Rating: 
Summary: As In Life, Sink or Swim.
Review: Let me start by saying that although I ultimately enjoyed this novel, for some reason I had a difficult time getting into it. This is a fine piece of writing, and an interesting examination of sibling rivalry, family jealousy and secrets, and the often naive memories that the youngest family members can have of events. It also shows us how easily seemingly harmless behavior can spiral out of control with life long devastating consequences. My only criticisms are these; I sometimes felt the characters were too "predictable". The eldest son Aaron was "solid and sensitive", Jack, "wild and searching", Suzanne, the girlfriend "manipulative, and cold". I never felt like I got to know these characters, and I didn't much care about them. Only Lila, the youngest daughter seemed "fully developed" for lack of a better word. Now in fairness to the author, perhaps these characters were purposely kept this way to correspond with Lila's childhood memories of them, as a reader however I was sometimes left wanting. I must agree with other reviewers who have questioned the purpose of the prologue. It introduces us to the parents of these children, and sets the location where events unfold, however once we get to the novel itself the parents become such minor and in my opinion lifeless characters, that it becomes difficult to believe that these two "flat" people could produce such dynamic offspring. That said, this is still a very good book and certainly worth a read.
Rating: 
Summary: gripping
Review: Ms Hershon is a psychologist at heart with a gift for the written word. A truly gripping first novel .It catches you and spirals out of control before pulling you back. Bravo on an extraordinary first novel. Where's #2?
Rating:
Summary: Not a classic "page turner", but emotionally moving
Review: Perhaps I define "page turner" differently than other readers. I chose to read this book based on the glowing reviews, each of which referred to it in one way or another as a "page turner."
I disagree, but I still found this book to be well worth reading.
It was not until the last 1/3 of the book that I was hooked into sitting down for a good long uninterrupted read. The first 2/3 of the book alternated between too much description (which equals boredom to me) and interest in what would happen with the characters. I must say that every time I teetered on the edge of giving up on the book (despite the fact that it is obviously well written), Hershon would throw something out there just enough to get my attention.
Part of the problem is that I started the book expecting lots and lots of suspense and intrigue. What Hershon gives you instead is lots and lots of poetic description and slow-moving character development. Which is not necessarily bad, just not what I expected.
Once I recovered from my disappointment that the book was not going to be the page turner I craved, I began to emerse into Hershon's world. By the end of the book, I was moved.
My advice to readers looking for the classic page turner is to ignore the majority of the blurbs on the book itself (soft cover version). What you should expect from this book is a slow, poetic, and beautiful portrayal of loss and the bonds between a brother and sister.
If you have ever experienced distance from a family member after a tragedy, you will certainly relate to this book.
Rating:
Summary: Joanna's Sense of Smell
Review: Readers who appreciate realistic characters struggling with emotional issues will connect hard with Swimming, a novel further enhanced by carefully crafted settings and a unique sensuality. Not many novels elicit the unexpected jolts of recognition I felt as each of the characters was introduced, as if they were people I'd actually met known sometime in the past, but had lost track of. This was all the more surprising for me since the story takes place mostly in New England, an area culturally and geographically distant from my general life experience. I was also struck by the presence of smell in the descriptive writing, e.g.: "... and from inside the apartment a cross-breeze was blowing the scent of clean worn cotton with a hint of something sweet." Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Swimming is cool
Review: Swimming is an excellent book, beautifully written, with a page-turner plot and fully realized characters. Joanna Hershon fills the pages with exquisite descriptions that move the senses and tug at the heart. Bravo for this first novelest. A star is born
Rating: 
Summary: This One Sinks Like a Rock!
Review: This book had me hooked right from the start. The writing stlye is at a good pace, and the characters are easy to picture. The flow of the book is great, and you will not want to put it down once see where it's going. I can totally see this book becoming a great movie. Read it and you'll see what I mean.
Rating:
Summary: An intriguing page turner
Review: This book had me hooked right from the start. The writing stlye is at a good pace, and the characters are easy to picture. The flow of the book is great, and you will not want to put it down once see where it's going. I can totally see this book becoming a great movie. Read it and you'll see what I mean.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing debut novel
Review: This book needs to read to be believed. It heartbreakingly beautiful. I found myself eerily caught up in the characters lives. I think for awhile to come I will be searching for Lila and Aaron in strangers faces.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This book was great. I really enjoyed it and it kept my interest all the way through. I found myself relating to the characters and getting mad at them at the same time, they were so realistic. A good read all in all.. except the prologue was totally unneccessary and had nothing really to do with the rest of the book.
Rating:
Summary: SEDUCTIVE, DISTURBING NOVEL
Review: This excellent book draws you into the dark waters of the lake in question and into the dark, sexually tormented minds of those who swim there. Hershon crawls into the heads of sharply-etched characters who are motivated by murky emotions they do not understand. It is ostensibly a realistic family mystery and a sensual journey of the wounded and self-absorbed - but ultimately it is a magical tale of pain and anger and love and forgiveness.
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