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honnari_hannya's review against another edition
4.0
CW: Racism, xenophobia, fat shaming
A short novella, spanning the length of a rainy day in a remote cabin park. Each chapter is told through the almost stream-of-consciousness from one of the residents of the park, in vignettes of what they are thinking and experiencing in that particular moment. Sarah Moss manages to pack in an unreal amount of dread in such a short punch, each chapter building toward a moment of disaster that you expect to happen sooner or later, and want to almost voyeuristically see the reactions of the rest of the park's inhabitants when it does inevitably occur. There are several scenes where I thought, "Is this it?" only to let out a breath when we move on, crisis narrowly averted, for now. And beneath all of that is this undercurrent of tension that slowly narrows down into a more specific but also more nebulous anger that the characters feel, devolving from national to political to social to cultural so seamlessly.
I will say that I disliked the removed, omniscient POV that is sometimes interspersed between chapters. It is very reminiscent of the way [a:Richard Powers|11783|Richard Powers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263155076p2/11783.jpg] wrote about and through trees in [b:The Overstory|40180098|The Overstory|Richard Powers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562786502l/40180098._SY75_.jpg|57662223], but doesn't work quite as well here since the focus of this novella is so much narrower. I think this would have been a more concise book without those interruptions, which ended up being distractions.
A short novella, spanning the length of a rainy day in a remote cabin park. Each chapter is told through the almost stream-of-consciousness from one of the residents of the park, in vignettes of what they are thinking and experiencing in that particular moment. Sarah Moss manages to pack in an unreal amount of dread in such a short punch, each chapter building toward a moment of disaster that you expect to happen sooner or later, and want to almost voyeuristically see the reactions of the rest of the park's inhabitants when it does inevitably occur. There are several scenes where I thought, "Is this it?" only to let out a breath when we move on, crisis narrowly averted, for now. And beneath all of that is this undercurrent of tension that slowly narrows down into a more specific but also more nebulous anger that the characters feel, devolving from national to political to social to cultural so seamlessly.
I will say that I disliked the removed, omniscient POV that is sometimes interspersed between chapters. It is very reminiscent of the way [a:Richard Powers|11783|Richard Powers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1263155076p2/11783.jpg] wrote about and through trees in [b:The Overstory|40180098|The Overstory|Richard Powers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562786502l/40180098._SY75_.jpg|57662223], but doesn't work quite as well here since the focus of this novella is so much narrower. I think this would have been a more concise book without those interruptions, which ended up being distractions.
lidz_2tc's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
isabelrstev's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.5
kyliemaslen's review against another edition
3.0
enjoyable novel composed of interlinked short stories but just failed to hook me in
loubraryoftheforest's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Complete fluke I started reading this as we were getting to leave our holiday cottage ( it was on their shelf) and I picked it up to see what it was about. Read it on the way home in the car!
Set in Scotland by a rainy windswept loch, the inhabitants of the run down wooden cabins that surround it are trying to enjoy their time away, but with not much success. Bored toddlers, angry teenagers, and cooped up frustrated adults do not a happy holiday make, and as we hear from each of the holiday maker in turn, we learn more about their individual situations, and the collective annoyance at one cabins excessive noise that unites them.
A real little gem, atmospheric and tension building, with a few twists. Very enjoyable little read.
Set in Scotland by a rainy windswept loch, the inhabitants of the run down wooden cabins that surround it are trying to enjoy their time away, but with not much success. Bored toddlers, angry teenagers, and cooped up frustrated adults do not a happy holiday make, and as we hear from each of the holiday maker in turn, we learn more about their individual situations, and the collective annoyance at one cabins excessive noise that unites them.
A real little gem, atmospheric and tension building, with a few twists. Very enjoyable little read.
nahanarts's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
rae_swabey's review against another edition
3.0
This was an absorbing, easy to read book with some great psychological insights and a real sense of place. And there were both laugh-out-loud and genuinely touching moments.
But I was left slightly underwhelmed as not much happened, and as soon as I felt as though I was getting under the skin of a character, they were abandoned for the next one. And then at the end, when dramatic events do start happening, we see them through the eyes of a character I didn’t feel I’d had much of a chance to connect with. Overall I found it a little disjointed.
But it is enjoyable and Moss really shows off the range of characters she’s able to write in a totally believable way. I think I would just have preferred fewer of them and a deeper dive into each one.
But I was left slightly underwhelmed as not much happened, and as soon as I felt as though I was getting under the skin of a character, they were abandoned for the next one. And then at the end, when dramatic events do start happening, we see them through the eyes of a character I didn’t feel I’d had much of a chance to connect with. Overall I found it a little disjointed.
But it is enjoyable and Moss really shows off the range of characters she’s able to write in a totally believable way. I think I would just have preferred fewer of them and a deeper dive into each one.
irritablepowell's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Sarah Moss gets right inside the head of her characters. Although the subject matter is dark, her writing is laced with sly humour. This is a small, perfectly crafted gem.
motherofladybirds's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed the sense of suspense throughout and the many different viewpoints. The landscape was definitely a character. Leaving the main event so late in the tale was brave, but I think the author pulled it off. Quite thought provoking about our own prejudices and judgements of others. It was satisfying that so many people proved useful in a crisis despite what others may have thought of them.