A review by applesodaperson
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

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. 
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