Rowena’s review of The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal.
Main Character: Sirena
Love Interest: Pilot
Series: None
Author: Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads
It’s an unsettled summer for Sirena. Back in Texas, her family’s splitting apart, but here in Rhode Island, at the cottage of her aunt, it’s a different world. There are long days at the beach and intriguing encounters with Pilot, the lifeguard with shamanic skills. Sirena explores her obsession with Pilot and discovers his mysterious–almost magical–gifts.
This book wasn’t the light and fluffy read that I was expecting (and hoping for, truth be told) but that didn’t stop me from reading this book. This book follows Sirena as she heads to Rhode Island to stay with her Aunt for the summer while her parents (who are divorcing) move out of their house. The way that this story is told, is really slow. The story unfolds so slowly and yet, I couldn’t put this book down. I had to know what was going to happen next. I had to know what Sirena was going to do next in her obsession with Pilot. I had to know Pilot more and I just kept right on turning the pages even though I wanted the storyline to hurry up and move along.
Sirena is an interesting character, she’s nudged by her Aunt to volunteer at the hospital even though it’s the last thing she wants to do. She draws and paints on the beach, she swims and over the course of the summer, she changes into a person that she doesn’t quite recognize but appreciates anyway. At first, it was hard to sympathize with Sirena because you don’t know what she knows, you don’t understand why she feels and thinks the way that she does and she drove me crazy with well, everything but never once did I hate her. I probably should have because she did some things that drove me up the wall but I got over it.
I will say this, Deborah Blumenthal wrote a book that I couldn’t put down. She wrote a story that was interesting enough with characters that were interesting enough that I wanted to continue the story but once the story was finished, it was easy for me to move on. I was glad that I read it and I was glad that I finished it but I didn’t want to stay in the world that she created for Pilot and Sirena. I was happy to leave them be and move on. When I really enjoy a story, it’s hard for me to move on from the world but I didn’t have any trouble with this book.
It was good while it lasted and even though I didn’t really get Pilot and his special powers it was interesting to see him in his element though there was a lot about him that I didn’t like. The whole thing with Adriana and then with Sirena, that whole situation left a bad taste in my mouth and not because I thought Pilot was two timing Sirena but because Sirena assumed so much and just reacted on her emotions (her jealous ones) and it drove me crazy, it drove her to do some stupid things. I did enjoy getting to know Aunt Ellie and even Antonio but I was also happy when I finished. It’s hard to explain but that’s how I feel. I’d be hard pressed to recommend this book to readers but I will say this, it may not be the most perfect of stories but it was definitely not the worst.
..and that’s your scoop!
Buy the book: B&N|Amazon
Book cover and blurb credit: http://goodreads.com
