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krobart's review against another edition
3.0
See my review here:
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023/03/14/review-2137-summerwater/
https://whatmeread.wordpress.com/2023/03/14/review-2137-summerwater/
thebookboy's review against another edition
3.0
I went into Summerwater expecting big things, especially as I hold Ghost Wall as one of my favourite reads from recent years. Unfortunately, though there's a lot to be enjoyed here, Summerwater didn't quite live up to expectations.
I loved the format of it - the different interweaving stream of consciousness narratives, the ever-pervading wetness and rain of Scotland - it was all very atmospheric and brilliant, plus some of the characters were masterfully done. I particularly liked the mother who is granted an hour of time to herself and effectively worries it away for various reasons. I also liked the young woman arguing her fantasies and what she should be allowed to fantasise about with herself during sex and exploring those themes that way - it was a refreshing perspective and again a nice touch of real humanity. Moss manages to weave in a lot of different subjects in a short time, and that's no mean feat.
However, I think my problem with Summerwater stems mostly from my inability to really believe in the younger characters of the cast. Some seemed far older than their years, and I also found them quite interchangeable in places, despite them obviously meaning to be very distinct. The ending was also altogether a bit convenient and I struggle to believe that a fire would ultimately only kill certain people it was aimed towards when it was enveloping a whole building with such speed - I basically finished the book feeling a bit underwhelmed which is a real shame.
Still, the writing is fabulous and Moss' powers over atmosphere are commendable as always - I just don't think this one quite hit the mark for me.
3 stars
I loved the format of it - the different interweaving stream of consciousness narratives, the ever-pervading wetness and rain of Scotland - it was all very atmospheric and brilliant, plus some of the characters were masterfully done. I particularly liked the mother who is granted an hour of time to herself and effectively worries it away for various reasons. I also liked the young woman arguing her fantasies and what she should be allowed to fantasise about with herself during sex and exploring those themes that way - it was a refreshing perspective and again a nice touch of real humanity. Moss manages to weave in a lot of different subjects in a short time, and that's no mean feat.
However, I think my problem with Summerwater stems mostly from my inability to really believe in the younger characters of the cast. Some seemed far older than their years, and I also found them quite interchangeable in places, despite them obviously meaning to be very distinct. The ending was also altogether a bit convenient and I struggle to believe that a fire would ultimately only kill certain people it was aimed towards when it was enveloping a whole building with such speed - I basically finished the book feeling a bit underwhelmed which is a real shame.
Still, the writing is fabulous and Moss' powers over atmosphere are commendable as always - I just don't think this one quite hit the mark for me.
3 stars
thisisstephenbetts's review against another edition
4.0
Loose story told from multiple viewpoints of people living in holiday cottages around a loch. Moss really depicts the people very well (although a couple of times I did have to remind myself who was who, especially whose child was whose). No spoilers, but I wasn't so enamored by the ending, but can see others disagreeing, so I'm not down on it.
davethescot's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely brilliant, the authors abilty to inhabit the many and varied voices is incredibly sharp. The versatility is second to none. Just superb.
kimberwolf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
poppyup's review against another edition
5.0
So intelligent yet so simple. Read it happily in a day.
jacki_f's review against another edition
4.0
Much like [b:Ghost Wall|38922230|Ghost Wall|Sarah Moss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1521962112l/38922230._SY75_.jpg|60493489], this is a book where you can feel that something bad is going to happen. This time we're focused on the inhabitants of a cluster of holiday cabins on the edge of a Scottish loch. In turn, we learn the stories of the couples or families in each cabin as well as their thoughts and assumptions - not always correct - about the other inhabitants.
The book develops slowly, almost like a series of interlocked short stories. Something is brewing but who will be the casualty? Is it the 16 year old boy who misjudges the ferocity of the loch? The runner with the heart condition? The teenage girl who sneaks out to visit a stranger? When it comes together, it does so in a way that is rapid and shocking.
If you like a strongly plot driven novel this is not the one for you, but if you like spending time in the head of different characters and a strong sense of place, it's wonderful. I can see why not everyone would enjoy this book, but I don't think Sarah Moss can write a boring sentence. And without giving anything away, the ending knocks you for six.
The book develops slowly, almost like a series of interlocked short stories. Something is brewing but who will be the casualty? Is it the 16 year old boy who misjudges the ferocity of the loch? The runner with the heart condition? The teenage girl who sneaks out to visit a stranger? When it comes together, it does so in a way that is rapid and shocking.
If you like a strongly plot driven novel this is not the one for you, but if you like spending time in the head of different characters and a strong sense of place, it's wonderful. I can see why not everyone would enjoy this book, but I don't think Sarah Moss can write a boring sentence. And without giving anything away, the ending knocks you for six.
nailahreema's review against another edition
3.0
Summerwater had a very promising start but I was ultimately disappointed. Sarah Moss is clearly a very talented writer, and fantastic at building tension and suspense. Summerwater is set within a holiday park up in Scotland, on the longest day of the summer. It rains endlessly as we meet each character currently holidaying there.
I really enjoyed this style of writing. Each characters thoughts felt very genuine and what my own thought process feels like when it's just me thinking to myself. However, absolutely nothing happens in the book, until the last 10 pages or so. Although each character complains about the noise that a new family makes with their night time partying, the suspense that Moss builds fizzles out.
I thought it might be a murder mystery, or an incident which took place that the reader will see solved but literally nothing happens other than an unfortunate accident, which is never explained. It didn't feel like they left it on cliff hanger, or perhaps there was a mystery surrounding the accident. The story just ended.
Around midway ,I got really bored. It's a very short book (around 200 pages) and it didn't take me long to realise either a) nothing will happen or b) something will happen but it will be very rushed. They mystery hinted out at in the blurb is not justified.
I really enjoyed this style of writing. Each characters thoughts felt very genuine and what my own thought process feels like when it's just me thinking to myself. However, absolutely nothing happens in the book, until the last 10 pages or so. Although each character complains about the noise that a new family makes with their night time partying, the suspense that Moss builds fizzles out.
I thought it might be a murder mystery, or an incident which took place that the reader will see solved but literally nothing happens other than an unfortunate accident, which is never explained. It didn't feel like they left it on cliff hanger, or perhaps there was a mystery surrounding the accident. The story just ended.
Around midway ,I got really bored. It's a very short book (around 200 pages) and it didn't take me long to realise either a) nothing will happen or b) something will happen but it will be very rushed. They mystery hinted out at in the blurb is not justified.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
A rainy August at a loch-side holiday park in Scotland. Stuck in the small cabins, the vacationers watch each other and the rain. Each chapter of this novel follows a different person stuck waiting for the rain to stop, from a girl and her brother annoyed by another girl interrupting their play, to the teenager so bored with being inside that he goes kayaking and discovers that he may have overestimated his abilities, to the young mother who jogs early in the morning to escape all the demands on her time. Moss is a wonderful writer, able to create complex characters in just a few paragraphs, and the picture she draws of this vacation site is one that appears stagnant, but that is teeming with life. This is a gorgeous and not entirely benign novel that is maybe just a touch shorter than it needed to be.
lauren891's review against another edition
dark
reflective
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content