MixedThe New York Times Book ReviewCompelling but uneven ... Its own kind of accessible, plot-propelled novel, one that provokes thoughts on art, coastal beauty, the vulnerability of girls and young women ... These first-person segments have a writing-prompt vibe, but they are also searing and intimate ... Hurtubise is adept at description — the crisscross of dialogue and the rhythms of people coming in and out of rooms, on and off beaches, in and out of memories. Because of that, I found myself wanting to erase full paragraphs of explanation or pry apart summed-up sentences to get to the meaty stuff ... The plot overtakes everything at a runaway pace. Readers will enjoy the twists and turns, though some will wish that the resolution were not so neat — instead allowing room for Saoirse’s internal changes to be deeply felt, rather than seen.
Alexis Landau
PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewDespite some moments that feel forced and overly earnest, particularly in the ancient narrative and the Nikitas story line, Landau’s writing is accessible, specific, lush and transporting. Her research is rigorous and full of elegant effort ... At times, the novel’s disparate parts compete with rather than complement one another; some characters seem predictable, and certain ideas redundant ... Landau’s prose can also lift off the page.
