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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
This is a hard book to review because it's more a book of feelings then it is about the plot. The plot itself was simple, a father dealing with the aftermath of an incident involving his daughter nearly dying. What really sticks with me with this book is the emotions and the feelings it takes you through, I laughed, I cried, I got angry at other characters. The family written about in this book is such a genuine and true family with all their nuances. I loved the commentary on current politics and gender roles in the modern family. Lastly it was such a beautifully written book, the narrative flow was so beautifully crafted it was hard to pull myself out of it and put it down. Just read it trust me, it may be different from things I normally read but it was so, SO worth it.
it took me really long time to finish this book. first of all i liked the family, the dynamics and the characters. so i did not want to end it so quickly. secondly, the topic is heavy, so after the long day it was not the lightest choice of reading. however once i got into it, it did not want to let me go. although it is so unbearable and unimaginable thing, it is presented clearly and humanly. the characters are sometimes not so likable for me, but they work on themselves and they care about each other. i will be so happy if the book has Slovak translation.
A 4.5 star read for me. The final line and some elements of Adam's narration irritated me at points in the text and made Adam appear overly intellectually superior, bitter and stuffy at points. That's why I cannot give the full 5 stars. However overall this novel is phenomenal. It follows parents Adam (a stay at home dad with a PHD) and Emma (a nurse drowning in the NHS) who struggle to cope with their daughter Miriam's shock accident one day in which her heart suddenly stops on her school sports field. The story is woven from Adams point of view and it's poignant at times. It's contemplative, moving and beautiful. Parents should read it. Teenagers and young adults should read it. It beautifully depicts the family dynamics and conflicts between parents and teenagers.As well as the parental denial and struggle against their children's inevitable journey to adulthood. A frank and gorgeous investigation of the modern family home and the human connection.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
I really wish this website had half stars because this was really a 3.5 star read for me, but I can't demonstrate that. Ugh.
'The Tidal Zone' is a novel that follows Adam, a part-time lecturer and stay-at-home Dad, who comments on his everyday life. That particular life gets turned upside down when his eldest daughter Miriam stops breathing in the middle of a playing field for no apparent reason. It's a slice of life novel that explores Adam's fears for his daughter's life when she returns home, and the difficulty he has kept himself separated from constantly watching over her.
I will admit, there were some beautiful moments in this novel. The book itself is written incredibly well and I really enjoyed Sarah Moss's style. Sadly, the execution of the 'slice of life' part of it was, for me, just a bit boring. Nothing much really happened after Miriam's exit from the hospital, and though it was interesting to hear his inner thoughts about his family life, the worries of his children, gender, sex and the NHS, at times it just became a little dull and reptetitive.
With a little more action and flesh to it, this would have been an amazing read.
'The Tidal Zone' is a novel that follows Adam, a part-time lecturer and stay-at-home Dad, who comments on his everyday life. That particular life gets turned upside down when his eldest daughter Miriam stops breathing in the middle of a playing field for no apparent reason. It's a slice of life novel that explores Adam's fears for his daughter's life when she returns home, and the difficulty he has kept himself separated from constantly watching over her.
I will admit, there were some beautiful moments in this novel. The book itself is written incredibly well and I really enjoyed Sarah Moss's style. Sadly, the execution of the 'slice of life' part of it was, for me, just a bit boring. Nothing much really happened after Miriam's exit from the hospital, and though it was interesting to hear his inner thoughts about his family life, the worries of his children, gender, sex and the NHS, at times it just became a little dull and reptetitive.
With a little more action and flesh to it, this would have been an amazing read.
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is one of those books that swallows you up completely within a matter of pages. The heartache at the core of this family is powerfully tangible throughout, your bones aching the entire time. Aspects of this novel could be painted as depressing, handling its subject matter with the gravity it deserves without sweetening it to rotten, yet I would assert that Moss has not crafted a dreary story. These characters are real to us and we dearly care about them, even if we don't fully understand or comprehend them as people. Everyone is faulted; the GP mother Emma who seems more dedicated to her work than her family at times, the youngest daughter Rose who is jealous of the attention her sister is getting, Miriam who is frustrated at her own failing body, and, at the centre, the father Adam, who is overwhelmed and floundering. I am so excited to read more of Sarah Moss' work, as this book has demonstrated her great skill and unique voice.