Reviews

Summerwater by Sarah Moss

ayami's review against another edition

3.0

3.5?
It was a solid five star read in the beginning, but the chapters were very uneven and the ending felt rushed. I loved the underlying message of the story, the execution of the idea - not so much.

Full review to come.

tmspinks's review

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mrsffin's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

eminadiscobra's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

alyssa_olaf's review against another edition

lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

kelpish's review against another edition

4.0

I can understand how some readers may not be fond of Sarah Moss’s writing style, but I loved Summer Water in the same way I loved Ghost Wall, and I find her voice to be refreshing and jolting in the same way a cold splash of water to the face is. This novella was simultaneously claustrophobic and expansive, little vignettes dripping in detail and a vague but ever-present unease during a dreary summer holiday in Scotland.

kingarooski's review

4.0

Summerwater builds the suspense slowly and gradually over a series of short chapters, focused on a different person's experience on a rainy summer's day. The holiday makers are in Scotland, on a holiday park and all day it has rained and rained. You get glimpses of the others in each story and the end is dramatic. I loved the building of tension over the chapters and the different points of view.

constantlymaya's review against another edition

1.0

This book had absolutely no point; the only part of it that could meaningfully be called a plot was crammed into the last several pages of the book, and even that wasn't very interesting. Although the books switches POV each chapter, every character has the exact same tone/outlook despite the fact that they range from a young girl to an old man. Not very believable, and also quite boring. Skip this snooze of a novel.

lucyscanlon's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sardinetin's review against another edition

4.0

A masterclass in building tension. Sarah Moss manages to make the "boring" rainy summer's day at a remote holiday park in Scotland ratchet up to something unexpected.

My only criticism is that the sheer number of different characters does make things slightly difficult to follow on occasion and does not really give them the chance to fully develop. However, in the end that does not really matter too much on the overall arc of the book.