Swimming

Rating:
Summary: Page turner
Review: I just gave birth to a boy on July 15th. The importance of this is that I picked up "Swimming" after the baby was born and was able to finish it in one week. That's incredible considering all of the demands of a newborn. But I found that I couldn't put the book down from the inciting incident of the two brothers and girlfriend to the ending. Joanna Hershon does a phenomenal job developing her characters. The plot and the story line hooked me as well. Her writing is poetic and there is some wonderful imagery. I believed in the story and I believed the characters. Only toward the end did I have a hard time believing how the characters meet up again (I don't want to give anything away). All in all, I didn't want to say good-bye to these characters.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I just got this book yesterday and I found myself turning the pages late into the night; I just finished it. It's a fantastic portrait of what binds a family and tears it apart. I loved the element of suspense (not to mention sensuality). My only gripe is that it's over and I'm going to have to wait for the next Hershon book.

Rating:
Summary: Nothing special, beach blanket read
Review: I lived in New Hampshire for four years, so I thought it would be fun to read a book set there. The story was ok...not great, not terrible; it was entertaining, but certainly not prize winning fiction. It's the story of two brothers, one girlfriend, an accident?, and how a little sister responds to it, both immediately and later in her life. On the jacket, it's described as, "exquisitely sexual," which leaves me puzzled and bemused. Sure, okay, if that's what it takes to sell the book, put it on the jacket. Perhaps somebody else will find it more arousing than I did.

Rating:
Summary: Great, great book!!! I highly recommend!
Review: I picked up "Swimming" on a whim and took it on a beach vacation with me. Needless to say, I finished it in two days. I was drawn in from the beginning to this story of jealousy, intimacy, passion, obsession and pain that lingers. I, like others, was very attracted and interested in the characters and their lives. Read this book and you won't be sorry!!!

Rating:
Summary: Great, great book!!! I highly recommend!
Review: I picked up "Swimming" on a whim and took it on a beach vacation with me. Needless to say, I finished it in two days. I was drawn in from the beginning to this story of jealousy, intimacy, passion, obsession and pain that lingers. I, like others, was very attracted and interested in the characters and their lives. Read this book and you won't be sorry!!!

Rating:
Summary: Gripping read
Review: I really could not put this book down. Hershon developed the characters from Page one, and did not leave any facet of their personalities unexplored. They are all honest and human, which is what makes it easy to identify with one or more of the characters. I cannot belive this is her first book, as it is wonderfully haunting. I would recommend it 100 percent.

Rating:
Summary: Riveting...had trouble putting it down
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book...the first half lets you learn so much about each character and after the story developed the second half forced me to stay up really late because I could not put it down. I was disappointed when this book was over because I just wanted more. I would highly recommend this book. I usually read true crime stories so this was one of the first fiction novels I have read in a while. It was wonderful!

Rating:
Summary: Great descriptions
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Your descriptions were so specific, and you tied a scene together so concisely. The entire book was a very good package, almost sensual. I will read it again and again...

Rating:
Summary: A gripping first novel
Review: I saw this book in the library and checked it out. It was a good decision! Unlike some of the other readers, I thought the prologue was a taste of what was to come. It was pointing out that this family wasn't going to be the typical American family. Their meeting wasn't the usual romantic type - and their children could not be expected to be typical either. I loved the book - although I found some of the coincidences a bit unbelievable - for example, finding her brother even though he had a different name! But it was a good read and I look forward to the next one by this author.

Rating:
Summary: an engrossing, touching family story
Review: I simply loved this book. The writing is beautiful and the emotional depth of the characters are wonderfully conveyed. The author really made these characters come alive for me. An incredible debut and a book I am going to tell all my friends about.