The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

Grand Central Publishing
May 2009

Genre: Paranormal, Fiction

Laurel Gray Hawthorne has lived in the small Floridian community of Victorianna for thirteen years with her daughter and husband. During that time, she hasn’t seen a single ghost. Then, one day, a ghost of a young girl appears. The girl is desperately trying to tell Laurel something. When Laurel investigates, she discovers her teenage daughter’s best friend has drowned in the Hawthorne pool. Laurel’s perfect family life is shattered. She’s sure her daughter is somehow involved in Molly’s death, but she’s not talking. Laurel calls for the assistance of her estranged sister, Thalia.

Laurel’s husband, David, is furious when she brings Thalia to their home. Thalia is a trouble-maker and the complete opposite of Laurel. When Thalia is around, Laurel is guaranteed to be involved in huge fights with her sister. This time is no different. As Laurel tries to protect her daughter, Thalia tries to protect her sister. Her attempts might be misguided, but she has the best intentions. However, the question comes up, is David really the loving husband he appears to be?

Together, Laurel and Thalia delve into the mysterious death of Molly, which continues to look anything but accidental. In the process, the sisters’ own childhood past comes back to haunt them. Old hurts come forward and Molly is unable to rest in peace.

This book is a real page-turner. Readers will be anxious to figure out what is going on and will be taken on a rollercoaster of twists and turns all the way to the very end. Each character is perfectly crafted and take on a life of their own. Just when you think you’ve figure it out, you’ll realize you weren’t even close. This is Southern drama at its best!

For reading challenge: A to Z Reading Challenge