A review by milesjmoran
The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss

4.0

This is one of those books that swallows you up completely within a matter of pages. The heartache at the core of this family is powerfully tangible throughout, your bones aching the entire time. Aspects of this novel could be painted as depressing, handling its subject matter with the gravity it deserves without sweetening it to rotten, yet I would assert that Moss has not crafted a dreary story. These characters are real to us and we dearly care about them, even if we don't fully understand or comprehend them as people. Everyone is faulted; the GP mother Emma who seems more dedicated to her work than her family at times, the youngest daughter Rose who is jealous of the attention her sister is getting, Miriam who is frustrated at her own failing body, and, at the centre, the father Adam, who is overwhelmed and floundering. I am so excited to read more of Sarah Moss' work, as this book has demonstrated her great skill and unique voice.