Since the tragic death of her parents, Blythe has isolated herself completely from any and all social/personal relationships. She is hyper-aware of her depressive state and self-destructive behaviors, but is too emotionally empty to care and is unable to pull herself out of the black hole in which she is submersed.
Chris on the other hand does not outwardly express his despair, but his experiences have shattered him in a different way, which also leaves him with an emotional void and a certain sense of melancholy.
An accidental encounter with Chris ignites a light in Blythe’s darkness and an unexplained feeling of hope surfaces. There is an undeniable emotional connection between them and a passionate and poignant friendship is developed. Blythe finally begins to reconcile the tragedy she experienced and attempts to rebuild her life. Unfortunately, as Blythe comes to terms with her loss and finds herself on solid ground, Chris is sinking deeper into his own abyss. He slowly begins to distance himself from her both physically and emotionally… Blythe provides him with the space he needs, but is determined to save him from himself as he saved her.
“We have been drowning in each other. In beautiful ways, yes. But I know there are other reasons for this intensity.”
Both Chris & Blythe are very well developed characters in this story. Jessica Park gives extremely descriptive background details providing immense insight into these two characters and who they are as individuals and why they ‘tick’ the way they do. Due to the contextual facet of the main characters, the story does get off to a really slow start, but definitely picks up…getting to know the characters though is a critical aspect to connecting with the story itself.
Unlike most other stories, the secondary characters in Left Drowning are vital to the plot as they play a critical role in Bythe’s healing process. These characters, primarily Chris’ siblings, are not as acutely written, but as the story unfolds, the reader begins to somewhat understand their personalities, temperaments and behaviors. In typical Jessica Park fashion, all the characters are likable and you cannot help but root for them all!
The story is mostly told from Blythe’s POV, with only a brief appearance of Chris’ perspective towards the very end of the story. I appreciated getting Chris’ perception of the girl on the dock as he recounts his heartbreaking experiences growing up with his dad. I would have liked to have had his POV regarding his first encounter with Blythe at Mathews College… I think it would have provided insight to his reaction to her…Blythe explained what initially pulled her to him, but what pulled him to her?
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