≡ PDF Swimming Upstream Ruth Mancini 9781781768822 Books

Swimming Upstream Ruth Mancini 9781781768822 Books

Download As PDF : Swimming Upstream Ruth Mancini 9781781768822 Books

Swimming Upstream Ruth Mancini 9781781768822 Books

The title says it all! Haven't many of us been there - particularly in our younger years - trying to make the best of what life is currently handing out to us?

Set in the 1990s, a decade when most of today's readers were possibly going through single life, searching for "the one," the frailties and strengths of women were depicted accurately in this excellent novel. Well-written - almost ethereal in imagery - the plot, like life, is unpredictable.

Lizzie (Elizabeth) Taylor is no exception as she reluctantly faces the fact that her partner of seven years, Larsen, is no longer interested in her and actually has moved on even while he is still living with Lizzie.

Lizzie moves to London to pursue her radio career and meets Martin who turns out to be the partner of an old school friend, Catherine. Lizzie also meets up with Zoe, a former girlfriend of one of Larsen's friends and a nurse who has never passed her final exams, and who is on the borderline of bipolar disorder. The three women become close and Lizzie tries to help Catherine and Zoe as well as herself. Catherine persists in denying her blackened eyes and injuries, Zoe sink further into her affliction. Martin exhibits an unwarranted interest in Lizzie which culminates in the worst kind of betrayal.

The ending is not predictable and somewhat vague, and I would have liked to know what happened to one of the characters at the end, a regrettable omission.


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Swimming Upstream Ruth Mancini 9781781768822 Books Reviews

Swimming Upstream allows readers a behind-the-scenes look caused by emotional & physical abuse, dependency/codependency, as well as the devastating effects of mental illness. I'm not trying to scare anyone away from reading this novel, the above represents more than the main character, and allows the reader an understanding how everything a person goes through impacts others throughout their lifetime. The only reason I gave 4 stars, instead of 5, was because the story would seem a bit slow at times & I would start to lose interest. Overall, an excellent read & one of my favorites & most highlighted! I cannot wait to see what Mancini conjures up next.
What is happiness? Is it truly achievable? What does it look like? Can others make us happy? Do we ask too much from others? Lizzie thought that she knew the answers to the aforementioned questions. An experience leads her to believe otherwise. Thus, she trades in everything that she knows...to go in search of this thing. Will she find it? Is she able to accept what it is that she finds? Can she ever go back to the way she was? Will her life be the same prior to this adventure? Read Swimming Upstream to see!

The author uses several humorous antidotes and a number of twist and turns in the road....to bring Lizzie back to herself. The journey is made well worth it when she sees familiarity in the faces of old friends. Are they asking the same questions?

The book was a short read. I wasn't overly flattered (but it did touch on a lot of issues that makes it worth reading). I think this would have played out better on the big screen. Wait...I just saw a girl flick with some of the same content (Laugh). Its all upstream from here..
4.5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although quite a bit "heavier" than my usual reads, I found myself extremely drawn in. The characters were very well fleshed out and I absolutely adored and was inspired by the main character, Lizzie. She was such a great person and I really wanted the best for her. I wanted her to find peace and love. The secondary characters had significant stories to tell as well and I was very immersed in those subplots too. There was a lot of sadness in the book and not everything was neatly tied up but I appreciated that because it was so true to life. I'm not going to write my own synopsis because I'm not sure I could accurately or adequately describe what the book was about in just a few sentences but if I were to try, I would say that Swimming Upstream is about one young woman's journey to come to terms with her past, navigate her present and figure out what she wants out of her future. I was hoping for a different ending but I won't say why at the risk of spoilers.

Very impressive debut!
A warning to anyone who has been a victim of domestic abuse in any of it's forms (gas-lighting, physical violence, emotional abuse, etc), a victim of rape, and/or those who are dealing with co-dependency . . . this book is HIGHLY TRIGGERING.

This review contains some spoilers. I'm doing my best to give a general idea of the book without ruining it, but some things are in the book that the reader should be aware of before reading.

All others This story involves a female character who is very co-dependent. Her identify is based on her value to her friends and when one relationship ends she loses her identity completely. She deals with a friend who is in a relationship with an abusive man, and finds herself a victim of rape when she is given a drug in her drink. There is a pregnancy that results from the rape. An important friendship is lost, and the resolution involves running away to parts unknown. Problems are not confronted in a healthy way, and there are moments where you get exasperated by some of the characters' behaviors.

Overall, it was a quick read. A bit dark. A bit frightening, with regards to how quickly a domestic abuse situation can escalate, and how friendships can be affected by such things. It gives some insight into the thoughts and feelings of those who are dealing with a friend in that sort of situation. And it displays unhealthy ways of dealing with said issues. A rape goes unpunished. Violence goes unreported. And in the end there is no justice, which can leave some readers quite frustrated.

I read the book from front to back hoping for some sort of hopefulness. The author attempts to end it on a higher note, but all she succeeds in doing is depressing the reader. I think it was well written, overall. Just not the sort of book I would want to read again, personally, and definitely not a book I would recommend for impressionable readers (such as teens or pre-teens, etc.)
The title says it all! Haven't many of us been there - particularly in our younger years - trying to make the best of what life is currently handing out to us?

Set in the 1990s, a decade when most of today's readers were possibly going through single life, searching for "the one," the frailties and strengths of women were depicted accurately in this excellent novel. Well-written - almost ethereal in imagery - the plot, like life, is unpredictable.

Lizzie (Elizabeth) Taylor is no exception as she reluctantly faces the fact that her partner of seven years, Larsen, is no longer interested in her and actually has moved on even while he is still living with Lizzie.

Lizzie moves to London to pursue her radio career and meets Martin who turns out to be the partner of an old school friend, Catherine. Lizzie also meets up with Zoe, a former girlfriend of one of Larsen's friends and a nurse who has never passed her final exams, and who is on the borderline of bipolar disorder. The three women become close and Lizzie tries to help Catherine and Zoe as well as herself. Catherine persists in denying her blackened eyes and injuries, Zoe sink further into her affliction. Martin exhibits an unwarranted interest in Lizzie which culminates in the worst kind of betrayal.

The ending is not predictable and somewhat vague, and I would have liked to know what happened to one of the characters at the end, a regrettable omission.