Reading Learning Not To Drown by Anna Shinoda

This local spotlight is a little different than most. Instead of telling you about a local product or brand I’m going to highlight an author, Anna Shinoda.

Ms. Shinoda, based out of Southern California, recently completed her debut novel, Learning Not To Drown. I was lucky enough to receive a review copy and was quite impressed by the book.

The story centers around Clare, a teenager living in a small mountain town where everybody knows everybody. This turns out to be a double edged sword because her family has family has a skeleton in its closet – her brother Luke. Luke is a convicted felon who’s spent most of his adult life in and out of prison. Whether he’s home or not his presence is always felt and it causes much disruption in her family life. Clare is a well rounded girl with a bright future ahead only if she can escape her family’s demons.

Learning Not To Drown is a powerful young adult novel that draws much inspiration from Ms. Shinoda’s own life. Reading it I was struck by it’s realistic and sympathetic portrayal of its subject matter. The story is gripping – I finished it in about a day because I couldn’t put it down – and though the subject is dark it has a hopefulness to it.

Learning Not To Drown is a wonderful debut for Anna Shinoda and I hope she brings us more stories in the future.