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crothe77 's review for:
Night Swimming
by Aaron Starmer
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer is a first and third person dual-POV dual-timeline YA speculative set in 1994. Trevor and Sarah have been dancing around each other for a while, so when Sarah suggests that they swim in every single pool in town, Trevor follows along. During the last swim, they learn of another pool in the woods, but they’re in store for more than a quick dip.
Before or after every chapter is a short little first person interlude in the second timeline and you won’t learn who it is until much later. This added a sense of mystery while also enhancing what was happening in the woods with Trevor, Sarah, and their friends. There’s a sense of loss that comes through but also a sense of trying to get something back as the POV character moves about. I’d be curious to see what happens after the book ends for all the characters, but I also felt that everything tied up pretty well.
There are references to popular songs from the 90s and a full discussion around the power of mixtapes versus a studio album. You get a real sense of the 90s and I did get a lot of nostalgia from it, which makes me feel that the book is a perfect fit for Millennials and older Gen Z who still enjoy YA. It does retain the YA themes of growing up, high school relationships, going off to college, exploring first kisses, etc. and will be enjoyable for older teens who are starting to think about college but want something that is both hopeful and delves into the fears of the world moving on without you.
This is a bit on the darker side but never goes full-on horror. The sense of dread is fairly low and there is a bit of suspense, but the overall tone is that there is life after high school but plans don’t always work out how we think they will. I think whether or not it’s hopeful will depend on a lot of factors, but as someone who is not a teen, I did see both hope and fear because growing up is scary.
I would recommend this to fans of YA set in the 90s and readers looking for a bit of a shorter speculative book that explores the feelings of growing up in an honest way