Reviews

The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss

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jenreadsalot's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

Miriam, a 15 year old, collapses at school and her heart stops. She is revived and taken to the hospital. The narrator of the story is Miriam's father who provides us with 3 stories: the story of Miriam's hospital stay, her diagnosis and how he deals with this scary situation; a great history lesson about Coventry Cathedral and lastly the story of his father and his life as a first generation American after his parents fled Europe prior to WWII.
The three story lines were interesting and I believe were meant to be cohesive. I know a lot of people loved this book but I just couldn't engage with the characters or the stories. I found myself trying to find the meaning of the 3 story lines and how they were supposed to related to each other.
I gave it 3 stars because the author writes beautifully but overall the story just left me flat. I had no emotion and I know I should have. As I said many people have raved about this book and chances are I am in the minority on my reaction so you might want to give it a go despite my lackluster review.

alpha_build's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.5

ingeborg_frey's review against another edition

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Likte den ikke da jeg leste den, men tenker på den stadig.

sigridjacobs's review against another edition

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4.0

Four stars for Rose.
And the cat.

linburg50's review against another edition

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3.0

The narrator is Adam, a stay at home dad that receives a call one day that his oldest daughter has collapsed and stopped breathing. The book then follows the lives of this family and how they deal with this event.

A lot of themes are explored. I'm not British so I unfortunately didn't have a good understanding of the commentary on the NHS. It explores dying and especially children dying but it all seems so intellectual and it never really managed to touch me deeply.

I can be really harsh and state that there is no plot and that it just 'plods' on. But, as I understand, it is a characteristic of 'stream-of-consciousness' writing. Wikipedia defines 'stream of consciousness' as 'a narrative mode or device that depicts the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind. It as a narrative device that intends to give the written equivalent of the character's thought processes.'

So, don't expect much to happen, it's meant to make you think about a variety of issues. It's a 'slice of life' view of this family. No absolutely tender or heart-breaking moments and no great 'aha'-moments either.

So, on my scale of 1-really bad, 2-ok, 3-good, 4-very good and 5-absolutely excellent I give it a 3.

davethescot's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.5

"The Tidal Zone" by Sarah Moss is a captivating exploration of family dynamics, mortality, and the fragility of life. The narrative skillfully weaves together personal struggles with larger societal issues, creating a poignant and thought-provoking read. Moss's writing is elegant and evocative, making this novel a must-read for literary enthusiasts.