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theseasoul's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
|| 5 ⭐️ ||
It’s impossible to write a review that measures up to the immense beauty of this book. I’ll try, but you should probably just go read it for yourself instead of reading my review.
This story revolves around a little girl being drawn out of a river, supposedly having drowned. I can’t really say much else about the storyline without spoiling it, because the twists and turns start pretty much right away. The element of mystery kept me hooked… yet it unfolded so gently and carefully that I frequently forgot the magnitude of what was at stake. There are a lot of characters, all with different stories, which worked perfectly for this book even though I got lost and had to backtrack a couple times.
I don’t think I’ve ever loved a writing style as much as I loved Setterfield’s in this book. She painted a world so vibrant and picturesque that I could fully step into it and never wanted to step out. Countless times I had to pause and appreciate another exquisite metaphor. I could’ve gone overboard with a highlighter. When I did finally reach the end of the final page, I’m pretty sure I didn’t breathe for a full minute, worried that if I did, the magic would vanish. I’m so sad this book had to end.
Most of all I loved how water was so central to the story, and how so many themes were drawn back to that.
Another absolute favourite of the year. Maybe one of my favourite covers of the year too.
|| Content warnings ||
Somewhat graphic descriptions of childbirth & death in childbirth. A few sexual references throughout and a short sex scene near the end. Brief mention of homosexual relationship. Some aspects of the book are a bit eerie and deal with the spirit world (kind of? It’s hard to explain).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
peytonktracy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is about story telling and rivers. And it truly does feel like you are being told a story, from the minute you start, it feels like you just curl up to listen. And just like when you are being told a story, sometimes it meanders like a river does and you might wonder where it’s headed or why it curves like this, but you always find where it’s going. And the ending is so immensely satisfying in every way. I loved the characters and how well developed they all were, I loved exploring their reactions to several key plot elements over time, and seeing how their stories connected and blended and diverged and moved. This was absolutely masterful and I loved it to pieces.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
This book centers around multiple parents and their relationships to children and the losses or changes in those relationships - it is truly what this hinged upon. Several sets of parents lose a children in several of the narratives, so that’s my big warning. Everything else is in passing in the narratives and not at the focus and very rarely described in great detail.booksandmo's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
jessiehans13's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content
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