Reviews - Tears in the Water

270 reviews for:

Tears in the Water

Margherita Scialla

4.0 AVERAGE

lost_j's review against another edition

5.0

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

utterlyclueless's review against another edition

2.0

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

So this is a slice-of-life story with queer athletes, so I shouldn't expect too much plot. However, I believe there's such a thing as a story being too character driven.

It's always great to see so much representation and diversity on paper, but the characters felt like their gender and sexuality were their whole personality and nothing more. Most of their personality was told and not shown, which I prefer. The conversations around gender and sexuality felt cold and clinical at times. Especially when the MC goes into a whole monologue about it.

The writing style is rather simple, which made the story and internal dialogue feel juvenile and repetitive.

I also didn't believe the romance between the MC and LI. Even when they were together, the MC was so awkward it made me feel uncomfortable. The love interest was presented as 'so perfect' that he became unrealistic to me. He didn't feel like his own person and was only there to assure the MC along their journey.

Nonetheless, I can see this story being enjoyed much more by others who identify more with these characters and/or are still questioning. It just wasn't for me.

moon_nico's review against another edition

3.75

challenging emotional informative fast-paced

bookishval's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I read somewhere this read like a fanfic and I have to agree 100%. From the structure and the writing, it felt like that but it was not a bad thing.

raining_sundays's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful reflective 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: Yes

evelynyle_88's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted 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: Yes

Content Warnings

alenas_library's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

tolianreads's review against another edition

5.0

emotional hopeful informative reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved it. I'm definitely gonna read it again, because I really needed this book. I'm grateful it found me.

miloblue's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful reflective 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: Complicated

Flaws is such a weird way of putting it. The book itself is about Alex, who struggles a TON with anxiety, especially in social settings. They’re living in a small fictional country and going to “university” that’s actually a training center for young athletes who are trying to get into the Olympics. Their social circle consists of their roommate, and ultimately a friend of the roommate and his roommate. It’s a sort of challenging narrative about self acceptance with an ultimately happish ending.

The thing that was super weird for me is that at no point in the book does anyone suggest Alex talk to anyone about what’s going on with them. Like, no mention of them going to their coaches, or a therapist, either in the school or outside, or to their brother… that might be a very American perspective, but there it is.

erco's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a heartwarming and adorable story. I rarely come across stories featuring nonbinary and trans characters, so I'm excited to discover more books by this author.

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