review #1: water by john boyne
'as subtle as a brick' according to a one star review
dear reader,
4.5 ☆ water by john boyne is a hard book to summarise in a review. what do i even address? in less than 200 pages, it manages to do so much, critique so many institutions, and discuss such serious issues while still maintaining a light enough tone that ensures the novel isn't overly depressing to read. the tone of the book is so very reflective. of course, this matches the subject matter but also the title (and not in the obvious way). reading this book felt like watching the sunrise, light eventually prevailing over darkness, or like a walk on a rainy day; your socks are drenched, your hair is wet, but still, you're not upset - it’s hard to be when you feel so calm. it’s this cautiously optimistic tone this book takes (especially towards the end) that makes it such a fabulous read.
that is not at all to say this is an easy, lighthearted, or happy read. water follows willow hale as she moves to a little island off ireland to escape her past. during the course of the novel, the reader sits in the emotions with willow, feeling the guilt she is overwhelmed by and the sadness suffocating her. as a reader, the best part of the story was seeing willow come into her own the more time she spent on the island. she is an incredible character to follow because her emotions feel realistic. there is a scene where she is walking in a storm - the storm is volatile, so vividly described by boyne's fabulous writing, and willow's headspace feels very unpredictable (despite the fact that she's done nothing for us (me) to feel that she would behave in a reckless manner) so as the reader, i was worried for her in that moments, silently urging her to return to the little cabin she’s renting. however, we also know that it is a moment of catharsis for willow. that scene was so moving in a way i don't particularly know how to articulate. water, rain, the ocean, has taken so much away from willow but it plays such a prominent part in the story. she has to sail to arrive at and leave the irish coastal town shes staying on. her state of mind is reflected in the tides and currents, and i think water was the perfect metaphor for willow during this period of her life. her arrival is not written on page, however her departure is showing her growth as a character. the story is part of a series, known as the elementals, each following a different protagonist in various different journeys. water, earth, and fire have already been released and the final instalment in the series is to be released in may of 2025.
“Each one uses its particular element in parallel to the main character’s work or emotions. It seemed like a challenging and interesting idea to me”
- John Boyne, Penguin Australia (2024)
john boyne is an incredible writer. you can skip to any page you want and read a phrase that is so incredibly profound and beautiful while still not being overly verbose and pretentious. the book is not just about the grief willow is dealing with but also discusses the patriarchy and how women feel responsibility for mens issues as well as many other issues faced by women daily. it's hard to believe it was written by a man; he manages to deconstruct these problems and place the core issue on blast by showing how it exists on the small scale - a tiny, isolated community, a family of four, and even on the individual, internalised scale.
“There are widows. And widowers. And orphans. But there is no word to define a parent who loses a child. The language is missing a noun. Perhaps because it is so unnatural.”
- Water, John Boyne
the book felt a little vouyeristic at times. the reader is privy to willows most personal moments and thoughts. alongside the entirety of the irish subcontinent, we watch the things that have happened in her life that she likely would’ve wanted to take to the grave. as heartbreaking as this is, the worst parts are the internal thoughts during her time on the island that we as the reader are able to see. she escaped dublin to avoid the prying eyes of the public but we as the reader still follow her around, aware of all her actions and all her thoughts. this is the most heartbreaking part of the book, but it makes the ending of the book all the more intentional, purposely leaving us behind to live in true privacy.
ultimately, as a story of grief, acceptance, and moving on, water excels. it captures many of the emotions felt but also acknowledges that everyone copes in a unique way. i didn't realise this was an interconnected standalone series (i only thought those existed in romance haha) but you bet i'll be reading those books too!
love,
ann