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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i finished this book in one sitting and it’s currently 3am and i need to sleep BUT!!
the romance was so cute and the aroace and demisexual rep made so happy !!!!!!!!!
i really liked alex but i really wish we could’ve seen more of them dealing with their low self esteem and working to feel better and be kinder with themselves especially when its clear that it’s heavily tied to their (undiagnosed) neurodivergence.
overall i really liked this book and the friend group is literally so precious i really hope we’ll get a sequel !!
the romance was so cute and the aroace and demisexual rep made so happy !!!!!!!!!
i really liked alex but i really wish we could’ve seen more of them dealing with their low self esteem and working to feel better and be kinder with themselves especially when its clear that it’s heavily tied to their (undiagnosed) neurodivergence.
overall i really liked this book and the friend group is literally so precious i really hope we’ll get a sequel !!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Dysphoria
Minor: Transphobia
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Do you think it'll get better with time?”
When I started “Tears in the Water”, I wasn't expecting anything out of the idea of reading a cute love story. I hadn't read a gender-queer protagonist yet, so I was excited to submerge (pun intended) myself into Alex's point of view!
I didn't find a cute love story only, but also a realistic portrayal of neurodivergence, gender questioning, and expectations of life.
This is a character story, a slice of life. It's not a plot setting on Tate and Alex's love journey. So I will principally focus my review on the characters.
Alex is, in a lot of uncomfortable ways, similar to me. Their journey to their truth hit me close to home as a closeted queer woman. Their fears, the feeling that brings being in a romantic relationship with no experience, feeling not good enough… her story was so raw that, at times, I had to physically stop reading to process what I was reading and how I felt about it.
I do not know how to express this. In my notes, I wrote down a lot of times: “I feel like this is too much information at once [related to Alex's personality], and I don't know how to feel about it”. Sometimes I realized it was due to anxiety, which was something I could understand and process. But in other paragraphs, I couldn't feel comfortable at all. I still cannot decide if this feeling is because of what Alex was experimenting with, or because the author was telling too much instead of showing. I have to settle for the latest one because it happened a few times.
Her fear was, as I said, similar to some of my own, but damn! Uriah hit me like a train! I know this review is a little all over the place, but I loved his portrayal. Even as a side character, he struck me, and it absolutely broke my heart when he asked Alex if he was meant to be alone. I still do not know if I identify inside the ace spectrum, but I have a strong connection with those labels, so I enjoyed chapter 22 a lot.
Let's take it to the co-protagonist in my heart. Since the beginning of this slow burn, I swooned over Tate Rhoads. That's the truth. I cannot explain how much I love this man. He was so sweet, so gentle. Sometimes, like Alex themself, I was afraid that he would snap. Even when I loved Alex, I knew Tate had the right to react. However, I was happy when Tate did not see her as a problem.
Let me explain myself. I often find these so-called “romance” books filled with ableism cycles about how love interests “sacrifice” themselves because of their neurodivergent or disabled partner. We get thousands of stories about how being afraid is right because of the disabilities and not because it's a HUMAN EMOTION. In that sense, it was really refreshing to see an understanding boyfriend.
However, I found the lack of relationship development quite inconvenient. I think the main issue was that Alex's POV is quite pessimistic at times, so of course, the focus would not be there…still, sometimes I would genuinely ask myself what they liked about each other.
I can easily say what I did like about them: the boyfriend scenes broke my heart, and I can assure you I SCREAMED when Tate got Alex the jersey.
Going with other side characters: I wish Xiuying and Sky had been more prominent in the no-plot. Not saying they weren't: Xiuying was a great source of comfort for Alex, and in the end, they showed up. I would have loved to see the growth of both couples, maybe even to see Alex getting inspired by them about her relationship with Tate.
And I'm still unsure if I had liked Olivia to be a more prominent villain. DON'T GET ME WRONG, the conflict was within the protagonist, and I got that message. That is precisely why her introduction and some scenes feel out of place. I'd thought she'd be the drama. I'm glad she wasn't, but then what was the reason?
Because of the little to no plot, I cannot say that some scenes had to be changed. However, I think a point has to be made, and that is: Alex needs therapy. Like, a lot of it. Their relationship with Tate was not a lifesaver, and even with the epilogue, it didn't feel right to see a “closure” (or a starter point) without tackling their issue. At times, it felt like she wasn't taking responsibility, and when they did, people (mostly Tate and Xiuying) would reverse the situation because she felt awful. And let me say: she is supposed to feel bad. The point wasn't to invalidate their emotions, but to let Alex express their feelings without losing focus on the APOLOGY. I'd like to see this tackled in future books.
In conclusion: This book is not for everybody, but it's a novel that makes room for everybody. It doesn't shy away from the rough parts of life and still makes the cosy ones shine. It's a love story, a found family scenario, and a character forging their own path. Not only that, but it felt like a pat on the back, and I love books that feel like friends.
When I started “Tears in the Water”, I wasn't expecting anything out of the idea of reading a cute love story. I hadn't read a gender-queer protagonist yet, so I was excited to submerge (pun intended) myself into Alex's point of view!
I didn't find a cute love story only, but also a realistic portrayal of neurodivergence, gender questioning, and expectations of life.
This is a character story, a slice of life. It's not a plot setting on Tate and Alex's love journey. So I will principally focus my review on the characters.
Alex is, in a lot of uncomfortable ways, similar to me. Their journey to their truth hit me close to home as a closeted queer woman. Their fears, the feeling that brings being in a romantic relationship with no experience, feeling not good enough… her story was so raw that, at times, I had to physically stop reading to process what I was reading and how I felt about it.
I do not know how to express this. In my notes, I wrote down a lot of times: “I feel like this is too much information at once [related to Alex's personality], and I don't know how to feel about it”. Sometimes I realized it was due to anxiety, which was something I could understand and process. But in other paragraphs, I couldn't feel comfortable at all. I still cannot decide if this feeling is because of what Alex was experimenting with, or because the author was telling too much instead of showing. I have to settle for the latest one because it happened a few times.
Her fear was, as I said, similar to some of my own, but damn! Uriah hit me like a train! I know this review is a little all over the place, but I loved his portrayal. Even as a side character, he struck me, and it absolutely broke my heart when he asked Alex if he was meant to be alone. I still do not know if I identify inside the ace spectrum, but I have a strong connection with those labels, so I enjoyed chapter 22 a lot.
Let's take it to the co-protagonist in my heart. Since the beginning of this slow burn, I swooned over Tate Rhoads. That's the truth. I cannot explain how much I love this man. He was so sweet, so gentle. Sometimes, like Alex themself, I was afraid that he would snap. Even when I loved Alex, I knew Tate had the right to react. However, I was happy when Tate did not see her as a problem.
Let me explain myself. I often find these so-called “romance” books filled with ableism cycles about how love interests “sacrifice” themselves because of their neurodivergent or disabled partner. We get thousands of stories about how being afraid is right because of the disabilities and not because it's a HUMAN EMOTION. In that sense, it was really refreshing to see an understanding boyfriend.
However, I found the lack of relationship development quite inconvenient. I think the main issue was that Alex's POV is quite pessimistic at times, so of course, the focus would not be there…still, sometimes I would genuinely ask myself what they liked about each other.
I can easily say what I did like about them: the boyfriend scenes broke my heart, and I can assure you I SCREAMED when Tate got Alex the jersey.
Going with other side characters: I wish Xiuying and Sky had been more prominent in the no-plot. Not saying they weren't: Xiuying was a great source of comfort for Alex, and in the end, they showed up. I would have loved to see the growth of both couples, maybe even to see Alex getting inspired by them about her relationship with Tate.
And I'm still unsure if I had liked Olivia to be a more prominent villain. DON'T GET ME WRONG, the conflict was within the protagonist, and I got that message. That is precisely why her introduction and some scenes feel out of place. I'd thought she'd be the drama. I'm glad she wasn't, but then what was the reason?
Because of the little to no plot, I cannot say that some scenes had to be changed. However, I think a point has to be made, and that is: Alex needs therapy. Like, a lot of it. Their relationship with Tate was not a lifesaver, and even with the epilogue, it didn't feel right to see a “closure” (or a starter point) without tackling their issue. At times, it felt like she wasn't taking responsibility, and when they did, people (mostly Tate and Xiuying) would reverse the situation because she felt awful. And let me say: she is supposed to feel bad. The point wasn't to invalidate their emotions, but to let Alex express their feelings without losing focus on the APOLOGY. I'd like to see this tackled in future books.
In conclusion: This book is not for everybody, but it's a novel that makes room for everybody. It doesn't shy away from the rough parts of life and still makes the cosy ones shine. It's a love story, a found family scenario, and a character forging their own path. Not only that, but it felt like a pat on the back, and I love books that feel like friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Dysphoria
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism
Minor: Lesbophobia
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
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
emotional
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:
N/A
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Difficult to rate
There was a lot going on
It’s a coming of age/self discovery/coming out „all queer“
Ya/Na
What I couldn’t understand was the intention to write this in a fictional real world scenario but invent a fantasy island as setting
Narration wise was the pace sometimes too slow, suddenly too fast.
Internalized monologues came of as exhausting sometimes (which I could relate with)
Will add more to my review to elaborate further
I am currently around a rating of 3.0 (with 2.5 as my base rating for a perfectly neutral)
There was a lot going on
It’s a coming of age/self discovery/coming out „all queer“
Ya/Na
What I couldn’t understand was the intention to write this in a fictional real world scenario but invent a fantasy island as setting
Narration wise was the pace sometimes too slow, suddenly too fast.
Internalized monologues came of as exhausting sometimes (which I could relate with)
Will add more to my review to elaborate further
I am currently around a rating of 3.0 (with 2.5 as my base rating for a perfectly neutral)