Lillian Linden is a liar. On the surface, she looks like a brave survivor of a plane crash. But she’s been lying to her family, her friends, and the whole world since rescue helicopters scooped her and her fellow survivor, Dave Hall, off a deserted island in the South Pacific. Missing for almost two years, the castaways are thrust into the spotlight after their rescue, becoming media darlings … overnight. But they can’t tell the real story—so they lie.
The public is fascinated by the castaways’ saga, but Lillian and Dave must return to their lives and their spouses. Genevieve Randall—a hard-nosed journalist and host of a news program—isn’t buying it. She suspects Lillian’s and Dave’s explanations about the other crash survivors aren’t true. And now, Genevieve’s determined to get the real story, no matter how many lives it destroys.
In this intriguing tale of survival, secrets, and redemption, two everyday people thrown together by tragedy must finally face the truth…even if it tears them apart.
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I really enjoyed this debut from Emily Bleeker. We’ve all wondered what we would do if we were stranded on a desert island; she explores this concept and ads a great mystery into it. I raced through this book and highly recommend it.
Wreckage is a incredible novel about survival following a plane crash. The story is not just about survival on a tiny island in the the middle of the ocean. This Novel is about loss and pain and secrets and to survive against the odds. But the after effect of trying to live a normal life after feels almost as painful. I recommend this book.
The book was good up until the end. THe author wanted a happy ending
but it was a bit far fetched. But still an enjoyable read.
Lillian and Dave are two survivors of a chartered plane crash. Their spouses and families believe they’re dead for two years. Their rescue sparks international interest and endless interviews. They make a pact to lie about nearly everything that happened while they were away, including how two other survivors disappeared. How could their secrets put them in danger and destroy everyone they love?
This is the premise for the captivating book, “Wreckage” by Emily Bleeker. She masterfully found a conclusion for every loose end, and I was surprised by how some of the events wrapped up. After I read a book, I love to look at the reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. I found myself agreeing with many of the critiques. For example, certain “twists” were obvious early on, and a couple of scenes felt like they moved the story along too conveniently. But, I can overlook all of that because the writing was excellent, and it was one of those rare books that kept me up way in to the middle of the night reading it. For that, I thank the author.
I enthusiastically recommend this book, and look forward to more by this author.
Every time I take a trip….get on a plane, a boat, a car… I wonder at what I have on my person, my purse, my backpack that would help me survive in a crisis. If that makes me weird, so be it!
This is the story told as memories of a plane crash and survival in a paradisal hell. Characters evolve and devolve as you might expect. There are a few twists that keep you wondering where the story will take you in the end. It is an easy read. Great for the beach or for a plane, boat, or car trip….unless you expect that your trip will end in some kind of survival scenario; in which case, you may want to bring one of your favorites friends in print.
One last note on this book…whatever happened to her friggin’ backpack? Read the book and let me know what you think.
Intriguing story. It flips back and forth in time, which is confusing at first but once the pattern is established it is a cool set up. The story is complicated but predictable for the most part. Easy read and enjoyable.
What an interesting beginning premise! An investigative TV reporter prepares to do an expose’ story on a couple stranded on a tropical island for almost 2 years. I was excited to read the book.
The protagonist was intriguing–Lillian, a pretty woman accompanying her mother-in-law on a flight to Tahiti, which she had won in a contest. Along with the 2 women was the somewhat reluctant PR guy from the contest company, good-looking Dave. There were also the beautiful flight attendant and the cranky pilot.
When the plane crashes in the ocean, all hell breaks loose. No one behaves in a way that is consistent with their original character description. In the life raft, the pilot becomes inexplicably vicious and hateful; the lovely Lillian is a martyring crybaby and Dave is a wimp.
I won’t do any other spoilers, but suffice to say that the book skips back and forth and back and forth until you are dizzy. Occasionally I asked myself, “is this a dread ‘romance novel’?
There are many withheld secrets which are simple to guess.
At the syrupy reveal—I threw up in my mouth a little. No way!
I am sorry about this book. Writing a book has got to be one of the most difficult jobs on earth. However, your characters must be true to themselves. They may not change morals like you would socks.
As a long-time writer and editor, it’s pretty hard to take off my professional hats so I can just enjoy a book. On top of that, it’s an occupational need to be able to put books down often to do other things. So when I say I couldn’t put this one down, that’s saying something!
Part of my writer/editor brain marveled at how Bleeker wove the timelines and points of view together, revealing information in a natural and dramatic way.
And the reader side of me really worried: I couldn’t figure out HOW she’d end the book in a way that wouldn’t make me mad. But she did it! Is everything 100% wrapped in a tidy bow? No, but it’s satisfying, and it pays off.
This book is a page turner. It is about people pushed to their limits to survive and how that changes them. Heartrending and beautiful!
Wreckage
By Emily Bleeker
304 pages
Publication date: March 1, 2015
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
After a week in paradise, a small plane carrying just a handful of passengers crashes into the ocean. The survivors make it to a small uninhabited island where they must learn to survive.The actual crash was terrifying to me and had me on the edge of my seat . It was as if i was sitting on that plane. I found it easy to read and gained my interest quickly. It was not overly confusing as many stories told from alternating people and times
Wreckage,’ by Emily Bleeker, is a fast-paced story in which three main characters survive a plane crash and live on a remote, deserted island for almost two years. I felt as if I was also stranded on the island, which was terrifying. I felt their pain , fear , joys and dispair. Several lives are lost throughout this story! Only one had me in tears .
We alternate from present day as our characters are being interviewed individually by Ms. Randall.She is a TV personality who wants to exploit their story. Lillian and David quickly realize that this interview threatens to unravel the carefully constructed web of lies .
Like many other books, this one switches between past and present and two different narrators. First is Lillian. Mother of two, wife to Jerry, companion to her mother-in-law, Margaret, on a trip she won to the South Pacific, for what she hopes is a very relaxing getaway. Then there is Dave. Public Relations man for the company sponsoring the giveaway trip, escaping a rocky part of his marriage to Beth, not happily along for the ride. It was not too overly confusing as many stories told from alternating people and times are.
They are chapters told from the flashbacks from the time they got on the plane til it crashes, to the time Lillian and Dave spent on the island all being told from David and Lillian’s point of view. The time from past to present flipping back and forth and from person to person can get confusing at times. But the futher you read the easier it gets.
Genevieve Randall, a ruthless and determined journalist, is in pursuit of the truth;she suspects that they are lying and she will stop at nothing to reveal what happened on that deserted island. If those lies are exposed, the lives of Lillian, David, and their families will be shaken to their very core. Can their marriage’s survive that ?
Lillian and David, strangers before the doomed flight that stranded them
are now living with secrets, and lies about their own relationship, who the father of her baby is, and what really happened to Kent. So exactly what really did happen on the island?
The ending comes with a twist that will have you arching your eyebrows and a shocking suprise. I really wish it had gone a little differently and the characters made different choices.
This story totally held me captive, and I had to know the real story of what happened on the island and how their story ended. Did they follow their hearts or stay with the one they were already married to. I read the book in one sitting. I would have liked to know more information about every day life there on the Island ,and what was going on at home. What they were going through, and how they felt when they were found.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and would read another by the same author. If you would like to read this intriguing read you can read it for free on kindle unlimited. Not sure how much longer it will be on there.
As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads
& Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !
This read like a Lifetime movie. With a very convoluted ” happy ending “.
I didn’t know what to expect of this book but I did expect the plane crash, some romance, and intrigue. But I got much more. The story is about the survival of Lillian and Dave after a plane crashes and the survivors come upon a deserted island. It is two years before the survivors are found. There are secrets kept by the survivors, quite a few secrets. Secrets kept from family, friends, the media. How can life return to normal after what they have been through? Can it return to normal? Both Lillian and Dave are married…not to each other. A ruthless journalist tries to get them to reveal their secrets – she knows they are keeping them. And what the other people were on the flight? What happened to them? . I loved the book! I could feel the emotions of the characters – the fear, the despair, the hopelessness, the grief, the joy. There are even surprises for the reader. No, I won’t even hint at them. I just advise that you read this book. I had trouble putting it down.
Slow and not much character development.
I felt this is a very unique way of putting together an interestingly unpredictable story. I always thought if I have enough books to read I could be stranded on an island for a while, but probably not! It’s a good read!
I generally have issues with books that are about people stranded on an island. However, the fact that “Lillian Linden is a liar.” intrigued me. It was fantastic. The descriptions were vivid and brought many pictures to my mind and tastes to my mouth. The author worked off of all the characters senses and brought the sensations to me.
Here is an example: “I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force those thoughts away, the ravaging thoughts that haunt me. It takes a deep roll of thunder that vibrates my bones to make the thoughts scatter like rats into the dark corners of my subconscious.”
*Source: Wreckage by Emily Bleeker, page 184
We have all been there, right? When you have thoughts that are encroaching on you and all you want is for them to go away. You try hard to make them just vanish for a time. Sometimes we get frustrated then out of nowhere something makes them all recede. I have never been on a deserted island, but I was able to relate to the characters in this book. My heart ached for them when they were sad. I cried for their losses. I laughed with them during their jokes. My tummy danced with butterflies as they talked to the ones they loved.
This book was fantastic.