Shalanda Stanley | The Children’s Book Review | September 20, 2015
I took my book selfie in my dining room, my favorite room in my house, which I use as an office. My family and I have never actually eaten in there. When my son says, “Mama, I put your paper on your desk,” he means the dining room table.
Drowning Is Inevitable is the book I always wanted to read. I love books that feature strong friendships, so it was important to me that Olivia and Jamie’s relationship be the premier relationship in the book. In the story we find out how far each of them would go for the other one, and the consequences that come with saying, “I’d do anything for you.”
Based on the books in my bookshelf selfie, it’s pretty evident that I’m a fan of children’s literature (and also Charlaine Harris). There are a few adult titles in there, but you’ll have to look hard. To me, some of the most complex and eloquent storytelling is happening in middle grade and young adult fiction.
About the Author
Shalanda Stanley grew up in Louisiana and earned her BA in creative writing at Florida State University. She has an MEd in special education from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a PhD from LSU in curriculum and instruction, with a focus in reading and literacy education. She’s an assistant professor at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where she also lives with her family.
Drowning Is Inevitable
Written by Shalanda Stanley
Publisher’s Synopsis: Olivia has spent her whole life struggling to escape her dead mother’s shadow. But when her father can’t even look at her because Olivia reminds him of her mother, and her grandmother mistakenly calls her “Lillian,” shaking a reputation she didn’t ask for is next to impossible. Olivia is used to leaning on her best friend, Jamie; her handsome but hot-tempered boyfriend, Max; and their wild-child friend, Maggie, for the reality check that her small Louisiana town can’t provide. But when a terrible fight between Jamie and his father turns deadly, all Olivia can think to do is grab her friends and run.
In a flash, Olivia, Jamie, Max, and Maggie become fugitives on the back roads of Louisiana. They’re headed to New Orleans, where they hope to find a solution to an unfixable problem. But with their faces displayed on all the news stations, their journey becomes a harrowing game of hide-and-seek from the police—and so-called allies, who just might be the real enemy.
Shalanda Stanley’s breathtaking debut novel explores the deep ties between legacy, loyalty, and love, even as it asks the question: How far would you go to save a friend?
Ages 14+ | Knopf Books for Young Readers | 2015 | ISBN-13: 978-0553508284
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Discover more books like Drowning is Inevitable, written by Shalanda Stanley, by checking out our reviews and articles tagged with Contemporary Romance Books, Knopf Books for Young Readers, Loyalty, and Young Adult Fiction; and be sure to follow along with our Selfie and a Shelfie series.
