"The Yacht" by Sarah Goodwin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Yacht" by Sarah Goodwin revolves around a group of uni friends who find themselves stranded at sea. I am a sucker for locked-room mysteries and books that take place on a boat, so I grabbed the book once I read the blurb. And, boy, what a ride!

A group of friends from England, consisting of Maggie and her fiance Leon, Harry, and Hannah, come to celebrate New Year's Eve on Libby and her husband Olly's yacht, which is anchored at the Italian marina. All of them have made it big and are rich, except Hannah, who is stuck in a dead-end job and single due to unresolved issues. Maggie, Libby, and their partners look down on Hannah, the poor one in their midst.

At first, the party is going relatively well, aside from some snide comments toward Hannah. The atmosphere becomes tense the more they drink and do drugs, and masks are removed. The plot takes a turn the next morning when they find themselves stranded at sea with no Wi-Fi, no food, and no fuel. While they try to figure out what happened and what to do, tensions rise, and secrets are revealed, tearing them apart. As they lurch from one disaster to another, "Swim or sink" becomes their new reality.

I loved the book and couldn't stop reading. Sure, the premise isn't original; this trope has been done many times, but its execution makes it shine. The book is written in the first person from Hannah's perspective. She was a great character, one I could relate to and root for, which is more than I can say for the other characters. The other characters, with the exception of Harry, were insufferable and thought themselves superior to less fortunate people. I was glad when Hannah finally grew a backbone and didn't bow to her friends.

I appreciate the writing and the way the story unfolded before my very eyes. The author made the characters and scenes come to life. There were surprising developments and turns, and although there were some scenes that required a suspension of disbelief, I could live with it.

The setting was great, and I could feel the atmosphere as conditions deteriorated. The descriptions of the storm, the cold, and the despair were very realistic. The book explores various themes like bullying, toxic relationships, loss, and fear of getting close to someone and getting hurt in the process. The book is exceptionally well-crafted and compelling, and I found myself thoroughly caught up in the tale. Readers will be hooked until the very end, wondering where all of this is going. Full stars from me!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Yacht" by Sarah Goodwin