Girl Underwater

Kells writes with a spare, sure hand in her debut novel about a college sophomore swimmer who survives a plane crash in the Rockies along with a teammate and three young boys. First-person narrator Avery Delacorte reveals her story in parallel timelines. The first one details the crash and its harrowing aftermath in an unforgiving wilderness, where Avery is joined by teammate Colin Shea and the three boys, ages three through six. The other follows her mental recovery from the crash, hindered by the emotional wall she erects between herself and the experience. Avery’s family, boyfriend, and therapists try to help, but she refuses to accept a PTSD diagnosis. She disassociates herself from the other survivors, going so far as to pretend she went it alone in the wild, had nothing to do with helping to rescue the youngsters, and did not suture Colin’s wounds with dental floss. It’s only when she forces herself to reconnect with her fellow survivors that she begins to regain control of her life. The author’s skill with character reveals itself best with Colin, whose quiet care has always unnerved Avery. Kells’s visceral story is quite memorable and eminently readable. [em](Mar.) [/em]