Swimming Sideways by C.L. Walters

As A Whole:

Swimming Sideways was such an emotional story. I was so impressed with how C.L. Walters was able to draw out such feeling and connection to the characters! The story was deeply moving and I can’t wait to read the second book!

On The Details:

The story focuses on Abby, and her torn love between two boys, Gabe and Seth. Who Abby is as a person is a big focus. She goes through a self-discovery journey to decide who she is, and who she wants to me. I did find some portions of the story to be a bit slow. The beginning of the book didn’t quite capture my attention, and it took some time to really settle into the story. Once, I did though, I was hooked!

The location was such a wonderful setting for this story. C.L. Walters has this amazing ability to draw the reader into the world she is creating. Her descriptions create these beautiful images while you read. This story is filled with Hawaiian culture and I enjoyed reading about it!

The characters felt so real. They were beautifully written and I connected to them so easily. Abby is such a conflicted character, full of emotion and heartbreak.

To Read or Not To Read:

I would recommend Swimming Sideways for readers that enjoy an emotional story with a real-life feel.

Where to Find This Book:

Swimming Sideways by C.L. Walters is available at these sites.

Bookshop.org | Amazon Kindle | Amazon | Goodreads

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What do you do when your world has fallen apart, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to put it back together?

Abby Kaiāulu (Kaw ee aw oo loo) gets the chance to start over when her family relocates from Hawai’i to a small town on the Oregon coast.

But she’s hiding a secret.

Leaving the past and the cultural lessons of her Hawaiian grandfather behind, Abby redefines who she is to hide it. There’s Good Abby – she makes and follows the rules – and there’s Bad Abby – she always questions them. But both leave Abby wondering: which one is she really?

Her road of self-discovery takes her on a journey where she must discover the truth of who she is as a daughter, a sister, a woman, a Hawaiian and as a friend.

But just when she thinks her world might be coming back together, it falls apart all over again.

Just the Facts:

Swimming Sideways by C.L. Walters
Series: Cantos Chronicles, Book 1
Genre: Young Adult / Contemporary
Page Count: 388 pages
Publisher: Mixed Plate Press
Pub Date: March 31, 2020