Summerwater
Vivid
Dark
Repetitive

Summerwater

Sarah Moss2020
On the longest day of the summer, twelve people sit cooped up with their families in a faded Scottish cabin park. The endless rain leaves them with little to do but watch the other residents. Tensions rise and all watch on, unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead as night finally falls
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of g.m.
g.m.@genie_m
3.5 stars
Mar 9, 2025

Masterful exploration of boredom; perhaps so much so that I never truly connected with the story. The abrupt ending with so little context was unsatisfying… I wondered if I had missed a page.

Photo of Gelaine Trinidad
Gelaine Trinidad@gelaine
4 stars
Jul 5, 2024

3.5/5

Photo of Crystal L
Crystal L@umcrystal
3 stars
May 2, 2023

Summerwater comes together as a collection of stories from the POV of people living on a small Scottish isle, and how their lives interact on a rainy day. Although I enjoyed the book overall, there were a few characters I couldn't connect with and found myself skimming those chapters. Even still, I did not expect the ending AT ALL, and it left me wanting so much more! I really hope this won't be the end of Moss's writing about this group of people because I would love to hear more of this story. 4/5 Stars Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Photo of Moray Lyle McIntosh
Moray Lyle McIntosh@bookish_arcadia
4 stars
Dec 5, 2021

It never rains but it pours. Sarah Moss is a master of character and atmosphere and Summerwater is no exception. Like Ghost Wall it is seething with tension as she lets us into the innermost thoughts of a series of characters, all holidaying on the banks of a rainy Scottish loch. The characters throb with resentment and boredom in the wilderness, reflecting on their lives and relationships, making assumptions about one another as they glimpse temporary neighbour through the mist and rain. She makes the most of a setting that is wild and isolated and the claustrophobia intensifies the gnawing frustration that is so clear in the internal monologues. These monologues are one of the things she does best, revealing complex and contradictory personalities full of conflicting actions and opinions. Moss writes people brilliantly in all their darkness and light and the tension is on a steady rise as relationships fray and people pass judgement until the final dramatic conclusion.

Photo of Gary Homewood
Gary Homewood@GaryHomewood
4 stars
Jul 28, 2021

Families and couples in a rain-drenched holiday park in Scotland. Brilliantly written, nuanced and detailed character studies, old and young alike, all struggling with cabin fever, skillfully interlaced. A state-of-the-nation, with a dark undercurrent. Also, "other silent swimmers" is my new all-time favourite chapter title.

Photo of Erin Goss
Erin Goss@erinmg22
4 stars
Mar 15, 2023
+2
Photo of Steph
Steph@stephelaine
4.5 stars
Feb 17, 2022
Photo of Austin Wagner
Austin Wagner@wagneram
2 stars
Jan 30, 2022
+2
Photo of Kay Sutherland
Kay Sutherland@kaysutherland
4 stars
Jul 5, 2024
Photo of Lindy
Lindy@lindyb
3 stars
Apr 2, 2024
Photo of Chris Wright
Chris Wright@chris_w
3 stars
Mar 23, 2024
Photo of Emily Perkovich
Emily Perkovich@undermeyou
5 stars
Mar 24, 2023
Photo of Leah McKenna
Leah McKenna@leahlovestoread
4 stars
Oct 30, 2022
Photo of Caterina P.
Caterina P.@ourbookishnotes
4 stars
Oct 15, 2022
Photo of Eve Lynch
Eve Lynch@evelynch
4 stars
Sep 15, 2022
Photo of Nicole Vanderbilt
Nicole Vanderbilt@nmvandy
4 stars
Sep 2, 2022
Photo of Chuck D'Antonio
Chuck D'Antonio@crdant
4 stars
Aug 13, 2022
Photo of Sara Holman
Sara Holman@saralovesbooks
4 stars
Jun 20, 2022
Photo of Gem Koeman
Gem Koeman@gemkoeman
3 stars
May 20, 2022
Photo of Amanda S
Amanda S@amandas
4 stars
May 11, 2022
Photo of Kathy Rodger
Kathy Rodger @bookatnz
4 stars
Apr 20, 2022
Photo of Gabrielle Griffiths
Gabrielle Griffiths@gabri_elle
4 stars
Apr 14, 2022
+3
Photo of Liam Byrne
Liam Byrne @tvtimelimit
5 stars
Jan 17, 2022
Photo of Imie Kent-Muller
Imie Kent-Muller@mythicreader
3 stars
Jan 7, 2022