Review: The Twilight Swimmer by A.C. Kavich

The Twilight Swimmer 
by A.C. Kavich
Released Date: Published October 16th 2013
Pages: 278
View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, 

One year after her beloved sister drowned while swimming in cold New England waters, sixteen-year-old Brandi Vine is still struggling to understand what happened. As she mourns on the rocky beach where her sister's lifeless body washed ashore, she is unaware that a pair of haunting gray eyes is watching her from beneath rolling ocean waves.

When Brandi attends a party that goes horribly awry, the mysterious owner of the gray eyes emerges from the ocean depths and comes to her rescue. She only sees him for a few brief moments, but that's all it takes to turn Brandi's world upside down. What were the strange markings on his neck that seemed to flutter with every breath? How did he possess such inhuman strength and grace? And why did he look at Brandi with such longing?

Brandi's fascination with the Swimmer grows. She makes it her mission to find him again and learn who - and what - he is. Meanwhile, the Swimmer’s fascination with Brandi compels him to leave the safety of the ocean behind, to be with her at all costs. They are from two different worlds, but neither of the star-crossed romantics can resist the pull of the other.

Ultimately, when her feelings for the Swimmer swell beyond her control, Brandi comes to realize that the strange young man from the sea can unlock the secret of her sister's final swim.
(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

The Twilight Swimmer was a great book, with a good concept that could have been executed a little bit better. Kavich did, however, a good job with the setting and describing the characters well. From the very beginning I was intrigued with what was happening to the characters. It all felt mysterious, yet we are not told what happened to Brandi (the main character) right away. The way the story is structured goes back and forth (from present to past) to give us in an insight to what happened to make the characters the way they are now. The “swimmer”, I found to be a great character with a very likable personality. I found myself wanting to know more of this “swimmer” and reading the chapters where he was in it was were enjoyable to read. 

The main character, Brandi, has suffered a lot after her sister's death. The water is what connects Brandi with her and now she has secluded herself from everyone else. She has struggled to understand what happened to her sister when she drowned, but it doesn't take long before she finds her answers with an unlikely source. Now, her life is not always sour, she has friends and a possible guy (who is definitely crushing on her) that made the story better and funnier. There were scenes in the book where I just couldn't contain myself from laughing, because it was just that hilarious. 

Although we are not told a lot of “the swimmer,” the snips of his life that we get left me wanting for more. He is the mystery that makes the story intriguing. Kavich did a good job describing him in detail and his feelings. The way he reacts to Brandi's voice was unique. I wish the author could have added more of them and develop more chemistry between them. I found the swimmer's role in the story great, but the ending killed me. Apart from solving the big mystery in the book, we also see Brandi's character grow and move on. Overall, the story had great potential to be great. There were things that could have been added or changed, but it worked in the end. I recommend everyone to give this book a try, it has great elements that anyone can enjoy reading. 

*A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest opinion*

My Rating: 3.5/5