A review by debi_g
Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke

3.0

I often considered abandoning this book during the first 100 pages, but decided I was invested in finding answers to the plot's questions. Believable answers to these questions, and to unforeseen complications, are delivered by the end. My reading difficulties have to do with the way the excitement of travel gets muted by the listlessness of grief, how the characters feel undeveloped, and how the tale is structured; the journal acts as a limiter, yet the narrative extends beyond what can be known through it. I would have preferred to read entries purported to be Mia's writing (since it's the only way she expresses her feelings) to narrative chapters about her that are either similar to or directly contrasting to Katie's. Additionally, I could buy into Katie's relationship with Mia's journal, but I was constantly skeptical that she would have had the self-control to read it in such small portions, no matter the rationale.

Bottom line: I read the book quickly and could easily imagine the people and places, yet I remained aloof and outside the book rather than drawn into its world. (The author, however, sounds fascinating!)