Ponder Post: At the Water's Edge

I enjoyed the book Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen even though it was dark and depressing. It had a twist in it that made for good fiction. I anticipated an equally good read in At the Water's Edge, also by Sara Gruen, because the premise had potential – an investigative party to prove the existence of the Loch Ness Monster.

The book was a huge disappointment. The tone was dark and depressing, similar to Water for Elephants, but without the circus setting and with little intrigue to compensate. The plot unveils a trio of spoiled socialites going off to Scotland to film the Loch Ness monster during the time period of World War II. The three main characters were unlikable at the beginning and two of them became worse, despicable, self-centered, and exceedingly worthless as the plot plodded on. The third character is portrayed to be a victim of her unloved upbringing. I continued reading on because the narrative was written as if something, hinted at only vaguely, were about to be revealed. I was awaiting a twist like the author had in Water for Elephants. Nope. Cloudy references were never clarified and unexplained euphemisms abounded. The supposedly superstition-inspired incidents fell flat. Budding romances were distorted and underdeveloped.

Apparently others had a different opinion so I might concede that for those who like period pieces, the setting of Scotland during World War II was well described at a grass roots level. Other than that, I thought there was nothing else redeeming about this book. Per Amazon:

Book Description
Publication Date: March 31, 2015
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water’s Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman’s awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.

The end was abrupt, maudlin, and unsatisfying and I seriously wonder if the person who reviewed the book knows what a "poignant love story" is. Read the other Amazon reviews if you must, but I would avoid wasting time reading the book itself. This author is off my radar for future novel selections.