Reviews

I was afraid of reading this book because I thought it would be too sad. Well let me tell you, it is extremely sad, the kind of sad that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since I started reading it. Otsuka writes about aging and the often inevitable degrading of the mind in such a real way. She doesn’t sugarcoat it, but at the same time she makes it feel like such a normal part of life - which, as we know, it is. She also emphasis the fact that nobody is really guilty when these things are unfolding. And the pool, the description of its members, what a wonderful little sliver of a world she created. READ IT! But have tissues nearby, and call your grandma when you finish :)

ktrudo's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

kshiffler's review against another edition

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3.0

The first third is about how a pool closed. The second half is about the slow decline of Alice.

lottie1803's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

zoebowieee's review against another edition

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emotional relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

babyskillet's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I picked this up without reading the inside cover. I thought it was going to be a fun, lighthearted, poolside read. And I was wrong. Absolutely soul crushing book. Really lovely writing, (it's in second person which is fun) good characters, and an ode to the ones you love.

merri217's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

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