Book Review: Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

 

**Received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  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 someone's 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.

My Thoughts:  Have you ever looked at the synopsis of a book and been really excited to read it?  Then, you read it and by the last page you are saying "huh??" because you didn't understand any of it? Well....sadly, that is how I felt about this book.

Hannah and Colin are dating.  Colin is a super cute guy while Hannah is slightly nerdy and she cannot believe that Colin actually wants to be with her.  On Colin's graduation night, he tells Hannah he loves her but she cannot say the words back.  Colin is upset and waits for Hannah to say the words but weeks (maybe months?) later, she still can't find it in herself to utter those three little words.

While up in Colin's attic one night, Hannah finds an old picture and an old hand drawn map of a lake house.  When she asks Colin about it, he gets all weird and tells her that it is the family vacation home but it is dilapidated and they never go there anymore.  In fact, he tells Hannah he hates it there.

Hannah then decides that it would be a great idea to "run away" with Colin to the lake house for a weekend so she can tell him she loves him.  She lies to her mom, packs a bag of clothes and then packs a bag of clothes for Colin.  She doesn't tell him where they are going only that they are going away.  Halfway there Hannah finally spills the beans.  Colin is not happy at all and gets that weird attitude he had in the attic.  However, they continue on.  Once at the lake house, things get strange and Colin is not himself.  It is up to Hannah to figure out why.

Okay, so here are my issues with this book:

First, Hannah is ridiculous!  She is so needy and dependent on Colin and can't believe he wants to be with her yet she can't tell him she loves him?  She can run away for a weekend with him, stay in the same bed with him (and let's be honest here...even though there was nothing said in the book about it, when 2 teenagers are sleeping in the same bed in a house with no adults, you are going to tell me nothing happens?  Yeah right!) but she can't say she loves him.  Hmmm....maybe if it takes her that long to say the words or if she really has to muster up the courage to say them...maybe, just maybe SHE DOESN'T LOVE HIM!  I was so annoyed!

**SPOILER ALERT**
Then, at one point when Hannah has escaped from Colin and has run to the road (which we have been told over and over again NEVER has any cars on it) and she hears a car coming she jumps out and flags the car down and then jumps in without paying attention to the car or who might be driving it.  Then she is shocked to discover that Colin is driving it and she has just trapped herself.  Really?!  She didn't think he might come after her??  Give me a break!
**SPOILER ALERT OVER**

Colin is annoying too.  He says he loves Hannah yet all he really loves is his photography.  Hannah obviously comes second to him but he's upset that she won't say she loves him.  Then, he is such a brat to his parents.  He says that since his older brother died a few years back that his parents don't want him anymore yet there is no evidence to support that.  In fact, his mom seems to want to be around him.

Other things I had problems with was Hannah's lie she told her mom.  She tells her mom that she is working for her best friend's dad and that she will be making triple pay.  How is she going to explain NOT getting triple pay when her check comes?  Her mom depends on that money (I am guessing she is a single mom) and so I am wondering what she is going to say when her daughter worked all weekend away from home and got no extra pay...in fact, she didn't get paid for those three days at all!  It was such a weak lie.

Then, Hannah packs clothes for herself and Colin but she doesn't think to pack any food, flashlights, sleeping bags, candles, matches, etc. etc.  When they get to the house they find no electricity, no food and no grocery store.  Now I know teens might not think of all the necessities but as a teen, I went camping or on weekend getaways and we always packed tons of food and stuff.  No food??  Did she think the house that Colin's family hasn't been back to in years was going to magically stock the pantry itself?

So, the last thing, and in my opinion, the most important thing, was the explanation as to why Colin was acting the way he was.  I thought this was going to be a creepy ghost story.  Well, it certainly wasn't creepy and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a ghost story but the explanation did not make a whole lot of sense.  I still don't know what happened and where Jack is (Colin's brother).  I don't know if Jack is dead or alive even.  There was so much information that was just missing. 

Sadly for me, this was not a good read.  Some people may love it so if it sounds good to you, by all means read it!  I never want to discourage reading but I certainly would get it from the library first so you know if you think it is worth buying.