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A review by jaymoran
Summerwater by Sarah Moss
4.0
She steps out of the trees above the shore, nervous, ears cocked, her fawn a few paces back. The trees behind them shiver in the wind, cast off rain. In her mind there are always wolves, day and night, a pack of them slinking on the edge of scent and sound. They creep nearer when she sleeps, when she and the fawn bow their heads to drink, when the trees cluster to make hiding places. The wolves in her mind are fleet on land, fast as pike in water, hungry. They can scent her fawn from their hillside lair, from deep in the forest and they are coming, always coming.
She nibbles some leaves, to show the fawn what to do. They both glance back, into the woods.
3.5
I've wanted to read another Sarah Moss for a long time. A few years ago now, I read and absolutely loved The Tidal Zone, and subsequently bought a lot of her other books...but didn't read them. When I heard about Summerwater, I decided to make this one my second read, and, while I liked it, I was a tiny bit disappointed.
It's the summer but a gloomy one. Rain is constant, everyone in stuck indoors, and there's one family that seems to be hosting a loud party every night, keeping everyone up. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective as they muse on their life, their loved ones, and their surroundings, and, between each chapter, is a beautiful paragraph or so about the nature around them, such as the extract quoted at the beginning of this review. Those moments were my favourite - truly beautiful fragments that contrasted with the very human issues taking place under each roof, and I kind of wish that the whole book had been written in the same tone as those scenes.
The book was a solid 3 stars for me until the end, which completely took me aback and electrified me. Without giving anything away, it completely surprised me and made me appreciate the rest of the book, raising my rating to a 3.5.
Summerwater is a very current novel, touching on subjects that are very topical and present, and treats its characters complexly, but it wasn't a book I loved reading.
She nibbles some leaves, to show the fawn what to do. They both glance back, into the woods.
3.5
I've wanted to read another Sarah Moss for a long time. A few years ago now, I read and absolutely loved The Tidal Zone, and subsequently bought a lot of her other books...but didn't read them. When I heard about Summerwater, I decided to make this one my second read, and, while I liked it, I was a tiny bit disappointed.
It's the summer but a gloomy one. Rain is constant, everyone in stuck indoors, and there's one family that seems to be hosting a loud party every night, keeping everyone up. Each chapter is from a different character's perspective as they muse on their life, their loved ones, and their surroundings, and, between each chapter, is a beautiful paragraph or so about the nature around them, such as the extract quoted at the beginning of this review. Those moments were my favourite - truly beautiful fragments that contrasted with the very human issues taking place under each roof, and I kind of wish that the whole book had been written in the same tone as those scenes.
The book was a solid 3 stars for me until the end, which completely took me aback and electrified me. Without giving anything away, it completely surprised me and made me appreciate the rest of the book, raising my rating to a 3.5.
Summerwater is a very current novel, touching on subjects that are very topical and present, and treats its characters complexly, but it wasn't a book I loved reading.