of them that made me want to know more, even if I didn’t particularly care for many  of them. I enjoyed watching each character react as both the tension and the stakes rose. 

The rising stakes added so much to the atmosphere of the book. Slowly but surely the sense of wrongness was built. Despite the bright sunny beach of most of the book, there was a feeling of darkness and dread permeating every page. The intense amount of atmosphere helped make up for the moments when I felt confused about what was going on, which stemmed from the sheer amount of information that was given about each character. 

Despite the many hours I have spent thinking about this book, I have not come to a firm opinion about the end of the book. However, the fact that it has left me thinking says quite a bit. The entire book is dramatic and slightly unbelievable, but that’s where the interest lies. It truly made me think about what would happen in a situation where there were so many strong personalities. I have many other thoughts about the ending, but given that this a spoiler free review, I cannot share them. 

Don’t forget to grab it when it releases tomorrow, July 19!

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Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.