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reiverse's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Good
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Homophobia
ariqua's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thanks to Net Galley for an e-Arc!
This was great! If you like queer historical fiction, mythology, fantasy, and romance, this is the one for you! However, the fantasy elements are barely there, so it's mostly a historical fiction queer romance. Bonus, it takes place, mostly, in Canada!
TLDR: Two queer kids fall in love in the late 1930's on a farm in Ontario and stuff happens. The story follows them over a span of about 20 years and how being queer during the war in Canada may have looked like. Also, one of them might be a changeling or a descendant of a selkie. Expect some death (I mean it's set during WWII) some mild homophobia, and oppressive gender roles.
Our MC is Kit, Kathleen, who is the epitome of a tom boy living on a farm in rural Canada. She hates dresses and loves horses. She also might be a changeling due to the fact that she almost drowned in a river when she was young and her mother did some dark magic ritual stuff to bring her back. Plus she also hears the voices of water spirits, which is how she almost drowned in the first place. Throughout the story, we see her become more herself and less of who everyone expects her to be. Kit is the middle child, with one older and one younger brother. The older one is also pursuing Rebekah, which poses some family conflict as you would expect.
Our second MC is Rebekah: A big town girl with a German born father who had to move to the country when things in the city were becoming a struggle due to Germany's part in WWII. She meets Kit as a boy, but is not put off when she realizes Kit is a girl. They develop a friendship and so much more.
Neither of our characters are given an explicit orientation in the story, however Kit is very much trans and probably non-binary. They use all sorts of pronouns and are romantically and sexually interested in multiple genders. Rebekah is a cis-female, but has romantic/sexual attraction to male, female, and enby presenting characters.
If you are wondering, all sex scenes (of which there are very few) are fade to black. Just a few details so you know what's going to happen, and then it leaves it up to your own imagination.
It's a beautifully written, sometimes heartbreaking story about love, family, and figuring out oneself.
This was great! If you like queer historical fiction, mythology, fantasy, and romance, this is the one for you! However, the fantasy elements are barely there, so it's mostly a historical fiction queer romance. Bonus, it takes place, mostly, in Canada!
TLDR: Two queer kids fall in love in the late 1930's on a farm in Ontario and stuff happens. The story follows them over a span of about 20 years and how being queer during the war in Canada may have looked like. Also, one of them might be a changeling or a descendant of a selkie. Expect some death (I mean it's set during WWII) some mild homophobia, and oppressive gender roles.
Our MC is Kit, Kathleen, who is the epitome of a tom boy living on a farm in rural Canada. She hates dresses and loves horses. She also might be a changeling due to the fact that she almost drowned in a river when she was young and her mother did some dark magic ritual stuff to bring her back. Plus she also hears the voices of water spirits, which is how she almost drowned in the first place. Throughout the story, we see her become more herself and less of who everyone expects her to be. Kit is the middle child, with one older and one younger brother. The older one is also pursuing Rebekah, which poses some family conflict as you would expect.
Our second MC is Rebekah: A big town girl with a German born father who had to move to the country when things in the city were becoming a struggle due to Germany's part in WWII. She meets Kit as a boy, but is not put off when she realizes Kit is a girl. They develop a friendship and so much more.
Neither of our characters are given an explicit orientation in the story, however Kit is very much trans and probably non-binary. They use all sorts of pronouns and are romantically and sexually interested in multiple genders. Rebekah is a cis-female, but has romantic/sexual attraction to male, female, and enby presenting characters.
If you are wondering, all sex scenes (of which there are very few) are fade to black. Just a few details so you know what's going to happen, and then it leaves it up to your own imagination.
It's a beautifully written, sometimes heartbreaking story about love, family, and figuring out oneself.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Misogyny, Body horror, Pregnancy, Deadnaming, Homophobia, War, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Bullying, Medical trauma, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Mental illness
elliott_roi's review against another edition
5.0
⭐ Rating: 5/5 stars
🗓 Publish date: Jan 30, 2024
Short review:
Very gender. All the feels. Loved it!
Long review:
I decided to pick up The Cure for Drowning when I saw it was a queer historical fiction set in Canada and I’m so glad I did! This quickly became a new favourite for me. I was laughing and crying throughout, and couldn't put it down!
The start of the book was very chilling and set the mood for the story. I loved the way magic was interwoven throughout the book in different ways, adding a mystical quality to everything.
I immediately loved Kit and related so much to their feelings about gender (and horses!) Rebekah was also a relatable character, nursing feelings she shouldn't have towards a friend and preferring to be inside reading. The story follows these characters from teens shirking chores to play in the river to teens fighting in WWII and against prejudice to adults unsure of their lives and feelings for each other.
I don't think I can properly describe the beautiful ways this book makes space for queerness during a time period where it was not accepted. My favourite example being the way Rebekah easily switches to they/them pronouns for Kit. There are certainly moments of heartbreak and hatred in this book, but what will stay with me is the hope.
A big thank you to Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this title. All thoughts are my own.
🗓 Publish date: Jan 30, 2024
Short review:
Very gender. All the feels. Loved it!
Long review:
I decided to pick up The Cure for Drowning when I saw it was a queer historical fiction set in Canada and I’m so glad I did! This quickly became a new favourite for me. I was laughing and crying throughout, and couldn't put it down!
The start of the book was very chilling and set the mood for the story. I loved the way magic was interwoven throughout the book in different ways, adding a mystical quality to everything.
I immediately loved Kit and related so much to their feelings about gender (and horses!) Rebekah was also a relatable character, nursing feelings she shouldn't have towards a friend and preferring to be inside reading. The story follows these characters from teens shirking chores to play in the river to teens fighting in WWII and against prejudice to adults unsure of their lives and feelings for each other.
I don't think I can properly describe the beautiful ways this book makes space for queerness during a time period where it was not accepted. My favourite example being the way Rebekah easily switches to they/them pronouns for Kit. There are certainly moments of heartbreak and hatred in this book, but what will stay with me is the hope.
A big thank you to Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing an early copy of this title. All thoughts are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
Moderate: Infidelity, Deadnaming, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
hmatt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is such an original and compelling story. I read the entire second half of the book in one sitting. The changeling/nonbinary narrative was handled thoughtfully within its historical (and magical) contexts, and the main characters in particular were nuanced and well-written.
If I were to nitpick: I didn't get the sense of a long period of time passing in the first part of the book. I mostly only noticed this in contrast to the middle/war sections of the book and because, later on in the book, this time is referred to as if it were several formative years (and I think it was actually just a few months). The very end of the book(from when Landon came back) felt a little forced for the sake of the plot, as well. I completely understand the author's choices with wrapping everything up, but I think I would have been equally satisfied if Landon had stayed AWOL and we just did a little fade-to-black on the farm house with Kit, Rebekah, Adelaide, and Caroline .
There are definitely other queer WWII history novels out there, but I enjoyed the uniqueness of this Canadian take with its magical elements.
If I were to nitpick: I didn't get the sense of a long period of time passing in the first part of the book. I mostly only noticed this in contrast to the middle/war sections of the book and because, later on in the book, this time is referred to as if it were several formative years (and I think it was actually just a few months). The very end of the book
There are definitely other queer WWII history novels out there, but I enjoyed the uniqueness of this Canadian take with its magical elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, War, Violence, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Sexism
Minor: Classism and Sexual content
fictionandfarming's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is a story I can see myself reading again.
The Cure for Drowning is a dual-POV story that is, at its heart, a love story with queer and non-binary characters taking centre stage. Kit McNair, born Kathleen, is considered a rebellious changeling by parents that expect them to behave as a proper farmgirl. Rebekah is daughter to a German-Canadian doctor and French-Canadian mother in a pre-WWII world where her last name makes her family a target of prejudice. The pair, as well as Kit’s brother Landon, are drawn into a love triangle when Rebekah’s family move to rural Ontario and become the McNair’s neighbours. The three are pulled onto separate paths by WWII, only to be brought together again in the aftermath of the war.
This story pulled me along, I wanted to know what would happen next, and I ended up reading it in every spare moment I could find once I started. The pacing and dual-POV narrative were very well done and made this an easy read. Paylor’s settings were lush and their descriptions brought the time period to life.
To say I enjoyed our two main characters is an understatement. Rebekah and Kit, the relationship between them and with the other characters presented in the story, were compelling. The writing keeps them at arm’s-length from the reader, and I felt we did not truly get inside their heads, which may not suit some reader’s tastes, but still works for the story being told. We see these characters experience love, heartbreak, and loss, and face challenges as they try to find their way through this WWII era world.
The way the story is split up, and the way the time skips were used, worked wonderfully for me. The innocence and youth of the first part combined with the buildup to and inevitability of WWII. The different realities of WWII in Canada and for Canadians overlaid by the loss of that innocence and finding a way to survive during wartime. And, finally, coming to terms with the loss post-WWII and finding a way forward and building a new life. All of which is deftly tied together by the romantic plotline between Kit, Rebekah, and Landon.
I do have mixed feelings about the mythology and fantastical elements. They were not a major part of the story, and I’m not sure the story would change at all if they were removed. On the other hand, these elements added to the mood of the story, and it’s interesting to consider whether these explanations were the characters’ way of coming to terms with their own stories and world rather than being literal happenings.
As for the ending, again, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it feels very fitting. On the other hand, I feel like it left loose strings that I’m not entirely satisfied with. Those strings being Kit’s relationship with their mother and the farm, and both Kit and Rebekah’s relationships with Landon, particularly Kit’s and the conflict there. And yet a resolution to these things may also have felt unrealistic.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.
Content Notes:war, death, injury, drowning, homophobia, deadnaming, animal death, sexism, pregnancy, sexual content, sexual harassment
The Cure for Drowning is a dual-POV story that is, at its heart, a love story with queer and non-binary characters taking centre stage. Kit McNair, born Kathleen, is considered a rebellious changeling by parents that expect them to behave as a proper farmgirl. Rebekah is daughter to a German-Canadian doctor and French-Canadian mother in a pre-WWII world where her last name makes her family a target of prejudice. The pair, as well as Kit’s brother Landon, are drawn into a love triangle when Rebekah’s family move to rural Ontario and become the McNair’s neighbours. The three are pulled onto separate paths by WWII, only to be brought together again in the aftermath of the war.
This story pulled me along, I wanted to know what would happen next, and I ended up reading it in every spare moment I could find once I started. The pacing and dual-POV narrative were very well done and made this an easy read. Paylor’s settings were lush and their descriptions brought the time period to life.
To say I enjoyed our two main characters is an understatement. Rebekah and Kit, the relationship between them and with the other characters presented in the story, were compelling. The writing keeps them at arm’s-length from the reader, and I felt we did not truly get inside their heads, which may not suit some reader’s tastes, but still works for the story being told. We see these characters experience love, heartbreak, and loss, and face challenges as they try to find their way through this WWII era world.
The way the story is split up, and the way the time skips were used, worked wonderfully for me. The innocence and youth of the first part combined with the buildup to and inevitability of WWII. The different realities of WWII in Canada and for Canadians overlaid by the loss of that innocence and finding a way to survive during wartime. And, finally, coming to terms with the loss post-WWII and finding a way forward and building a new life. All of which is deftly tied together by the romantic plotline between Kit, Rebekah, and Landon.
I do have mixed feelings about the mythology and fantastical elements. They were not a major part of the story, and I’m not sure the story would change at all if they were removed. On the other hand, these elements added to the mood of the story, and it’s interesting to consider whether these explanations were the characters’ way of coming to terms with their own stories and world rather than being literal happenings.
As for the ending, again, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it feels very fitting. On the other hand, I feel like it left loose strings that I’m not entirely satisfied with. Those strings being Kit’s relationship with their mother and the farm, and both Kit and Rebekah’s relationships with Landon, particularly Kit’s and the conflict there. And yet a resolution to these things may also have felt unrealistic.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for making the DRC available to me. All opinions are my own.
Content Notes:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexism
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual harassment
iftheshoef1tz's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I received this as an eARC from NetGalley. Spoilers throughout my review.
I adored the creepiness of the opening chapter. I had hoped thevoices or Selkies or whatever they were would have played a longer part throughout, although when they showed up when Kit is shot down and when the tornado hits their house, it was quite effective. I was worried when Rebekah throws up after hooking up with Landon, because I really don’t like the “doesn’t know the nausea for three months is pregnancy” trope but that was subverted very quickly - denial, rather than complete ignorance. I found both Rebekah and Kit very sympathetic narrators, and it really hurt when Jep died. His picture on the mantelpiece was so poignant.
It madeLandon’s reveal all the worse, because he is SUCH dick. But even then, he is still sympathetic and I understand his reasoning. (Could he not have sent his mom a letter though?? Come on, homie.) He made a very compelling contrast to Kit.
I adored the creepiness of the opening chapter. I had hoped the
It made
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia and Sexism
jediprincess's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
The Cure for Drowning was the final book I read in 2023 and am I ever glad I ended the year with this beautiful novel!
A historical fiction set in WWII era Canada with a touch of magical realism, this LGBT love story is about finding yourself, love, and family in turbulent times and how to survive and ultimately thrive. The story follows Rebekah Kromer, a French-Canadian-German whose family must face the rising anti-German sentiment that preluded the start of WWII and Kit McNair, whose Irish immigrant family holds the magic that saves them after a drowning at age ten, living on a struggling farm in rural southern Ontario.
The novel switches between Kit and Rebekah's POVs as they slowly fall in love and deal with the fallout of WWII, of Kit's older brother's affections for Rebekah, and of Kit's finding themselves over the course of the war.
The prose is gorgeous, I sped through the novel in two sittings. Having grown up in the forests of rural Ontario, I could easily imagine the landscapes and felt like they were lovingly described.
I loved the touch of magical realism as a way for the McNair’s to come to terms (or at least just not be bothered) with Kit’s gender instead of the typical monstrous portrayals that seem to pervade literature/films/real life to demonize trans and non-binary people.
Congrats to Loghan Paylor on this incredible debut! I hope many people read this and feel loved and seen.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC of this beautiful novel in exchange for an honest review
A historical fiction set in WWII era Canada with a touch of magical realism, this LGBT love story is about finding yourself, love, and family in turbulent times and how to survive and ultimately thrive. The story follows Rebekah Kromer, a French-Canadian-German whose family must face the rising anti-German sentiment that preluded the start of WWII and Kit McNair, whose Irish immigrant family holds the magic that saves them after a drowning at age ten, living on a struggling farm in rural southern Ontario.
The novel switches between Kit and Rebekah's POVs as they slowly fall in love and deal with the fallout of WWII, of Kit's older brother's affections for Rebekah, and of Kit's finding themselves over the course of the war.
The prose is gorgeous, I sped through the novel in two sittings. Having grown up in the forests of rural Ontario, I could easily imagine the landscapes and felt like they were lovingly described.
I loved the touch of magical realism as a way for the McNair’s to come to terms (or at least just not be bothered) with Kit’s gender instead of the typical monstrous portrayals that seem to pervade literature/films/real life to demonize trans and non-binary people.
Congrats to Loghan Paylor on this incredible debut! I hope many people read this and feel loved and seen.
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Canada for the eARC of this beautiful novel in exchange for an honest review
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, and Death of parent
Moderate: Homophobia
jennp28's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is a beautiful novel of WWII and a family’s experiences navigating farm life, love, and the war. In this world, fae are real and a trans non-binary character is more or less accepted as presented (and they/them pronouns are used). Very Canadian and very real-feeling despite the magical elements. (One gripe - Halifax doesn’t have a “bay”, it has a “basin” and looking out from Devil’s Battery at the harbour you would not be looking over the bay/basin. Just sayin.)
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Homophobia
Minor: Pregnancy and Injury/Injury detail
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