A review by onceandfuturereads
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I picked this book up at little free library because I was intrigued by the true crime angle. In a word, this book is predictable. It's also just not well written. If I had to read "her shoulder length auburn hair" one more time I was going to start yelling. It wasn't so much the plot as the dialogue that was unbelievable to me (though the plot was...laughable). The cryptic letters that Hannah writes to Rachel, her podcast hero, are written in a way that nobody actually writes. Same with the dialogue. I wouldn't have cared so much because I know it's supposed to be a fun mystery, but it really took me out of the story. 

Furthermore, there are ethical problems with this story. The author clearly drew inspiration from the rape trial that made headlines when Chanel Miller made her victim impact statement as Emily Doe. Scott Blair, Gildon's antagonist, is a reproduction of Brock Turner, even in the final few pages. I was hoping to see an acknowledgement of Chanel Miller, or other survivors, but...nothing!

I am being generous in giving this book 2 stars, and that is because the true crime podcast was a cool idea and I haven't seen it done before.



Expand filter menu Content Warnings