I really don't know how I feel about this novel. I get the comparison between the pool crack and Alice's dementia, but it just felt so cold; lacking emotion. Maybe it's just the writing style that didn't work for me. I will be interested to read the reviews of others.

Beautiful and quite spellbinding. Another novel from Holly Ringland full of amazing characters that you wish were your family and friends. A tale that weaves folklore and myths into the present day, and takes you from Tasmania to Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Just a gorgeous book to read.

I finished reading this and felt breathless and so sad for the main character, Maggie. And for others like her whose lives are so tortured. This is a novel that will stay with you for a long time...I highly recommend it, but it's very real and may not be for everyone. I found it compulsive reading...had to keep going at a rapid pace to the end.

A very different and quite terrifying theme from this author. Confronting but compelling, it's a fast read that will leave you reflecting on its key points. Highly recommended, but not if the COVID pandemic has already drained you!

I found this slow in parts, and it took ages for me to get a handle on who was who, but it sucked me in. I found it to be a clever, sad and insightful analysis of people, using the backdrop of a small town and the machinations of a council election to highlight truths. We see the same human behaviours in our own every day lives...at work, at home.. This is worth a read and reflection, as it's possible to relate to its of every character

Beautiful and powerful story of identity. Well-written with attention to details of ordinary lives that will make your heart ache.

Beautifully written, and hauntingly sad.

A very easy read and brief insight into the life of an Australian Muslim woman, trying to navigate life. 'We think darkness transforms us. But what of the things we see in the light?'

Such a beautiful book to read. Celebrating life, love, and deep bonds. Makes life seem simple, somehow.

Such a wonderful character-full novel that spans 30+ years. It's a beautiful look at life...people growing up, learning to be human, learning to live, love and let go. You will fall in love with every character, even if you don't plan to. And you will fall in love with Florence and the Italian dolce vita.

Absolutely adored this.

What an eye-opening read. Thank you Yumiko Kadota for sharing your experiences so eloquently, allowing us an insight into the harsh world of a medical and surgical student. Add in the barriers associated with being female and Asian in this sector, and you have a recipe for self-combustion. Told with humour and perceptive insight, you certainly won't regret reading this.

Absolutely stunning, beautifully written and emotionally captivating.

Not nearly as good as the reviews promised. Sure, it was worrying, but really didn't get into an examination of race and class, privilege and fate as described...these were all very cursory. Writing style is not my thing, but it is well-written. It took me out of my comfort zone, and I had to stop reading it when 6 Jan 2021 events happened in Washington, and then resumed once some sanity prevailed...a bit too prescient!

Loved it! Clever concept and beautiful weaving of key themes in a particular place and time. Celebrates 'the power of language to shape our experience of the world.'

Ok I need a bit of help Litsy peeps. I enjoyed the writing style once I got used to it, I found it to be very clever in parts, I understand what it's about and enjoyed the escalation/ spiralling feeling. But I finished it and just thought, what's it given me to take away? I am just not ready for doomsday thoughts and didnt get the point fully. It felt a bit try-hard. Is that just me? Would love to hear your thoughts.

I felt a lot of anger reading this book, and almost gave up early on. I am pleased to have read it, and pleased I have finished reading it. The carelessness of the characters had a Gatsby feel, and I really didn't like or feel an affinity with any of them. Still, it is a novel that challenges your thinking all the time, and that's why we read. Not sure if it's "contemporary classic", but it's certainly thought provoking.

I enjoyed this book for it's incredibly fast pace and its insights into lives very unknown to me. I loved the complexity of various relationships and they way they all linked somehow. The feminista stuff was a bit overwhelming but ultimately I would recommend it for its unusual writing style and sheer boldness, it's portrayal of varied and comples relationships and its lingering impact on the reader.

Another compelling read from Heather Morris. I admire her ability to produce a second novel just as well -written as her first, "The Tattooist of Auschwitz". A must read.

I really don't like giving a bad review but I just couldn't read past page110. I wanted this to be good but the characters are obvious and have all been done before. Writing hints at being good but uses too many overused and boring descriptions and just didn't hold my attention. As an Aussie ex teacher, I wanted to support Aussie author/teacher, but can't. It's not like a Jodi Picoult book, no matter what the enticing cover quote says!

I enjoyed this book, once I controlled my anger at the author's survivalist parents who tried to make her succumb to their narrow world view. Ultimately, this book celebrates the power of education and you end up feeling proud of the author and her drive to educate herself out of her prison-like family situation.

First book of 2020, recommended by a guest from USA. Loved every page and enjoyed thinking about destiny and choice as the key theme of this novel. Follow the lives of 4 flawed but very real siblings who find out their dates of death from a gypsy...this is an easy read that makes you consider destiny, reality, life, love and family. Loved it!