Anjali Banerjee

Dreaming of Water is another roller coaster of a book by A.J. Banner that kept me rapidly turning pages and reading way past my bedtime. The main character is well written and I could feel her desire to find out the truth of her sister's death. She faced a stone wall trying to get information from her parents but she was determined to solve the mystery -- she was a really tenacious woman. Plus the setting was so well described that I felt like I was in the Pacific northwest at the beach when show more I was reading it. For me, this book had all of the elements to make it a fantastic book that will end up in my top 20 books list for 2024.

Astrid swore to never return to Heron Bay after the drowning of her younger sister 17 years earlier and the continuing guilt that she felt because she was babysitting her sister when she disappeared. Before her sister's death, staying at her Aunt Maude's in Heron Bay made her summers special and she loved the time that she spent there. Now she's working as a court-qualified forensic document examiner in California. She and her husband have just split up and she is having trouble accepting the fact that he is now living with her ex-best friend. When Astrid receives a phone call from her Aunt asking her to return because she has found out some information about her sister's death, she decides to take a few days and go to Heron Bay. When she arrives at her aunt's house, her aunt is on the floor in a coma -- did she fall or did someone push her? After the cryptic message from her Aunt, Astrid decides that it's time to find out what really happened to her sister -- did she drown or did someone hold her under the water in the small reflecting pool? First she questions her parents but they both live different and separate lives and neither one of them even wants to talk about it. The more she investigates, the more the sad memories of those days and of her lost sister return but she remains determined to find out the truth no matter the cost.

Along with the mystery and suspense, there is a bit of romance to lighten the mood of the book. This is another fantastic book from this author. The plot kept me guessing until the end but once the 'bad guy' was revealed, it all made sense. Clear your calendar before you start reading because you won't want to put it down. Fantastic book! show less

Dreaming of Water by A.J. Banner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

#FirstLine I held her under water/

"DREAMING OF WATER" by AJ Banner is an absolute gem. This gripping novel weaves an enthralling tale of mystery and suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The author's masterful storytelling and vivid descriptions immerse you into the hauntingly atmospheric setting, making it hard to put the book down. The characters are well-developed, and their complexities add depth to the show more story. AJ Banner's ability to create a sense of intrigue and uncertainty makes every page a delightful journey through the unknown. If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with a touch of the enigmatic, "DREAMING OF WATER" is a must-read. Highly recommended! show less

Mayasri Mukherjee is the only “brown” kid in her Manitoba school. She’s skinny, wears braces, has to wear her hair in childish ponytails, and has two pimples. Her parents insist that she take ballet and piano lessons, and forbid any sleepovers on school nights. Although born in India, she was an infant when her parents immigrated to Canada, and she doesn’t even speak Bengali. She hates being different: I am Nowhere Girl in my Nowhere Land, between Canada and India. When her cousin show more Pinky arrives from India for a visit, Maya is first awed by her confidence and poise, and then jealous of the attention paid to Pinky for her exotic differences. Then, just when Jamie Klassen has started to pay attention to her, she learns that her parents are contemplating a move to California. Maya borrows Pinky’s statue of Ganesh, a family heirloom, to pray that her troubles will be over.

Be careful what you wish for.

I read children’s and YA books because I have nieces and a nephew for whom I buy books. I had high hopes for this children’s book (ages 10 ). I expected some valuable lessons on being true to yourself, the meaning of true friendship, the importance of family, and the stumbles we all suffer on our road from childhood to adolescence and adulthood. Banerjee does include such lessons, but they are delivered in a rather heavy-handed way. Midway through the book, the very realistic story takes on a fantasy element that seemed forced. A skilled writer can incorporate magical realism or fantasy in such a way that it is totally believable and furthers the story. Not the case in this book. The second half of the book just stretches credulity too far and left me completely dissatisfied. I can’t imagine that any of the children I know would buy into it either.

I feel that people reading this review might want more detail on what I felt was wrong with the book …

Maya’s statue comes alive and grants her wishes … she is instantly taller, more developed, without braces or pimples, has a modern feathered haircut, a totally new wardrobe, parents who give in to her every desire, and a boyfriend who is completely devoted to her (in fact, he quickly becomes a stalker). By the time she realizes that she no longer wants all obstacles removed from her path, Pinky has returned home with the statue. Maya goes to India to track down Pinky and the statue so she can have Ganesh reverse the spell. Pinky has traded the family heirloom (a solid-gold statue with diamonds for eyes) to a shopkeeper for a beautiful silk sari. Maya actually steals the statue and runs into the woods where she spends the night praying to it and crying. When she returns to her family no one blames her for stealing, or staying out all night, and she and her father begin the journey back to Canada. The statue does come alive again briefly, but before she knows whether her world will return to the way it was she spontaneously gives the valuable statue to a boy on the train who needs a heart operation. When she gets back to Manitoba and is in the car with her parents she simply tells them that what she wants is for them to be back to normal. And VOILA … they are her usual parents again, and she is skinny, with braces, and her hair in ponytails. No, this isn’t just a dream sequence … and that’s the problem with the book. I simply couldn’t suspend disbelief. show less

What first drew me to this book was protagonist Phoebe Glassman’s job as a mortuary cosmetologist, someone who makes the decedent (new word for me!) look how they did in life. That’s something I could NOT do, but I find it fascinating. The funeral home where Phoebe works specializes in “green burials,” the eco-friendly alternative to traditional cemeteries, which is something else I’d recently discovered. Again, fascinating!

When the body of a woman looking exactly like Phoebe show more arrives at the mortuary, she ends up down a rabbit hole investigating this identical stranger’s past. This book is also about the heavy burden of her grief from losing her husband and daughter a few years earlier. IN ANOTHER LIGHT is a suspenseful mystery and journey of coming to terms with the past. It’s a very quick, engrossing, and emotional read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less