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The Undrowned
In too deadly.
In too deep.
Samantha and Rachel used to be friends. But then Rachel betrayed Samantha . . . and Samantha decided to make her life a living nightmare.
Then one day, Sam and Rachel found themselves in a fight
by a lake.
Samantha pushed Rachel . . . and watched as Rachel fell back.
And back.
Into the water. And gone.
No way to save her. No way she could be alive.
The next day, Rachel shows up to school as if nothing happened.
And now she's the one who wants to make her former friend's life a living nightmare . . .
In too deep.
Samantha and Rachel used to be friends. But then Rachel betrayed Samantha . . . and Samantha decided to make her life a living nightmare.
Then one day, Sam and Rachel found themselves in a fight
by a lake.
Samantha pushed Rachel . . . and watched as Rachel fell back.
And back.
Into the water. And gone.
No way to save her. No way she could be alive.
The next day, Rachel shows up to school as if nothing happened.
And now she's the one who wants to make her former friend's life a living nightmare . . .
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
K.R. Alexander
17 books454 followersK.R. Alexander is the pseudonym for fantasy author Alex R. Kahler. Under this guise, K.R. writes creepy middle grade horror, perfect for young readers looking for a scare! His first book, The Collector, debuted from Scholastic in the Fall of '18.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
August 26, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.
After pushing Rachel into the lake and not trying to save her. Samantha realizes what she's done. But the next day Rachel is back at school, but there is something different about her. No longer is she the meek girl that Samantha is used to bullying around. Samantha is scared of what Rachel has in mind for her to get her revenge.
Not bad. It was a creepy quick and easy read. I can see the appeal toward middle-grade children. I bought this book at my daughter's school's book fair. I had read The Collector by this author and loved it. Super creepy. While this one isn't as good or as scary, it was still a really good read. Worth the price I paid. No probably not for me. But I have a niece who loves to read and my daughter is fast approaching an age where she might enjoy it as well.
I have to say, I didn't really know if I wanted to root for Samantha. She's a bully. She was horrible and mean to Rachel and while she didn't mean to push her into the water, she did nothing to try and save her. Don't get me wrong, I know she was just a kid who probably didn't realize the consequences of her actions. But I really don't like bullies. I think that that may have been the point though. A cautionary tale toward bullies.
After pushing Rachel into the lake and not trying to save her. Samantha realizes what she's done. But the next day Rachel is back at school, but there is something different about her. No longer is she the meek girl that Samantha is used to bullying around. Samantha is scared of what Rachel has in mind for her to get her revenge.
Not bad. It was a creepy quick and easy read. I can see the appeal toward middle-grade children. I bought this book at my daughter's school's book fair. I had read The Collector by this author and loved it. Super creepy. While this one isn't as good or as scary, it was still a really good read. Worth the price I paid. No probably not for me. But I have a niece who loves to read and my daughter is fast approaching an age where she might enjoy it as well.
I have to say, I didn't really know if I wanted to root for Samantha. She's a bully. She was horrible and mean to Rachel and while she didn't mean to push her into the water, she did nothing to try and save her. Don't get me wrong, I know she was just a kid who probably didn't realize the consequences of her actions. But I really don't like bullies. I think that that may have been the point though. A cautionary tale toward bullies.
August 2, 2021
I dont know what to say... this book was so good, so disturbing, and honestly I'm a little shocked that this is a middle grade novel. Plus the cover is just terrifying so it ties it all together nicely haha. Anyways this story is about Samantha, a bully who has a nose so great home life, no friends, and really is just fed up with everyone and everything. To mske matters worse she's not able to go to an amusement park she was looking forward to because her former best friend, now the girl she bullies, didn't do her homework and Samantha finds herself grounded. One the way home from school she walks past a well known lake and finds Rachel sitting on the pier. After a fight between the girls Samantha pushes Rachel in and she never resurfaces. The next day Rachel shows up to school as if nothing happened, only now she wants to make her former friend/bullies life a living nightmare. And boy does she! This book was pretty disturbing to be a middle grade in my opinion. But I honestly think that's what made it so easy to get through.
January 21, 2020
Great suspense but I felt the ending fell short in all the intrigue and getting answers. I got my answers but it seemed to fizzle near the end.
July 26, 2020
I never expected this book to be anything special, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so bad, either. The protagonist has literally no redeeming qualities. Samantha is mean, selfish, and entitled, and then she kills her former best friend by pushing her into a lake. She doesn’t even try to help her — she’s only worried about not getting in trouble. I think the author thought readers would forgive Samantha’s complete lack of moral character because of her troubled home life, but redeeming a character who actively goes out of her way to make other people miserable would have required a lot more nuance and depth than this cliche middle grade horror novel could give.
The writing was age appropriate but a little cheesy at times, and I didn’t always understand the author’s choices in line breaks. I think they were intended to build suspense and fear, but it didn’t always work for me. Throw in the abundance of horror movie tropes (writing on bathroom mirrors, monsters drowning people in a lake, a girl possessed by evil spirits) and a protagonist who I was never scared for because she definitely deserved everything she got, and the only reason I finished this one was because I was just interested enough in knowing what had happened to Rachel when she drowned.
The ending was particularly disappointing because Samantha ultimately faced no consequences for her actions. I didn’t totally understand how Rachel’s self-sacrifice supposedly stopped the vengeful spirits from taking over the town, either. Unoriginal, forgettable and without any real fear factors — don’t bother with this one.
The writing was age appropriate but a little cheesy at times, and I didn’t always understand the author’s choices in line breaks. I think they were intended to build suspense and fear, but it didn’t always work for me. Throw in the abundance of horror movie tropes (writing on bathroom mirrors, monsters drowning people in a lake, a girl possessed by evil spirits) and a protagonist who I was never scared for because she definitely deserved everything she got, and the only reason I finished this one was because I was just interested enough in knowing what had happened to Rachel when she drowned.
The ending was particularly disappointing because Samantha ultimately faced no consequences for her actions. I didn’t totally understand how Rachel’s self-sacrifice supposedly stopped the vengeful spirits from taking over the town, either. Unoriginal, forgettable and without any real fear factors — don’t bother with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 14, 2022Deze recensie verscheen eerder op Koukleum.nl.
Eerder las ik ‘Het poppenhuis’ van de hand van K.R. Alexander. Bij dat verhaal kreeg ik echt weer het gevoel dat ik vroeger bij de boeken van de Kippenvel-serie had, en laat deze Horrorland-serie daar nu net op gebaseerd zijn.
Het verhaal begint met hoofdstuk 0, dat we voor het gemak maar even de proloog noemen. Hierin maken wij kennis met Samantha die, samen met haar moeder, haar hamster Knabbeltje begraaft in hun tuin. Moeder legt haar rustig uit dat doden niet terug komen. Maar is dit wel zo? Ondertussen weet Samantha dat dit niet zo is, want toen ze Rachel in het meer duwde en ze niet meer boven kwam, dacht ze dat Rachel niet meer terug kwam aangezien ze dood was. Maar de volgende dag verscheen Rachel gewoon weer op school. Deze ‘proloog’ maakt mij nieuwsgierig aangezien ik erg benieuwd was, wat er gebeurd is bij het meer. Dit zorgt ervoor dat ik snel de bladzijde omsla en verder lees.
Het verhaal is spannend en pakkend. Ik kan mij goed voorstellen dat je als kind, met een verhaal als dit, het ’s avonds onder de deken kruipt, zaklamp aan en lezen, en griezelen, maar. Heerlijk, wie heeft dat vroeger niet gedaan?
Wat ik bij dit verhaal wel meer had, als bij ‘Het poppenhuis’, zijn dingen die te schalen zijn onder horror en fantasy. Zoals bijvoorbeeld dat iemand vliezen tussen zijn tenen krijgt. Dit vind ik persoonlijk wel jammer, aangezien ik het verhaal dan altijd snel ongeloofwaardig vind worden. En laat ik nu net geen fantasy-verhalen lezen om deze reden. Maar ben jij, of je zoon of dochter, wel een lezer die van dit soort verhalen houdt, zal K.R. Alexander je met dit boek rijkelijk amuseren.
Heb ik het boek dan met tegenzin gelezen? Nee, zeker weten niet. Ik heb het zelfs met veel plezier gelezen, want ondanks dit kleine detail met de vliezen weet K.R. Alexander wel hoe hij een spannend en pakkend verhaal moet schrijven. De hoofdstukken zijn kort en dit zorgt ervoor dat ik steeds verder wilde lezen aangezien ik graag wilde weten hoe het verhaal precies in elkaar zat. Ook met de ontknoping weet deze auteur mij te verrassen, want het einde had ik mij, tijdens het lezen, anders voorgesteld.
Ik ben erg benieuwd naar ‘Ik zal je vinden‘, het derde deel in deze Horrorland-serie. Dat deel is geschreven door auteur Daka Hermon. Benieuwd of deze auteur mij ook enthousiast weet te maken. Binnenkort zullen jullie, over dat deel, ook mijn recensie kunnen lezen, hier, op onze website.
Eerder las ik ‘Het poppenhuis’ van de hand van K.R. Alexander. Bij dat verhaal kreeg ik echt weer het gevoel dat ik vroeger bij de boeken van de Kippenvel-serie had, en laat deze Horrorland-serie daar nu net op gebaseerd zijn.
Het verhaal begint met hoofdstuk 0, dat we voor het gemak maar even de proloog noemen. Hierin maken wij kennis met Samantha die, samen met haar moeder, haar hamster Knabbeltje begraaft in hun tuin. Moeder legt haar rustig uit dat doden niet terug komen. Maar is dit wel zo? Ondertussen weet Samantha dat dit niet zo is, want toen ze Rachel in het meer duwde en ze niet meer boven kwam, dacht ze dat Rachel niet meer terug kwam aangezien ze dood was. Maar de volgende dag verscheen Rachel gewoon weer op school. Deze ‘proloog’ maakt mij nieuwsgierig aangezien ik erg benieuwd was, wat er gebeurd is bij het meer. Dit zorgt ervoor dat ik snel de bladzijde omsla en verder lees.
Het verhaal is spannend en pakkend. Ik kan mij goed voorstellen dat je als kind, met een verhaal als dit, het ’s avonds onder de deken kruipt, zaklamp aan en lezen, en griezelen, maar. Heerlijk, wie heeft dat vroeger niet gedaan?
Wat ik bij dit verhaal wel meer had, als bij ‘Het poppenhuis’, zijn dingen die te schalen zijn onder horror en fantasy. Zoals bijvoorbeeld dat iemand vliezen tussen zijn tenen krijgt. Dit vind ik persoonlijk wel jammer, aangezien ik het verhaal dan altijd snel ongeloofwaardig vind worden. En laat ik nu net geen fantasy-verhalen lezen om deze reden. Maar ben jij, of je zoon of dochter, wel een lezer die van dit soort verhalen houdt, zal K.R. Alexander je met dit boek rijkelijk amuseren.
Heb ik het boek dan met tegenzin gelezen? Nee, zeker weten niet. Ik heb het zelfs met veel plezier gelezen, want ondanks dit kleine detail met de vliezen weet K.R. Alexander wel hoe hij een spannend en pakkend verhaal moet schrijven. De hoofdstukken zijn kort en dit zorgt ervoor dat ik steeds verder wilde lezen aangezien ik graag wilde weten hoe het verhaal precies in elkaar zat. Ook met de ontknoping weet deze auteur mij te verrassen, want het einde had ik mij, tijdens het lezen, anders voorgesteld.
Ik ben erg benieuwd naar ‘Ik zal je vinden‘, het derde deel in deze Horrorland-serie. Dat deel is geschreven door auteur Daka Hermon. Benieuwd of deze auteur mij ook enthousiast weet te maken. Binnenkort zullen jullie, over dat deel, ook mijn recensie kunnen lezen, hier, op onze website.
August 15, 2020
Meh, not bad but definitely not great either.
The concept of this story was really interesting. But that was about it.
The characters were very unlikable. Samantha, the 'protagonist' (if you can even call her one), is a mean, selfish and entitled brat. She's literally a bully. Her former ex-best friend, Rachel, is her go to victim. Then one day, Samantha and Rachel end up at the lake together and Sam pushes Rachel into it, knowing she can't swim, and then she walks away.
I don't really consider that spoilers, considering it happens in like the first 30 pages or so.
After that happened, Rachel manages to haunt Samantha and turn her life upside down. Honestly, Sam deserved all of this. Things keep going downhill and that's basically it.
The ending wasn't shocking at all. I was expecting some kind of plot twist but nope.
For those who are familiar with creepypastas, this basically reads like one. One that's been dragged out for too long, that is.
The concept of this story was really interesting. But that was about it.
The characters were very unlikable. Samantha, the 'protagonist' (if you can even call her one), is a mean, selfish and entitled brat. She's literally a bully. Her former ex-best friend, Rachel, is her go to victim. Then one day, Samantha and Rachel end up at the lake together and Sam pushes Rachel into it, knowing she can't swim, and then she walks away.
I don't really consider that spoilers, considering it happens in like the first 30 pages or so.
After that happened, Rachel manages to haunt Samantha and turn her life upside down. Honestly, Sam deserved all of this. Things keep going downhill and that's basically it.
The ending wasn't shocking at all. I was expecting some kind of plot twist but nope.
For those who are familiar with creepypastas, this basically reads like one. One that's been dragged out for too long, that is.
October 20, 2020
A quick, exciting, and creepy read for middle graders who enjoy horror. Great voice--the main character, Samantha, seemed real. Lots of scary scenes with a pretty abrupt ending. Lots of my students will be drawn to this one.
January 22, 2020
Massive bullying. The girl murders her friend, all in the first 30 pages.
Totally inappropriate for children.
I had nightmares.
Totally inappropriate for children.
I had nightmares.
October 30, 2023
Tiener Samantha heeft in Verdronken van K.R. Alexander geen fijne jeugd. Haar ouders ruziën dagelijks, met haar voorbeeldige zusje Jessica heeft ze niet veel en haar beste vriendin Rachel heeft haar laten stikken. Om met haar moeilijke gevoelens om te gaan, is ze op school uitgegroeid tot een verschrikkelijke pestkop. Zo pest ze Rachel op wrede manieren en zijn de meeste schoolgenoten bang voor haar. Het pesten loopt zelfs zo erg uit de hand, dat Samantha Rachel in het griezelige Lamont-meer duwt waarna ze niet meer boven water komt. Wanneer Rachel de volgende dag toch op school verschijnt, zint ze op wraak…
Wil je mijn volledige recensie lezen? Ga dan naar elineschrijfthier.nl. ↖️👻
Wil je mijn volledige recensie lezen? Ga dan naar elineschrijfthier.nl. ↖️👻
October 9, 2022
Samantha en Rachel waren ooit beste vriendinnen. Door een gebeurtenis zijn het geen vriendinnen meer. Samantha is een pestkop geworden en ze pest voornamelijk Rachel, al is de hele school bang voor haar.
Wanneer Samantha Rachel bij een meer ziet zitten, duwt ze haar in het meer. Rachel komt niet meer boven en Samantha gaat naar huis.
De volgende dag staat Rachel opeens voor haar neus en ze is uit op wraak.
Verdronken is het tweede deel van de Horrorland serie en is losstaand te lezen. Ook dit deel is geschreven door K. R. Alexander.
De hoofdstukken zijn kort waardoor je er doorheen vliegt. Hierdoor blijf je makkelijk doorlezen.
In dit boek staat zowel vriendschap als pesten centraal. Een groot deel gaat over de wraak van Rachel. Hier en daar is er wat herhaling. Het wordt dan ook een beetje eentonig.
Tevens leer je de personages niet heel goed kennen. Het blijft wat oppervlakkig. Ik had ook niet echt een klik met een personage, misschien hebben jongere lezers dit wel.
Het einde vond ik helaas wat tegenvallen. Dit was, net zoals bij “Het poppenhuis”, afgeraffeld.
Dit boek is zeker geschikt voor 10+ lezers die lekker willen griezelen.
Wanneer Samantha Rachel bij een meer ziet zitten, duwt ze haar in het meer. Rachel komt niet meer boven en Samantha gaat naar huis.
De volgende dag staat Rachel opeens voor haar neus en ze is uit op wraak.
Verdronken is het tweede deel van de Horrorland serie en is losstaand te lezen. Ook dit deel is geschreven door K. R. Alexander.
De hoofdstukken zijn kort waardoor je er doorheen vliegt. Hierdoor blijf je makkelijk doorlezen.
In dit boek staat zowel vriendschap als pesten centraal. Een groot deel gaat over de wraak van Rachel. Hier en daar is er wat herhaling. Het wordt dan ook een beetje eentonig.
Tevens leer je de personages niet heel goed kennen. Het blijft wat oppervlakkig. Ik had ook niet echt een klik met een personage, misschien hebben jongere lezers dit wel.
Het einde vond ik helaas wat tegenvallen. Dit was, net zoals bij “Het poppenhuis”, afgeraffeld.
Dit boek is zeker geschikt voor 10+ lezers die lekker willen griezelen.
June 24, 2021
The Undrowned is a very short read but I found myself struggling to get through it. This whole story centers around the main character Samantha and how she kills her friend Rachel by pushing her into a lake, only for Rachel to show up at school and start haunting her.
The thing is though is that Samantha is a horrible person. She’s downright an abusive bully and is very selfish and bratty. I could not stand her, which is why when Rachel starts haunting her I was never scared for Samantha because she honestly deserved it. Hands down, I was rooting for Rachel the whole time. If Samantha grew as a person throughout the book I might have developed some sympathy, but the thing is that she never does. She never truly faces the consequences of her actions. That’s why the horror fell flat for me, because you have to somewhat care about what the character or characters are going through or experiencing, and I never once did about Samantha.
I actually think this book would have been way better had it been told from Rachel’s perspective. A girl back from the dead haunting her murderer and bully? Sign me up. Or it also could have worked if Rachel pushed Samantha in for being so mean, and was then haunted by Samantha. Either of those would have worked, but centering the story around a bully who never learns her lesson did not work for me.
Plus both the climax and the ending were very weak. The climax seemed far too short after the build up. Regarding the ending, there were too many unanswered questions and it was just very unsatisfying.
Overall, I don’t recommend this book. I know that this is a book geared toward middle school kids, but I wouldn’t suggest it for them either. There are far better middle grade horror books out there, and ones where the bully doesn’t ultimately triumph for murdering their friend. That’s not a good message to send to kids.
The thing is though is that Samantha is a horrible person. She’s downright an abusive bully and is very selfish and bratty. I could not stand her, which is why when Rachel starts haunting her I was never scared for Samantha because she honestly deserved it. Hands down, I was rooting for Rachel the whole time. If Samantha grew as a person throughout the book I might have developed some sympathy, but the thing is that she never does. She never truly faces the consequences of her actions. That’s why the horror fell flat for me, because you have to somewhat care about what the character or characters are going through or experiencing, and I never once did about Samantha.
I actually think this book would have been way better had it been told from Rachel’s perspective. A girl back from the dead haunting her murderer and bully? Sign me up. Or it also could have worked if Rachel pushed Samantha in for being so mean, and was then haunted by Samantha. Either of those would have worked, but centering the story around a bully who never learns her lesson did not work for me.
Plus both the climax and the ending were very weak. The climax seemed far too short after the build up. Regarding the ending, there were too many unanswered questions and it was just very unsatisfying.
Overall, I don’t recommend this book. I know that this is a book geared toward middle school kids, but I wouldn’t suggest it for them either. There are far better middle grade horror books out there, and ones where the bully doesn’t ultimately triumph for murdering their friend. That’s not a good message to send to kids.
January 28, 2021
When your kid tells you that you just have to read a book, that it's the best book ever, you do it, no questions asked. That is how I came to The Undrowned by K.R. Alexander. Samantha is a mean bully who pushes her former friend into the lake and watches her die. The next day, she is shocked to see the girl back at school, pretending as if nothing happened.
I was very sad to tell my kid that this book was... not good. She likes it and kids should always be allowed to read what they enjoy, but I was not a fan. The main character has no redeeming qualities and the writing was pretty uninspired. I hate to be so critical, but it was pretty awful.
The only good thing to come of this, was that I made a deal with the kid that I would read this one if she would read Cinder. I've been trying to talk her into it for months and this finally made it happen. I will happily sacrifice a couple of days reading a terrible book if it will introduce her to a fantastic series. And if you haven't yet read The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, the first book of which is Cinder, I highly recommend that you do. Now off to find something better, hopefully.
I was very sad to tell my kid that this book was... not good. She likes it and kids should always be allowed to read what they enjoy, but I was not a fan. The main character has no redeeming qualities and the writing was pretty uninspired. I hate to be so critical, but it was pretty awful.
The only good thing to come of this, was that I made a deal with the kid that I would read this one if she would read Cinder. I've been trying to talk her into it for months and this finally made it happen. I will happily sacrifice a couple of days reading a terrible book if it will introduce her to a fantastic series. And if you haven't yet read The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, the first book of which is Cinder, I highly recommend that you do. Now off to find something better, hopefully.
September 23, 2020
Very good young reader book. Samantha and Rachel were best friends. Rachel and Samantha are no longer friends, and Samantha is making Rachels life a living hell. Samantha pushed Rachel in the lake, yet Rachel appears at school the next day. Now it is her turn to make Samantha's life a living hell. Will refer it to the student who visit my elementary library.
January 3, 2022
Ooit waren Samantha en Rachel de beste vriendinnen. Met de nadruk op waren, want Samantha is opeens een vreselijke pestkop geworden. Iedereen op school is bang voor haar. Ze gebruikt Rachel voor het maken van haar huiswerk en geeft haar overal de schuld van.
Op een dag gaat Samantha naar het meer en ziet dat Rachel er ook is. Het tweetal krijgt wederom ruzie en uit pure woede duwt Samantha haar vroegere vriendin in het water. Er is alleen één probleem: Rachel kan niet zwemmen. Samantha kijkt wanneer ze weer naar boven komt, maar dat gebeurt niet. Rachel is naar de bodem gezakt. Samantha beseft plotseling wat ze zojuist heeft gedaan, maar besluit toch om naar huis te gaan en net te doen alsof er niks aan de hand is.
’s Avonds wordt er op het nieuws niet gesproken over de vermissing van Rachel. Samantha begrijpt er niets van. Haar ouders zouden toch alarm slaan als hun dochter niet thuis komt? De volgende dag gaat Samantha naar school en ziet tot haar grote verbazing Rachel bij de kluisjes staan. Deze doet echter net alsof er niets is gebeurd en Samantha vermoedt dat ze uiteindelijk toch zichzelf heeft weten te redden. Niets aan de hand dus. Helaas blijkt dat niet helemaal te kloppen, want Rachel gedraagt zich vanaf dan opeens heel erg raar en het lijkt erop dat ze uit is op wraak.
‘Verdronken’ is het tweede deel in de Horrorland-reeks en doet je denken aan onder andere de Fear Street en Kippenvel boeken van R.L.Stine. De cover nodigt je al meteen uit om te gaan lezen. De schrijfstijl is ook in dit deel weer erg prettig en de hoofdstukken zijn wederom heel kort. Toch is dit deel misschien iets minder spannend dan ‘Het poppenhuis’. De start is wel heel erg goed, maar de gebeurtenis bij het meertje vindt al heel snel plaats. Daarna gaat het continu over de wraak van Rachel. Meerder gebeurtenissen herhalen zich en het einde is best simpel en makkelijk afgeraffeld. Persoonlijk viel het mij een beetje tegen. Ook leer je de personages niet heel erg goed kennen. Het blijft dus allemaal een beetje oppervlakkig, helaas. Toch denk ik dat de jeugdige lezer dit verhaal wel kan waarderen. Ondanks dat het niet helemaal aan mijn verwachtingen voldeed, kijk ik toch uit naar het volgende deel, die (zoals ik begrepen heb), in november ’21 uitkomt!
Op een dag gaat Samantha naar het meer en ziet dat Rachel er ook is. Het tweetal krijgt wederom ruzie en uit pure woede duwt Samantha haar vroegere vriendin in het water. Er is alleen één probleem: Rachel kan niet zwemmen. Samantha kijkt wanneer ze weer naar boven komt, maar dat gebeurt niet. Rachel is naar de bodem gezakt. Samantha beseft plotseling wat ze zojuist heeft gedaan, maar besluit toch om naar huis te gaan en net te doen alsof er niks aan de hand is.
’s Avonds wordt er op het nieuws niet gesproken over de vermissing van Rachel. Samantha begrijpt er niets van. Haar ouders zouden toch alarm slaan als hun dochter niet thuis komt? De volgende dag gaat Samantha naar school en ziet tot haar grote verbazing Rachel bij de kluisjes staan. Deze doet echter net alsof er niets is gebeurd en Samantha vermoedt dat ze uiteindelijk toch zichzelf heeft weten te redden. Niets aan de hand dus. Helaas blijkt dat niet helemaal te kloppen, want Rachel gedraagt zich vanaf dan opeens heel erg raar en het lijkt erop dat ze uit is op wraak.
‘Verdronken’ is het tweede deel in de Horrorland-reeks en doet je denken aan onder andere de Fear Street en Kippenvel boeken van R.L.Stine. De cover nodigt je al meteen uit om te gaan lezen. De schrijfstijl is ook in dit deel weer erg prettig en de hoofdstukken zijn wederom heel kort. Toch is dit deel misschien iets minder spannend dan ‘Het poppenhuis’. De start is wel heel erg goed, maar de gebeurtenis bij het meertje vindt al heel snel plaats. Daarna gaat het continu over de wraak van Rachel. Meerder gebeurtenissen herhalen zich en het einde is best simpel en makkelijk afgeraffeld. Persoonlijk viel het mij een beetje tegen. Ook leer je de personages niet heel erg goed kennen. Het blijft dus allemaal een beetje oppervlakkig, helaas. Toch denk ik dat de jeugdige lezer dit verhaal wel kan waarderen. Ondanks dat het niet helemaal aan mijn verwachtingen voldeed, kijk ik toch uit naar het volgende deel, die (zoals ik begrepen heb), in november ’21 uitkomt!
November 7, 2021
'De doden komen niet terug.'
Gezellig griezelig griezelen. We griezelen gezellig nog wat door. Want griezelend de dag doorbrengen daar zorgde dit boek wel voor.
Twee felblauwe ogen sieren de cover van dit boek. Ze staren je aan. Duister, griezelig, maar óók met een stukje verdriet. Het zorgde ervoor dat ik het boek meteen wilde openslaan. Openslaan om het verhaal van Samantha en Rachel te lezen.
Een verhaal dat verteld wordt vanuit Samantha. Iedere hersenspinsel, iedere gedachte van Samantha krijg je mee. Samantha is een pestkop. Haar gedachten zijn duister, vol boosheid en vol van wrok en wraakzucht. En al deze negatieve energie heeft ze gericht op Rachel, haar voormalig beste vriendin.
Het boek leest ontzettend vlot. De zinnen en hoofdstukken zijn kort. En daarnaast heeft de auteur een vloeiende schrijfstijl. Een schrijfstijl als een snelstromende rivier die afstormt op een waterval. En ik, ik dompelde mij onder water. Onder water in die rivier, om pas weer boven water te komen nadat ik het boek uit had.
Al vanaf de eerste zin zat ik in het verhaal. Alles werd beeldend beschreven en daardoor zag ik alles zo voor mij. Ik zag wat Samantha zag en ik voelde wat zij voelde. Maar ik voelde nog wel meer. Ik voelde enige aversie tegenover Samantha. Want pesten vind ik niet oké. Waarom had zij zo'n hekel aan Rachel? Wat was de reden dat zij Rachel in het meer duwde?
'Rachel komt niet terug.'
'Ik heb haar vermoord.'
'Ik ben een moordenaar'
En vanaf dát moment werd het spannend. Eng vond ik het niet. Wel ervaarde ik een onderhuidse spanning, een spooky vibe. Want hoe kon het dat Rachel gewoon weer op school verscheen? Mijn hoofd wilde het onverklaarbare verklaren en maakte overuren. En ik kon niet anders dan alsmaar verder lezen.
Het is een verhaal over pesten, over wraak. Maar ook over vriendschap, het is droevig, het zorgt ervoor dat je met Samantha meeleeft. Je leert Samantha kennen en gaat haar begrijpen. Het leert ons dat pesten niet oké is. Én het bracht mij spanning om te kunnen ontspannen. Het gaf mij all the feels en het zat ontzettend goed in elkaar. Ik geef dit boek *****
Gezellig griezelig griezelen. We griezelen gezellig nog wat door. Want griezelend de dag doorbrengen daar zorgde dit boek wel voor.
Twee felblauwe ogen sieren de cover van dit boek. Ze staren je aan. Duister, griezelig, maar óók met een stukje verdriet. Het zorgde ervoor dat ik het boek meteen wilde openslaan. Openslaan om het verhaal van Samantha en Rachel te lezen.
Een verhaal dat verteld wordt vanuit Samantha. Iedere hersenspinsel, iedere gedachte van Samantha krijg je mee. Samantha is een pestkop. Haar gedachten zijn duister, vol boosheid en vol van wrok en wraakzucht. En al deze negatieve energie heeft ze gericht op Rachel, haar voormalig beste vriendin.
Het boek leest ontzettend vlot. De zinnen en hoofdstukken zijn kort. En daarnaast heeft de auteur een vloeiende schrijfstijl. Een schrijfstijl als een snelstromende rivier die afstormt op een waterval. En ik, ik dompelde mij onder water. Onder water in die rivier, om pas weer boven water te komen nadat ik het boek uit had.
Al vanaf de eerste zin zat ik in het verhaal. Alles werd beeldend beschreven en daardoor zag ik alles zo voor mij. Ik zag wat Samantha zag en ik voelde wat zij voelde. Maar ik voelde nog wel meer. Ik voelde enige aversie tegenover Samantha. Want pesten vind ik niet oké. Waarom had zij zo'n hekel aan Rachel? Wat was de reden dat zij Rachel in het meer duwde?
'Rachel komt niet terug.'
'Ik heb haar vermoord.'
'Ik ben een moordenaar'
En vanaf dát moment werd het spannend. Eng vond ik het niet. Wel ervaarde ik een onderhuidse spanning, een spooky vibe. Want hoe kon het dat Rachel gewoon weer op school verscheen? Mijn hoofd wilde het onverklaarbare verklaren en maakte overuren. En ik kon niet anders dan alsmaar verder lezen.
Het is een verhaal over pesten, over wraak. Maar ook over vriendschap, het is droevig, het zorgt ervoor dat je met Samantha meeleeft. Je leert Samantha kennen en gaat haar begrijpen. Het leert ons dat pesten niet oké is. Én het bracht mij spanning om te kunnen ontspannen. Het gaf mij all the feels en het zat ontzettend goed in elkaar. Ik geef dit boek *****
April 11, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
The book was creepy and scary, just like what I wanted. However, I’m not sure if the main character’s deserves her “happy ending”.
She is a bully who let her friend drown, knowing full well that her friend could not swim. Yes, she did feel guilty, she did regret her decisions at the end and reconciled with her sister. However, her friend is still dead and she is too blame for it…
I know they are teenagers, so I don’t think she should have died or gone to prison, but she does deserve a little bit of punishment. (Not thinking about the monster’s punishment here).
Other than that, I enjoyed the book a lot. She is the epitome of an angry teenager, blaming the world for her sadness. Which in my opinion is very typical teenage behavior.
I do recommend it if you want to read something creepy and scary.
The book was creepy and scary, just like what I wanted. However, I’m not sure if the main character’s deserves her “happy ending”.
She is a bully who let her friend drown, knowing full well that her friend could not swim. Yes, she did feel guilty, she did regret her decisions at the end and reconciled with her sister. However, her friend is still dead and she is too blame for it…
I know they are teenagers, so I don’t think she should have died or gone to prison, but she does deserve a little bit of punishment. (Not thinking about the monster’s punishment here).
Other than that, I enjoyed the book a lot. She is the epitome of an angry teenager, blaming the world for her sadness. Which in my opinion is very typical teenage behavior.
I do recommend it if you want to read something creepy and scary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2023
For all lovers of Goosebumps and Fear Street, KR Alexander is quickly becoming a fan favorite. My students and I are loving his creepy books. They are perfect for the middle grade horror lover, or adult horror wimp (me). Rachel and Samantha have a rocky relationship but what happens next was never expected.
November 26, 2022
Another excellent spooky book by this author. Along with a very powerful moral about guilt from doing something wrong and how it eats at you. In this case, in the form of a ghost. Great storyline and in this case, you can judge the book by the cover. It fits it well.
February 22, 2020
Well that was creepy...
October 3, 2020
This was a good creepy read for middle grade fans. I read through most of it in a couple of hours and it was really enjoyable. I loved the parts with the sketchbook. & I bet this would make a good kids movie. I'd recommend it to fans of Mary Downing Hahn's books. :)
January 9, 2020
Rachel and Samantha were friends.
Then Rachel betrayed Samantha.
Samantha vowed revenge by
Intimidation and blackmail.
Now Rachel is dead.
Drowned.
And Samantha is to blame.
This is the story of a friendship gone wrong and the girl who has a twisted view of life. Samantha is a bully and Rachel, a former friend, is her favorite victim. After a violent confrontation, Rachel is dead Samantha, in a rage, pushed her into the lake. Unable to swim, Rachel drowned. Samantha, terrified of punishment, is shocked when Rachel shows up the next day in school. This new Rachel Is vicious, strong, and terrifying. In a tale written in both prose and free verse poetry, readers will join Samantha in a eye popping horror story. The writer effectively uses free verse poetry when describing events that make your hairs stand up and goosebumps appear.
Then Rachel betrayed Samantha.
Samantha vowed revenge by
Intimidation and blackmail.
Now Rachel is dead.
Drowned.
And Samantha is to blame.
This is the story of a friendship gone wrong and the girl who has a twisted view of life. Samantha is a bully and Rachel, a former friend, is her favorite victim. After a violent confrontation, Rachel is dead Samantha, in a rage, pushed her into the lake. Unable to swim, Rachel drowned. Samantha, terrified of punishment, is shocked when Rachel shows up the next day in school. This new Rachel Is vicious, strong, and terrifying. In a tale written in both prose and free verse poetry, readers will join Samantha in a eye popping horror story. The writer effectively uses free verse poetry when describing events that make your hairs stand up and goosebumps appear.
October 2, 2020
I give this book a 3 star review because it was too short and I did not like the ending or the relationship between Samantha and Rachel.When the book started Samantha made it seem like Rachel did something so bad that she had a reason to kill her a whole person and not feel like guilty girl get over it it was not that bad she was just over sensitive I guess she was told that the world was made of rainbow and sunshine. she made me so mad not gonna lie I was rutting for Rachel to kill her like dead I wanted her gone 6 foot under. The way the book ended was so stupid like what it had so many unanswer question and when I was done with the book I was unsasfying like really they could have done way better I could have written a better story , was they lazy or something. This book would have been way better if they gave Samantha a better betral something that will really get your blood boiling and want to kill someone and be happy about it as they suffer in agany but no they give her a dumb reason like talking behine her back and making her so oversensitive, everybody body get talk behine their back even people who you though was your friends will talk behine your back that's how life work. I really wanted to know what happened to Rechel's parents and I wish they would have gone into depth more in the story. I had high hopes for this book because I like horror and when you write a horror story you really want to make the person feel it too,to make them feel scared, excited and attack them psychology but when I read this book I felt numb. It was ok but not all that. People don't really have the same taste as me. Some like light horror stories and some don't like to be scared. they will like it so if you are the type of person who doesn't like to go into detail and don't really think when you read then be my guest and read it you will like it everybody has a different taste it might not be all that good but it's what you like.
This is my honest review to the book if you don't like it then write your own review.
This is my honest review to the book if you don't like it then write your own review.
February 28, 2020
So for younger readers it may be OK. I felt the story started good but didn’t end well. I wanted the narrator to have some karma come her way to learn to be a better person but it just dragged on. I found myself begging it to end. That’s sad because it is such a short and easy read. The narrator is a bully and kills a girl who haunts her. I don’t like books where bad actions don’t have realistic consequences. Maybe for 3-5th grade goosebumps loving type kids.
The writing style had good visuals for the age group and it was creepy.
The writing style had good visuals for the age group and it was creepy.
May 13, 2021
I thought it was a perfectly creepy story so I ended up reading the whole thing in an hour.
September 14, 2023
With a premise like accidentally killing your best friend and she pops into school the next day like nothing happened, how can this book go wrong?
By being a Goosebumps book with just as poor character development as Goosebumps.
Strap in. I got a lot to say.
Our main character is Samantha, she's a bully why is she a bully? You don't get to find that out until nearly the end of the book. She is bullying her best friend Rachel and within thirty pages kills her. Why does he kill Rachel? Because she's a bully and she randomly corners her in front of a lake and shoves her in and all of the spirits that are in the lake grab her and pull her in.
Samantha almost feels bad but then goes home thinking that character deserves to die. She proceeds to be upset and constantly hint at what drove her and Rachel apart but also made her forever bully Rachel and make Rachel scared and upset and do her homework for her.
I'm not sure why I should care for this character because she is an outright bully and she is hurting everyone around her and her parents are apparently having a divorce so that should be why I feel bad for her? She just killed somebody and now everything after her killing Rachel feels kind of moot in comparison.
Like the summary on the back says, Rachel comes back and everything seemingly is normal, except Samantha is still a bully but scared of Rachel specifically. So Rachel is now existing bully free.
We see that Rachel barely interacts with anybody and apparently her last friend was Samantha but also Samantha's last friend was Rachel. It's a really weird dynamic and when the reveal near the finale of the book is shown for why they fell apart it's kind of stupid to realize that they've been so codependent yet also divided over the simple little event that they didn't want to happen.
So one day somebody read Rachel's book out loud and it was her journal it to the entire classroom and it was about how she felt bad for Samantha because her parents were going to divorce. And how Samantha was such a shitty person that Rachel even wondered if she should feel bad for her. Which to be fair, she's a kid so yes, but she's a shitty kid so, not too much.
And from then on Samantha vows to hurt everyone around her who even looks at her like they care.
Aight. That's stupid.
But the stupidity isn't over, because Rachel dies. Rachel actually gets a second chance to return and be alive and she still sacrifices herself for Samantha. Samantha who vows at the end to become a better person and be a good person. Then she takes the binder with all of her memories between her and Rachel and throws it into the lake so Rachel can have them back. Even though Rachel of all people would have the best while Samantha would need them to remind herself why she's trying to be better.
So the good character dies in a character that's barely redeemed themselves lives. This book really wanted us to feel fridged. A fridging mess.
I could not find anything really to make me care about Samantha, and Jessica her sister is hardly a character so both of them surviving at the end left me feeling nothing. They both desperately needed more development and less focus on racial who clearly deserved redemption and to live again. The wrong characters die and the wrong ones survived. What a mucky mess.
Samantha is no last girl, more like a trash girl.
2 stars.
By being a Goosebumps book with just as poor character development as Goosebumps.
Strap in. I got a lot to say.
Our main character is Samantha, she's a bully why is she a bully? You don't get to find that out until nearly the end of the book. She is bullying her best friend Rachel and within thirty pages kills her. Why does he kill Rachel? Because she's a bully and she randomly corners her in front of a lake and shoves her in and all of the spirits that are in the lake grab her and pull her in.
Samantha almost feels bad but then goes home thinking that character deserves to die. She proceeds to be upset and constantly hint at what drove her and Rachel apart but also made her forever bully Rachel and make Rachel scared and upset and do her homework for her.
I'm not sure why I should care for this character because she is an outright bully and she is hurting everyone around her and her parents are apparently having a divorce so that should be why I feel bad for her? She just killed somebody and now everything after her killing Rachel feels kind of moot in comparison.
Like the summary on the back says, Rachel comes back and everything seemingly is normal, except Samantha is still a bully but scared of Rachel specifically. So Rachel is now existing bully free.
We see that Rachel barely interacts with anybody and apparently her last friend was Samantha but also Samantha's last friend was Rachel. It's a really weird dynamic and when the reveal near the finale of the book is shown for why they fell apart it's kind of stupid to realize that they've been so codependent yet also divided over the simple little event that they didn't want to happen.
So one day somebody read Rachel's book out loud and it was her journal it to the entire classroom and it was about how she felt bad for Samantha because her parents were going to divorce. And how Samantha was such a shitty person that Rachel even wondered if she should feel bad for her. Which to be fair, she's a kid so yes, but she's a shitty kid so, not too much.
And from then on Samantha vows to hurt everyone around her who even looks at her like they care.
Aight. That's stupid.
But the stupidity isn't over, because Rachel dies. Rachel actually gets a second chance to return and be alive and she still sacrifices herself for Samantha. Samantha who vows at the end to become a better person and be a good person. Then she takes the binder with all of her memories between her and Rachel and throws it into the lake so Rachel can have them back. Even though Rachel of all people would have the best while Samantha would need them to remind herself why she's trying to be better.
So the good character dies in a character that's barely redeemed themselves lives. This book really wanted us to feel fridged. A fridging mess.
I could not find anything really to make me care about Samantha, and Jessica her sister is hardly a character so both of them surviving at the end left me feeling nothing. They both desperately needed more development and less focus on racial who clearly deserved redemption and to live again. The wrong characters die and the wrong ones survived. What a mucky mess.
Samantha is no last girl, more like a trash girl.
2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2020
Scholastic Book Fair come thru!! Yup another one of my school library’s own and a short spooky one with these haunting blue eyes daring you to read from the front cover --and it starts out with the eerie premise of the dead possibly coming back to life…..
“Yes,” she finally said. “People die, too. And just like NomNom, they don’t come back.” I thought for years that she’d decided to tell me the truth. Only now am I realizing that it was a lie. Because when I pushed Rachel in the lake and she didn’t come back up, I knew she was dead. She wasn’t coming back. Except, the next day, she did.” (Pg. 3
This one starts with Samantha, a vengeful little girl lamenting her life after getting grounded for failing a spelling test and having an amusement park field trip taken away from her--but she blames it all on her friend Rachel---
“It’s not really my fault that I didn’t have time to study for the spelling test. I’d been too busy writing the essay that Rachel was supposed to do for me. She let me down. Again. It’s her fault. All of this is her fault. And I’m going to make sure it’s the last time.” (Pg. 5)
Whew Samantha is super mean, a true bully who terrorizes Rachel though they used to be best friends, now Samantha is hardened and cold towards friends---
“Now I am no longer weak; she taught me that friendship was the ultimate weakness. Friends can hurt you. Friends can make your life miserable if they know everything about you. And from her betrayal, I grew strong.” (Pg. 8)
This was an interesting read as it was told from the viewpoint of the bully and you don’t really learn why until the end though there is considerable tension and suspense build up after Samantha catches Rachel alone by the lake and can’t control her rage…...Samantha viciously pushes Rachel in knowing full well she cannot swim and when too much time elapses to keep hope up for her to be alive Samantha does nothing, not call for help, swim in after her, nothing but go home to face her life as a murderer..She anticipates lots of questions and crying, and lots of guilt until she goes to school the next day and Rachel is there…..Rachel is physically the same except she drips water everywhere and haunts Samantha with her presence and the secret they both know of the attempted drowning…
This goes on for most of the book with Samantha super tense and afraid and Rachel taunting her with her presence and little asides...The ending hmm it could have been better but wasn't bad for a middle grade horror novel..I can say this one read fast and kept my interest..think my kids will be as intrigued--ah Scholastic is the best!
“Yes,” she finally said. “People die, too. And just like NomNom, they don’t come back.” I thought for years that she’d decided to tell me the truth. Only now am I realizing that it was a lie. Because when I pushed Rachel in the lake and she didn’t come back up, I knew she was dead. She wasn’t coming back. Except, the next day, she did.” (Pg. 3
This one starts with Samantha, a vengeful little girl lamenting her life after getting grounded for failing a spelling test and having an amusement park field trip taken away from her--but she blames it all on her friend Rachel---
“It’s not really my fault that I didn’t have time to study for the spelling test. I’d been too busy writing the essay that Rachel was supposed to do for me. She let me down. Again. It’s her fault. All of this is her fault. And I’m going to make sure it’s the last time.” (Pg. 5)
Whew Samantha is super mean, a true bully who terrorizes Rachel though they used to be best friends, now Samantha is hardened and cold towards friends---
“Now I am no longer weak; she taught me that friendship was the ultimate weakness. Friends can hurt you. Friends can make your life miserable if they know everything about you. And from her betrayal, I grew strong.” (Pg. 8)
This was an interesting read as it was told from the viewpoint of the bully and you don’t really learn why until the end though there is considerable tension and suspense build up after Samantha catches Rachel alone by the lake and can’t control her rage…...Samantha viciously pushes Rachel in knowing full well she cannot swim and when too much time elapses to keep hope up for her to be alive Samantha does nothing, not call for help, swim in after her, nothing but go home to face her life as a murderer..She anticipates lots of questions and crying, and lots of guilt until she goes to school the next day and Rachel is there…..Rachel is physically the same except she drips water everywhere and haunts Samantha with her presence and the secret they both know of the attempted drowning…
This goes on for most of the book with Samantha super tense and afraid and Rachel taunting her with her presence and little asides...The ending hmm it could have been better but wasn't bad for a middle grade horror novel..I can say this one read fast and kept my interest..think my kids will be as intrigued--ah Scholastic is the best!
October 31, 2021
'The Undrowned by K.R. Alexander (pseudonym of Alex R. Kahler) is hardcore youth horror at its best! Not only is it an exciting must-read and a scary page turner, but it also has a layering in the story, which makes me even dare to call it literature.
In short, the story is about Samantha and Rachel who got into a fight, after which Samantha has become a bully and her former girlfriend makes life miserable. One day, full of anger, she pushes Rachel into a lake. She doesn't surface anymore. Yet she is at school the next day. Only from now on she is the hunter and Samantha the prey.
'Drowned' has an excellent tension. The tension is increased not only by exciting events, but also by the author's macabre fantasy. Very dosed and at a brisk pace, the whole becomes a bit more macabre, scarier, with a tragic and moving denouement.
In addition, the Samantha and Rachel are fascinating characters. The first because of the change she's going through. The story shows how she eventually became a bully. As a result, sympathy for her grows while reading.
And what the author has done excellently is the following. Water symbolizes emotions and Samantha is trapped in her emotions and fear. The visual way in which she is confronted with water and the elements associated with it shows how strong fear can be.
Rachel is a great antagonist and gives a whole new meaning to the word scary. And she also has a strong relationship with water. It's the opposite of Samantha. Rachel becomes the fear and the dark depths of the water, where Samantha becomes her old self again through her confrontation with the monster and the fear.
And that makes chapter twenty-eight a key chapter in my experience. In this lesson the term allegory is discussed and I think that is exactly how this story should be read. 'Verdonken' is an allegory that shows how bullying turns someone into a monster by losing himself/herself.
So because of the tension, layering in the story and the allegorical character, 'the Undrowned' is a mustread for fans of literary youth horror! #theundrowned #kralexander #kluitman
In short, the story is about Samantha and Rachel who got into a fight, after which Samantha has become a bully and her former girlfriend makes life miserable. One day, full of anger, she pushes Rachel into a lake. She doesn't surface anymore. Yet she is at school the next day. Only from now on she is the hunter and Samantha the prey.
'Drowned' has an excellent tension. The tension is increased not only by exciting events, but also by the author's macabre fantasy. Very dosed and at a brisk pace, the whole becomes a bit more macabre, scarier, with a tragic and moving denouement.
In addition, the Samantha and Rachel are fascinating characters. The first because of the change she's going through. The story shows how she eventually became a bully. As a result, sympathy for her grows while reading.
And what the author has done excellently is the following. Water symbolizes emotions and Samantha is trapped in her emotions and fear. The visual way in which she is confronted with water and the elements associated with it shows how strong fear can be.
Rachel is a great antagonist and gives a whole new meaning to the word scary. And she also has a strong relationship with water. It's the opposite of Samantha. Rachel becomes the fear and the dark depths of the water, where Samantha becomes her old self again through her confrontation with the monster and the fear.
And that makes chapter twenty-eight a key chapter in my experience. In this lesson the term allegory is discussed and I think that is exactly how this story should be read. 'Verdonken' is an allegory that shows how bullying turns someone into a monster by losing himself/herself.
So because of the tension, layering in the story and the allegorical character, 'the Undrowned' is a mustread for fans of literary youth horror! #theundrowned #kralexander #kluitman
October 19, 2022
I think the anger that the author portrayed in Samantha was well written and realistic for how she felt abandoned and socially rejected. By the end I also wondered if she had been the big bad bully she imagined herself to be, aside from tormenting her friend Rachel. When she drops the tough girl persona at the point where she is terrified by what is transpiring, she refers to the others as her friends, and the other kids, besides Rachel, seem dismissive of her, calling her ‘edgy’ rather than being scared of her. It just seems unlikely that she went from being kind of uncool, and a “loser” to suddenly terrifying everyone around her, and I wonder if that was part of her armour, to picture herself that way.
I do think that it was realistic that she pushed Rachel into the lake….that her anger was so explosive and she was in so much pain that she would have done such a thing…and that such anger fed into creating and releasing this lake monster. But I think her shock, her anger, her fear - her emotions stopped her from trying to rescue Rachel.
I liked thinking about the archetypes used in this book for the monstrous Rachel…her pointy teeth, wet all the time, seaweed in unusual places. She reminded me of Thai ghosts, or descriptions of ‘real’ mermaids. Maybe like a predatory fresh water fish like a pike. I liked the message for middle schoolers that we have to feel our emotions rather than be consumed by anger, or we will cause ourselves even more suffering.
Overall, I found the writing to be inconsistent. There were parts of this book when I really was intrigued as to what was happening and what would develop next, but the ending was unsatisfying in comparison an it was a departure from the rest of the book where emotions are intense and realistic…but at the end…half the kids are dead, and a few adult and it’s ‘c’est la vie’?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2020
I call it “Goosebumps” horror—the perfect clash between scary and original that gets kids turning the pages at a fast pace. I know that’s what I was doing when I read K.R. Alexander’s, “The Undrowned,” devouring it all in one day when I really ought to have done my homework.
Samantha, the protagonist, is not someone you would expect to be the hero. Samantha’s life is falling apart; her parents are always fighting and bound to get a divorce, she never speaks with her sister, and their homelife is far from stable. She thought her only friend was Rachel, but after Rachel betrays her, Samantha has nobody.
Something goes terribly wrong near the lake of their little town. Samantha can’t hold back her rage against Rachel, and one push near the lake’s edge is enough for Rachel to trip, heading straight into the water. And she doesn’t resurface, because she can’t swim. Samantha realizes the horrible thing she has done and she feels truly awful, but she can’t afford to be caught either. She tries to hide what she did, but something unfathomable happens; Rachel shows up the next day at school. Fine. Perfect. Like nothing ever happened.
Except Rachel is not herself. Something sinister is lurking about, and it is out to make Samantha’s life miserable. Whatever Rachel has become may be aiming to make sure Samantha feels everything Rachel felt as she plummeted into that water, and in the worst ways possible.
With an unlikely, but surprisingly lovable protagonist, I was enthralled by this story of Samantha and a mysterious creature from the lake. The monster is utterly superb, and the events that led up to the final showdown had me on the edge of my seat. I loved every word.
Samantha, the protagonist, is not someone you would expect to be the hero. Samantha’s life is falling apart; her parents are always fighting and bound to get a divorce, she never speaks with her sister, and their homelife is far from stable. She thought her only friend was Rachel, but after Rachel betrays her, Samantha has nobody.
Something goes terribly wrong near the lake of their little town. Samantha can’t hold back her rage against Rachel, and one push near the lake’s edge is enough for Rachel to trip, heading straight into the water. And she doesn’t resurface, because she can’t swim. Samantha realizes the horrible thing she has done and she feels truly awful, but she can’t afford to be caught either. She tries to hide what she did, but something unfathomable happens; Rachel shows up the next day at school. Fine. Perfect. Like nothing ever happened.
Except Rachel is not herself. Something sinister is lurking about, and it is out to make Samantha’s life miserable. Whatever Rachel has become may be aiming to make sure Samantha feels everything Rachel felt as she plummeted into that water, and in the worst ways possible.
With an unlikely, but surprisingly lovable protagonist, I was enthralled by this story of Samantha and a mysterious creature from the lake. The monster is utterly superb, and the events that led up to the final showdown had me on the edge of my seat. I loved every word.
January 5, 2023
Het is al heel wat jaren geleden dat ik de spannende jeugdboeken van bijvoorbeeld R.L. Stine voor het eerst las (Kippenvel), maar dit genre boeken mag ik nog steeds graag lezen. De nieuwe serie Horrorland is ideaal wanneer je lekker ouderwets wilt griezelen, maar nog niet helemaal toe bent aan een boek als It.
Verdronken is het eerste boek in deze serie.In Verdronken mondt een ruzie tussen twee voormalige vriendinnen uit in het ergst denkbare; een van hen sterft. Je verwacht niet dat diegene de volgende dag gewoon weer op school verschijnt, maar dat doet ze wel, en er beginnen allemaal vreemde, ronduit angstaanjagende dingen te gebeuren. Die vreemde dingen zijn goed bedacht en sterk beschreven, ze zijn best spannend. Water speelt een grote rol en daar is bij sommige enge momenten echt goed gebruik van gemaakt door de auteur. Dit boek leest mede daardoor als een trein; met een vlotte vertelstem loodst Alexander je door het verhaal.
Dat de tekst soms verspringt of anders is vormgegeven om het nog spannender of tastbaarder te maken, vind ik wel jammer. Het voelt een beetje te makkelijk. Ook wat Rachel gedaan heeft om te zorgen dat Samantha zo’n pestkop is geworden, voelt een beetje makkelijk en onwaarschijnlijk. Ik denk niet dat ik het als kind had gepikt.
In mijn ervaring is Verdronken geen slecht verhaal, wel ontbrak er voor mijn gevoel het nodige en had er wat meer aandacht besteed mogen worden aan bepaalde dingen, zoals de redenen waarom Samantha zo’n grote pestkop is geworden en waarom het thuis zo slecht gaat.
Verdronken krijgt van mij 3 sterren.
~Yfke
Verdronken is het eerste boek in deze serie.In Verdronken mondt een ruzie tussen twee voormalige vriendinnen uit in het ergst denkbare; een van hen sterft. Je verwacht niet dat diegene de volgende dag gewoon weer op school verschijnt, maar dat doet ze wel, en er beginnen allemaal vreemde, ronduit angstaanjagende dingen te gebeuren. Die vreemde dingen zijn goed bedacht en sterk beschreven, ze zijn best spannend. Water speelt een grote rol en daar is bij sommige enge momenten echt goed gebruik van gemaakt door de auteur. Dit boek leest mede daardoor als een trein; met een vlotte vertelstem loodst Alexander je door het verhaal.
Dat de tekst soms verspringt of anders is vormgegeven om het nog spannender of tastbaarder te maken, vind ik wel jammer. Het voelt een beetje te makkelijk. Ook wat Rachel gedaan heeft om te zorgen dat Samantha zo’n pestkop is geworden, voelt een beetje makkelijk en onwaarschijnlijk. Ik denk niet dat ik het als kind had gepikt.
In mijn ervaring is Verdronken geen slecht verhaal, wel ontbrak er voor mijn gevoel het nodige en had er wat meer aandacht besteed mogen worden aan bepaalde dingen, zoals de redenen waarom Samantha zo’n grote pestkop is geworden en waarom het thuis zo slecht gaat.
Verdronken krijgt van mij 3 sterren.
~Yfke
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