Review: Down in the Belly of the Whale, by Kelley Kay Bowles

⬂↘⬊ Initial Thoughts ⬋↙⬃

       First of all, thank you so much to the author for sending me an ebook version of this book. I love getting emails from authors, so if you've written a book and would like for me to review it, click here to check out my guidelines and contact information.
       As much as I wanted to love this book, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Though it didn't take a long time to read, I felt like I had to trudge through to the end. The idea and basis for the story had potential, but I didn't 

​think the execution was where it could have been. It could be that this book is meant for a younger YA audience than what I'm used to, but this one was not for me. 

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⬂↘⬊ Focus on Friendship ⬋↙⬃

       One thing I did like about this book was the friendship between the main character and her best friend. Throughout the book, Harper and Cora’s dynamic and trust in one another kept me interested in the story as a whole. They confided in one another, and they have a certain level of intimacy that all friends should strive for. However, I found their relationship to be a little unrealistic at points throughout the novel, especially when Cora revealed her big secret to Harper. I thought that moment felt unnatural, and I wish the author incorporated more realism into each scene.

⬂↘⬊ Writing Style ⬋↙⬃

       I think the shortcoming for me in this book was the writing style. I felt as I got farther into the story that the writing would grow on me, but the opposite occurred. For me, the book seemed condescending at times, but I think it is because it is meant for younger readers. There were parts in the reading where things were over-explained a little. I’d be reading along through a chapter, and all of a sudden, the author would use a ten dollar word. When one of the characters would explain it, it felt forced and unnatural.
       I got this same kind of feeling throughout the story when the author would go into extreme detail about something that wasn’t essential to the story. A great example of this is during the dissection scenes. I could tell the author did her research, which is always good. But I feel that in scenes like that, an author needs to let the information flow naturally instead of throwing it all down into the writing. Sometimes there were so many of these bits of information that I felt like I was reading a Wikipedia page. 

⬂↘⬊ Romance?⬋↙⬃ 

       My absolute favorite thing about the novel, however, is the relationship between Harper and Cade. They had a cute and quirky relationship that I feel could’ve been utilized more throughout the novel. When Harper feels like no one else can help her, she turns to Cade to help her with the challenges she faces. Though I thought they were cute, I felt like their relationship was kind of an afterthought and crammed into the end of the book. The author definitely could’ve used their dynamic throughout the story if Harper decided to turn to Cade sooner. By doing so, it would’ve made the whole plot line more realistic and make more sense.

⬂↘⬊ Overall ⬋↙⬃

       As a whole, I would not recommend this book to older YA readers. Though the story discusses mature topics, the voice of the book is not meant for middle and upper teens. If you are a younger teen, you might give it a read and see what you think for yourself. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

An old soul,
Ashton

★★☆☆☆

       A contemporary story about family and friendship for fans of Eleanor Porter and L.M. Montgomery.
       Harper Southwood is a teenage girl who can sense when people will get sick—but so what? She can’t predict her best friend’s depression or her mother’s impending health crisis. Being helpful is all Harper ever wanted, but she feels helpless in the face of real adversity. Now, she’s got a chance to summon her courage and use her wits to fight for justice. Laugh and cry along with this irrepressible, high-spirited teen in her journey of self-discovery, as she learns that compassion and internal strength are her real gifts, her true superpower.

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⬂↘⬊ Discuss ⬋↙⬃

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