Kat lives on Martha's Vineyard and has apprenticed to become
a glass blower. Orla Mirphy, owner of Island Glass, has
taught her and Kat is really good. She loves it and just
sold one of her creations. She calls it The Selfie, a
large glass sculpture that brought a price of $15,000.
Hunter Briggs, wealthy son of Senator Briggs, helped her
deliver it to the Island resident who fell in love with it.
The last tourists have left the island on the last ferry and
that is a cause for celebration, too! She and Hunter head to
The Undertow to join their gang of friends, including Sean
Murphy, Kat's boyfriend of over five years and Orla's son.
Too much drinking and Kat finds herself involved in a
conversation with the new bar tender, Kyle. She had never
met him before and found him interesting.
Midnight approaches and Kyle alerts everyone it is time to
close. Hunter, already drunk, grabs two bottles to take
with him. Sean excuses himself as he has to get back to an
unfinished project at the Boat Yard where he works. Hunter
tells Sean he will see Kat home safely. When Hunter and
Kat leave together, Kyle joins them. Hunter offers to take
them out on his boat. Bad decision, but the three are drunk
and it seems like fun. After Hunter gets them out at
sea, he dozes off. Immediately Kyle grabs Kat and begins to
become very rough with her. Frightened Kat worries Kyle is
about to rape her. She puts up her arms to defend herself
as Hunter appears, trying to help. They watch stunned as
Kyle falls overboard and disappears into the dark, angry
sea. They see no sight of him and head for shore, hoping he
will swim to safety. Now they need sleep and to sober up.
After a sleepless night, Kat goes to get Hunter so they can
report what happened to the police. Hunter refuses. He
tells Kat he is barely out of rehab for alcohol abuse and
will not do anything to hinder his father's race for re-
election. He maintains it is an accident and Kyle will swim
to safety. They both know that is untrue. When Hunter
tells his father what happened, Senator Briggs offers Kat
$1.3 million to keep quiet and never talk about the incident
again. Kat refuses the money but goes along with the cover
up. The mental strain affects Kat's relationship with Sean.
He knows she is keeping a secret and accuses Kat of having
an affair with Hunter.
When a mud slide takes Orla's Island Glass and the apartment
Kat lives in, Kat is now homeless, without a boyfriend, the
lies are mounting up, it is time to do what she feels is
right. Is it the right decision?
I did not like Kat and I found
Sean to be too rigid and unbending. A bit too much drinking
from everyone for my tastes, many decisions that I would not
have made but an interesting read in a locale that adds
color to this plot. A split-second decision, followed by so
many lies could have been handled more honestly with a trip
to the authorities. EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS had too many
dark secrets for me and characters that should have known
better, but didn't. Not the best offering from Meg Little
Reilly, but I'll try again.
CAUGHT IN THE BACKWASH, THEY HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THEIR
LIVES…
For fans of Megan Abbott and Chris Bohjalian comes a
novel of moral complexity about friends who must choose
between self-preservation and doing the right thing in
the wake of a fatal boating accident. Set in the moody
off-season of Martha’s Vineyard, Everything That Follows
is a plunge into the dark waters of secrets and flexible
morals. The truth becomes whatever we say it is…
Around midnight, three friends take their partying from
bar to boat on a misty fall evening. Just as the weather
deteriorates, one of them suddenly and confusingly goes
overboard. Is it an accident? The result of an unwanted
advance? His body disappears quickly, silently, into the
dark water. The circumstances are murky, but what is
clear is that the other two need to notify the
authorities. Minutes become hours become days as they
hesitate, caught up in their guilt and hope that their
friend has somehow made it safely to shore. As valuable
time passes, they find themselves deep in a moral morass
with huge implications as they struggle to move forward
and live with their dark secret.
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