Customer Reviews

The Ocean Inside [Paperback]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The moment I started this book, I could not put it down. The story begins at once and never lets you loose. The chapters flowed together and did not drag with unimportant filler. Reading the book moves even faster as the story line progresses. I wanted to know what was next, I was living the story. I could not put it down. The characers were real and believable. At times, I felt I could have known this family from my community and been apart of their lives. The story has a purpose and at the end of the book, I was satisfied with the conclusion. (This does not always happen at the end of a book!)This is a book I have told my family and friends is a must read. I am now a big fan of Janna McMahan.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the two books of McMahan's that I've read, and I've passed them on to my sister, who enjoys good women's fiction, too. THE OCEAN INSIDE is the story of what happens to a family when tragedy strikes. It's the kind of story anyone can relate to, and the fact that it's beautifully written certainly helps. I appreciated McMahan's ability to keep the story moving and not to get bogged down into melodrama, although I agree with the reviewer who said the fight with the insurance company was a bit heavy-handed. Still, I understood why. Too often, our lives are controlled by forces we can't fight, and this was but one example of what can happen to people who are at the mercy of insurance companies and their bottom-line mentality. I'm looking forward to reading more of McMahan's books and hope she has a long and successful career. RECOMMENDATION: an enjoyable read for anyone who likes stories with family themes.

What a great novel from Janna McMahan. This is a wonderfully written story about a family's struggle with children's cancer and a young girl's coming of age. The story, set in the South Carolina town, Pawley's Island, has lots of South Carolina references. The story is told from all of the characters points of view and you feel their worry, pain and heartache. The characters are very real and human. You experience their struggles and begin to understand what families have to go through when cancer is diagnosed. Within each character the reader can find a part of themselves. Pick up a copy and take out to the beach with you this summer. But take plenty of sunscreen, because you won't want to put it down. Also, take a look at her first novel Calling Home as well.

On Pawley's Island, South Carolina, Emmet and Lauren Sullivan raise their two children in a wonder loving home. However, their idyllic lifestyle takes a horrific blow when their youngest daughter nine years old Ainslie becomes critically ill.

Emmet and Lauren try their best not to neglect their teenage older daughter Sloan, but cannot help their focus has to be on Ainslie. Sloan feels increasingly like an intruder filled with anger, resentment and remorse as even their grandparents ignore her while taking a zillion photos of her ailing sibling. She begins to turn to reckless actions like swimming in the ocean at night alone and falling for her boyfriend Cal's pressure in order to gain some attention from her parents.

THE OCEAN INSIDE is a profound look at what happens to internal relationships when a trauma crashes the lives of a happy seemingly well balanced family. The Sullivan foursome is fully developed with each having a unique personality so that the audience can see how they react differently to Ainslie's health crisis. Lauren dives into charities; Emmett worries about paying medical bills; Sloan feels deserted; and Ainslie turns reflective as she knows how her sister, her parents, and the islanders feel. Janna McMahan provides a thoughtful contemporary tale that will leave her readers pondering how we would act.

Harriet Klausner

The Ocean Inside is wonderfully written, with great attention to detail. This is my favorite author. Janna keeps the storyline moving so well that you are literally so "wrapped up" in her book that you can hardly put it down! She leaves you searching and longing for her next book release.

The topic of this book, which emphasizes the financial devastation that accompanies chronic illness and diseases is very timely considering the health care debates that are currently going on in Congress. I think the author did a great job with depicting a family who is struggling with not only caring for a sick child but also battling with an insurance company while bills pile up. The fact that this financial stress also affects not only everyone else in the family (the oldest daughter now finds that college is not a given, the parents take their stressors out on each other) but also may directly affect the treatment the child is eligible for (one hospital wouldn't examine the child due to the parent's outstanding bills) is very accurate.

The storyline moves from one character to another with enough momentum to keep the reader entertained. The ending is a bit fantastic, and not for those who want a book to read with a sound moral ending. The reader may disagree with the final choices the characters make, but it will spark thoughts about what you would do in the same situation.

I marked the book down to four stars because I felt that at times the balance was lost and it became a book solely about the financial hardships of the family. They have a critically ill child, yet seem to worry more about bills than the fact that she could die.

Overall a good read. Get it free for the Kindle and be surprised by the quality offered for free.

Did I read the same book the other reviewrs did? First of all, insurance is supposed to be the main problem in this story, yet I felt it was only mentioned in passing and then only to wrap up the story. My biggest gripe is that it is fine for Sloan to have knowledge of a murder and she tells no one - not even the victim's uncle? Her parents know something is wrong but they just let it go? Really? She just shoves the whole thing out of her conscience? can only disagree with the novel's premise - many of us know what our children are involved in and have raised children with morals and consciences. I can usually find something to enjoy in most books, but this one just left me shaking my head. Sorry, I can't recommend this one.

I own a Kindle and noticed Calling Home in the free downloads list. I thought that this was a great chance to check out this author since I am a little hesitant to pay for a book when I am not familiar with their work. I was very impressed with Janna McMahan and downloaded The Ocean Inside immediately. I felt that while her first book tended to be a little wordy with a little bit more detail than necessary (still a great book, tho), The Ocean Inside was edited a little more expertly and a very interesting read. The storyline really draws you in and I rather like the fact that the characters make some bad decisions; I felt it was a lot more realistic than most novels where it seems the author is scared to offend people. Things like date rape (in Calling Home), social drug use, and abuse among teenagers are real and instead of dancing around it, this author addresses it. I strongly recommend this novel for older teens and adults alike.

Being from South Carolina, I really enjoy reading books set in South Carolina. Sometimes the author gets it right and sometimes the author gets it wrong. Janna McMahan got it right! She did a fantastic job with this book. The plot kept me wanting to read more. The characters developed well. It's not so long that it would take days to read, but not something you can finish in a couple of hours either. It was a great beach read! Thanks Janna! I can't wait for your next book!

I enjoyed this book. This was basically how the insurance companies work. I don't want to give away the ending but I am happy that it turn out the way it did. I enjoyed reading this book alot. This was a freebie and definitely well worth the read. Can't wait to read her other book-Calling Home.