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The Girl Who Stopped Swimming

Joshilyn Jackson
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446579650
Reviewed by Gina Holland for RebeccasReads (4/08)

“The Girl Who Stopped Swimming”--ghosts are about in this fantastic novel by Joshilyn Jackson.  She simply captivates her reading audience and keeps them dangling until the very end. The story begins when Laurel Gray Hawthorne, married to a wonderful man, and with a beautiful daughter, hasn’t seen a ghost since they moved to their new home in Chapel Circle thirteen-years ago. Before the move, Laurel was bothered by images of her dead Uncle Marty night after night, but not sure exactly what he wanted from her or what the image meant.  Laurel married at the age of nineteen, to David Hawthorne, a very quiet but loving husband. David was dedicated to his work and spent a lot of time doing just that.  They have a daughter named Shelby and all were very happy with their lives. You will also be introduced to Laurel’s sister, Thalia, who is a bit on the wild side and totally different from Laurel. As the story moves on, Laurel awakes one night by a ghost, but this time it wasn’t Uncle Marty. It is the ghost of a small child, Shelby’s friend Molly. Molly shows Laurel the way to where she is lying face down in the family swimming pool. Laurel and David try to revive her but it’s too late. As Laurel makes her way downstairs to help Molly, this begins the unraveling of truths and lies. Molly is dead, drowned, but who killed her? And why? Shelby also has a friend over, named Bet, who is from Laurel’s hometown, and what most people would call a half-wit. Does Bet know more than she is telling? Do Shelby and Bet know what really happened to Molly?

When you read this novel you will find all the answers to the questions. This was one of the hottest novels I have read in a long while. The story is both interesting and mind-boggling. Laurel comes across so many things that she has to deal with because of the one night she finds her daughter’s friend dead. The author brings you back to Laurel’s hometown throughout the story so that you can see where Laurel comes from and how she has overcome her past and her family’s secrets.  You get a peek into Laurel’s childhood and just what happened to Uncle Marty. She brings to light how Laurel and her sister make amends in order to figure out just what has happened to Molly. Also, in the story, Laurel begins having doubts about her husband David, which is something that she has never worried about before. This comes upon Thalia’s insistence that David is no good for Laurel. Will Laurel get help, or more hurt from her sister? Who has done such a horrible thing as harm a child? I recommend buying “The Girl Who Stopped Swimming” and reading it because it is a very wonderful story and I hope that there may also in the future be a continuing story in the life of the Hawthorne’s. I would definitely buy it.

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