A review by lottiebrooks
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

**Disclaimer: I got this through Book of the Month, so it’s possible my copy was an ARC, and some of this didn’t make it into the Final Cut, but I feel the need to write a lengthy review here despite all the 5 star hype**

The author clearly had done a lot of research on rape and sexual assault cases, but it felt to me like that was at the expense of understanding North Carolina, true crime podcasts, and how humans talk to each other in real life. 

The rape case was handled realistically, but this was more of a courtroom drama than a thriller. I felt that the graphic descriptions of the incident were unnecessary to the plot. 

The grammar in this book, and how the characters talked to each other, made me re-read at least one sentence per page, questioning my degree in communications. I don’t think anyone said hello a single time, nor did they introduce themselves? 

Other things that were bizarre: 
  • The author uses the word niggling no less than 6 times. Surely there’s a better option that doesn’t sound adjacent to a slur? 
  • A #1 true crime podcaster simply wouldn’t post in real time about where she is staying, where she’s going, and that she’s doing it alone. That’s like safety 101. She also wouldn’t be #1 if her episodes were 2 minutes long. Also most true crime podcasts who post about active cases like this get sued. 
  • Nearly everyone is blond(e). 
  • The author referred to a “vagrant” selling cans to make money in North Carolina, which is not a state that offers that program. She also calls it a small town, then says there are 98,000 residents - This would make it the 7th largest town in the state. 
  • We are simultaneously told that the judge of the case has never had a decision reversed and had one reversed 7 years ago. 
  • The author used the phrase “jelly and peanut butter” sandwich. It really rocked my world. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings