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aseel_reads's review
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
The first half of this made me want to start swimming again and the second half of this made me want to hug my mum and a bit worried about the dementia genes in my family...
I really liked the way this was written, in the repetitive way of stating facts that advanced the plot, pretty unique and very easy to understand.
I really liked the way this was written, in the repetitive way of stating facts that advanced the plot, pretty unique and very easy to understand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death and Racism
magicinwords23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
βπΊππ πππππππππ ππππ πππ ππ ππππππππππ. πΊππ πππππππππ ππππ πππ
ππππ πππππ π
ππβ
This was such a beautiful little read at 176 pages and a book that took me by surprise. I read the blurb and even saw a review but wasnβt prepared for the turn this story took.
The swimmers that frequent the local swimming pool donβt know each other personally but only by their swimming habits, the lane they use, fast medium or slow and the costumes they adorn week in and week out.
When cracks appear all around the pool the swimmers begin a forage of panic until sadly they learn the pool must close permanently. They all go back to their lives as before without any fuss except for one swimmer whose life is about to change forever.
The story centres around Alice who is suffering from frontotemporal dementia and whose memory has decreased considerably that her daughter and husband place her in a home.
The narrative takes on a sad and heartbreaking tone as Alice is told what to expect from her life from then on. She will never remember what she will no longer be able to do nor how her disease will progress.
The story turns again and is told from the POV of Aliceβs daughter. This part upset me because she never had much to do with her mother since leaving home and never once invited her into her life. She describes how the disease takes over and everyday little changes are visible that become greater with time until her mother finally stops talking and their visits consist of hand-holding in silence.
There were times when Aliceβs husband reached over to touch her in the bed or walked into the kitchen expecting to see her washing dishes only to remember where she was and realise he was now alone. His loss, grief and heartache utterly devastated me.
This book was very relatable to me as I had a family member in a home with Alzheimerβs for six years and every detail was so close to what I experienced or expected my relative to have experienced.
The loneliness, the longing for the past, the yearning to be at home again and not in this Godforsaken place that people keep saying is your new home when all you want is to be back on your sofa with a nice cup of tea. Not understanding why you are there in the first place, the longing by loved ones to be remembered and eyes, that have lost their sparkle and are now black staring, trying so hard to place how you are connected.
Although this was a poignant and compelling novel, it is a raw insight into a person's life where they are no longer themselves and need around-the-clock care. Those who have experience with this may find this distressing as I did so beware of the trigger warnings beforehand
This was such a beautiful little read at 176 pages and a book that took me by surprise. I read the blurb and even saw a review but wasnβt prepared for the turn this story took.
The swimmers that frequent the local swimming pool donβt know each other personally but only by their swimming habits, the lane they use, fast medium or slow and the costumes they adorn week in and week out.
When cracks appear all around the pool the swimmers begin a forage of panic until sadly they learn the pool must close permanently. They all go back to their lives as before without any fuss except for one swimmer whose life is about to change forever.
The story centres around Alice who is suffering from frontotemporal dementia and whose memory has decreased considerably that her daughter and husband place her in a home.
The narrative takes on a sad and heartbreaking tone as Alice is told what to expect from her life from then on. She will never remember what she will no longer be able to do nor how her disease will progress.
The story turns again and is told from the POV of Aliceβs daughter. This part upset me because she never had much to do with her mother since leaving home and never once invited her into her life. She describes how the disease takes over and everyday little changes are visible that become greater with time until her mother finally stops talking and their visits consist of hand-holding in silence.
There were times when Aliceβs husband reached over to touch her in the bed or walked into the kitchen expecting to see her washing dishes only to remember where she was and realise he was now alone. His loss, grief and heartache utterly devastated me.
This book was very relatable to me as I had a family member in a home with Alzheimerβs for six years and every detail was so close to what I experienced or expected my relative to have experienced.
The loneliness, the longing for the past, the yearning to be at home again and not in this Godforsaken place that people keep saying is your new home when all you want is to be back on your sofa with a nice cup of tea. Not understanding why you are there in the first place, the longing by loved ones to be remembered and eyes, that have lost their sparkle and are now black staring, trying so hard to place how you are connected.
Although this was a poignant and compelling novel, it is a raw insight into a person's life where they are no longer themselves and need around-the-clock care. Those who have experience with this may find this distressing as I did so beware of the trigger warnings beforehand
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Death of parent
caitlancole's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death of parent
applesodaperson's review against another edition
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I know I say this a lot, but this book did not at all end up being what I expected. I thought it was going to be all about the pool, and the people who go to the pool, and then after the crack formed, I expected it to be some abstract cosmic horror thing. But the pool was only the plot for the first third of the book. I really liked this part, because I work as a lifeguard at a pool, and we have a ton of regulars who come everyday, and a lot of it reminded me or work and how people act. And I liked how mysterious the crack was and how people reacted to it with such dread. But then after the pool closes, the book completely switches gears to be about a woman named Alice, who was a patron of the pool, and how she has dementia. And the rest of the book is about her going to a nursing home, and how it is affecting her daughter and husband, and then eventually her intense cognitive decline. And I really liked the chapter that was formatted like an info brochure about the nursing home, but if it was actually honest about what it is like for patients. This stood out to me because of how awful it sounded, which was made worse due to how scared I am of getting dementia. So once I realized the switch in plot and subject matter, I realized that the pool and the crack were just a metaphor for Alice getting dementia. She has all these routines and rules in her life, but then they are suddenly disrupted by the crack (the onset of dementia). They try to ignore it, but it is always looming and experts are not sure what is causing it. And it gets worse and worse and people keep leaving (forgetting) until the pool eventually closes forever (Alice's dementia gets so bad that she is moved to the nursing home, which means that she is going to be there until she dies). It was done so well and it was all so clever.
I also loved the writing style. It was so snappy and it would frequently ask questions that it answered in parentheses right after.
Overall, I loved this book and thought it was profound and well done.
Read from the Provo library.
I also loved the writing style. It was so snappy and it would frequently ask questions that it answered in parentheses right after.
Overall, I loved this book and thought it was profound and well done.
Read from the Provo library.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Death of parent
angela_iseli's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
sweetbean's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I don't use 5 stars often. But I don't cry in books often. The way this book is written is very...poetic, and has a unique way of making you see the perspectives of everyone involved in a new and utterly heartbreaking way. Tell your loved ones you love them and do the thing you've always wanted to do now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Minor: War
annie_crossings's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Infidelity, and Mass/school shootings
kristensreading's review
3.5
I personally wasnβt a huge fan of the shifting narratives and found it hard to follow at times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dementia
willa_reads_books's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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 made me SOB. i love the writing style
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Death of parent