genre: contemporary YA
When Kit and Hugo Godden arrive at the beach for the summer, their presence is going to disrupt the languid and breezy air of previous holidays. Between the beach house, the guest house and the shop in town, the only other setting in this novel is the ocean and while handsome and unfamiliar teenage boys bring out the sort of headiness that makes teen girls swoon, they also can stir the pot in ways that can affect an entire family.
I am of two minds about this novel. It is short and beautifully written - the language is lovely and piercing. The story didn't play out how I'd imagined and the plot itself was interesting. However, we never even learn the name or age of the narrator, nothing about her life before the beach or what life is like at home in London. I felt like I read the whole book through a window that was dirty with sea water, I just never felt CONNECTED the way I wanted to. Teen readers may feel differently, the feelings of angst and yearning and confusion are expertly examined. For me, though, this was a postcard, a snapshot, without a lot of context and so I felt a little like an outsider looking in.
content warning: a few swears and talk of sex
1 comment:
I've been impressed and intrigued by everything I've read of Rosoff, though I haven't enjoyed everything equally. There is No Dog is probably my favourite. This sounds like one I wouldn't pick up if it wasn't by her, but I probably will just to see what it's like.
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